Post date: May 4, 2018 12:55:42 AM
SNOWBALL!
Having grown up in the Midwest, I’ve made thousands of snowballs, thrown them and been hit with them. Once by my brother in the ear, OW!
Snowball! That is the idea. When you are making a snowman or snow fort you need a lot of snow. You gather a pile of snow; it really helps to be packing snow. Then you take that pile of snow and round it into a ball. After you have a ball, then you roll it around in fresh snow and it gathers more snow. Over time, it gets bigger and bigger and BIGGER!
Let’s take this idea and this is how I applied it to my website.
First, I gathered my snow in a pile:
o I had been writing for years and wanted to do something with all that writing.
o I started attending meetings of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
o I took those ideas from there, specifically I claimed my domain name. www.davidalanbinder.com
o I then looked up articles on how to make that domain into my website. I like the price of Google sites, FREE. I like that it did not have ads (down side-no ad revenue). https://sites.google.com/site/dalanbinder/home
o Next I needed content. I did not want to put all my writing on the website, so I started a blog.
o I got some traffic, YAY!
Second, I needed more:
o So somehow, I needed more. I had to visit other people’s blogs and beg them to visit my site and see my content. (NOTE: Bloggers are not interested in visiting another blog, usually.)
o What to do now?
o I joined the SCBWI children’s book writing group and wrote numerous iterations of a child’s book. This is HUGE! Practice! Practice! Practice!
o I built my website. (THIS ONE ITEM IS HUGE AND TAKE HUNDREDS OF HOURS AND EXPERTISE.)
o I decided I wanted to appeal to Readers and Writers.
o I wrote dozens of blogs. Practice! Practice! Practice!
o I wrote other kinds of books and stories. Practice! Practice! Practice!
o Then I had a fantastic idea (still rolling the ball gathering more snow). I would interview authors.
o Now I had to find them. And I needed to make interview questions.
o I Googled author interviews and formulated my interview questions.
o Google! I Googled and started to bug authors. Some were gracious, some did not respond at all, and some told me to *** off! In one way or another. (Geez, this could seriously damage my ego. Oh well, put that on hold and keep plugging!)
o Authors complained, interview questions were too long and too many. The interview questions were not focused. The interview questions did not appeal to them.
o So I revised my interview questions. I wanted to learn from the authors so I asked them things that writers wanted, nay, NEEDED to know. Very important.
o Now I’m not only interviewing them, but learning at the feet of Masters of the craft!
o Pretty cool!
o I have not made a dime yet! And this has taken a couple of years! Where’s the money, I’m asking my self.
o Still rolling more snow. I am writing articles for my blog. I’m guest blogging. I’m asking those author’s that I interview to post the link to their interview on their website. (Do you see how the snow is starting to roll up bigger and better?)
Third, finally, I am gathering momentum but I want to gather money:
I needed more:
o I am now writing articles for other sites and places. Practice! Practice! Practice!
o I am getting a donation or two from authors. Stats: For every author I interview only 1% give me a donation and it is usually books.
o The money is trickling in. Slow, drip by drip.
o (I have to find a way to get that faucet going like a fire hydrant!)
o I have one children’s picture book I’ve written. It has been seen by not one but two editors. I’ve submitted it to a few publishers and a few agents.
o WAIT! Why only a few? Some publishers and agents DEMAND that you let them have a month or more to see it and accept or reject. (Note: Most rejections are not sent, they just let the 30, 60 or 90 day timelines just run out and then you move on to the next.)
So, are you seeing how this snowball works?
Do you understand the effort?
I am a four-year veteran, I am writing more and more and for many so completely different genres that it is unreal.
I write better than ever. Practice! Practice! Practice!
I’m not making much money but that is no longer important as it was in the early days. I still have a day job. I am writing more than ever. I am still interviewing authors. I am going to make it.
I am going to publish. I am going to keep doing all this and more.
Dear Readers and Dear Writers: I have only you to thank for my success so far.
I’ve interviewed are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, David A. Adler author of 250 books, Dandi Mackall author of 450 books (one is a Hallmark movie-My Boyfriend’s Dogs), UCLA Professor of screenwriting - Richard Walter, Bill Crider author of mystery fiction, Craig Johnson for the series Longmire, Robin Burcell, Barry Lancet (Japantown, was optioned by J. J. Abrams), Craig Dirgo and Boyd Morrison (all THREE are coauthors of different books with Clive Cussler), Robert Gatewood, authors of Children’s books, thrillers, poetry, historical novels, romance, non-fiction, self-publishers and those with over 20 famous publishing houses, an 11 year old author, Father Goose, Don Knotts’ brother-in-law, editors, two authors that have a TV special for Hallmark and Teachers, PHD’s, Lawyers, Doctors, Educators, and Professors, Self-Help gurus, writers for articles, journals, magazines and technical writers, all sorts and types of award winners, a singer, plus authors in (10 countries) Japan, England, Wales, Canada, India, Scotland, Ecuador, Spain, Australia and (44 states) USA. Over 240 authors of collectively almost 4000 books!