This is something I've also come across with my choir.
We put on a grand concert for friends and family in a beautiful old Tudor hall
in the town where we rehearse. There was some lovely music, gorgeous home-made
cakes and glasses of wine. It was very well attended and the applause was warm.
We repeated it a few months later. It was quite well
attended but the applause was a little less enthusiastic. When we offered a
third one, hardly anyone came. Apparently they'd heard our repertoire. Choral
music wasn't really their thing. There was a limit to how many times they could
support us. On the other hand there's that couple who will travel 120 mile to
hear us who don't mind at all that they have to listen to some firm favourites…
One writing friend of mine sold over 150 copies of one of our
books in the first six weeks. When the second was launched, many of the same friends
attended the launch but didn't buy the book. "We bought a copy of the last
one," they said. Yes they'd been
proud that she'd been published but actually they weren't really bookish
people.
So, the trick is to find those people like the couple who adore
choral music, who love your work, make sure they're on your mailing list and
that it's easy for them to find and buy your books. When you think of it that
way, too, isn't it also about writing something really special that speaks of
your own particular brand?
No comments:
Post a Comment