One thing about working one's way into celebrity is that you are kind of fumbling around in dark, uncharted waters without a compass. Little things you do along the way build momentum that is unnoticable. Those things may help or hurt your celebrity, but you are not quite sure which. Hence, one of the dangers becomes that you may start doing something that would ultimately help you build your celebrity, but then stop doing it because you have not seen any results from it.
Take me, for example. Of course, I am me, so it is hard for me to pinpoint anything I am doing that would add to my celebrity -- or else I would already be doing and perpetuating it. But there is one thing that I have noticed had some success. Of course, everyone knows that I wrote a Christian Romance book titled The Disposable Noble Wife and I am pretty sure everyone is aware that I have failed at selling it to a publisher and have been spinning my wheels trying to publicize the book through social media to get people to just read it. Meanwhile, I know for a fact that it is a pretty good piece of literature because I won the 2011 Reader's Favorite Silver Medal for it. Talk about frustration!
The book was written in 2009 and I can literally count on two hands the number of copies I have sold. So, a few weeks ago, when I found out about the new Amazon Kindle Prime lending library, I decided I had nothing to lose by adding The Disposable Noble Wife to it. So I did, and it will be there until this year's March 12. (It may be there longer. I still have to decide.)
After a few days in the lending library, I checked to see if any copies had been borrowed: None. But while I was in the Kindle online interface, I saw something about five free days of advertising lent books. I checked out the promotion and did not think much of it but set up three of free advertisement days for my lent title, then forgot about it and continued on with my life and fumbling around in the dark for celebrity.
Last Sunday morning, I checked the Amazon Kindle interface to see if any of my books had sold copies yet. (I average about two sales a month of Navigating Marital Abandonment and I am always excited to see one is helping another hurting soul.) I blinked when I saw the number of books sold: 236 -- and of The Disposable Noble Wife!
Figuring there must be something wrong, I reloaded the screen. Sure enough, the number stayed the same. I scrolled to the right to see my royalties: $0 -- and then I remebered the promotional free advertising. All afternoon, I watched the numbers climb. By the end of the day, 311 copies had "sold" on Amazon.com and 11 copies had sold on Amazon.co.uk (the British equivalent of Amazon.com).
Glowing and about ready to burst with excitement, I determined to write another story, this one especially to lend to Kindle Prime readers. I immediately began it with a "handwritten note" to my real friend, Gino. (This will be another fact/fiction mixed story.) To add authenticity to the "note," I mentioned the Pinko de Mayo fundraiser concert she and I are planning to attend this May 5th in Schaumburg, IL. It is put on by a friend of mine who is also fumbling around in the dark to build celebrity, him for his music. (There is no reason my story cannot help us both. Right?)
Last night, my old classmate invited me to a Facebook "event," one of his live concerts, and I declined with a note telling him that I intend to make it to this year's Pinko de Mayo fundraiser. He responded that he may not do "Pinko" this year. I felt greatly disappointed and my subconscious dwelt on it overnight.
This morning, it occurred to me that my old friend may, as I do, be fumbling around in the dark for his celebrity and not realizing how much the Pinko de Mayo fundraiser is a POSITIVE thing to build his reputation. Hoping to help my friend see that his concert is a very good thing for his celebrity, I sent him a private message this morning to let him know how I truly admire him for it. (It raises funds for his Susan G. Komen "Walk for the Cure.") An intelligent man with a big heart, I am sure my friend will take my words under advisement. I will continue to write and publish my newest story, The Rumor. (Look for it soon on Amazon Kindle.)
Like I said above, it is hard to know what is helping or hurting your reputation when you are trying to build celebrity. One of the dangers you face is beginning something that helps but stopping because you see little to no results from it.
Take me, for example. Of course, I am me, so it is hard for me to pinpoint anything I am doing that would add to my celebrity -- or else I would already be doing and perpetuating it. But there is one thing that I have noticed had some success. Of course, everyone knows that I wrote a Christian Romance book titled The Disposable Noble Wife and I am pretty sure everyone is aware that I have failed at selling it to a publisher and have been spinning my wheels trying to publicize the book through social media to get people to just read it. Meanwhile, I know for a fact that it is a pretty good piece of literature because I won the 2011 Reader's Favorite Silver Medal for it. Talk about frustration!
The book was written in 2009 and I can literally count on two hands the number of copies I have sold. So, a few weeks ago, when I found out about the new Amazon Kindle Prime lending library, I decided I had nothing to lose by adding The Disposable Noble Wife to it. So I did, and it will be there until this year's March 12. (It may be there longer. I still have to decide.)
After a few days in the lending library, I checked to see if any copies had been borrowed: None. But while I was in the Kindle online interface, I saw something about five free days of advertising lent books. I checked out the promotion and did not think much of it but set up three of free advertisement days for my lent title, then forgot about it and continued on with my life and fumbling around in the dark for celebrity.
Last Sunday morning, I checked the Amazon Kindle interface to see if any of my books had sold copies yet. (I average about two sales a month of Navigating Marital Abandonment and I am always excited to see one is helping another hurting soul.) I blinked when I saw the number of books sold: 236 -- and of The Disposable Noble Wife!
Figuring there must be something wrong, I reloaded the screen. Sure enough, the number stayed the same. I scrolled to the right to see my royalties: $0 -- and then I remebered the promotional free advertising. All afternoon, I watched the numbers climb. By the end of the day, 311 copies had "sold" on Amazon.com and 11 copies had sold on Amazon.co.uk (the British equivalent of Amazon.com).
Glowing and about ready to burst with excitement, I determined to write another story, this one especially to lend to Kindle Prime readers. I immediately began it with a "handwritten note" to my real friend, Gino. (This will be another fact/fiction mixed story.) To add authenticity to the "note," I mentioned the Pinko de Mayo fundraiser concert she and I are planning to attend this May 5th in Schaumburg, IL. It is put on by a friend of mine who is also fumbling around in the dark to build celebrity, him for his music. (There is no reason my story cannot help us both. Right?)
Last night, my old classmate invited me to a Facebook "event," one of his live concerts, and I declined with a note telling him that I intend to make it to this year's Pinko de Mayo fundraiser. He responded that he may not do "Pinko" this year. I felt greatly disappointed and my subconscious dwelt on it overnight.
This morning, it occurred to me that my old friend may, as I do, be fumbling around in the dark for his celebrity and not realizing how much the Pinko de Mayo fundraiser is a POSITIVE thing to build his reputation. Hoping to help my friend see that his concert is a very good thing for his celebrity, I sent him a private message this morning to let him know how I truly admire him for it. (It raises funds for his Susan G. Komen "Walk for the Cure.") An intelligent man with a big heart, I am sure my friend will take my words under advisement. I will continue to write and publish my newest story, The Rumor. (Look for it soon on Amazon Kindle.)
Like I said above, it is hard to know what is helping or hurting your reputation when you are trying to build celebrity. One of the dangers you face is beginning something that helps but stopping because you see little to no results from it.
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