Tracking What Works and What Doesn’t

So much of publishing success remains a mystery. Huge marketing budgets don’t ensure success, as Charles Frazier found out with the infamous release of Thirteen Moons failed to capitalize on the success of his earlier work Cold Mountain. And while everyone may jump on book trailers or Twitter pages or whatever the latest thing is, the fact is that hard facts are hard to come by.

Which is why I enjoy J.A. Konrath’s blog A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing so much. On this educational site, Konrath reports, in great detail, on what works for him when it comes to selling books. He’s not bashful about sharing financial specifics or other data. He lays it all out there so you can learn from his experiences.

If you’ve never visited the site before, it can admittedly be a bit overwhelming. Konrath’s blog posts are long and detailed. So don’t expect a quick read while you gulp down your coffee before dashing out in the morning. But if you want to invest the time to truly learn how to market your books and writing, then the blog is well worth it.

If you’re a newcomer to the site, Konrath posted a sort of summation of everything he’s learned about publishing as a sort of introduction. Check out interesting article“>the post “What I Know” here. I don’t always agree with absolutely everything Konrath advises, but I do appreciate the specific ways he tracks what has worked in his career and what has not paid off. As you build your own writing career, I encourage you to do the same so you can learn from your mistakes, build upon your successes, and launch a longterm and fulfilling career.

And be sure to try out what Konrath says…