I’ve been writing for publication since 1978, when
my first novel was published by a major publishing house. The book did ok, but
most of the revenues I received did not come from royalties but from the books
I personally sold as I traveled and spoke at different venues around the
country. Subsequently this was my experience in the following two books I
wrote.
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I have a friend that is a big-time writer and has written well over a
dozen books. His royalties have been less than spectacular. But now that he’s
gotten the copyrights back for his books, and self-published them he’s had a
steady and increasing source of revenue.
There’s much to be said for having a
major publisher take your book and put all their resources and publicity behind
it but those sorts of opportunities are few and far between.
Of course, the
field of self-publishing has flooded the market with books. Therefore, many
budding writers may be disappointed that they don’t immediately have readers
rushing to read their books.
Virtual book tours are one avenue that allow
self-published writers a unique outlet for their stories. That’s why I’m glad
for the virtual tour opportunities that different marketers are providing. I’m
hoping this will result in a real exposure for my latest novel. My advice to
self-published authors is use the resource of virtual book tours. It will cost
you money but if you’ve already invested your time and effort to write your
book why not put some money behind it as well.
R.D. Maddux has story telling in his blood. Since he was young he’s always loved a good tale. He’s been writing seriously since he was in high school and college. His novels range from Mystery and Intrigue to Sci-fi/fantasy. With Boy On The Beach he’s set the story in modern America, to be exact, on the West Coast of California. He’s a native of the golden state and has been a resident of San Diego since 1987. Before that he grew up in northern California and lived in the Sacramento Valley and Bay Area with sojourns in some of the beautiful parts of our state.
Living in California for over 60 years he couldn't help but watch the way things have changed in our culture and the impact this coast makes on the rest of America and the world. So even though Boy On The Beach is fiction, like most serious novels, it is not without a context and comment on issues we all face in our changing world. It takes place in real locations that are very familiar to him and its characters, which are fictional, no doubt have their counterparts in the real world. Boy On The Beach is a story of intrigue, suspense, revenge, love and redemption with flashbacks to the era when sex, drugs and rock and roll set our culture on it's inevitable journey to our present day. This idea has been rattling around in his heart and mind for a decade and it's finally coming to the page.
