seanpatricklittlewriter

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

New Statesman Questionaire

I've been looking over the author interviews in The New Statesman the last couple nights.

 I like interviews the way they do them--simple, but elegant questions that aren't normally asked by most interviewers, but they reveal much about the author.

Since I'm never going to be asked these by The New Statesman, I'll post the questions here and ask you to answer.

Answer one. Answer several. Answer all--do what makes you happy. I'll look forward to learning some of the answers.

QUESTIONS:

What’s your earliest memory?

Who are your heroes?

What book last changed your thinking?

What is a subject in which you are an expert?

What music album do you hold synonymous with your high school years?

In which time and place, other than your own, would you like to live?

What TV show could you not live without?

Who would paint your portrait?

What’s your theme tune?

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

What single thing would make your life better?

When were you happiest?

In another life, what job might you have chosen?

Are we all doomed?

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Stop Me Before I Meme Again

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Shamelessly Shilling

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09RTGZDSG

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Another Kickstarter “Victory”

Kickstarter was started as a way for people without platforms to get their passion projects funded by appealing to the masses.

When someone like Brandon Sanderson (a best-selling traditionally published author, multiple NY Times Best Seller) uses it, it kind of feels cheap.

Sanderson did the work. The guy is prolific. However, he could have gotten these four books published with any publisher in the world. He opted to use this method to maximize profit, and I don't blame him...

But it feels cheap.

People have told me for years to use Kickstarter to do books. I've resisted because I don't have a large enough platform, and I can put my stuff out for a minimal cost to me personally, so after a few weeks (or months), I can usually at least break even from the initial investments. 

Also, the idea of setting up a Kickstarter and failing to get it funded would be heartbreaking. So why set myself up for disappointment?

I didn't like it when Zach Braff used Kickstarter to fund one of his movies. I didn't like it when Amanda Palmer did. It just means that a lot more nobodies desperate to take a small bite of that pie don't get to take a bite.

It just feels cheap. 

I'm not blaming Sanderson, though. Good for him. He gamed the system and he's $20 million richer for it. 

We should all be so lucky. 

But we can't, because Sanderson just took all the luck. https://newsroom.siliconslopes.com/news/utah-fantasy-and-scifi-author-brandon-sanderson-has-set-kickstarter-and-the-publishing-world-afire/

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

The New Book is Out...and...

The new book is out. I checked the sales for the first two days, and I was reminded once again of how difficult it is to sell these things. And that makes me so much more grateful for the dozen or so of you who show up to this page on the regular and give the ol' thumbs-up to my inane ramblings.I have to remind myself constantly that book sales are a marathon and not a sprint. But, dammit, I want them to sprint... Last year, I made more money from my writing than I ever have before. It took me nearly fifteen years of writing, publishing, making connections, disappointment, struggle, worry, etc... etc... to get there, but it was the best year I've had. At the same time, the "best year" I've ever had would be about a month's salary of a halfway decent job, so I guess success is a bit of a sliding meter. A great year for me would be an unholy kick to the crotch from a steroid-raging donkey for Brandon Sanderson or Stephen King. Anything is possible for the future, though. I hope some of you will read this third book. I hope some of you who do read it will enjoy it. And I hope those who enjoy it write a review and make other people read it. Every little bit helps. Thanks for reading. --Sean https://www.walmart.com/.../Where-Art-Thou.../893248472

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

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[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Great review for The Single Twin:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0829D4F4L Much appreciated. The third book in this series officially releases on March 1.

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

The new book is live at Mystery to Me on Monroe Street in Madison, Wis. Tell friends.

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Paperback Version Link

The link for the paperback version of #WhereArtThou? has gone live.

I also received a bunch of copies at the house today, so maybe I'll be able to get them out to local bookstores later this week (if they'll take 'em).

  The official release date is still March 1, but hey--early isn't a terrible thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Art-Thou-Sean-Little/dp/1678177296

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Update on the New Book

It's hard to sell books. Almost impossible, really. It's even hard to give books away for free. The results of the five-day promotion in which I gave away the first two Abe & Duff books in their entirety to Kindle patrons resulted in only about 1700 downloads. That's not nearly the number I hoped for in this promotion, but it's better than nothing, obviously. If I can get a slew of good reviews out of it, maybe it'll be worth it in the end. As usual, your book does not exist to Uncle Jeff and the Amazon Avengers until you hit 50 reviews. Right now, I think #TheSingleTwin is holding steady around 23 or 24, so that's not ideal. There are just so many detective novels out there, and so many people competing for readers that it's almost impossible to get people interested in a new series. Not to mention, people have reported feeling overwhelmed by the events of the last two years so they have been seeking comfort items instead of risking seeking new items. New TV shows have been struggling, but meanwhile, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Scrubs, and MASH have been killing it on streaming services--people want things they know as a grounding technique. They are coping. They don't have the brain space to try new things right now. All things considered, it's a perfect storm of impossible odds. It's a good thing I don't do this for recognition. Or money. In other news, I did my first live event in years at the Germantown Community Library the other night. Only five people attended, sadly. Three of those five were friends of mine. And one of those friends was actually someone I brought with me from Madison. I've done events where no one showed up, so I am extremely grateful to those who did show. It was nice to get out and shill books again. It's so hard to program events during the best of times, and it's even harder to program during a pandemic. I'm hoping to get a few events scheduled in the next few months, but we'll have to see. I know a lot of book stores and libraries are choosing to do virtual events instead of live events, and I don't know if I could do one of those. One of my greatest fears is programming a virtual event and looking down at the little counter that shows the number of guests tuning in to see "0." It's like the nightmare about showing up pantsless on the last day of finals and you can't find your classes. Same level of fear and discomfort. Craig Johnson did an online event last fall when his latest Walt Longmire book launched. I tuned in and I was one of more than 1500 people watching. Those are some good numbers. Of course, if you hit the NY Times Best Seller list 15+ times, I guess you can generate that sort of interest. The pre-order link for Kindle version of the new Abe & Duff book, #WhereArtThou? is live now. Tell friends. If you're looking for the hard copy version, I'll post that as soon as it clears processing. I've okayed the final proof, so it's set in stone now. I'm both looking forward to its launch and being terrified of the future potential reviews. I know my sense of humor isn't everyone's cup of tea, so I always worry about jokes translating, especially through text where you don't get the benefit of performance and voice tones. Still, I think this is a really great book. It was fun to write. I really hope people will enjoy it. I'm working on Abe&Duff 4, as well. No idea on the plot yet. Or title. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading. --Sean  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RTGZDSG

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Where Art Thou? is listed on Goodreads now.  Go add it to your to-be-read list!

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

Abe and Duff are Free This Week

The first two #AbeAndDuff books are free on Kindle until Thursday (2/10/22)  this week. Catch up before the third one comes out on March 1. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087Q1Y3QJ

[seanpatricklittlewriter]