Susan Stoner, author of the Sage Adair Historical Mystery Series and I were browsing through in a large, three-storied bookstore the other day when suddenly my friend paused and, looking down the aisle at the floor to ceiling shelves, uttered a deep sigh. “Gosh, there are a lot of books here.”
I laughed, knowing what she meant. With so many authors already in print and with more coming every day, how does a pair of unknown writers, like us, get an audience? Luck plays a role as I’ve written before. And persistence. (See blog 1/24/14) But is there a third ingredient?
Recently, I read about a family enterprise that suggests there is. The business in question began as an antique shop and then evolved into an auction house. Over time, this small company became a global player, competing with larger auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s. How does Kathleen Doyle, the CEO of New York’s Doyle Auction House account for her success? Innovation. She was the first to create an online, illustrated catalogue for her sales and the first New York House to initiate Internet bidding. (The Accidental Auctioneer,” by Dinah Eng, Fortune, 1/14, pg. 28.)
Doyle’s remarks about innovation got Susan and I thinking. As a result, we’ve decided to launch a 10 minute YouTube series called, “Just Read It.” We’ll review books by other writers, beginning with paperback best sellers from The New York Times. We hope our remarks will help viewers winnow out their reading lists and, in the process, get to know us better. So look for Susan and me and “Just Read it,” coming soon to a YouTube channel near you.
(Courtesy of graphicleftovers.com)
