Bobby Nash is a prolific writer of pulp fiction, mysteries, thrillers, comic books, and much more. You might have heard of these novels: Evil Ways, Snow Drive, 85 North, Domino Lady: Money Shot. He’s got quite the following and makes frequent appearances at writing and comic conventions. You can find out almost everything you need about the author and his work at his website.
Nevertheless, I had a few questions for Bobby, and he obliged with some answers:
Bill: You’re a writer who produces products in many different media, including pulp novels and comic books. How successful do you feel you are you at marketing your work?
Bobby: I’ve learned a lot of marketing skills in the years I’ve been doing this so I’m better now than I was when I started, but I feel there is always room to improve. My books do not sell as well as I would like so anything I can do to get the books in front of potential readers helps. I am taking an on-line marketing class soon to learn some new skills. Most of my marketing skills are self-taught or bits and pieces I picked up along the way. I’ve had no formal marketing training. Also, each medium has its unique ways to market. Comic books and novels do not always have the same audience so I have to tailor my marketing to reach that audience.
Bill: You attend a fair amount of comic and writing conventions. How would you characterize your success at these fan-oriented events? Do they energize you and bring in new ideas?
Bobby: I love doing the conventions and conventions. Not only is it a great place for me to show off my books, but I meet interesting people, catch up with friends, and am surrounded by creative people. That is definitely a great energizer that helps reinvigorate my creative muse.
As for success, that depends on what you’re looking to get out of the cons. Money and sales is not my #1 goal, although it is probably my #2 goal because I am footing my own bill to and from cons and they are becoming more and more expensive. As I see it, I am there to showcase the books. If someone doesn’t buy a book, that’s okay. I make sure they go home with a card. They may purchase a copy off of Amazon when they get their next paycheck. With that in mind, cons are part of my marketing plans.
Bill: How do you handle working in a team such as when you write for a comic book series?
Bobby: I love working with artists. The finished comic is always better than I imagined and when a writer and artist really gel, there’s a kind of magic that happens. I love it. I don’t always know who the artist will be when scripts are written. In that instance, I tend to write heavier, more panel description, maybe a bit more dialogue. If I know the artist or know what the artist is capable of beforehand, I can parse that down and play to the artist’s strengths.
The key is collaboration. We are a team so I like to have open dialogue with the artist(s) when working. If the artists think a panel works better if we make a change, I am open to talking about it. The majority of the time, I agree and we make the change, which makes the book better.
Bill: What advice would you give a new author about marketing their work?
Bobby: Don’t let anyone tell you what type of marketing to do. Oh, sure, listen to advice, but at the end of the day, you know your product and your target audience. Using that, target your marketing plans to reach your audience. If you write a book about dogs, then market toward animal lovers, do a signing at a rescue shelter (rescue a pup, get a discount, that sort of thing). The trick is getting the word out and doing it in a way that is not annoying or turns potential readers off from your book.
Bill: What do you believe is your best approach to marketing on the web?
Bobby: I do a lot of pre-marketing. I talk about my books while I am working on them. That way, my posts about writing are seen by many, but they are not being hammered to buy anything. Later, when the book comes out, they are aware of it and some will buy it because they have been following the book’s progress on-line. I also mix in photos from cons, travel, etc. amongst the writing posts.
Bill: I read Evil Ways and it’s a gripping and engaging novel, and the characters are drawn in broad strokes, very larger-than-life. Is pulp fiction a growing genre?
Bobby: Thanks. Evil Ways was my first published novel and I am extremely proud of it. I learned a lot of lessons while writing it because I found out I broke a lot of “rules” because I didn’t really know what I was doing. Evil Ways is probably the most “me” of any of the stories I’ve written.
Pulp and New Pulp are great fun to write and there are multiple genres that can and do fall under the pulp umbrella. There is a fanbase, but it is a small one. Like any other medium or genre, it has growth spurts from time to time. There are some really good pulp stories being written these days.
Bill: Thanks for your time and consideration!
Bobby: My pleasure. This was fun.
