Oh, yes, I get the barrel-full’s worth of “check out my book” over on Facebook…and most of the books being promoted by their authors are absolutely dreadful. Yes, I get submissions through our long form, some of which are pretty good, but most of which are likewise dreadful.  I can make the rounds of independently published book review sites, but most of the reviews say that the books are dreadful. I can check out the press release sites for indie author releases, but most of those are…dreadful…upon reading what excerpts I can find.

I KNOW that there are, in fact, good novels and books being released by independent authors, but, you know what? It’s impossible to find them unless I know the author personally.

Originally, The Deepening was designed to promote books–all books regardless of who and how published. Unfortunately, it seems that the good books and novels published by indie authors aren’t coming to my attention. Why is that, do you suppose? Is it because those who make the most noise have the least to offer?

Come on, indie authors who write top notch books (emphasis on top notch), send me your submissions. I’m tired of the dreck and having to resort to promoting only traditionally published books.

Some say to me, it’s the economy. Others say it’s the industry. I say, gee, well, I can’t afford to just keep promoting books and novels out of my own pocket. If it didn’t cost me, then that wouldn’t be a problem. But it does cost me out of pocket, and, if I can’t even cover my costs, then it’s just a hobby, and an expensive one at that. So I’m considering the future, a future that, despite our top-of-the-heap ranking and our excellent traffic and committed audience, is beginning to look pretty grim.

When you, author, ask me to consider your novel, you need to do a bit more than simply say, “check it out.” You absolutely need to provide me with some tantalizing reason why I absolutely would hate myself if I didn’t. So why, oh, why do you persist in simply offering me the generic, ubiquitous “check out my book” message in email, in private messaging via social networking venues, in comments posted publicly around the Net? If you can’t figure out a way to present your book to me in a way that commands my attention, then how do you ever expect that you’re going to grab hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and even millions of other readers? So, when you ask me to “check out your book,” give me some reason why, a reason that really engages me, peaks my interest, encouraging me to do so.

Independent authors and publishers are especially touchy when they receive a less than glowing review or when their book is declined for a feature spot. We make our judgments as fairly and with as much open-mindedness as we can, but ours is only one of many venues where you can get your book in front of potential buyers. Many of these are, in fact, open venues, available to you for the cost of “signing up.”  There, your book won’t have to go through an evaluation like it does here on The Deepening.  What could be easier than that?

Please don’t gripe to us with hate-email when your book doesn’t make it onto our pages or when it receives a less than five-star review. Our tastes in what’s appropriate literature for readers and visitors to this website isn’t open to debate. In fact, I believe we’ve made it abundantly clear that erotica for the sake of sexual titillation isn’t welcome and badly written books and novels won’t get a second glance, no matter how you rant, rave, and throw a tantrum. Here, readers come first, and neither the ivory tower politics of literature, nor the weight of any rabid mob pressure tactics is going to change that.

Bunk. It’s pure laziness on the part of independent authors, and, in the case of big publishers, it’s pure greed.

Do you really enjoy self-promoting? If so, how do you balance writing time and family time with self-promotional activities? If you don’t really enjoy it, why do you do it?

Last question set: Does it really pay you, monetarily and/or otherwise, to spend so much time, effort, and money promoting yourself and your book(s)? If so, can you elucidate those rewards so I and my readers may better understand?

Good writing.

Good story.

Good editing.

Good formatting and typesetting.

And then–AT MINIMUM–an intriguing book description, a high-quality book cover image, an excerpt, preferably the prologue and/or chapter one.

Also, it would be nice to have an author biography and links to some reviews from trustworthy sources, not including anyone coerced, bought, or begged into talking up the book.

Then there’s the indies….

In truth, I’d like nothing better than to consistently favor independent authors by featuring their books on The Deepening. But. And here’s the problem. They just don’t seem to want to be featured. They want me to find them (as in track down and tackle, maybe lasso and hog tie, maybe even make use of one of those S. American bolo things used to nab Rheas). Then these same authors, once I do get their attention, seem to want me to beg them for their book’s promotional materials like book descriptions, author bio-, good-sized cover art, reviews, and excerpts. They seem to want me to work at it, spending innumerable hours just collecting and soliciting them (again, the word “begging” comes to mind) for the “honor” of featuring them and their books on TD.

It’s exhausting, and, well, um, I’m sorry. I just don’t have that much time or energy. (It takes a LOT of energy to chase down the fleet of foot once you flush them from their hide, you know.) I mean, if an author doesn’t want to provide me with a nice, high-quality, bigger-than-a-postage-stamp book cover, a description, some review links, a nice excerpt, then, well, obviously, I do get the hint that they’d really rather I go away so they can keep their tome all to themselves and a select few friends and associates, that they really do not want me…or anyone else with whom they’re not on intimate terms to feature their book. Have I got that right? I do? Ah, okay. Sorry for intruding. Go on back into the Facebook fray, and the hollering and waving of hands like crazy for individual notice, then disappearing when someone actually says, “Sure, I’ll take a look. Where’s the goods?” when they find that the “goods” aren’t there like they’re supposed to be.