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francesmthompson's Reviews (976)
A strong 3.5 but I'm feeling generous. Furthermore the book is currently priced at $0.99 or £0.99 on Kindle which is a very fitting price tag.
Let me explain how I came across this book as it goes a long way to highlight Grahl's key messages and takeaways.
I'm a long time listener to the Self Publishing Podcast, on which the author Tim Grahl was a guest a few months ago. He shared worthy comments about Internet Marketing, a term that makes me feel both icky and inadequate as an independent publisher. So I clicked through to his website. Then I signed up for his free 30-day course. I probably read 50% of the emails he sent (which you'll learn from Your First 1000 Copies is significantly higher than average) and I downloaded a few of the free resources available online too.
Following the end of the 30-day course I continued to receive Grahl's newsletter and I continued to dip in and out of them, in other words, they weren't immediately deleted.
After reading 3 or 4 of his emails documenting his book sales - he has set himself the goal of selling 10,000 copies in one year - I received the email that shared a more personal story. He was openly acknowledging to us that he may not meet his target of selling 10,000 copies of this book in one year. And he asked his readers for help.
But still then I didn't buy or read his book. (I have to be honest and found myself questioning this tactic, was it as genuine as he portrayed, but I am one of the most cynical people I know!)
I only then bought and read this book when a friend of mine on Facebook shared it as a worthwhile read and also notified me that it was 99p.
That's when I downloaded it and read it in a quick single sitting.
This is the lengthy process of book buying. Here I am an independent author who wants to sell more books and I was not convinced this book could help me until many declarations and reinforcements later.
I MUST REMEMBER THIS: SELLING ONLINE IS NEITHER QUICK NOR EASY AND IT IS MULTI-FACETED. But it doesn't have to be cheesy or sleazy. It is a slow but methodical process of asking permission, being of value to those who give you permission, and being creative when it comes to the content I make and share, the platforms I use to share it on and the ways in which I think about outreach. Oh, and it's okay to ask people to buy things.
Your First 1000 Copies does give you many ideas and strategies on how to do this. I now have a list of actionable items and changes to make about how I approach Internet Marketing. In other words, it no longer makes me feel quite as icky. And maybe one day I'll also feel a little less inadequate.
A star and a half lost because I'm simply not convinced (yet!) about Pop-ups, and also I found myself wrinkling my nose at his claim that all the things he suggests are quick to implement and maintain. As someone who tracks a lot of my marketing efforts and takes time to consider guest posting and "outreach"; this does take A LOT of time when done write and when most independent authors are writing their books in their spare time, it's not realistic to say it doesn't take long or can be easily fitted around their writing. That's another book I'll have to look out for...
Let me explain how I came across this book as it goes a long way to highlight Grahl's key messages and takeaways.
I'm a long time listener to the Self Publishing Podcast, on which the author Tim Grahl was a guest a few months ago. He shared worthy comments about Internet Marketing, a term that makes me feel both icky and inadequate as an independent publisher. So I clicked through to his website. Then I signed up for his free 30-day course. I probably read 50% of the emails he sent (which you'll learn from Your First 1000 Copies is significantly higher than average) and I downloaded a few of the free resources available online too.
Following the end of the 30-day course I continued to receive Grahl's newsletter and I continued to dip in and out of them, in other words, they weren't immediately deleted.
After reading 3 or 4 of his emails documenting his book sales - he has set himself the goal of selling 10,000 copies in one year - I received the email that shared a more personal story. He was openly acknowledging to us that he may not meet his target of selling 10,000 copies of this book in one year. And he asked his readers for help.
But still then I didn't buy or read his book. (I have to be honest and found myself questioning this tactic, was it as genuine as he portrayed, but I am one of the most cynical people I know!)
I only then bought and read this book when a friend of mine on Facebook shared it as a worthwhile read and also notified me that it was 99p.
That's when I downloaded it and read it in a quick single sitting.
This is the lengthy process of book buying. Here I am an independent author who wants to sell more books and I was not convinced this book could help me until many declarations and reinforcements later.
I MUST REMEMBER THIS: SELLING ONLINE IS NEITHER QUICK NOR EASY AND IT IS MULTI-FACETED. But it doesn't have to be cheesy or sleazy. It is a slow but methodical process of asking permission, being of value to those who give you permission, and being creative when it comes to the content I make and share, the platforms I use to share it on and the ways in which I think about outreach. Oh, and it's okay to ask people to buy things.
Your First 1000 Copies does give you many ideas and strategies on how to do this. I now have a list of actionable items and changes to make about how I approach Internet Marketing. In other words, it no longer makes me feel quite as icky. And maybe one day I'll also feel a little less inadequate.
A star and a half lost because I'm simply not convinced (yet!) about Pop-ups, and also I found myself wrinkling my nose at his claim that all the things he suggests are quick to implement and maintain. As someone who tracks a lot of my marketing efforts and takes time to consider guest posting and "outreach"; this does take A LOT of time when done write and when most independent authors are writing their books in their spare time, it's not realistic to say it doesn't take long or can be easily fitted around their writing. That's another book I'll have to look out for...
Moody, raw and touching, this collection of short stories is the work of Nic Pizzolatto, the sole writer behind the TV masterpiece True Detective. While all of the stories take place in the southern states of the US, and many deal with modern and real traumas - war veterans, teenage angst, racism and families that are falling apart - there is something provocative and touching in each tale, neatly brought to life by Pizzolatto's fine command of language and creating moments the reader will relate to and remember.
My favourite stories were Two Shores and Haunted Earth.
My favourite stories were Two Shores and Haunted Earth.
I wanted to give this four stars because it's an efficient, fast-moving overview of what it takes to write fast and to give your writing structure. While much of it was common sense - know what you want to write, be prepared and be passionate - there were additional useful take-aways like the author's use of a time line and scene map and how she approaches editing. However, there were just too many typos for me to ignore so that dragged it down to three stars; I'm not sure if this was a result of her writing too fast or if her editing - or an editor - let her down.
4.5. For sure.
There is a lot of genius in this book that I can't help but appreciate as a fellow writer - not least the 1980s setting avoiding the invasive ways we are so contactable in 2014, not to mention the song references - but I enjoyed the real charm of this story as nothing but a reader. This is high praise.
In fact, even higher praise is that I curled my body around this book and read it in just three sittings spread over a lazy Saturday and Sunday. As I did I felt like I was 16 again myself and that the book had the same sweet and racy appeal - but in a completely innocent way - as my first reading of Judy Blume's books.
While I struggled to answer a few questions about the plot - I'll hold them back so as to avoid spoilers - I don't think they were deal-breakers. In fact, maybe they were "novel-makers" because all my favourite books leave my wondering, and hoping, and wishing... And I did all of those things for Eleanor & Park, and then some.
There is a lot of genius in this book that I can't help but appreciate as a fellow writer - not least the 1980s setting avoiding the invasive ways we are so contactable in 2014, not to mention the song references - but I enjoyed the real charm of this story as nothing but a reader. This is high praise.
In fact, even higher praise is that I curled my body around this book and read it in just three sittings spread over a lazy Saturday and Sunday. As I did I felt like I was 16 again myself and that the book had the same sweet and racy appeal - but in a completely innocent way - as my first reading of Judy Blume's books.
While I struggled to answer a few questions about the plot - I'll hold them back so as to avoid spoilers - I don't think they were deal-breakers. In fact, maybe they were "novel-makers" because all my favourite books leave my wondering, and hoping, and wishing... And I did all of those things for Eleanor & Park, and then some.
It was slightly strange to read a story that focused on a black rights extremist with a poor background from Boston, USA, as written by an upper class white woman from the Home Counties who was living and working as a literary editor in London at the time their paths crossed. (She was editing his book and they fall into a bizarre, stilted romantic affair.)
While Athill herself handled that disparity with great tenderness and tact, I still finished the book thinking that something was lacking. Namely, you still only got her side of the story and there were so many other sides to be read in order to have a full picture. But it would have been naive of me to think that I would have got this from this book knowing the outcome of the story.
After recently reading a surprisingly uplifting article by Athill about how silly it is to fear death made me look at some of her books because she is an exquisite, forthright writer and Make Believe continued to prove that she has an excellent turn of phrase and is very capable at analysing herself, events that happen to her and the people who surround her. I loved the honesty in this book.
There was also much to open my eyes - the "free love" nature of Hakim's relationships with women, and how they all seemed to stand back and wait doe-eyed as he slept with other women, often in neighbouring rooms, and how unapologetically selfish Hakim and Hale were as they leeched off one person to the next - and I will certainly look at Athill's other memoirs. My only wish was that I knew more from Hale's side of things as she seemed the most vulnerable, most deluded and ultimately the most tragic player in the whole story.
While Athill herself handled that disparity with great tenderness and tact, I still finished the book thinking that something was lacking. Namely, you still only got her side of the story and there were so many other sides to be read in order to have a full picture. But it would have been naive of me to think that I would have got this from this book knowing the outcome of the story.
After recently reading a surprisingly uplifting article by Athill about how silly it is to fear death made me look at some of her books because she is an exquisite, forthright writer and Make Believe continued to prove that she has an excellent turn of phrase and is very capable at analysing herself, events that happen to her and the people who surround her. I loved the honesty in this book.
There was also much to open my eyes - the "free love" nature of Hakim's relationships with women, and how they all seemed to stand back and wait doe-eyed as he slept with other women, often in neighbouring rooms, and how unapologetically selfish Hakim and Hale were as they leeched off one person to the next - and I will certainly look at Athill's other memoirs. My only wish was that I knew more from Hale's side of things as she seemed the most vulnerable, most deluded and ultimately the most tragic player in the whole story.
Boldly provocative and oddly perverted in equal measures, this is a frolic of a play and a fine introduction into the charm and character of Tennesse Williams' work.
