A Gift Like Zoe's

This book, about a rebellious teen following near-death experience was written by C. C. Holmes and published by Graham Publishing Group.

How much attention should you be paying to the current trends of the day when you set out to write the book of your dreams, be it a novel, a memoir, a business book, or a book of health and inspiration?  Should you write from your heart or write to satisfy trends?

  • First, you can never go wrong writing from you heart.
  • Second, there is nothing wrong with taking note of the trends of the day.

But if the latest book writing guru says that political and social satire are destined to be the latest and greatest trend, but satire doesn’t appeal to you, then the answer is easy: write what does appeal to you. If some blogger suggests that poetry is making a serious comeback, and poetry is your one, true love, then it’s good to know that maybe it’s making a comeback. If you’re interested in writing horror fiction, but zombies are out of vogue, then don’t give up on horror; think as far out in front of the curve as possible while being true to you as a writer.

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The best trends are the ones you set for yourself.

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As an Indie Publisher, you are always trying to figure out the next best thing to insure your books succeed. The key is exposure, and all of your efforts are directed toward getting more people to know about your book. If you’ve chosen the independent publishing route, remember two things: one, you are in control of your book’s destiny, from the book cover and the interior layout, to the advertising and marketing that you choose to do.

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Remember this, however: There is no “self” in publishing these days.

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The one trend that never goes out of vogue is this: building a good team to facilitate your publishing efforts. A successful indie publisher, which is what you’re hoping to be, is a team effort, so do your due diligence in picking those people who will help with book design, advertising, and marketing. Think long-term while you’re employing short term tactics.  Build a website that give people a reason to stay awhile and explore. Use social media in such a way that people are excited about your next post. Sell yourself, not just your book. Provide juicy and interesting commentary, not just “buy my book” tweets.

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Bottom line: Don’t be a slave to trends, but don’t ignore them either.

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