One Aim...One Target

So what I have I been doing?

If you haven't noticed my more recently doings, I managed to share a free short story most weeks for the last few months, until I ceased my Free Fiction Friday for a bit of hiatus. That's a fun way to share my own fiction. I do plan to reactivate it once I get a few more important matters squared away.

I've also announced that I'm stepping back into freelancing, and even ghostwriting--albeit this process is a rather slow one since I am way out of touch with the way things operate these days, having been away from freelance writing and the like for several years now. So, a new learning curve there.

Another, more recent event, was the launch of a Patreon page that would be about one goal: Helping me go full-time as the publisher at Founders House Publishing, my indie book company. That has also had a slow start. While I'm a bit surprised at that given the sort of rewards and benefits I'm offering, I guess maybe I have more to learn about appealing customers of Founders House books in order to convert them into patrons. 

I've been busy looking at various approaches to my problem and trying to find the one that would free up the most time in my day so I could focus on building Founders House by publishing authors like John Michael Greer, Catherine McGuire, Ralph Meima, and others as well. Plus, I'd have time to add my own works to the publication schedule. 

I've ran into obstacles and have been dealing with lots of complications at my current primary income that have added a bit more urgency to my quest. A certain amount of single-mindedness has taken over. There's one aim...one target...in my mind right now. But, perhaps, I'll have to re-cultivate a little old-fashioned patience too.

Regardless, there are lots of books planned for release this year. Here's hoping all stays on track to finish strong.

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Updates: The Work Continues

Since I haven't been very active lately as a writer this page hasn't gotten much attention lately. I'm aiming to change that situation but I am doing that in a larger context of my work as both publisher and editor. Writing is still there nipping at my heels so I've taken some small steps at getting back to in a substantive way.

Mostly that means that I've just started working on short stories again, very slowly mind you, but I am doing something again. Hopefully the pace and scope of this will change as I ramp back up over the coming weeks.

This post serves as an update to those who happen to follow my progress creatively and otherwise. With that in mind, I'd like to announce that I have a new book out. In fact it's a little bit of new and old. A few years back I e-published a novella called The Cursed King about a Conan-inspired character I called Fendreg of Senagra. He started out in a pair of short stories first (which also appear in e-single forms) and graduated to novella length. A second longish short story and a shorter than average one followed bringing the total Fendreg stories to five.

With all of that, I decided I wanted the work in print and combined them into a single volume, showcasing the novella. It's called The Cursed King and Other Stories and it is now in print. There will be ebook editions to follow but the trade paperback can be purchased on my publisher website. So, please check it out.

I'd also like to let you know that the sci-fi and fantasy magazine I edit, MYTHIC, has recently released its second issue. It is currently a print-only publication, available through most online retailers and can be purchased directly from the website. As with the previous issue, this one also includes a story by yours truly. (One of the boons of having your own magazine is that you can elect to do such crazy things as being a contributing author too.)

So the work continues...

Another Must-Read From Kris Rusch

I just finished the latest edition of the Business Rusch, the weekly business blog of bestselling writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch. The new article, titled Watching The Numbers, is an awesome exposition of the size of the publishing industry and how much potential there is for serious grown among indie writers and those who've decided to start their own publishing empires through Amazon and other ebook distribution points. The global English book market is mind-boggling in its size. The potential to make serious money over the long-term is very good--provided you are patient.

My thanks to Kris Rusch for this very informative blog article.

The Business Rusch: Watching The Numbers

The Working Writer: Where I've Been And Where I'm Going

I've been straggling the line between being a part-time and full-time freelance writer for over six years now. I wrote a lot of articles and other web content as as ghostwriter. The pay was terrible for the most part but it meant that my writing was bringing in money. My life circumstances as a stay-at-home dad made writing a great opportunity to contribute to my household finances while my wife worked outside the home. That has been the way of things during this whole long period of time.

While it may be staying the same in some respects, the fact that my children are older now and going to school is making me reassess my situation. I've had triumphs and setbacks in the last three years. I've published books through a small publisher I helped to start. I had hoped to transition to strictly writing books, but I haven't made enough revenue to justify the switch. I did, however, step away from writing web contents and articles for a long time.

Rebooting Freelance

Coming back was hard, yet I had to do something. The lack of income has taken it's toll on my household's finances. My wife is still working, still doing her part. I have to do mine. At this crossroads, I seriously considered finding some other job to make ends meet. The idea filled me with a peculiar dread. I had been writing for so long and fully intended to keep writing for a living. The trick was that I wasn't making a living as a writer. I was barely doing anything to bring in guaranteed income. Everything lately has been written on spec.

After the last payment on a client collaborative book was received, I thought I was going to find more books. I haven't. I continued to write short stories and I published some long fiction too, but still not enough income from sales to justify further focus. I've come to the point where I either have to fight hard to stay a freelance writer. I need to remember that this is a business--one that I need to restart from the ground up.

Steps To Take

I know that I need to find multiple income streams. That means finding more than one client. That means finding certain topics to specialize in on the one hand and also trying different areas of interest. I need to keep writing books when I can. Why? Because I want to write books. I want to tell stories. But I also want to be paid writer so I need to find opportunities to make good money at this. It can be a precarious thing to balance the creative and the practical sides of this business.

This is a business where you must be ever mindful of the next gig. You can't afford to sit back. I've made that mistake. I've fallen to a false sense of security. The book projects did that. The trick now is not repeating the mistakes and finding a way to thrive as a working writer.