Yeah, it's me again. :)
Just so I'm clear--Dave, I'm not disagreeing with you (necessarily). I know the potential for the e-book market (not to mention print) to be flooded with bad books is enormous. HOWEVER, the potential for talented newcomers to get their work seen by anyone is what I'm talking about. And if you target your marketing correctly, take advantage of opportunities, and promote yourself, you may (I'll say that again--may) get lucky. (Because luck plays a HUGE factor in all this.)
And I never intended to extrapolate anything from my limited success. It just is what it is (whatever that is :)). I will emphasize again that not only was it in the narrow category of hardboiled mysteries, but that it is a small pond I'm swimming in. (Even so, the small pond contains some mighty big fish. Just sayin' . . .)
What it all comes down to, in any case, is marketing, promotion, word-of-mouth and catching the right set of eyes. That's true with or without publishers. This list demonstrates that point. There are so many incredibly talented authors (with traditional publishers) who have to scramble for attention, compared with the Dan Browns (yes, I'll bring him up yet again) and the more recent Robert Parker books (which self-publishing detractor Lee Goldberg has said really suck) and all those celebrity authors (who no one really cares about, yet who get seven-figure advances) that you have to wonder--what's a little more scrambling? (Especially if your competition really stinks?)
My final .02? I hope so. :)
Debbi
Debbi Mack
IDENTITY CRISIS
Published by Lulu http://www.lulu.com/content/3923913
Available as an e-book on Amazon, Scribd and Smashwords
http://www.debbimack.com
http://midlistlife.wordpress.com/
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