Creating an image

I happened to pass a mirror the other day when the sun was at its brightest and shining through our living room window like a yellow spotlight. I was not so thrilled with what I saw. I’m 42, I workout daily, I eat properly, and I don’t smoke, but still, one cannot hide the years of living and experience etched into my epidermis. I cannot stop the slow regression of my hairline or the increasing aches and pains I experience at the end of each day and when I wake in the morning. I can only dye my hair for so long before it begins to look like a wooly muskrat is sitting on my head. So, how do I turn the mess I am into an image that will get people curious about me and my books? Answer… I don’t. You see, I believe writers have an aura about them that naturally draws an audience. Have you ever been in a room full of authors? The human energy is so palpable it stimulates the mind like breathable electricity. Writers are naturally interesting because we are interested in everything. When I’m out and about, my mind is always working, looking at objects and people and wondering if they can offer me anything in the way of character development or setting. When I converse with someone, I’m actually interested in what they have to say. I don’t feign enthusiasm or disregard them only to then toot my own horn. Unlike musicians, artists, and even sports figures, most writers pay little attention to the persona offered to the public. Writer’s rarely make it to the front pages of celebrity gossip magazines. At the moment, I’m unshaven, wearing a baggy shirt and worn jeans, and sporting hair longer than usual, this is me. The image I want to promote about myself is that I am as you see me. There’s nothing fake, planned, or staged. I can be as freaky as a circus performer or as serious as a queen’s guard. My books are my children and my life. That is my image.

Now, switching gears to marketing. There’s a great post I came across that discusses the ins-and-outs of how to make a living off Kindle Direct Publishing. I don’t totally agree with the author’s concept of publishing every little thing you scribble down, but he makes an interesting point about shelf-life and the potential of long term return on sales. Check it out, you’ll see what I mean. http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=4019. Also, the novel that started my writing career and the first in the series of three, SILENT INVASION will be free on Kindle from Friday until Sunday. Get a copy and enjoy the adventure. Tomorrow will be spent promoting the announcement. Cheers!