As you can see from some of my posts below, October was a busy month for me. I appeared at a major book festival, did six appearances at bookstores, appeared in about a dozen different newspaper venues (including one very positive review from a major newspaper), appeared on several different prominent blogs (including one very positive view from a respected freelancer/editor), and did one video and two audio interviews. Plus, I'm on the verge of several other newspaper reviews and will soon be embarking on an ambitious "virtual tour." All of this is good, of course. But the kind of success I'm striving for is still far from guaranteed. An unknown writer with a small or mid-sized publisher faces long odds and an uphill battle. Despite many victories, there also are depressing defeats.
For me, the best news is the reaction I've gotten from the people who have read my book or who have listened to me speak. At the festival, I got loads of applause, especially for my reading. And just about everyone who has read Book One has told me they love it, some quite passionately. It makes me believe that if I can spread the word enough, I've got a good chance.
My Amazon numbers have been steady if unspectacular, often dipping below 40,000 and rarely going above 250,000 (knock on my desktop). But profits for both the publisher and writer are minimal with Amazon, unless the sales come in large numbers. Whenever I'm asked, I encourage people who are interested in my books to order them directly from my publisher (click here) or from bookstores.
For anyone from the Tampa Bay area (my old haunting grounds), books one and two are available at the Barnes and Nobles in downtown St. Petersburg and Tyrone.
For anyone from the Clemson area (my new haunting grounds), books one and two are available at Books and Baskets in Pendleton, McClure's in Clemson, Cyrano's in Highlands, and the Open Book in Greenville.
Anyway ... to anyone who has supported me thus far by buying my books or by coming to see me in person, thanksssssssssssssssssssss!!! You can't imagine how much it means to me.
-- Jim
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About Me
- Jim Melvin
- Clemson, SC, United States
- I was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., but grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla. I graduated from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in 1979 with a B.A. in Journalism. I now live in South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains, a pleasant setting for writing, to say the least. I was an award-winning journalist at the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years and I currently work at the Charlotte Observer. I am married with five daughters.
The author
Jim Melvin, a veteran journalist, debuts as novelist.
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