January 17, 2025 -
Reading Challenge
It’s simple. Challenge yourself to read at least one novel in 2025. Just one. Your choice doesn’t have to be one of my books. There’s a gazillion authors to choose from.
What is the length of a novel? One can find debate on the length of a novel. Some say any story over 40,000 words meets the criteria. Others say most publishers consider a novel-length work to be between 50,000 and 110,000 words. But for purposes of this challenge let’s use the low end of the spectrum as fulfilling the requirement.
Why this challenge? Well, articles like this may be the reason: What the Decline of Reading Means for America's Future | Shortform Books
January 11, 2025 -
Reviews: Dare to Tread
My most ordered book has been Halfway to Magnolia House. To date, 3,204 copies have gone out with only 71 reviews provided. That represents a little more than a two percent response rate and mostly consists of only a star rating. Believe it or not, that is a wonderful review percentage for an independent author!
Everyone has their own reason for not giving a book review, but reviews certainly are important to the process. Look at book reviews of noted authors published by one of the five big publishing houses and you’ll find thousands of reviews. That happens because of the way the publishing houses market books prior to releasing them to the public. They collect big numbers and big literary names out of the box which acts as an accelerant to more reviews, and thus, sales. Boy, wouldn’t that be something.
January 2, 2025 -
Over the holidays, friends and I mused on books that made a lasting impression. If you’ve looked toward the bottom of my author page on Amazon, under Anthony Mays’ book recommendations you may have seen a few special books. For the category, what’s a book that left an impression on you? I show Stop the World by Sherry Mayes (no relation) https://www.amazon.com/Stop-World-Sherry-Mayes-ebook/dp/B019BOXL8S
And, although an unusual author, I could have easily listed Hit and Run by Dr. Bob Rich https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Run-Dr-Bob-Rich-ebook/dp/B07DFF3KBX.
But the one book that stays with me the most is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. This true-crime book has become a modern classic and should be on everyone’s reading list. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Good-Evil-Berendt-ebook/dp/B003JMFKVK
December 30,2024 -
As an independent author, not only am I competing against the books of the five big publishing houses every year, but the growing number of other self-published authors. We, as a group, are also battling the overall decline in adult readership. I’ve tended to blame the advent of social media as my nemesis but came across an interesting article which provides other explanations. What category do you fall into?
5 Reasons Why Adults Don’t Read Books by Michael Cronk, December 5, 2019