-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Authors and Artists that still Wage-Slave
- Thread starter Ostlander
- Start date
ha-gieden
First Post
Yeah, and sometimes the sales are pretty good. I know of another Windstorm author who has only recently gotten their stuff published and who has already sold over 16,000 units...and that's *before* being sold in stores. Windstorm did an experiment to see how effective their new internet marketing was, and it turns out that it's pretty good. If I sell 16,000 copies, I'll be thrilled, even though that's small change for some publishers.
My book will run about $12. That means that if I sold 16,000 copies, I'd get almost $29,000 for a novel that took me a year to write. I'm cool with that
My book will run about $12. That means that if I sold 16,000 copies, I'd get almost $29,000 for a novel that took me a year to write. I'm cool with that
papastebu
First Post
The twent-year project I spoke of earlier is twenty years old because life got in the way. Girlfriends, college, partying, girlfriends, another college, more partying, a couple more girlfriends, a trip over the summer to California, jobs, bills, another girlfriend, more jobs, more bills, getting engaged to yet another girlfriend, getting married, moving, having a kid, getting a job that pays good but I hate, quitting that job when I hurt myself, and now, NOW I finally take the time to write something every day.
I was going to let your reply to my post go, because of it being so many days between times, but I happened to check back just now, and your most recent entry seemed a little maudlin, maybe melancholy, and gave me the feeling that you might not write anymore. Books, stories, a freaking shopping list. Anything to keep it greased. I am 38. I don't know how old you are, but if I had stuck to it back when I was 19, I might have been published and rich, lo, these many years. People might be talking about my fantasy novels on these boards, and I might have RPG credits under my belt, I might be the graphic novelist that I've dreamed of being. Comic-book artist. Songwriter. Illustrator. If I just hadn't let life get me.
I don't regret any of the things I listed in this rant, except for one. I let it go. Don't let this be your only effort, unless what you've done so far is satisfying. Then you can quit.
I don't mean to be so didactic, but it kills me to think that I might have helped someone avoid my mistakes and didn't speak.
-Steve
I was going to let your reply to my post go, because of it being so many days between times, but I happened to check back just now, and your most recent entry seemed a little maudlin, maybe melancholy, and gave me the feeling that you might not write anymore. Books, stories, a freaking shopping list. Anything to keep it greased. I am 38. I don't know how old you are, but if I had stuck to it back when I was 19, I might have been published and rich, lo, these many years. People might be talking about my fantasy novels on these boards, and I might have RPG credits under my belt, I might be the graphic novelist that I've dreamed of being. Comic-book artist. Songwriter. Illustrator. If I just hadn't let life get me.
I don't regret any of the things I listed in this rant, except for one. I let it go. Don't let this be your only effort, unless what you've done so far is satisfying. Then you can quit.
I don't mean to be so didactic, but it kills me to think that I might have helped someone avoid my mistakes and didn't speak.
-Steve
Ostlander
First Post
I hear feel you in regards to the "distractions"...I keep them away as best as I can...being eccentric, drinking too much, working all the time (hospital jobs are 24/7 and can consume all sorts of time!), and being generally obnoxious seems to keep the number of pesky people in my life to a minimum.
Wow. There is a lot of good info in this thread.
I'm sticking with doing short works for now and getting my teeth cut before trying to tackle an actual novel. I'm trying to keep up with the goal of at least a 1000 words or more a day, but I'm struggling a bit with my job duties getting in the way. Although the job duties are also being used as grist for the mill of ideas.
I'm seriously looking into becoming a small-time PDF publisher to go along with my freelance writing. There's a style of adventure writing that was used in the old Star Wars Adventure Journals that I'd like to see if I can apply to d20 adventures and make decent sales. This though, is a whole different branch of writing from what I'm learning so far.
I'm sticking with doing short works for now and getting my teeth cut before trying to tackle an actual novel. I'm trying to keep up with the goal of at least a 1000 words or more a day, but I'm struggling a bit with my job duties getting in the way. Although the job duties are also being used as grist for the mill of ideas.
I'm seriously looking into becoming a small-time PDF publisher to go along with my freelance writing. There's a style of adventure writing that was used in the old Star Wars Adventure Journals that I'd like to see if I can apply to d20 adventures and make decent sales. This though, is a whole different branch of writing from what I'm learning so far.
ha-gieden
First Post
This year my first three books will be published, so this is really my "break out" year. I have a short story on contract, and I just recieved a contract for the first supplement to my RPG. Now I have a real problem.
Another board that I'm on (lurking on, really) has a section where you can ask a literary agent questions. One thing he pointed out is that the more books you have published, the more is expected. If you've published 16 books, and none of them were best sellers, you have some explaining to do. It's possible that an agent will refuse to represent you *because* of your past "success" if your successes weren't impressive enough.
While you certainly don't *need* an agent to get published, you do need an agent to get into most major publishing houses without taking a rather long and possibly fatal detour through the slush pile first.
I'd love to have an agent represent me...but if I publish too many more things and they don't hit the tops of the charts...well, there goes my chance. In the last couple of weeks, I have found myself doing the unthinkable: turning down writing offers. PAID writing offers. It's just that I don't want to write ANYTHING else that I don't feel has a chance at being a bestseller.
So I'm turning to Chic Lit. It sells, dammit. And I *am* a "chic".
Geesh. What a sell out.
But I love to write. And I know I can do this.
You'll be seeing (even) less of me around here, while I work on my "future bestseller".
Wish me luck!
Another board that I'm on (lurking on, really) has a section where you can ask a literary agent questions. One thing he pointed out is that the more books you have published, the more is expected. If you've published 16 books, and none of them were best sellers, you have some explaining to do. It's possible that an agent will refuse to represent you *because* of your past "success" if your successes weren't impressive enough.
While you certainly don't *need* an agent to get published, you do need an agent to get into most major publishing houses without taking a rather long and possibly fatal detour through the slush pile first.
I'd love to have an agent represent me...but if I publish too many more things and they don't hit the tops of the charts...well, there goes my chance. In the last couple of weeks, I have found myself doing the unthinkable: turning down writing offers. PAID writing offers. It's just that I don't want to write ANYTHING else that I don't feel has a chance at being a bestseller.
So I'm turning to Chic Lit. It sells, dammit. And I *am* a "chic".
Geesh. What a sell out.
But I love to write. And I know I can do this.
You'll be seeing (even) less of me around here, while I work on my "future bestseller".
Wish me luck!
Ostlander
First Post
Good luck!
I received my author copies this week and guess what...I did find some mistakes....DOH!!
When I undertook writing a novel I did so under the assumption that I would not get published. I got published. So now I enter the arena under the assumption that it won't sell. So negative, but I never pegged myself to be the career writer, but here's the opportunity right in my lap.
Selling out isn't so bad as long as YOU enjoy what you're doing I suppose...I'm sure Danielle Steel enjoys her work....ewe...but to each their own.
I received my author copies this week and guess what...I did find some mistakes....DOH!!
When I undertook writing a novel I did so under the assumption that I would not get published. I got published. So now I enter the arena under the assumption that it won't sell. So negative, but I never pegged myself to be the career writer, but here's the opportunity right in my lap.
Selling out isn't so bad as long as YOU enjoy what you're doing I suppose...I'm sure Danielle Steel enjoys her work....ewe...but to each their own.
Similar Threads
