Becoming a Famous Writer

Combing over the nonfiction section of a book store recently it looks to me that famous people write lots of books. Most of these titles didn’t tempt me much, not much at all. Funny how, not many authors get famous, but many famous people fancy themselves as authors. It does do one thing for the writing profession, it keeps authors willing to research and ghost write busy.

 I have been told that the average self-published book sells less than 100 copies and that the smallest of publishing houses often sell less than 100 of a title also. That’s not many books, the competition is fierce, but I still believe that well written fiction or nonfiction can sell if properly promoted. Therein lies the answer to most self-published authors selling so few books, marketing. If someone is already famous and has instant name recognition the selling part is easy.

Seems like I saw more unknown authors that were trying to sell fiction and how-to books than nonfiction. Not sure why, just what I ran across in my most recent visit to a book store – and it was an independent.

Oh – did I buy anything? One paperback by a midlist author that I like, I have read a half dozen or more of her books. When I read unknowns, I always download from Amazon. My price range for these unknown author books, free to $2.99.

Just Looking for a Good Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Canvas of Our Time

Although there are quite a few western writers whose stories I enjoy as much or more than Louis L’Amour, his, Education of a Wandering Man, is one of my favorite books regardless of genre.

My favorite quote from the book:

“A mistake constantly made by those who should know better is to judge people of the past by our standards rather than their own. The only way men or women can be judged is against the canvas of their own time.”

In all my years in front of my classes I constantly reminded myself, and my students, that judgment is best left in its own day and age and Mr. L’Amour certainly said it most eloquently.

Another Time and Place

My All New, How to Write Book

Type, writing books, into an Amazon book search and you will get hundreds of books, yes hundreds. Seems how to write books are popular. Some are by famous writers, some by semi-famous writers and many by unknown writers. I googled a few of the authors of what I thought, were obscure books, about the art of writing, and you know what I found? It appears some have written nothing or very little other than the how to write book.

 

Humm, seems odd, writing books by people that are not really writers, or have very little writing to their credit. Think I will continue my practice of googling authors and reading previews of their work before buying. In the meantime I am working on my new writing book, How to Write a Writing Book, should be a best seller. Believe I will talk with my banker in the morning about where to invest my millions.

 

If this plan doesn’t work out for me, see my next book – How To Play In the NFL and Make Millions, Without Working Out, Regardless of Your Age.

 

Nice Wyoming Photo – just for fun.



Parade Grounds at Fort Laramie