Interview with Michael Garrett, Part Two
Miss Part One? You can catch up HERE.
LET’S PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND SELL SOME BOOKS!
The biggest challenge to today’s Christian fiction authors is not getting published,
but is selling published books.
WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU ABOUT MARKETING YOUR OWN BOOKS?
Well, when my first novel was traditionally published over thirty years ago, it was available everywhere—supermarkets, drug stores, and of course, book stores. Today’s writers can’t get that kind of distribution unless they’re already best-selling authors. My first Christian novel published three years ago received high critical acclaim and was an American Fiction Award finalist, yet it didn’t help sell the book. I’m as baffled as anyone else as to selling books in 2022. How do we let potential readers know that our books exist?
WHERE DO YOU THINK CHRISTIAN READERS FIND THEIR FICTION?
That’s the million dollar question. Book stores, both Christian and secular, stock only best-selling authors these days. It’s virtually impossible to get a book on their shelves if you’re a newcomer, so I guess the even bigger question is how do Christian readers discover new authors? I’m hoping that part of the answer is finding them online on sites such as mine through Google searches. Hopefully, similar websites will be developed to help readers discover new talent.
WHAT ROLE DOES AMAZON PLAY IN SELLING OUR BOOKS?
Obviously, Amazon is a huge resource, but most new authors grossly overestimate its potential in selling books. With the millions of books available on Amazon, how likely is it for a reader to stumble across yours? Don’t hold your breath. Unless very specific search terms are used, it just won’t happen. The only way readers will find our books on Amazon is if they already know it’s there, thus the importance of making potential readers aware that our books exist, then refer them to Amazon.
SO THEN WHY IS AMAZON SO IMPORTANT?
It’s the easiest place to tell readers where to buy our books. Plus, I think it adds credibility to our books in the eyes of potential readers. An Amazon presence seems to legitimize our books.
DO YOU THINK READER REVIEWS ON AMAZON ARE IMPORTANT TO BOOK BUYERS?
I can only speak for myself, but I place a lot of confidence in reader reviews. I won’t read anything that has less than four star reviews. The ratings are not infallible, though. I’ve read best-selling novels that I thought were awful.
DO YOU THINK REVIEWS SHOULD REHASH THE STORYLINE?
My preference is no. Potential buyers can get that from Amazon. I think reviews should be brief and merely point out what works and doesn’t work in the book. For my own novels, I like to extract quotes from reviews for my website. Also, it’s easier to get someone to write a review if you don’t expect a long one. For my tastes, some of the best reviews are one-liners.
ARE BOOK REVIEWS IMPORTANT TO SALES?
I think so, but asking someone to review your book is a huge imposition on their time. It takes hours and hours to read a book, then write a review. Then there’s that agonizing wait for the results. I’m reluctant to ask someone to devote that much time and energy.
DO YOU HAVE A SOLUTION?
Actually, I do. I’ve developed a quick and easy way to get numerous reviews posted on our Amazon listings without imposing on anyone, and I’ll share it with other authors soon. We’ve just got to work together to make it happen.
HOW WILL YOU LET US KNOW?
I’m reluctant to publish it for the world to see, so I’ll explain it via private email to interested authors who contact me and are willing to participate. When the time is right, I’ll call for serious inquiries on Twitter, so for those of you reading this, if you want to get multiple reviews posted on your Amazon listings quickly, watch my Twitter feeds and let’s start interacting. This is a an excellent example of how Christian authors should support each other.
ANY CLOSING THOUGHTS?
I’m anxious to join forces with other Christian authors to find the marketing answers that we’ve been searching for. If you’re a serious author, please follow me on Twitter (@SuspenseWriters) and interact with the posts. Many blessings to you all!
MICHAEL GARRETT is a devout Christian and life-long resident of Alabama. His world revolves around God, his wife Sharon, two adult children, and five grandchildren. He has published two successful traditional novels with a third to be released soon. He has also worked in an editorial capacity with best-selling authors, has served over 2600 international clients as an independent editor, and holds the distinction of having been Stephen King’s first editor and publisher. He has also taught highly acclaimed writing workshops at colleges and universities across the nation and was an Editorial Associate of the Writer’s Digest School. His editorial services are available at https://manuscriptcritique.com and his new website to promote Christian suspense novels is https://christiansuspensenovels.com
