Fiction Writer's Thread

[The Soloist]

I knew someone who used Inkshare to publish her first novel. She sold about 300 copies.

Inkshares

Curating the world's best stories.

www.inkshares.com

In the 80s I badly wanted to be a film director and made short films that didn't go anywhere. In the 90s I wanted to design games and had one prototype with SJ Games but it never materialized. After that, I was a computer graphic designer for 25 years which gave me the creative outlet I craved and needed.

Now that I'm retired, I create stories using RPGs and oracles as I play solo. I take a lot of pleasure in journaling, drawing maps and taking pictures of the battles during my sessions. I post an abridged version of my stories in solo FB groups.

In the end, the act of creating was and is rewarding in itself, for me.

 

[Reynard]

:thread necro:

So I am thinking of starting a serial thing. Does anyone know a good delivery system? Substack, maybe? Patreon? A blog? All of them?

I don't care about making money but I kind of would like it to be seen.

 

[RangerWickett]

I have finished my novel's first draft, and I'm doing revisions while reading a bunch of recent fantasy, looking for good 'comps' to make when I write a query to agents. Because I do rather want to try to get published traditionally. My wife's best friend self-publishes romance novels with a niche audience, and she makes a decent living out of it, but I'd like to get my book in a major store, y'know?

As for serialized stuff, though, I know 'progression fantasy' is a popular subgenre these days, and my sense is that people start by sharing content for free, and they grind out free stuff for a while before eventually - once they've got a decent following - starting a patreon.

 

[hirou]

Does anyone know a good delivery system? Substack, maybe? Patreon? A blog? All of them?

I hope this doesn't count as an advertisement, but the only example I'm following since ~2012 is Wildbow, who's been writing web serials in wordpress blog format (in very different genres), with monetization via Patreon since 2015. If I'm reading Graphtreon correctly, this gets him about 5k$ per month.

 

[Reynard]

I hope this doesn't count as an advertisement, but the only example I'm following since ~2012 is Wildbow, who's been writing web serials in wordpress blog format (in very different genres), with monetization via Patreon since 2015. If I'm reading Graphtreon correctly, this gets him about 5k$ per month.

Thanks. Even not worrying about compensation, that is a nice example to consider.

 

[Reynard]

::necro::
I decided I wanted to start a new project and I immediately got hit with the "why bothers" from myself because of how poorly my previous books have sold. Ugh.

 

[Epic Meepo]

::necro::
I decided I wanted to start a new project and I immediately got hit with the "why bothers" from myself because of how poorly my previous books have sold. Ugh.

If you enjoy writing, you can always just write for the sake of writing. If you're having fun, it doesn't really matter how many copies you sell. Heck, I don't even share most of what I write with anyone, and I still enjoy writing it. (Your mileage may vary.)

 

[HaydenHo]

I expect there are more than a few folks here that write fiction, at every capacity from as a hobby to their primary source of income. I thought it would be nice to have an ongoing thread for us to complain and kibbutz.

I suddenly had the desire to write a short story this weekend after many months of writer's block. I have had some heavy work education responsibilities for the last few years (getting a engineering degree at almost 50) that has drained my creative energy. I can see the light at the end of that particular tunnel now, so I can feel the desire to write growing again.

A few years ago I finished my first novel and self published it. It went... nowhere and that really hit my writing confidence hard. I followed it up with a short story collection and with similar results. I haven't quite given up, but I'm close. Despite the setbacks, I know that many people experience this, and it's a reminder of how tough this journey can be. One thing that has helped me in moments like these is the ability to reach out for professional writing services https://ca.edubirdie.com/ whether it’s proofreading, editing, or even ghostwriting, a lot of us can benefit from having a fresh set of eyes or expert input to polish our work and improve our chances of getting noticed. Sometimes, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and frustration, but knowing there are services out there that can help bring our vision to life can be a comforting thought.

It’s tough when your work doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, but don’t give up. Sometimes, seeking help from a writing service for editing or feedback can provide the boost you need. It’s all part of the process, and even the best writers face setbacks. Keep pushing forward!