In a World with Too Much Content, Novels and Worlds Need Creative Marketing

TOO MUCH CONTENT

Anyone wondering how to pick their next exploration into a new fantasy world might be rejoicing in today’s rich content and diversity of worlds. However, especially with the rise of self-publishing, there is an abundance of mediocrity.

Not that self-publishing is bad. I particularly like the idea that anyone can offer their work to the universe. It’s just, well, not everyone finishes before they “publish.” Part of the real role of agents and editors is to be brutally honest with writers. “It’s better, but it’s not there yet.” “It’s missing a lot of tension in the middle.” “Um, where are the female characters?” “Readers will hate this ending.” “You don’t want to sound racist, do you?” “That character is great, but this one is boring.”

These messages are CRITICAL for writers to hear.

Many aspiring writers bemoan the brick walls that they regularly find in hesitant agents and finnicky editors, but as Randy Pausch said in The Last Lecture, “The brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

MARKETING VIDEOS HELP (And GO READ THIS BOOK)

Since there are so many choices out there, some of which are just meh (both self-published and “house-published”), one way some books and worlds are setting themselves apart is effective marketing. But even this has grown a lot in the past decade since social media and Amazon have taken over. Bookstore tours are not how I am finding out about books. I use library publications, librarians, good blog/content curators, Goodreads, and that handy Amazon tool “Customers of this book also liked these books.”

That’s how I saw this video, indexed on Amazon, for the new M.T. Anderson’s collaboration, The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge. I had never heard of it, and at first glance, I assumed it was a partially illustrated middle grade fairy tale. (It appears to be much more, and actually a Young Adult work.)

Interestingly, I’m not sure that this video would appeal to teens in the same way it does to me. The silliness may, but I’m uncertain about the more complex references and vocabulary. As a writing professional, I know that language matters. This appears to be geared toward adults interested in YA fantasy. But isn’t that a bit ingenious anyways? Readers, librarians, and book people are after all, some of the best marketers of books.

Check out the LINK and see what you think about a) the video, c) the book itself, and 4) book marketing in this age in general. Oh, and maybe let’s explore Anderson and Yelchin’s world together.