tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post6667542823257359805..comments2024-03-28T23:20:45.447-04:00Comments on Girlfriends Book Club: When You Don't Get What You Think You WantWriter Wenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16730769794553260336noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-35753370188722426212013-03-01T18:13:58.559-05:002013-03-01T18:13:58.559-05:00Kathy,
Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it.
A...Kathy,<br />Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it.<br />And I'm also glad I'm not the only one pondering song lyrics during the day ;).<br />Wishing you a wonderful weekend!Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-12395130952850048002013-03-01T12:24:54.575-05:002013-03-01T12:24:54.575-05:00Great topic, Marilyn! And, yes, I think about the ...Great topic, Marilyn! And, yes, I think about the words to that song a lot and how it applies to my life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-83866619814403861022013-02-28T15:27:21.174-05:002013-02-28T15:27:21.174-05:00Oh, Karin, thank you!!
I thought the cover designe...Oh, Karin, thank you!!<br />I thought the cover designer did a lovely job with it. It was fun to get to work with her on its creation and go back and forth on ideas! Only problem is that I always want to go out for coffee after I look at it... ;)Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-53722511864512995292013-02-28T13:31:22.546-05:002013-02-28T13:31:22.546-05:00And that cover is so beautiful! Thanks for an insp...And that cover is so beautiful! Thanks for an inspiring post.Karin Gillespienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-35037991302186310232013-02-27T16:08:52.132-05:002013-02-27T16:08:52.132-05:00Thanks, Crystal! I'm glad you reminded me of &...Thanks, Crystal! I'm glad you reminded me of "Bruce Almighty" -- that's a great example, and Jim Carrey is such fun to watch! <br /><br />You bring up another good point, too, that this kind of thing is something most authors struggle with at one time or another. <br /><br />It's hard to know when to let go of something we want. There's that fine line between not wanting to give up too easily but, also, feeling we need to know when it would be wiser to quit or just take a step back... Part of figuring that out for ourselves comes from experience, I think. And the other part, I suspect, is a giant leap of faith :).Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-57417851164229735472013-02-27T15:53:24.935-05:002013-02-27T15:53:24.935-05:00Sydney, I used to be a teacher, too!! (I had mostl...Sydney, I used to be a teacher, too!! (I had mostly 8 - 9 year olds. :) It's a challenging profession as well, and much more work than many people think, isn't it?!<br /><br />I'm no expert in marketing -- I'll readily admit that! -- but my advice for coming up with creative ideas, IMO, begins and ends with your story itself. Look closely at your manuscript and ask yourself: Does your story take place in a particular region of the world that people from that country or other areas might be interested in (i.e., London, the Mediterranean, Australia, etc.)? Is there an organization for people who do things that the characters in your novel do (i.e., knit, ride motorcycles, study sea animals, read Jane Austen...)? Does your story deal with a major issue that others have struggled with (i.e., loss of a parent, diet/fitness, divorce, and so on)? <br /><br />Whatever it was that created the passion in you to write your story is, I believe, a big key toward finding your readership. In my case, having a strong love of Jane Austen, I was already a member of an organization for fans of her work. It was easier to get my new book noticed there because I'm genuinely excited to talk about her writing and her life. And my book is a romance, and I'm a part of romance writers' organizations, too. Hope that helps!Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-760436477706997932013-02-27T15:33:15.891-05:002013-02-27T15:33:15.891-05:00Reese,
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked t...Reese,<br />Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the post and I agree with you -- it's not just publishing where this happens. Real life can provide a lot of examples, too, of blessings in disguise ;). And, yes! There are many fabulous new opportunities. I'm always inspired when I hear about the success stories out... Fingers crossed for you!!Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-16244779940034528592013-02-27T11:41:07.350-05:002013-02-27T11:41:07.350-05:00Thanks, Marilyn. I think all authors wrestle with ...Thanks, Marilyn. I think all authors wrestle with this type of internal dilemma. And it's always such an encouragement to hear how other authors have navigated the same territory. <br /><br />I'm very grateful we don't always get what we ask for. It reminds me of the movie, Bruce Almighty. The screenwriters did such a great job depicting how catastrophic a "yes" to some of our prayers can be. We rarely understand at the time. But, boy, hindsight is one of those many eyeopeners that deepen our appreciation of blessings in disguise. Crystal Waltonhttp://www.crystal-walton.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-46274032892730705592013-02-27T11:20:37.615-05:002013-02-27T11:20:37.615-05:00Enjoyed readig your post. I feel like my experienc...Enjoyed readig your post. I feel like my experiences are mirroring your own. I teach English here in the UK to 11 -16 year olds so, sadly, I have to do more marking than reading. Having said that, I've had three refusals for my book TouchStone for play and I'm about to publish through CreateSpace. The ICT stuff doesn't faze me, the marketing does. How have you got around that? Can you give me some creative ideas for getting it noticed and sold? Sydney.SydneyJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04006931344229821317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-863525860070544692013-02-27T10:30:26.261-05:002013-02-27T10:30:26.261-05:00Fantastic post, Marilyn. Not getting what we think...Fantastic post, Marilyn. Not getting what we think we want is often a blessing--in publishing and life in general. The rapid changes in publishing have opened up a host of possibilities to writers, and readers. I'm excited to explore those possibilities.Reese Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06522332142721434924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-77050308824404901562013-02-27T10:10:08.892-05:002013-02-27T10:10:08.892-05:00Deb,
You are a true friend to all authors, but I a...Deb,<br />You are a true friend to all authors, but I always feel so lucky to have you in my life ;). Thanks so much for sharing my book with your readers on the B&N General Fiction Forum (I loved getting to visit!!) and for the supportiveness and encouragement you've given to me and to everyone! You're wonderful. xoxMarilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-89423921491238381492013-02-27T09:56:50.017-05:002013-02-27T09:56:50.017-05:00Marilyn, this much is certain in this uncertain ne...Marilyn, this much is certain in this uncertain new world order of publishing is that it's important that you found a way to get your voice (pen) heard.<br />I enjoyed hosting this novel on my forum at B&N.com.<br />And in everything the only constant is change right<br /> xoxo<br />deb<br />The Reading Frenzyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17908245479700999445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-76587928176944336222013-02-27T09:46:48.044-05:002013-02-27T09:46:48.044-05:00Thanks so much, Brenda!
The indie experience has b...Thanks so much, Brenda!<br />The indie experience has been really enlightening -- a lot to learn, a ton of work, but also very rewarding and fun. IMO, it's worth the time researching it!Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-29854556820299850602013-02-27T07:27:52.685-05:002013-02-27T07:27:52.685-05:00Wow, Marilyn. What an inspiring post!! Between t...Wow, Marilyn. What an inspiring post!! Between this post and Jess's post, I really wanna learn more about indie publishing. Thank you!!Brenda Janowitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341902606434073240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-58890263685854716752013-02-27T00:19:46.766-05:002013-02-27T00:19:46.766-05:00Jess, thank you for the congrats and for taking ti...Jess, thank you for the congrats and for taking time to comment!! <br /><br />As for finding the right readership for our stories, I think there are some writers who instinctively know how to do that from book #1, and others -- like me, LOL -- who need years to fully grasp the concept... ;)Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-37177483236058691162013-02-26T23:10:36.119-05:002013-02-26T23:10:36.119-05:00Marilyn, wonderful post! Thank you for sharing thi...Marilyn, wonderful post! Thank you for sharing this. Your line about connecting with the right readership really resonated with me. <br /><br />Congrats on the release!!Jess Rileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06987689969282168406noreply@blogger.com