Doesn't matter, I'm going to keep on writing.

I rarely step out of my insular world that I've created for myself.  I've been my own boss for 30 years, I don't have to cooperate or confer with anyone to make decisions.  I just do what I want and what I think needs to be done.  I can generate my own results without having to ask anyone for help.

So stepping out on this book, trying to gather some attention for it, has been very educational.

I come away with the same lessons I've learned before.

1.)  Promotion is pretty useless.  I don't think it has the effect people think it does.  For once I did absolutely everything I could think to do.  I didn't not leverage every leverage I had.  I was almost pushy in promoting myself on Facebook and Twitter and on this blog.  I did all I set out to do and more.

And I don't think any of it moved the needle one little bit.

2.)  There are a lot of B.S.er's in the world.  I can't believe half of what I'm reading from self-published authors.  The evidence contradicts most of what they're saying.  I think most of them are being ingenuous, trying to promote themselves, or even trying to sell services. 

A.)  Corollary to that: people will tell you they're going to do something and then not do it.  Lots of people.  I don't understand that -- just say no if you don't intend to do it, right?

Which makes me appreciate the people who actually did come through even more.  But -- I know who they are, and I know who they aren't, and it's pretty disappointing how many people I thought would follow through didn't.

3.)  Anyone who thinks there isn't a difference between having a publisher and being self-published hasn't looked into the eyes of hundreds of people and seen the vastly different responses.

But I'm coming to the conclusion they're wrong.  Self-publishing is probably the future. But instead of having to deal with a 99.9% rejection rate from traditional publisher, these future authors will have to deal with the 99.9% difficulty in being discovered.  Same basic odds, I suspect.  But with the satisfaction of actually getting your books published.

4.)  Luck as always plays a huge role.  The biggest role.

5.)  It doesn't matter.  I love writing.  I'm going to keep on writing.


P.S.  I'm still hoping my print copies will show up soon -- today, I hope...