Posts
SEX explainedWe want to believe. And it causes us no end of troubles.
Many have emailed me, asking what I was doing with my SEX post.
In the last four hours of the day yesterday, I posted the one word, SEX, and two sexy photos. Nothing else. I tripled my existing number of visitors and far surpassed the highest day of the past month.
John Locke claims to know the secret of vast eBooks sales. I’m happy for him. But you don’t catch J K Rowling or Stephanie Meyers writing books on how to sell millions of books.
Why? Sometimes the lightning strikes. Sometimes it doesn’t. It rarely strikes twice in exactly the same way.
John is sure the key is to write “timeless” posts, twitter search who has spoken of your topic, then twitter them the link to your “forever relevant” post. BAM. Success is waiting to pounce upon you after that.
He wrote a post of his hero worship of Joe Paterno and his mother and followed his recipe for success. Lightning struck. The university which employs Coach Paterno chose Locke’s post as the blog of the month. Thousands of visitors poured Locke’s way. Fate’s spotlight sizzled upon him.
Locke had a backlist of books ready for the opportunity. He himself describes his books as lewd, shocking, disgusting, and deliciously bawdy. As yesterday proves, SEX sells. Amanda Hocking found out the same thing.
Can we duplicate that chance fall of the dice? Can we write something that will speak to the heart of an institution or international movie star so much that they will write of it in their blog or twitters? Lots of luck with that.
So far Stephen King hasn't written of me in his ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY articles. And I promised him a date with Olivia Wilde, too!
We all want to believe that there is a system. The casinos love those of us who cling to that delusion.
There is only the strike of lightning. Our responsibility is to have the best product we can craft should that lightning ever strike us. We can hold up the lightning rod all day, or we can continue to grow as writers. The smartest of us try to do both.
***
It goes to show that when people are curious they'll take the time to ask and what to know more.
ReplyDeleteWith writing it takes that spark of lightening to get us somewhere. We feel it while we're writing our book, and then we need it again to show up for the entire book so agents will consider us.
Always,
Lindsey
Roland, whenever I post something sexy people squawk...but they stop by more than they do if I post anything else. It makes you wonder. It's that whole I'm looking at a naughty magazine attitude just cause I'm curious. Sex sells, and I'm not one to squirm away from reading a hot story.
ReplyDeleteI have a request for your blog. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with sex. I don't follow you on FB or Twitter because I don't go on those sites at all...and you post fabulous stories here on the blog that leave no doubt to the fact that you are an awesome writer. (Rambling, I know. Getting to the point now.)
Would you mind posting something about yourself? I would like to know more about the man behind the writing.
Thank You. :)
Lindsey :
ReplyDeleteMy best friend, Sandra, says we must be living lightning rods -- whatever that means. LOL.
Laila :
LOL. Yes, sex sells though they frown at us when they buy it!
I will try to post something personal tomorrow, but work at the blood center has been crazy of late : I worked all day yesterday, most of the night, greeting the rose yawn of the dawn (oops, rhymed, didn't mean to!) -- now, I am off to do it again. Whew!
I look forward to each of your comments. Roland
Brilliantly put! That's all we can do really because lightning is so unpredictable. ;)
ReplyDeleteLightning IS unpredictable. You write what you like to write and what you can write well. Sometimes what you write isn't "IN" at the time you're writing it. Then, as with Stephenie Meyers, you write something that catches fire. And then that fire may flicker and die out and another genre will take center stage. Stephen King also wrote at a time when people read a lot more than they do now; at a time when the economy hadn't crashed; a time before the Internet came on the scene. Today EVERYONE is publishing a book and trying to sell it, blogging, twittering, and facebooking furiously. As writer we are eternal optimists. One day, one day, someone might see our brilliant work and catapult us to the bestseller list. I think if we're honest as writers, we all have this dream.
ReplyDeleteSEX in a book. What does this really mean? I look for a good story, with or without sex. We are, bottom line, "sexual" beings; but I see this in a very broad way.
Ann Best, Memoir Author
Well put, Roland. You are so right.
ReplyDeleteEdge of Your Seat Romance
Fascinating experiment! I've found that when I feature anything having to do with sex my hits sky rocket...must just be human nature.
ReplyDeleteInteresting experiment, yes. But I have to say I was distracted from the post by Josh Groban's wonderful voice--I LOVE this song. Talent trumps the discussion/subject of sex in this case. LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heather :
ReplyDeleteI guess we have to be Writer Scouts whose motto is Be Prepared - for we never know who is blog-browsing at the moment!
Ann :
I'm with you - write what sings to your heart. John Locke teaches to write what will sell {think of the audience you want to target and write specifically for them.}
My heart couldn't be in such prose. But then, he sells millions and I sell but few. John would say, "I rest my case."
But I feel you can sustain a series you love, where the heart and prose will ultimately fall flat on prose you tailor for the audience.
And you're right also that this is a different set of markets, different times, and different reading audiences we are writing to.
We can be "Used Car Salesmen" of prose or stay true to the iconic archetype of "StoryTeller Around the Campfire." You and I opt for the latter, don't we?
Thanks, Raquel :
I was getting lonely with zero comments for awhile. Victor, of course, thought it was because he and the goth-lovely Alice of the sharp teeth and pretty legs weren't being spotlighted!! LOL.
Johanna :
Yes, just look at the covers of most fiction books you pass down the aisles of Barnes & Nobles!
Carol :
I love Josh Groban's singing, too. I think of LET ME FALL as Meilori's theme and TO WHERE YOU ARE as the theme to my Kindle Single, LET THE WIND BLOW THROUGH YOU, Roland
Something I learned long ago in the modeling industry. There is NO denying, sex sells.
ReplyDeleteMichael :
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly been proved in my two SEX posts! LOL.
May your weekend be great. I hope the finale of HARRY POTTER is everything you wish it to be, Roland
Hi Roland .. thanks for enlightening me a little more about Locke's 'success' .. and the reasons why ..
ReplyDeleteYour steamy scenes with Marlene and Angelina .. should sell a 'few' copies ..
Enjoy the writing .. ! Happy nights .. Hilary
Hi, Hilary :
ReplyDeleteJohn Locke is a success in his own way of thinking -- just not mine. But I am more Lakota than white. We look at the seasons of life a bit differently than most.
Still, I do have my steamy scenes in my novels - just done because they flow out of the hearts of the characters -- not for the tease for the audience.
I pray your mid and end of week go smashingly Thanks for visiting and chatting. I was feeling isolated for awhile there here in my sweltering apartment! Roland
Hell, I've been too busy to blog much or read all of the blogs I follow wholly, but I clicked on this for some reason...Just goes to show! The entire world and media is sex obsessed! I love how you constantly capitalized the word too ;)
ReplyDelete