Lessons for Writers - Author, Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series - For one, keep writing
Gabaldon’s publishing story is fascinating and not what we are told happens in the publishing world
Diana Gabaldon’s first book, Outlander, Came Into My Life
In 2003, my family moved from Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia, to the San Francisco Bay Area. My husband Joe started a new position with his firm and I was tasked with acclimating our three young children aged 10, 6, and 3 to life in Los Altos, CA. We didn’t know a soul. My main goal was to present an adventure-like atmosphere for our three children. The Moms I met at the grade school were amazingly kind and welcoming. Many had also transplanted and knew what we were going through. Still, I was privately despondent and missing family and friends. One new friend, Dorianne, took me under her wing. We had a shared fondness for books and started to compare notes on our favorites.
Dorianne pulled out a copy of series of books that was a favorite of hers… the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. “Start with this book,” she said. “It’s a combination of sci-fi, romance, and historical fiction,” she told me and that “even the bookstores didn’t know where to place it on their shelves.”
I bought a paperback copy of the book and didn’t pick it up again until I flew back to PA, alone, for my cousin’s wedding a few weeks later. On the way back to CA, I opened the thick book with the bright blue cover and read for six straight hours. What joy! Something opened up in me after reading that book. When I returned to CA, I researched this amazing author, Diana Gabaldon. She inspired me.
Book Marketing and Book Publishing Gems For Aspiring Authors
I read that Ms Gabaldon had never intended for Outlander to be published, she simply started writing – my hardback copy of Outlander is over 600 pages! If you are familiar with the Starz television series of Outlander, you know that each season represents one of the books in the series. Ms Gabaldon has written many books!
In 1999, Ms Gabaldon wrote another book, a compendium for the four books in the series that she had written to that point. Her books were so enormously popular with fans that she put together a book with a potpourri of information, information with minute details that only the most devoted fans would want to know. The compendium includes horoscope readings of the characters, the origins of the main character, Claire’s wedding ring engraving, and answers to burning fan questions. She even includes a chapter with the errors in each of the books! The book, The Outlandish Companion is a true gift of love to her Gabaldon’s fans.
Here are some tidbits I read from The Outlandish Companion to inspire you to write and publish YOUR book:
In answer to the question, “How do you write with a family, job, etc.” Gabaldon writes “I don’t sleep and I don’t do housework.” “Hire someone to clean the house or get used to dirt. I do both.” P.452
How is that for refreshing honesty? There is no secret, it is exactly what you thought. When you take the time to write, something else has to give.
Gabaldon offers aspiring writers an amazing tip through an elaborate example. it is fascinating how this woman’s mind works. How else could she write over 600 pages in every book! P.453
Gabaldon’s shares a tip for writing amidst work, family, and life pressure. Basically, she never stops writing in her mind. “Shuffle the writing to the back of your mind – but keep thinking about it.” P. 452 She goes on to describe “a day in the life” and how she worked out a few scenes for the book in her head. She got little writing done that day but was able to work out an important scene in her book.
Gabaldon concludes her answer to this question of “how do you do it” with “Don’t Give Up!”
I will write additional articles on Gabaldon’s publishing success story to inspire and encourage you. When Outlander entered MY life in 2003, I was inspired to start my own book. I took Diana’s lead and I started to write. My first book, It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers was published in 2008.
Book Marketing Tips from this article:
Book marketing and writing take time. There is no secret sauce. Something has to give especially with family, job, and life concerns. Something must go in order for you to make the time to do it. I love Diana’s idea to read the bedtime story but let the cleaning go!
Connect with and take care of your fans. Diana Gabaldon does this in the extreme. In the “Outlandish Companion” she fulfilled every wish of her fans to that point, or comes pretty darn close. I remember at the time I read her book that she had a way to contact her on her website. As well, she offered signed bookplates with a self-addressed stamped envelope in them to her fans. She followed through on this because I have a few of them!
Keep book marketing ideas in your mind wherever you go and whatever you do as Diana suggests for writing. Have a notebook close by to quickly jot down ideas for later follow-up.
The introduction of readers of this newsletter about book marketing and publishing to Diana Gabaldon is the perfect place to start because she is the ultimate role model for writers in many ways. I am excited to share other marketing ideas through the successes of other authors and experts. Welcome!
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