Care to try the EL James strategy?

The New York Review of Books has an interesting article by Emily Eakin on how the author of 50 Shades of Grey grew into such a success without a publicity campaign, formal reviews or a huge endorsement. How did EL James do it? And can you do it too?

Read the full NYRB piece here -- in essence plan to take a crash course in the magic of word of mouth. 
The author's work originated as "fan fiction, a genre that operates outside the bounds of literary commerce, in online networks of enthusiasts of popular books and movies, brought together by a desire to write and read stories inspired by those works.* (EL James real name) "Leonard’s excursion in the genre provided her with a captive audience of thousands of positively disposed readers, creating a market for her books before they ever carried price tags. But fan fiction is inherently collaborative and by convention resolutely anti-commercial, attributes which make its role in the evolution of her work both highly unusual and ethically fraught."

The NYRB is a long, thoughtful piece - worthy of your time if this genre is relevant for you.

Books sure keep life interesting... 

This is what I wrote in the front flap of Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way:

Attract a publisher if you can, but if not,

don’t wait your life away….

Publish your book yourself.

Things have sure changes since I published that book, but the message remains as true today. We've seen the publishing world move from a few big firms, to strength in numbers with indie publishers, ebook creators, and individuals who achieve high sales through self-publishing on their own. 

I continue to say there's never been a better time to be a writer, and to get published. 

In fact, today mainstream Penguin Books announced they are purchasing Author Solutions - which is a conglomeration of Author House, iUniverse, Trafford in Canada, and Xlibris, 

Why would Penguin buy up the top POD firms? Because self-published books increased 60 percent in 2011, over the prior year, according to Bowker's statistics. Penguin was eager to acquire  the firm to "gain skills in customer acquisition and data analytics that will be vital to our future," said Penguin chief executive John Makinson.

Five ways to focus... follow link

One way freelancers make it at the end of each month is by knowing their billable time reaches the desired goal. But when tech distractions pile up, it becomes difficult to focus on what you’re doing. And Monday turns to Friday while you’re still plugging away at an assignment that shouldn’t take five days. For many of us, that wasted time turns into lost revenue.
Read full post at Freelance Zone ...