I try not to think about this, because I know it'll come true. It's almost a guarantee, isn't it? Imagine: the book is finished. My book, your book, THE book, is done. It's been through dozens of drafts, edited to become as good as it can be. The cover is just what you always wanted. The information is enticing. The marketing is working its magic. You count down the days, and with great fanfare you publish your creation.

No one buys it. 

No one pays attention to it.

It lands like a bellyflop into a drained pool.

Thud.

Soul crushing. And inevitable for all but the lucky. 

Independent publishing is a tough business. (So is traditional publishing, to be fair.) You spend all that time navigating those rough waters, knowing that there are hundreds, thousands, more than thousands, of people looking for the same thing you are: The precious time and money of your dream reader.

I'm familiar with the Great Thud. I wrote fanfiction for years after all. It's almost worse when it happens with fanfiction, I think. You see the views counter crawl up but the comments section stays empty. What are they thinking? What are they wanting? If you're lucky you might get an “update soon”. Otherwise, well. I took it as a sign my story wasn't good enough. And I’m not alone in that.

At least with original fiction, I have a chance of being paid. It's not a big chance, but it's something.

How do you avoid the Great Thud? Hell if I know, I haven't published yet. But I'm guessing it hinges on the most important part of society: human interaction. You gotta go out there and make friends. You gotta go where the readers are and shove your shit in their face. They won't come to you. You have to go to them. Fortune favors the bold, and all. 

I could go on but nah. It's your turn to talk now. Tell me about your Thuds. The books no one reads, and the books that somehow got found. Send me your links and I'll share them all in my next post.

Until next time!