With the publication of Sleeping Ugly on Saturday, I'm at an even dozen published novels now.
Five years ago, I couldn't even conceive of having that many book published, let alone publishing them all myself. Of course, about five years ago was when I sat myself down and did some serious thinking about where my career was headed and how I was going to achieve my goal of being published when I kept running into the traditional publishing brick wall.
About this time, fourteen years ago, I finished the first draft of my first novel. Back then, I had been so certain I'd snag an agent and a publisher lickety-split. (Waits for laughter to subside.) Nine years of writing books and querying later and I'd had quite enough, thank you very much. I decided to quit beating myself into a bloody pulp and do all of it my own damn self.
It was scary as hell.
It's still scary as hell sometimes.
But I wouldn't go back. I can't even imagine what going back would be like.
Anyway, it's been a wild ride. Twelve books. My first book just rolled over $1K in sales. I'm hoping to make it to $3K overall by the end of the year. And I've spent - with the last payments made for Sleeping Ugly - just over $10K. That's about $833 spent per book on average.
Umm, yeah, following the dream ain't cheap. But the hope is always there that a book or two (or all of them... heh) will take off and turn my 'in the red' to 'in the black'.
I keep plodding forward. Book #13 - Unequal - should be out by the end of the year. Thirteen books over the course of four years. Not a bad bit of production there. And not one I'd likely see if I was traditionally published. From the time I first send a book to my editor to the time it's available for you to read takes about three months. Tradpub takes way longer, from what I understand. Nope, not going back.
I'll keep publishing books as long I have money to pay my editor and cover artist. And as long as I still have fingers to type. Good lord willin' and the crick don't rise.
And I'll keep buying and reading your books and hoping one (or all of them) will take off and you'll recoup those expenses.
ReplyDeleteIt takes from 12 months to 3 years the traditional route. Still, I've manged to get 7 out there with the 8th languishing on my computer for revisions. My self-pubs? Way more than that, though most of them are short. Still, it takes time to write, edit, revise, and upload. Neither path is for the faint of heart. There's a lot of frustration along the way. And some heartache. But when a new reader gives you a 5 star review, or a reader emails and says your book got them through a tough time, it's all worth it.
Congrats on your dozen. I'm looking forward to your Baker's Dozen later in the year. :)
Congratulations on getting a dozen books out there! I can't wait to read Unequal!
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