It’s every author’s dream to have their books made into movies and today’s guest, A.G. Riddle might be about to realize that dream. His best-selling series of books has already had the movie rights purchased and he waits to hear from the studio as to what the next steps will be. But Gerry is amazingly at ease with it all, taking his success and the possibility of a movie deal in his stride. On this episode we talk about the movies and a good deal more that has to do with his self publishing journey, writing routines, mental toughness, and the things he believes have brought success to his writing career.
Two years to write the first book – and very little promotion after that.
It’s not a formula for success that A.G. Riddle recommends to other writers but it’s what really happened in his case. He spent 2 years researching and writing the first book in his series – The Atlantis Gene – then published the book to Amazon, sent out a promo to his email list, and waited. It was slow going at first but over time the momentum increased and his book sales exploded. He’s still astounded at the success that the initial book had and is glad that the follow-up books, and a stand-alone book, have also done well. You can hear what Gerry says about book promotion and marketing at this point in his career and why he recommends email lists as a powerful way to get launched.
Reader interaction and relationships are keys to a successful writing career.
In this new “social” digital age, interaction with readers has never been easier and A.G. Riddle says that it’s one of the things about being an author he enjoys the most. He feels that the depth and genuine nature of the relationships he’s able to establish with those reading his books is a large part of what makes a new release so successful. His loyal fan base is quick to set the initial charge and the Amazon search algorithms take over from there to expand his book sales. You can hear what Gerry does to keep up fan interaction on this episode of the podcast.
Having his books made into movies is great, but he’s not holding his breath.
Gerry is quick to point out that the studio simply has the option to make the movie and that the option is a ticking clock that will expire if further steps are not taken. He knows it would be a great asset to see the movies made but isn’t counting on it. He’d rather stay busy writing and building his fan base than place all his hopes on a movie deal. You can get to know best-selling author A.G. Riddle on this episode of The Self Publishing Formula.
Success in self publishing is not defined by movie deals.
With the recent breakout success of Andy Weir’s book “The Martian” and the Matt Damon movie that was made from it, many self published authors have come to see books turned to movies as the ultimate sign of success. But A.G. Riddle doesn’t agree. Even though he’s got a movie deal in the works, what matters to him is the impact his stories are having on people. In this conversation, he recounts a letter he received from one reader who told him how his books got him through a difficult period in his life and kept him encouraged and hopeful. That is the kind of impact that matters – to Gerry – and to you.
Outline of this great episode
- [1:42] A get together for SPF listeners at the NINC conference.
- [3:16] Today’s guest: A.G. Riddle, author of “The Atlantis Gene.’
- [5:25] How A.G. got his first book release to blow up.
- [8:40] How Gerry launched the book and promoted sales.
- [11:05] Why authors need to develop mental toughness.
- [15:44] A.G.’s daily routine.
- [20:40] How important is reader interaction and relationship for A.G.?
- [22:08] The use and benefits of a mailing list.
- [23:12] The idea of offering bonus content on the website.
- [24:32] A.G.’s decisions regarding Indie VS traditional publishing.
- [27:18] How the Atlantis Gene series became traditionally published in foreign markets.
- [28:57] The films that are being made of A.G.’s books.
- [31:22] Daily word counts, character development and research, the actual craft.
- [36:39] Pricing strategies and how they came about.
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
- A.G. Riddle’s website
- BOOK: The Atlantis Gene
- BOOK: Departure
- Neowriter
- Scrivener
- BOOK: The Martian