This week we are talking with David Moody. His journey into becoming a successful and full time writer is truly inspiring. Thank you David for taking time to answer a few questions. You can add David as a friend on Fuel: username David_Moody
What’s your name?
My name’s David Moody and I’m a writer of horror and science-fiction novels. After publishing my books independently online (and giving away half a million downloaded copies of my novel ‘Autumn’) I recently moved into the mainstream when my novels were acquired by a large publisher in the US. The film rights to my novel ‘Hater’ have been optioned by Guillermo del Toro, director of the Hellboy films and Pan’s Labyrinth. J A Bayona (The Orphanage) is set to direct.
How old is your blog?
I’ve been running my blog in its current format for around six months. Previously (since 2000) I ran a small personal blog (which I rarely seemed to update) and a more static website to promote my books. After the changes to my publishing situation, I decided to combine the two!
If you’re willing to share, how many visitors per day do you have to your blog?
It varies wildly, but on average I get around 200 visits a day.
How much time do you spend blogging every week?
Not enough! I try and post at least two entries per week. All too often, however, they turn out to be just short announcements instead of full-blown posts. I end up just reporting and announcing, rather than discussing.
How key has your blog been to promote your career as a writer?
If it hadn’t been for the Internet, I most probably wouldn’t have a career in writing. I think it’s really important for writers to have a good online presence. It’s invaluable, particularly when you’re starting out. There’s no better way to get your writing out in front of people and to receive feedback from them. As I mentioned earlier, I made my novel ‘Autumn’ available as a free download. As I was writing it I posted the book chapter by chapter and it was incredible to see the reaction growing week on week. Blogs are great for that purpose – if you get it right they become inexpensive, dynamic marketing tools!
How did you first market your blog?
Appropriately enough (because the book’s about a killer disease) I used every viral marketing trick I could find! Once the site was up and running, I took every opportunity I could to get links: posting on forums (on a wide range of subjects, from horror to free ebooks to writing groups etc. etc.), adding an email signature, listing the blog on directories… And when I started to publish paperback versions of my books in 2005, I kept on promoting the site. The website address was printed in and on every book, and I gave away loads of postcards and stickers whenever anyone ordered novels directly from me.
What are the blogging tools you cannot do without?
In a word, Wordpress. I’m a recent convert, but it’s proved to be such a robust and expandable system that it’s quickly become invaluable. I also use Feedburner to manage my RSS feeds and keep track of subscribers. Finally, I use Statcounter (www.statcounter.com) which, to my mind, is the best free web stats program available. I also use Google Analytics, but the simplicity of Statcounter keeps me coming back. Like a lot of people, I guess, I’m addicted to checking my web stats!
What tips would you give to aspiring writers?
I struggled to write a novel for years. I eventually set myself a few simple ground rules that I still use today:
1.Try and write a page a day.
2.If it’s not working, walk away from the computer. You can’t force yourself to write and staring at a blank screen won’t help.
3.PLAN IN ADVANCE. By the time I sit down to start writing a book, I’ve usually done months of preparation and research and have made notes telling me what’s going to happen, chapter by chapter.
4.Keep going! Resist the temptation to keep going back and rewriting. Finish each draft, then go back to the beginning and start again.
I’d also add a couple of other suggestions. Keep your brain and your imagination fed by reading books, listening to music and watching films whenever you can. And finally, always look for feedback and listen to what people are saying about your work.
What is the biggest mistake you made when starting your blog?
As I mentioned earlier, I used to run a blog alongside a more static website. That was a mistake. Having a blog allows me to do everything I used to with my website, but I can now update it more easily. It’s also easier to promote and it’s more interactive. As a writer I think it’s crucial to be able to communicate directly with the people who like my books.
Do you ever use your blog to gauge your readers reaction to a new storyline?
If you mean book storylines, the answer’s no! I keep my stories under wraps until the books are ready to be released! But it is interesting to look at reader reaction to the news stories I post. The amount of talkback, feedback and links each post generates is certainly useful in letting me know what people want to read about!
Do you use micro-blogging (thinking Twitter) to promote your blog?
Not at the moment. I know there’s a huge buzz about Twitter right now, but I can’t see how it would benefit me or my readers. I might be wrong, but I don’t think people would get fired up with excitement if I posted updates like ‘just finished chapter 5′ or ‘wish the kids would go back to school’! Maybe I just have a boring life! (I do spend a lot of time on my own in the house writing) For now, I think regular blog posts and RSS feeds are enough but I’m open to trying anything.
What do you think of the increasing number of bloggers who manage to sign a book deal on the back of their blog writing?
I think it’s wonderful. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where good writing is discovered, just as long as it IS discovered. I think blogging in one form or another is crucial to the future of writing. Never before have writers been able to connect with their potential audience so easily. Literally anyone can do it, and that’s a great thing. In the genre I write in (horror) there have been a few notable successes. Guys like David Wellington and Scott Sigler also started by giving away their books and developing a huge following. In an age where the bookshelves in many stores are clogged up with ghost-written celebrity autobiographies and the like, it’s great that blogs have provided a means for quality writing to find an audience.
Great interview, loved:
2.If it’s not working, walk away from the computer. You can’t force yourself to write and staring at a blank screen won’t help.
A great tip, how many times do I sit in front of screen and go blank..
[...] this week, this site was made ‘Blog of the Day’ by Fuelmyblog. They asked me a few questions about my site and writing, and my answers can be found [...]
“If it’s not working, walk away from the computer. You can’t force yourself to write and staring at a blank screen won’t help.”
A rule that works for drawing too!!Have a walk i the park,go window shopping,drink a coffee,ear some inspiring music like this one.Ladys and gentlemen Fuelers may I present to you Cristina Branco and one of hers newest songs from CD Kronos!
Check it!
Cristina Branco
This song is about love.She says that love is like a time-bomb!Lovely lyric,I wish I could translate it to you because it’s funny and words and guitar cords sound a bit like the sound of a clock work!It was written by one of our great song writers named Sérgio Godinho.Hope you enjoy it!
Clear and sensible advice David – thank you …… [quite frankly I, and others, would like my mind to go blank ..... a bit like Kevin's ........]