| The New Book and Self-Promotion | | Date Created: Apr 10, 2005, 07:23 AM |
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I don't want the blog to be about selling "my product". I want it to be about sharing. But I get really confused here, because writing the book was about sharing too. And I still think that for long compositions, trad publishing is still the best way to share them. I'm very very positively disposed to the kind of Creative Commonist approach advocated by Andrew the tallskinny (see his declaration and the links there) and fully intend to blog more about it when my *!#&@ marking is done. God knows you don't write Christian books in order to make money. And in practical terms, even if three thousand of you go out and buy _Jesus Asked_ tomorrow, I won't actually see any more money directly because of it -- it doesn't work like that unless you're a big seller.
Seeing the physical finished book is a genuine joy to me. Here's the main reason: I'm still, surprisingly, totally in the grip of Term Two that was supposed to have ended weeks ago -- the mountain of marking is still looming way over my head three days before I have to start the new term. I hate this feeling of Never Finishing Anything. And being a grownup means feeling that often. I could almost frame the book and hang it next to the desk. I need reminding: "I can and do occasionally finish a thing."
How easily that could be confused with the overly-proud author who might frame a book because obviously anything he or she did is a framable work of art. Easy for others to confuse the feeling and easy for me to do so too?
Honesty and integrity would entail celebrating achievements as well as being clear about weaknesses and especially having room in my heart to celebrate the achievements of others too.
I've been thinking of re-opening my "blog annex" as a site about my writing. I love the way that Jasper Fforde does a website about his books, offering "updates" and "out-takes" and "deleted scenes". Gotta find a way of doing it that lets me honestly celebrate and connect my stuff with folks who'll like it, while avoiding self-congratulation and self-promotion for the sake of it.
But, anyway, before I can do any of that, I've got to get my marking done. |
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