Herman P. Hunter's Blog: Herman P. Hunter's THE LORE FORGE, page 2

Status Update - October 2024

October was another busy month, though it didn't feel like it.

THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, BOOK TWO

Most of October was spent editing and revising the book. I must have done 4 passes on the manuscript overall. In the end, I was just tweaking a word here or there, which was a sign that it was time to move on. Honestly, I'm sick to death of looking at the manuscript. I contacted Steve Fortune, who has agreed to come back for the audiobook, and I started the book cover with Jason Robinson (who did the last one). So, full-on production is on its way.

I also included a synopsis section at the beginning of the book to refresh the memories of those who've already read the first installment. The story starts right where the first book left off. I think they call this a "hard start." There's more action in this book than the previous one. I'm thinking that, if you liked THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, this release will be more to your liking.

I have a hard time saying just how good the story is at present. I'm burnt out from reading the thing. My wife, however, thinks it's a solid book and she's usually right on the money.

My hope is to have everything ready to go by mid-January 2025. I'll start the promotion in February, with a release on March 3rd. I'll also be attending the Midland Comic Con the week of the release. So, you'll be able to stop by and get a signed copy of the book. According to the promoters, I'll be right across from the Barnes & Noble, like I was this year.

I'll also be producing a new bookmark, drawn by Gabrielle Geske. I'll show pictures closer to when the book gets released.

Book 5

If you've been keeping up to date with my weekly updates - I usually post these on Twitter and Facebook - you'll know that I'm roughly 6 chapters into a new book featuring Odo from The Wizard's Stone. As with Halsedric, I didn't think Odo would have much life after the one book. However, I now have him traveling to the far north of my fantasy world, and investigating strange goings on in the lands of the Sevedaini. The Sevedaini are analog for Vikings in my world, though they aren't raiders - they're traders and mercenaries.

Unlike the last book, Odo is all grown up and well-versed in the ways of magic. The story is a bunch of chapter fragments that I'll stitch together at some point. I'm liking with I'm writing, which is a good thing.I'm hoping I can release this book sometime in early 2026.

Sales and In-Person Events

Well, in early October, I attended A Novel Event in Fenton, Michigan. All in all, sales were OK. I didn't sell as many books as I did in Alpena, but I did marginally better than BasedCon. Whether I attend the event next year depends on my schedule.

And speaking of schedules, I will probably repeat my attendance at in-person events that I did this year. This is a change from some of my statements earlier in the year as to my 2025 schedule. As some of you may already know, I am in need of a hip replacement. I literally have bone grinding on bone in my left hip socket. I was going to attend to this in the summer of 2025, when my wife was on summer vacation (she works at a nearby school district), however, the pain I'm experiencing now has prompted me to push up the surgery. I'm slated to go under the knife sometime in mid-December. That means that by the time March 2025 rolls around, I'll be able to have a similar schedule this year.

I've already signed up, and paid for the event in Midland, Michigan. I'm looking to attend BasedCon again this year, and I'd like to go back to the event in Alpena, Michigan as well. I also want to carve out a trip to network with other authors next year. Which event and when is still undetermined at present. This year I signed up to go to Writer's Cantina out in Utah, however, because of the problems I was having with my hip, I had to cancel. I may attempt to go there again next year. We shall see.The VAST majority of my sales this year were at in-person events. Like, 85% of my revenue, thus far, has come from direct sales. Online sales of eBooks have been absolutely dismal (though I sold 5 books at the end of October). Audiobook sales have been fair. I haven't been advertising because my attempts earlier in the year yielded next-to-no sales. I will probably try a few ads after the election to test the waters. While this has been a sad year as it relates to volume, my revenue is more than 50% higher than it was last year. However, I've sold only 60% of the volume I pushed in 2023. The thing is, I still have 2 more months to go, and considering that my eBook traffic has been abysmal - all in all - I'd say it's not as bad as it could otherwise be.

Lastly, my online store is up and running: https://hphunterwriter.square.site/

Right now, the store is limited to the US (because of shipping rates), and you can only buy individual copies of my paperbacks. However, when you purchase a paperback, it comes signed and with a books-specific bookmark. Next year, I plan to pre-release my next book through the store and set up bundle pricing for multiple books.And that's it for now.

A General Update on 2025

Well, I think A Novel Event is going to be the last event I attend for 2024. All told, it was a pretty successful event. Not as successful as Alpena or Midland, but we sold a fair number of books - well above my minimum expectations.

As for 2025, I may not be attending as many events as I did this year. This isn't really by choice. Some of you may have noticed that I've been limping around, and when I sit down, I usually rest my left leg on something. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with severe hip arthrosis. The long and the short of it is that the cartilage in my hip is disappearing, or something along those lines. The fix is either shots into the hip, or a hip replacement. I think I'm well past anything shots can fix at this point.

My hip has been like this for YEARS now. When l kneel, the knee on the leg shoots out sideways as opposed to straight ahead. This is because of how the leg sits in the hip socket. I used to be able to walk for miles without an issue. Now? I care barely walk around the block.

I'm going to schedule an appointment soon with an orthopedic specialist to see what my options are. Most likely I'm staring down the barrel of a hip replacement. I went from tolerating the pain last year to it severely impacting my mobility this year. I really can't put it off any longer.

Likewise, two months ago, I did something to my right shoulder, and I have a hard time lifting my arm above my head without a severe amount of pain. It's been like that for a couple of months now, and I suspect I've probably tore some cartilage or something. So, while I'm there talking to the doctor about my hip, I'll be discussing options with my shoulder as well.

Getting old sucks. The things with the shoulder happened as I was reaching for a plate in the cupboard. The last decade or so, It's been rare when I haven't been in a serious amount of pain. Early on I had some pretty severe Sciatica because of how the muscles were displaced along the hip. I've been seeing a chiropractor regularly, and it has made a world of difference when it comes to pain management. While the Sciatica has all but disappeared, as soon as I start doing too much with my leg, the pain returns. And now? I've got my shoulder tacked on top of that as well.

Yes, I know that hip replacements are fairly commonplace these days and that they have you up and around in no time whatsoever. I've been through several surgeries in the past. Sometimes they go off without a hitch, sometimes they don't.

Which brings me back to my appearance at events next year. I'll probably be putting any surgery off until June of 2025 so that my wife can shuttle me around without it interfering with work. Summer is prime convention time.

Plus, I have no idea about how far out I have to schedule this surgery. So, it very well may be that there might be a couple of months that I have to sit things out.

I've already signed up for an event at Midland in 2025. After that, everything is in limbo.

So, that's what's going on.

Status Update - August & September, 2024

August and September are typically “dead” months in regard to sales, and this year has been no exception.  Normally, it starts to pick up in September. Normally. Not this year, however.

I attended a local author showcase midway through August.  It was an absolute bust.  Roughly 8 authors attended, and only 2 customers actually showed up – I sold to one of them.  I also sold a book to another author, which was the extent of that.  The people who hosted the event felt bad and offered free table space for another event later in the year.  Unfortunately, none of those special events match my books.  So, I don’t think I’ll be doing this again.

I started another book, this time featuring Odo from THE WIZARD’S STONE as a main character.  I’ve got about 6 chapters somewhat completed.  I think this is the book I’m moving forward with for a 2026 release.  The story is good, it adds to the lore of the world I've been writing in, and it shows Odo all grown up.

The first round of edits for THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK TWO came back in August. I applied the edits and in September I sent the manuscript off for a second round of edits. As I move into October, I'm waiting for the second round of edits to return. My goal is to start audiobook production in November.

The one major thing that happened over the last couple of months was the opening of The Lore Forge store!  You can now buy my books directly from me.  Right now, I'm only selling the first 3 paperbacks, however, as I near the release of THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK TWO, I’ll be adding book bundles and possibly DRM-free eBooks.  You can access the store from the “Store” link on my website, or by using this link.

Unfortunately, I can’t sell these books below the normal list price for a bunch of reasons.  And I can’t match Amazon when it comes to free shipping.  However, each paperback comes signed, with a bookmark, and possibly something else.  So, if you buy direct, you'll be receiving value that Amazon can't provide.

Because I’m unable to calculate instant shipping prices, I’m limiting the store to US customers only.

September's major highlight was my attendance at BasedCon, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The venue was a little bit bigger this year with more authors selling their books. I managed to be on two panels this time around. I spent some time with Blaine Pardoe, Dan Gainor, Kurt Gallagher, Declan Finn, and a few other authors who sell far more books - and have more street cred - than I do. Without going into specifics, I was given a bit of a morale boost as to the quality of my writing. Suffice to say, getting positive feedback on my writing and my storytelling really helps me keep moving forward.

The other morale boost was knowing that I had fans waiting for me to show up so they could buy my latest book. In fact, I was selling books as I was setting up and arranging my table on the Friday night I arrived. So, if there was ever any doubt that I have fans, it got dispelled this trip.

All in all, I sold a few more books at BasedCon this year and in the prior years. It wasn't by a huge margin but hey: growth is growth.

October has me attending A Novel Event in Fenton, Michigan. I'm hearing the attendance is shaping up to be good, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the crowd showing up at the event is the kind that likes my special brand of Fantasy.

As it stands right now, I've sold over 800 books since I released THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB in March 2022. Between sales, subscriptions, and book loans (like library check-outs), I've exceeded 1000 "reads." This number doesn't include services like Spotify, where my audiobooks work like page reads in KDP. Hopefully, by the time I release THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, BOOK TWO I will have hit the 1000 mark in book sales. Hopefully.

Anyhow, that's August and September in a nutshell.

Status Update - July 2024

The month started off well!

Thunder-Con

I was in Alpena, Michigan at the start of the month, attending Thunder-Con. For it being a pretty small event - maybe 15-or-so vendors - it was pretty successful. All in all, I sold quite a few books. Not as big of a sum as Midland, but nothing to sneeze at either, and we nearly sold out of THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB. The trip doubled as a mini-vacation as well. On the second night, we stayed at a nice hotel on a nearby lake (whose name escapes me at the moment) and ate at their expensive restaurant. Trust me when I say the restaurant was much better than the hotel room. After that, the wife and I traveled to my mother-in-law's house where we finished out the rest of the holiday week.

The next event will be at the New Baltimore Trade Center in New Baltimore, Michigan on August 18th. You can find the details here. If you're in the area, stop by. On September 6th - 8th, I'll be at BasedCon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Also, I'm working on attending A Novel Event in Fenton, Michigan sometime in early October. I'll provide more details as things become finalized.

The Revenant and the Cult, Book One

Thus far, sales have been disappointing. There are lots of factors that go into why the sales aren't great: the book is the first in a short series, the economy isn't great, and it's an election year (people tend to restrain discretionary spending). Likewise, I haven't been advertising the book...at all. I'll talk about how things are going, financially, later on in the update.

The Revenant and the Cult, Book Two

I've done my final revisions. The manuscript is in the hands of the editor. Things are moving forward.

I was going to do a Kickstarter to raise funds for this book, however, I'm beginning to think that will be more trouble than it's worth, right now. I have a whole slate of stuff lined up to attend this year. I'm still trying to smooth out the rough patches with this business thing, and I'd need to get certain things in place before even starting the campaign. My intention is to release the book in March, just like THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB and THE WIZARD'S STONE. That means I'd have to run a campaign in September and fulfill in January at the latest. Then I'd have to promote the campaign WHILE completing the tasks required to have a paperback, eBook, and audiobook in place. Oh, and writing another book while I'm at it. I would be stretched too thin. So, a Kickstarter is out of the question for the time being.

That being said, I also have alternate plans. More below.

The Book After the Next Book

Well, I stopped one book and started another. The one I was working on had theological issues, and there were parts of it that I found utterly annoying to write. I'm taking the hint and I'm stopping development now.

This new book is a jungle adventure. It's the same world as Halsedric but with a totally different character. It shows more promise than what I was working on before. So, it's full steam ahead. And that's all I'm going to say at present.

The Last Bits

So, okay, I said I'd talk a little more about the business later. Well, this is "later."

Sales of my new book have been disappointing, yes. Overall sales? Not so bad. While I don't think I'll match last year's sales volume, I'm already close to 2022's numbers at present. Furthermore - and this is the funny part - thus far I've pulled in more revenue than the entirety of last year. Yes, you read that correctly.

Selling at live events generates way more revenue than selling books online. Mind you, I'm talking revenue. Selling at live events also costs more when you factor in transportation, hotels, meals, and table fees. Either way, I'm not making a profit, but I can float the expenses. This allows me to take the proceeds I make from these events and pour them into the next book, ads, or whatever.

Honestly, selling on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, and so on is not getting me anywhere. Selling direct, in one form or another, is where I'm seeing gains in readership and income. No, I'm not going to pull all my books from the online retailers - that would be stupid. What I'm going to do this year is open up an online store. I mentioned doing this in the last update. I was going to put it off until after the Kickstarter, however, now that the Kickstarter is not on this year's slate, I can move ahead with the store.

Moreover, having an online store of my own allows me to not only sell books directly to readers, but I can sell signed volumes, discounted book bundles, swag, and so on. I'm going to start with my paperbacks, and gradually move into audiobooks, eBooks, and other things. Start small and grow organically. Plus, I'll be able to take pre-orders. This means that if you buy directly from me, you'll be able to preorder a signed copy and potentially get it before Amazon sends it to you. Unfortunately, I can't do free shipping and I'll probably limit the store to US customers initially. But, you'll be able to get things you won't be able to get at Amazon - like book-specific bookmarks and (as I said before) signed copies.

I intend to start small and grow organically. I'm going to wait until after the New Baltimore Trade Center event to pull the trigger on this.

As for a Kickstarter next year, I'm seriously considering doing an illustrated hardback version of THE WIZARD'S STONE. But that's something I'll worry about later.

Anyhow, that's it for this month. If you aren't already subscribed to my website, please do so. That way, I can keep you updated on my monthly progress.

Until next month, folks...

Status Update - June, 2024

June was a frustrating month.

The Revenant and the Cult, Book One

Well, I can say that sales of the latest book have not been spectacular. I was concerned that this might happen given that this was a series and there is hesitancy by some readers to buy a series - even a two-book series - until the last book is published. I also suspect a down economy is also part of that equation. I didn't go all out with advertising like I did with The Wizard's Stone given the costs. What advertising I did run did not net many sales despite having some pretty healthy numbers of people responding to the ads. The ads were enticing enough. People just weren't opening their wallets. And if they were, they weren't spending money at Amazon. It'll be a month or two before all of the sales stats come in.The reviews, overall, have been pretty good with one exception. Right now I have 3 reviews on Amazon, and am sitting at 4.6 stars. On Goodreads I have 6 reviews and 4.17 stars. One reviewer called me the "The premiere indie Fantasy writer." And yes, I'm plastering that all over my ads.

Outside of that, there's not much to say.

The Revenant and the Cult, Book Two

So, not a lot got done initially as I was tied up with a bunch of business-related stuff. I've done a couple of review passes and the story is really beginning to shape up. I'll do one more review pass before I send it off to the editor. Hopefully, I can get the ball rolling with editing sometime later this month. I have a couple of issues I need to iron out with the manuscript, but by and large the book is ready for production.

I also have an artist creating a new bookmark for the book. On June 27th, a YouTube show called Drawn & Quartered Ultimate Edition. On that show, I saw a piece of art that I wanted to use for a bookmark. So, I contacted the artist and she is currently doing her thing.

I've decided that I'm going to release the book in early 2025. I'm not going to say when and jinx myself. What I want to do is try funding the production through a Kickstarter campaign first. I can continue to produce the book, but if I want to reach a new audience on a new platform, it means delaying the release of the book until next year. I wanted to get it out this year but given the costs involved, I really can't do that. If I manage to run a successful Kickstarter campaign, I could literally be in the black with my business in its first year.

It isn't the cost of the book that's the issue. A book, including audiobook, costs roughly $3,000 to produce. The problem, really, is all of the ancillary costs: a video editor, a subscription to Adobe for stock photos and graphics (specifically for videos and ads). The yearly cost of Microsoft Word, having a verified account on X, and so on, and so on. Then there are ad buys that also run me in the red along with the expenses of selling at live events (hotel, mileage, meals, etc.). The income from my books don't even cover a quarter of this. All of these expenses are coming out of my pocket, more or less. So, I need to look for ways to increase my income.Even a $7,000 Kickstarter would go a LONG way to help me become self-sufficient, and I think that's possible. But, that means I have to delay my normal release schedule.Honestly, selling books through Amazon is not getting me anywhere. I need to expand my readership, wherever it may be. And if I can find readers on Kickstarter, AND sell some books, then all the better.

So, sorry if you were hoping for Book Two to come out this year. It's just not financially feasible.

Book 5 and Future Projects

I'm shelving the book I was working on. I'm reevaluating my next move, and I'm thinking I may pull out one of my "cold storage" projects and revise it. This will be the origin story of King Merrith from The Wizard's Stone. That's all I'm going to say at present.

At the very end of the month, I started on a new Halsedric adventure. The first chapter is almost done. I was actually kind of amazed how the words just sort of flowed out. This story will be an earlier adventure - pre-Herodiani - and featuring a character named Wurn. This takes place in the western region of my Fantasy world, referenced as "The Throat" by several people in my (yet to be published) Frankie series. I'm thinking this will address some sort of holdover from the Great War. I'm literally winging this book, writing it as I go. We'll see how it turns out. I have about a year to complete it, and I'm hoping to make it heftier than some of my previous offerings. Again, we'll see how things go.

I also have the Halsedric origin story I may revise, which also features Wurn. I may dig that out and fix it up as well. Though, I don't want to release a string of Halsedric books all in a row. I'd like to stagger them a bit so as to introduce new characters and stories along the way. And, there is another Halsedric-like character that I'd like to introduce as well. I've debated about writing a story about him as it is sort of redundant - I already have a holy warrior in my stable. But, it IS a fun story. And, I think, if you liked the punchy, pulpy goodness of THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, you'll probably like this one. I have the thing all worked out in my head. I may just end of writing it for kicks. Who knows?

Upcoming Events

I'll Be at Thunder-Con in Alpena, Michigan on July 6th and 7th. In August, I have another live appearance, though I don remember the specifics at this exact moment. Early September I'll be appearing at BasedCon. Oh, and in October, I may be attending another in-person event in Fenton, Michigan. I applied, but have not heard back.

And that's all for now.

Status Update - May, 2024

Not a bad month but not a great one either. It was, however, busy. Busy, busy, busy.

THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK ONE

Well, the book has been released and there's good news and bad news. The bad news is, as far as I can tell, the release was not as good as my release of THE WIZARD'S STONE. I haven't sold as many books, thus far, as I did with my previous book the first two weeks of release. There are a combination of factors at play here. I didn't advertise as heavily before the release, and I'm not advertising heavily after. I tried a different type of ad on one site, and I'm not 100% sure that I got the results I was hoping for. To add to my frustrations, Amazon was shipping my books in the slowest manner possible. I had people who pre-ordered the book the moment it was available, waiting until the end of May for their book to finally show up. I could have sent the frickin' book in the mail using USPS, and it would have gotten to my readers earlier. It wasn't because Ingram Spark wasn't shipping the books. I saw the sales on my author dashboard on Ingram WELL before the release. The whole experience has got me hopping mad at Amazon.

Now, for the good news. Because Amazon changed the genre for my audiobook, THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK ONE was the top new release in Christian Fantasy for two days in a row. So that was a feather in my cap. And, while I haven't sold as many books as I did last year, I am generating more revenue per sale. This is due to my attending live events and selling books directly. Also, the few responses I have gotten from readers of the book have been very positive.

And, then there are other outlets where the book is available whose sales numbers I won't know for a couple of months. I did, however, sell more paperbacks this time around. My eBook sales? They were almost non-existent.

I'm continuing to run ads (I have one running now) and probably will do so for most of June. Sales continue to trickle in. I'm not going to speculate as to why the release wasn't strong, but there are a variety of factors that contribute to sales. One is the time of year. The other is the amount of ads I pump out. I also can't ignore the faltering economy either. However, despite a weak release, sales overall for the month of May weren't bad. They'd probably be better if Amazon didn't hamstring me.

THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK 2

Because May was so hectic, I didn't get much time to write new material or revise the second book in the REVENANT AND THE CULT duology. Near the end of the month, I started going over book 2, and will also get a couple of chapters in tonight (as I write this).I'm not going to offer a proposed release date as of yet. I've done that in the past and it always came back to bite me. I will say, however, that I may change things up a bit with this book. I'm seriously, seriously considering crowdfunding production of the book on Kickstarter. This means, if you participate in the crowdfund, you'll get the book at least a month before release. Furthermore, I'm seriously considering opening up an online store and offering an early release through there as well. You'll be paying a little more for the book in both of these scenarios, however, at least you'll get your book in a timely fashion. Not to mention the books will be signed and with goodies as well.

I'm going to post a video on my YouTube channel discussing the whole Amazon / Kickstarter thing, so I'll reserve the details for that video.

Book 5

Unfortunately, I haven't written a word all this month. Doctor visits, personal stuff, the release, and the craziness of getting a business up and running were all to blame. At present, I'm sitting on Chapter 8, and I suspect that the story will be as long as THE WIZARD'S STONE, if not longer.I'm also considering pulling out one of the stories I have sitting in cold storage and revising that in the interim.

HPH Lore Forge LLC

Yes, that is the name of my business. As of now, just about everything to make it official has been completed (with one exception). And now I know how much it sucks to set up a business.

Now that I am a business, it opens up some new avenues for me to explore. I'm able to attend more than two live events a year. I'll be able to attend events in different states (meaning: selling my books direct). And, I can set up my online store as well as crowdfund my books.

The thing is, selling paperbacks through outlets like Barnes & Noble and Amazon doesn't net me much in the way of revenue. I actually make more per copy selling directly to the customer - significantly more. The only hitch is shipping, as now I'm on the hook for that cost. The upside is that I can provide more for your money than places like Amazon. You can get a signed book, a bookmark that I made for that story, and whatever I decide to throw in the box. You won't get that from Amazon. Plus now a store allows me to sell merch which is an additional revenue stream. Moreover, I have control of shipping. So, there are some serious bonuses for both you and I.

Going the crowdfunding route solves a couple of problems I've faced. First, it allows me to raise money to help fund the production of my books. Secondly, it opens up a whole new segment of potential readers that didn't know about my books previously. Plus, I've always toyed with the idea of special hardcover releases of my existing books, which is a perfect crowdfunding item.

I'm pretty serious in my intent to pursue a Kickstarter campaign, especially when I can do that and simultaneously finish THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK TWO at the same time.

With both the store and the crowdfunding campaign, I intend to start small at first. I'll keep you updated on what happens.

Other Things Going On

I don't foresee much going on in June save for writing the ever-mercurial book 5 and revising the second book in the REVENANT AND THE CULT duology. Early in July - July 6th and 7th to be exact - I will be attending Thunder-Con in Alpena, Michigan. If you live in the area and haven't picked up my latest book, please stop by and pick it up. There'll be pens, and bookmarks, and signatures...oh my!

That's all for now.

Status Update - April, 2024

OK, well, April was even busier than March and February. Like, seriously busy.

The Revenant And the Cult, Book One

Yes, the first book is now available for pre-order. The release date is May 21st (I think I mentioned that in the last update). Amazingly, this time around, I had very few problems getting the book set up with Amazon, or getting back proofs from Ingram Spark (who prints and distributes my paperbacks). The audiobook is available at most outlets, though at the time of this writing, it has yet to show up on Kobo and Audible. I'm not sure why there's a hold-up at these sellers.

It's a relief to finally get this out to market. Now, all I have to do is worry about whether the book is a flop or not. Normally, I'd be running ads to generate pre-orders right about now, but funds have been a little on the low side. April was tax season, of course, and I had to spend a chunk of money. Likewise, in addition to paying off a bunch of people who contributed to the creation of the book, (the narrator, the cover artist, the formatter, and so on), I had other expenses that I didn't expect. More on that a little later.

While the release date is on May 21st, attendees at Superheroes Con in West Branch, Michigan, will get a special treat: they will have a chance to purchase the book BEFORE it's actual release date. I have a limited number of books available, and after they're gone that's it.

Oh, and I commissioned an artist - Jason Gant - to commemorate the book with some art that I turned into a bookmark. I met Jason on a YouTube drawing competition that I co-host every Thursday (called "Drawn & Quartered Ultimate Edition"), where he competes as a semi-regular attendee. He does these white-on-black illustrations that I just love, so I asked him to create something for the bookmark.

As with all of my other bookmarks, these will be available with the purchase of a book via some of the events I attend. And...more on that later as well.

The Revenant And the Cult, Book Two

I did very little with the second book in the duology outside of updating some edits. You'll understand why with the rest of the update. I intend to go over the manuscript starting mid-May - the beginning of June at the very latest. As for a target release date, this is still up in the air. The reason for this will be explained below. It's coming, but you'll need to bear with me for the time being.

Book 5

Well, I made my way to chapter 8, and that's where I sat by the end of the month. The book is going good but I did run into a few theological issues with the main character. I may have to change the character's backstory to make it work and avoid any claims that I'm spreading heresies. Yes, I know it's just a Fantasy story. Even with that, there are limits to where I can go, especially with the overall theme that I've chosen. But, don't worry. After quite a bit of contemplation, I've figured out a way forward that should work. I'll be less cryptic when I have a story with a little more heft.

That being said, with the workload of April and what I'm facing in May, progress may be slow at first. The next section is part of the reason why.

I'm Now a Business

The conventional wisdom for authors is that you probably shouldn't start a business until you're making, say, $2,000 a month on your writing (or around that amount). Well, there's one little problem with that train of thought: event sales. If you're in a state that has a sales tax, you may need an EIN number to report that income. And they don't just hand out EIN numbers to anyone. I had to establish a business entity to facilitate my attendance at other conventions and live events. So...I created a company and made things official.

And, creating a company costs money. So, guess where some of my available funds have gone?

There were other reasons to establish a business presence, though I'm not going to discuss them at present (if at all). I will say that the desire to do more direct sales from something like a website figured heavily into my decision. When I sell things like paperbacks on Amazon, I make a pittance of what I could make selling them direct for the same price. But, in order to do that, I need to charge sales tax, which - as I mentioned before - requires me to establish a business in the state I reside in (Michigan). The same applies if I want to crowdfund a book.

There is a bunch of stuff that I'll be doing in May and June to solidify the operations of the company. It means getting an accountant, setting up bookkeeping, setting up a new business banking account, and a bunch of reporting that I still need to do. And, of course, that's going to cost money as well.

Ugh.

Did You Mention Crowdfunding?

Yes...I mentioned "crowdfunding."

Given that having a business opens a bunch of doors for me, I've started looking at additional avenues for getting my books into the hands of readers. One popular method, it seems, is to run a Kickstarter for your book. Brandon Sanderson did it with his "Secret Projects," releases, and raked in tens of millions of dollars. So, if Brandon Sanderson can do it, I certainly can cash in on that bucket of money, right?

No...I'm not that delusional.

I did a little bit of poking around and noticed that there were a lot of authors making decent money for their releases - some on their first release ever! I examined what was being offered in these campaigns and started looking at the numbers internally, seeing how I might be able to fit into that space.

However, to explain my reasoning here, let me take a step or two back. The one problem I have with selling books direct to the customer - say, from my own website - is the yearly costs of maintaining a storefront on the Internet. You have to have a provider that allows you to do online transactions (I have one of those), and one that will process online payments. Then there is the service that calculates shipping. ALL of these elements have a yearly price tag that, when combined, cost me nearly $1,000 a year just to maintain. This is the tradeoff you make when you sell your stuff through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Yeah, they pay you a fraction of what you could make online. However, you don't have to pay for or maintain all of the infrastructure required to have a presence on the Internet.

Plus, there is a trust factor when it comes to buying something from an author's site. People know what they'll get from Amazon. They know that Amazon is a fairly secure site. The trust threshold is higher for smaller sites which is an inhibitor of sales. Going with a site like Kickstarter offers a little more assurance that they're not being scammed when they buy my books. Plus - and this is important - I can tailor what things I need (like shipping) to support a campaign, without it being a constant yearly bill that needs to be paid.

I've been debating about just exactly how I'm going to dip my toe into the crowdfunding pool. One thought was to offer the combined The Revenant and the Cult books up as a specialized hardback edition. I've done a lot of research recently as to what I'd put in, and how I could get that to happen. I was thinking a nice, illustrated edition with a bunch of frills you don't get in my paperbacks (for a variety of reasons). Again, I'm spit-balling ideas, but this one in particular appears to have promise.

Unfortunately, if I go this route, I may have to delay the release of the paperback, eBook, and audiobook until early 2025. So, that's another thing I have to weigh.

None of this was planned when I split the book up initially. I had no interest in crowdfunding, and I wasn't planning on starting a business back in 2023. But that seems to be the way things go with me. I sort of stumble from one idea to the next, and a few of them pan out.

Again, this is still being weighed as an option. It's attractive, but it's not assured. I'll keep you all informed as time goes on.

In Conclusion

So, as you can see, a LOT has gone on in April. I expect May to be just as hectic.

I have an appearance lined up in May at Superheroes Con, in West Branch, Michigan. I'm also looking into other Con appearances. Keep an eye out on my Event Calendar (hosted on Facebook for...reasons) for updates.

And that's all for now.

Future Direction Polls

I'm looking at several options on how to move forward with future releases. So, if you could take a few moments, please answer some of the questions I have listed below.

Some context: I'm seriously considering offering print and eBooks for sale outside the traditional channels (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, etc.). Of course, with these offerings, I'd include things you wouldn't be able to get via the traditional outlets such as signed hardcovers, bookmarks, and additional swag.

Thanks in advance for your input.

And that's it.

Traditional vs Self-Publish

It's common to hear a potential author ask as to which direction is better to go: Traditional Publishing or Self-Publishing. And, there are any number of videos and/or blog posts that address the subject. However, most of them often leave out some pretty essential information that might be handy to know. So, I decided to create a list of the advantages/ disadvantages/differences of each path.

I tried to keep the observations and breakdown between the the two paths as objective as possible. The fact is, some people gets tons of offers from agents to go the traditional path, while people like me get none. There are a lot of variables in play with some of these differences. So, keep that in mind.

So this brings us to the question, "Should I go the traditional publishing route, or should I self-publish?" The answer to that question is pretty simple: if you have what a publisher wants, and fit whatever modern day profile these big publishers have for an author, then you'll most likely get picked up. How long will that take? It's almost impossible to say.You can start down the path to self-publishing about a second after you make the decision.

"But...but I'm a talented writer!" you say. Guess what? Your talent has virtually no bearing on whether you can attract an agent or publisher. The only thing that matters is whether a literary agent sees something in your manuscript that they think they can sell to a publisher. However, if you're a celebrity, or have an angle that a publisher can use to promote you, you'll have a much easier time of it. And, believe you me, I've seen books written by celebrity types that were utterly unreadable, mainly because they were too proud to hire a ghost writer. But they, nonetheless, got published through a big house.

Sound unfair? Yep. But that's they way things are.

Mind you, there are a multitude of specialty publishers out there: publishers of literature focused on women, Black people, Hispanics, Asians, political viewpoints, LGBTQ+ literature, LitRPG, Military SciFi...you name it. So, there are lots of avenues outside of the Big Five publishers and their imprints. However, If you wander into a specialty publisher with something that does not match their publishing goals, you'll get a rejection. Likewise, there are those publishers that have specific preferences. You either write the story to their requirements, or you move on.

The people who get a publishing agreement are few and far between. So when I hear people say, "I'm considering the traditional publishing route," as if it's almost a certainty they'll get published, I just sort of chuckle. Whether you get accepted or not really isn't something you have much control over.

The fact is, you'll spend nothing but time and emotional capital to get your book to market if you go the traditional route. That's if you get published, which is unlikely. You have TONS of control when you self-publish but you'll need money and time to make it happen. Unless you're very fortunate, neither publishing paths have the potential to make you an overnight success. But you'll never see success unless you actually publish something.

So, that's the long and the short of it.

My Stance on AI

Pandora's Box has been opened. It ain't closing again.

I don't use AI to plot my stories, write my stories, or edit them (outside of the tools built into applications like Word and Grammarly). Writing them is the fun part. Why would I EVER hand that off to automation? Any and all plotting done on my stories goes on in my head and the rest of the story appears as I write. And editing? An AI cannot and does not provide the type of feedback I need.

I don't use AI to generate these posts. I know posting daily increases "engagement," but, frankly, I don't post stuff just for engagement. It's a waste of your time and mine.

I might use AI for some graphics - like images for videos - but will only use those providers that I know license their material from creators. I don't use AI for my covers or illustrations. I pay artists for that. Artists I know and trust.

Most AI "tools" provide little to no benefit to me. I'm not afraid to use them, merely that they do not offer me any benefit in writing or producing a book.

Will I ever use some sort of AI system? Maybe. Probably not. I haven't seen anything these systems provide that benefits me at all. Plus, until the legalities of these systems are finally decided, I'm not willing to create anything with them that may cast a shadow of doubt on my works.