Filed under: Amazon, Connections, Feedback, Kindle, Marketing, Promotion, Publishing, Science Fiction, Writing stuff | Tags: Amazon, blogging, Communion of Dreams, direct publishing, feedback, jim downey, Kickstarter, Kindle, literature, promotion, reviews, Science Fiction, space, St. Cybi's Well, writing
Seven years ago I launched this blog. We’re now within 100 visits of breaking 100,000 total visits.
Two years ago today the Kindle edition of Communion of Dreams was published. Since then, some 26,000 copies of it have been downloaded. I’ve honestly lost track of the total number. And that’s not counting the 35,000+ copies of the earlier .pdf version of the book which were downloaded. The paperback edition was released on January 26, 2012, and I consider that the “official publication date” – watch for a special promotion next week.
Today, I just tweaked my ‘author page‘ on Amazon to include this:
Are you a literary agent looking for new talent to represent? Consider this: the Kindle edition of “Communion of Dreams” has been downloaded more than 25,000 times. As I am working to complete the prequel “St. Cybi’s Well” I am also interested in seeking a conventional publishing contract to get print copies of both books into brick & mortar venues, and would welcome professional representation. Contact me.
Why the change? Well, when I started this blog it was with the intent of documenting my efforts to get Communion of Dreams published through a conventional publishing house, by contacting agents and submitting the book to numerous publishers directly. After years of fighting that fight, and getting oh-so-close several times, I decided to go ahead and self-publish the book. I don’t in any way regret that decision. I’m pleased with the response the book has gotten, from total downloads to reviews and ratings.
But I feel as though I have missed an opportunity. Specifically, by not having print copies of Communion of Dreams in bookstores and other traditional venues. Publishing has changed, and bookstores are under huge market pressure, but people still buy paper & ink copies of books. Yes, I do have a “print-on-demand” edition of Communion of Dreams available, but that’s not the same thing as having it on display at your local bookstore or even at Walmart. The promotional tools available through Amazon for their print-on-demand books just aren’t comparable. So, yeah, I’d still like to see about connecting with a conventional publishing house, one which could fill in those gaps for me.
And for the folks who backed my Kickstarter for St. Cybi’s Well, this could also be a boon — I’d still do a private press run, and make accommodations for everyone. Think how collectible hand-bound, limited-edition copies of a best selling author’s books would be. 🙂
Anyway, who knows what will happen? I’m still faced with trying to get the attention of a good agent or publishing house. That’s a long, fairly random process, and there’s a very good chance that nothing will come of it. But at least now I have a demonstrated product and readership, and that has to help matters. We’ll see.
Happy Anniversary!
Jim Downey
7 Comments so far
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Communion Of Dreams 
Awesome figures…..little bit jealous 😉
Comment by justmoo33 January 18, 2014 @ 1:08 pmWell, doing the sorts of things you’re doing seems to be working. This is guerrilla warfare, as much as anything … and we have to figure out what works just by experimentation and persistence. Hang in there!
Comment by James Downey January 18, 2014 @ 1:16 pmLOL. That’s the best description I’ve seen for a while. Hmmm – now where’s my machine gun?
Comment by justmoo33 January 18, 2014 @ 3:26 pm[…] I mentioned the other day, we’re coming up on the 2nd anniversary for the publication of Communion of Dreams, which is […]
Pingback by Three days in January. | Communion Of Dreams January 21, 2014 @ 3:23 pm[…] in spite of the weariness, I push on. As I mentioned in a comment the other day, writing/promotion these days is more akin to guerrilla warfare than […]
Pingback by Music of the spheres, music to my ears. | Communion Of Dreams January 23, 2014 @ 12:45 pm[…] Sorry about the sparseness of posting lately. I’ve been … busy. Have had a couple of interesting things happen which could play out in some very good ways. One is still enough in an embryonic stage that I won’t mention anything about it yet, but the other is far enough along that I’ll share: there’s a literary agent who is potentially interested in representing me, something which I have been thinking about for a while. […]
Pingback by “I prefer the term ‘Artificial Person’ myself.” | Communion Of Dreams May 9, 2014 @ 12:23 pm[…] …but the other is far enough along that I’ll share: there’s a literary agent who is potentially interested in representing me, something which I have been thinking about for a while. […]
Pingback by Validation is a good thing. Kinda. | Communion Of Dreams August 1, 2014 @ 4:26 pm