My book Me and Mickie James is £4.99 on Kobo and Kindle. If you’d like to see something I prepared earlier. Follow pop duo Down by Law as they go on their musical adventures around the world. #gayfiction#queerlitkobo.com/gb/en/ebook/me…
My agent asked to me to write a quick blurb as a last minute thing. @JonathanCape liked it so much the blurb ended up being the cover… unfortunately @vintagebooks weren’t so keen and passed on the mass market edition… shame as it would have done better I think cheaper…
But I was never going to be mainstream. So I’m proud that I momentarily was… it’s a big achievement - the agent big publisher thing. And something I can look back upon now with a real glow 😍
My first book The Lodger (2002) was no. 1 on the Amazon Gay and Lesbian chart and sold 3000 copies. (Which is a lot for a tiny publisher.) The Lodger amazon.co.uk/dp/1902852400/…#gaylit#queerlit Now out of print…
And that’s it… it’s been a weird old writing life. Something published then wilderness. Something published then wilderness. My biggest achievement. Not giving up. Then getting someone tdifferent interested enough to publish me. I mean. It’s hard enough once. #WritingCommunity
I said. That’s it. But might as well get Flamingo Hotel in the thread beardedbadgerpublishing.com/online-store/S… - it’s the thing I’m most proud of. Because it’s completely what I wanted to write. No compromise.
And look. Loads of nice reviews. I really didn’t think people would like it. goodreads.com/book/show/5604… so there you go…
I’m never going to ‘be’ anything in the writing world but got a lovely DM yesterday from someone in a long distance relationship whose bf read him The Lodger over video call and he loved it. #WritingCommunity#writinglife#books#gayfiction#queerlit
And The Lodger is so old (published 2002) that @OfficialSteps have come back into fashion since it was written. (Songs by Steps feature a lot…).
The Lodger is my most successful book. Sold 3,000 copies, finalist in the @LambdaLiterary awards, number 1 on Gay and Lesbian Amazon chart. So if anyone tells you life isn’t downhill… #WritingCommunity#gayfiction#queerlit
1. In 2020 I had a book published by a new indie press @beardedbadgerpc There was no advertising budget. Little chance of review in traditional press. Or any press. Yet the book had several hundred pre orders. Sold out its print run. And is still being reviewed 10 months later.
2. I’m not a big success etc etc and who am I to tell anyone? etc etc but the book wouldn’t have sold any copies without social media. So these are my thoughts on marketing.
Make it personal. Tell your story. This is how I found publisher / how I wrote / struggles / successes.
3. Mark the progress of your novel. Cover reveal. Pre-order status. Book arriving. Signing. Unboxing. Signing. First sight in bookshop. And so on. @orlaowenwriting@decenthumanbean@ColinBurnett16