In 2013, I served as fiction editor for a literary magazine. For one year, my inbox grew swamped with short story submissions. I opened each one with a sense of anticipation and hope. This will be the story that inspires me, I thought, the story that brings an understanding I didn’t have before, or, at the very least, holds my interest simply because it’s a good story.
That’s how we read books, too, isn’t it? We crack each cover with expectation, hoping to be transported and moved. At the very least, diverted and amused.
Recently, I received a copy of The Ericksen Connection by Barry L. Becker in order to let Islanders know, via this column, about a book with a connection to Mercer Island. The author provided the review copy with a hand-written, personal note: “pages 25-27 focus on Mark Ericksen and Mercer Island.”
That about sums it up. My work is done. Mercer Island aside, the book is an international spy thriller set in the U.S., Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, etc. The cast of characters is diverse, the biometrics spy technology cutting edge. Acronyms (JSOC, DoD, IED, PTSD) abound. The story centers on a terrorist plot to detonate nuclear bombs in two U.S. cities.
As I was reading along in Becker’s novel, I couldn’t help but think about the author, and the state of publishing these days in general.
Clearly, Becker has done his homework. He notes in the acknowledgements he’s attended the Willamette Writers’ Conference in Portland and “attempted to absorb the words of wisdom on the craft of writing.” He’s a member of the Northwest Writers & Publishers Association, and signed on with Inkwater Press, an author-friendly book publisher that “helps authors reach for their creative dreams.”
So the book is edited, proofread, and formatted for e-book and print-on-demand. Phew. Now comes the hard part. Marketing. Yes, the Internet makes it possible to reach the public and potential book buyers, the opportunity to reach millions. It may seem easy, but these days, everyone’s doing it. Last time I checked, over one million books were available for sale on Amazon. With so many reader choices out there, how does Becker get his book noticed?
One way is just what he’s done. Good old-fashioned shoe leather, taking to the streets to make personal connections and generate “buzz,” that is, word of mouth mentions that translate into sales. As one author to another, I wish him all the best.
Islander and author Claire Gebben is an occasional columnist for the Reporter. For more, go to clairegebben.com.
