How is the writing going? Have you sold many books? Do you make much money?
These are questions I get asked a lot by coworkers and family. I’m sure lots of fans would ask these same questions as well.
I’m proud to say that I have sold more books than I’d ever realistically expect that I could without the backing of a major publisher. Every week I see more books go out. A number are bought outright, others are harder to tell numbers sold because I merely see the number of pages read on Kindle Unlimited. I may see a week go by with multiple books going out over a few days. Sometimes I hit a dry spell, in which a week may go by with no direct sales.
As far as money goes, I’ve probably only split even over the course of my writing career. That takes into account the big up front fees I paid for the first edition of the Earthrin Stones trilogy, as well as yearly website costs, books stocked, office and printing costs, and some advertising. Considering what I did pay for my first publisher, breaking even is still no small feat! My writing has yet to replace my day job. Although, like most people’s passions, I’d be doing this even if I kept losing money. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with mostly good reviews and a number of supportive fans. Even if I stopped here, I have a legacy of writing I’d be proud to show my boys.
Even though I expected “The Widow Brigade” to be my most critically exclaimed work, “Inheritance of a Sword and a Path” is still my biggest seller by a longshot. I still remember how several hundred copies flew off the Kindle shelves shortly after release, and I hadn’t even advertised it yet! 99% of my sales have been through Kindle…so I have the electronic world to thank for my success. It provided an invigorating income to my passion.
These days, even if I’m not actively writing, I’m usually still thinking about scenes and characters. Sometimes inspiration flows out of the blue and unlocks the next door in a story’s evolution. I currently have three works in various stages of development. Two are short novellas that will introduce the “Pilgrims with Blades” series. The third, “My Father, the Warrior”, has been on hold while I’ve switched focus to the series and I continue to brainstorm the proper course for it.
In short, I am constantly working on new writing projects, and I’m determined to finish the first episode of “Pilgrims with Blades” later this year. While I haven’t made my fortune and glory through writing yet, I continue to persist.
I’ve started to use my YouTube channel as well, though not exclusively for writing. I did launch a new book trailer video, which I announced and placed on the home page here. But since I’m also a gamer, I’ve posted some gaming videos too. You’ll likely see more game videos and perhaps even streaming there. While I still hope to use some of my YouTube to promote my writing, it likely isn’t the top medium to use for books.
Thank you for your continued support! As a new, mostly unknown author, the good book site reviews as well as likes and shares of my social media are what breathe life into my work.