I love writing and telling stories. I listened carefully to stories as a child, and I loved hearing about incidents in the past. I loved reading anything remotely based on history, especially if I could research more about the era. I loved writing stories and poems for myself, and, as an elementary school teacher, I loved teaching children how to write.
My first story, Forgotten Voices: Excerpts from Valentina’s Journal, was released on March 1. It’s a historical fiction story that’s centered around the longest labor strike in history and its impact on the main character. While the book itself isn’t making the loud noises of some other stories that set in the Coal Wars, readers are buying and enjoying Forgotten Voices.
For three years, I worked on the manuscript, changing both its format and its content. During the last six months of those years, I’ve worked with a publisher. (That’s a story I’ll tell another day.) Being a person who likes to analyze numbers and look for trends, I have some initial observations to share:
- Within a week, approximately 70 people bought the book, either as a paperback or as an e-book. More have since then.
- Most of those people were local, meaning in and around a 70-mile radius of the setting. Some of my buyers were former students (which surprised me) and friends of friends.
- Most people won’t write a review. Authors, whether they’re well-known (like Grisham, Roberts, Baldacci, etc.) or new (like me) need reviews, especially on Amazon and Goodreads, even if the story isn’t well-received.
- Libraries are interested, and librarians work within a budget to buy multiple copies of regional history.
- Readers like to meet authors and ask questions. (I’m available! I’ll work with you. Send me an email by using the Contact Katy button on the katyjsmith.com homepage.)
It’s been a wonderful six-weeks since the release of Forgotten Voices. I appreciate all of you, from those who posted and shared the book on Facebook, to those who wrote and posted reviews. I appreciate the feedback, both positive and not-so-much. I use both to improve my next story.
Yes, I’m still writing. I’m currently working on a mystery-romance, and I’ll share more as I finish it. I have several more ideas to develop for future novels.