My favorite quotes from Hugh Howey's Facebook chat.

Today, bestselling author Hugh Howey had a chat with fans, readers, authors, and anyone else who cared to ask a question. Hugh is rarely in my area for signings or talks, so I stopped by to see what kind of things he was sharing. He talked about everything from writing to traveling to lobster catching. Having nothing intelligent to contribute, I settled for this exchange:

Thankfully, my fellow attendees were better prepared and asked great questions. Hugh provided excellent answers, and the ones that I really got the most from are below.

When asked how to get a self-published novel noticed:

The best way to get noticed is to write and publish more works. I know that sounds like a dodge, but it's 100% true. Practically every successful self-published author will tell you the same thing.

I didn't promote WOOL at all. Didn't even Tweet or FB a link. It was my 7th or 8th published title, and my readership just built gradually over time. I wrote stuff they enjoyed, and they kept coming back.

Amazon's algorithms and recommendations helped. When you publish something new, it randomly notifies some of your existing readers. Which is why write, publish, repeat is the mantra of a successful writing career. Every published work is another chance to grab eyeballs.

A lot of it is luck. But what you can control is what any eyeballs you happen to attract see. Do they see a clean cover, a grabby blurb, a well-edited text? Is your first sentence a great hook? Your first paragraph?

Don't hold anything back. Put your very best sentence right there at the outset. Start with heartbreak or tension or some profound philosophical statement. It has to be good enough to get them through the first paragraph, and that paragraph needs to convince them to read the first page.

When asked about dealing with negative reviews:

Man, great question. Putting our stuff out there to be judged is so painful. Personally, the 1-star reviews that slam my writing ability don't bother me. I don't have much confidence in my writing, so I tend to agree with those reviews. It's the reviews that are written out of spite that are difficult for me to wrap my head around. I've had a number of reviews calling my positive reviews into question, which is someone telling my fans that their opinions aren't valid and their tastes are wrong. Those really upset me.

What really helped to let go was a talk I attended once. Michael J. Fox was asked about criticism, and he said "What people think about me is none of my business." Simple and yet profound. I heard that at just the right time in my life. And yes, even though negative reviews affect our careers and cause real damage, letting them get to us does even worse things.

When asked about what motivates him to keep writing:

Curiosity. I always want to see what's on the next blank page. When you are writing in the flow, it's basically like reading, except your imagination is shaping the story. It's an incredible sensation. I suffer the bad writing days in an eternal quest for more of the sublime ones.

When asked about workflow:

I aim for 2K - 3K words a day when I'm writing. 2-3 chapters a day when revising. And 50K words per day when editing. Toward the end of my workflow, I go through a 100K manuscript in a single day (about 12 hours). I can revise and edit a lot longer than I can write.

I was a member of a writing group in Boone, NC when I first got started. I joined after I'd already published my first book. It was good for motivation, mainly. To keep reminding myself, every other week, that I was a writer.

When asked how he knows a story idea has potential:

When I can't stop thinking about it. When I skip breakfast because I have to keep writing. When it drags me out of bed in the middle of the night to make a note, because it's so good I'm scared I'll forget it. That's when I know.

When asked about the difference in appearance of the UK version of Sand vs. the US version of Sand:

…Random House UK knows how to build a gorgeous book. This is something self-publishing will never be able to do as well, unless you're talking about hand-binding one-off leatherbound stuff, but that's not very commercial or scalable.

I think there's a great market for putting together really quality books to differentiate them between the e-books. Like those special boxed editions of some films and games. But those boxed editions should come with a free e-book as well. I hope we get to that with the market. Really celebrate gorgeous editions.

Of course, as far as paperbacks go, I think the US POD version of SAND is as pretty as paperbacks get. But there's no comparing between the two. I cherish my UK hardback.

When asked about how Wool was discovered, and how new readers discover his books:

Things went viral without any promotion for WOOL. But WOOL wasn't my first work. I'd sold around 5,000 copies of my first 6 or 7 titles by the time it came out. So it was a slow burn until it became a blaze.

I did some local signings and sent out ARCs to bloggers early on, and I've always had a website. But I don't think those are the things that really worked. What worked was being accessible to my readers, even when it was just my first cousin, Lisa. Cherish every one. Don't work so hard to grab new readers, as that mostly turns people off.

When asked about the next great shift in publishing:

Big name authors are going to start publishing through their editors, who will take 15% to do all the managerial work. But the authors will pay out of pocket for cover art and editorial. And they'll make more money, release more books, and have more creative freedom. I'd say we're three years away from this being a thing.

When told by another writer that he is an inspiration to her:

I feel like I'm fumbling through this mess, and that I'm learning something from someone else every day. The landscape of publishing is changing so fast, that I don't really see it as people whacking trails through a jungle and following one another. It's more like a search party fanning out and shouting our discoveries to one another. So if you are writing and getting your work published, I look up to you as much as you look up to me. Maybe we're just looking "over" at one another.