Herman P. Hunter's Blog: Herman P. Hunter's THE LORE FORGE, page 3

Status Update - February, 2024

It's was a short but busy month.

The Revenant and the Cult, Book 1

So, the teaser trailer has been released. You can watch it here. The Narrator is Royce from A Drink with Crazy, who hosts an Ironage livestream that features indie creators like me. I've built quite a reputation with his followers (my nickname there is "The Hedge," and how I came to be called that is a long story), many of whom are fans. The reaction to the trailer was really positive.

I sent the book out for a second edit pass. I reviewed the edits, made my last-minute changes, and now the book interior is ready to be formatted. Likewise, I'll be doing the audiobook and the formatting at the same time. Everyone has been contacted, and final production for the book starts at the beginning of March.

All in all, I feel pretty confident about the book. That confidence, of course, will be shattered the minute the narrator and the formatter find issues in the text. Once again, Steve Fortune is stepping up to the mic for this book. Likewise, I'm also using the same formatter I did on THE WIZARD'S STONE.

This book, and the other book, will also include a map of the region. To that end, I commissioned Gary Shipman, a comic artist I know, to draw it up. I really like Gary's art, and I feel his work would fit well. The map is done, and everything is ready to go for the formatter to start on the interior.

The Revenant and the Cult, Book 2

March will also be when I start working on the second book in the duology (apparently that's what this is called). Not much to say here, except that I'm looking to keep the same team for the sake of consistency.

There's not much to report here aside from I've had two beta readers already read the manuscript, one of them being my wife. My wife's opinion is that it's better than the first book, and very similar to THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB in terms of tone.

Comic Cons

The Clawson Comic Con and Toy Show in early February was a bit of a bust. I only sold three books, though I got some residual sales afterward. This was a con for very dedicated comics people, and I don't think it was my audience. At the very least, it was a learning experience.

A New Bookmark

That's right. With a new book comes a new bookmark. The art is done, and the artist has been paid. I'll reveal the bookmark artwork in a separate update.

And that's about it for February. March will be a different month. I guarantee it.

Status Update - January, 2024

The first month of 2024 has been an active one.

The Next Book

As of the writing of this post, the manuscript for the next book (titled THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK 1: THE TRAPPER AND THE MISSING SPY) has been revised, reviewed, and sent out for one final editing pass. Once it comes back, it'll be revised again, reviewed again, then sent off to the book formatter. That should be sometime in February. Audiobook production will start in March, and yes Steve Fortune will be narrating.

The release date is May 21st, 2024.

The cover is done. My son is working on a cover reveal/trailer video. Unlike the other two books, I will not be releasing a sample chapter as I can't find someone to narrate it. So, what I may do is narrate for Foreword. I might as well as it is sort of a personal message from me to you at the beginning of the book.

As I stated in other posts, THE REVENANT AND THE CULT is actually 1 book that I've divided into two parts. The Foreword explains my reasoning (as does this blog post).

This time, I'm using two editors for the manuscript. Not that I intend to replace one with the other - I'm happy with my current editor's work. However, should circumstances arise where she cannot edit a book, I need to have a backup. So, These next two books should be a good proving ground for a secondary resource.

I still have to create a map and send it off to an artist to draw up. I do have a rough sketch and an artist in mind. I also need to find an artist for a corresponding bookmark. I have a couple of names in mind.

Book 2

My wife has reviewed Book 2 of THE REVENANT AND THE CULT and has given it her seal of approval. On a scale of 1 to 10, she rates the book a "9," and told me that she felt it was as strong as THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB! So, if you liked my debut novella, you're in for a return to the fast-paced action and mystery.

I'll (hopefully) be using the same cover artist as I did with book 1 (Jason Robinson - Illustration by Design). Right now, development is stalled as I focus on getting the first book ready to publish.

Book 2 of THE REVENANT AND THE CULT will be my 4th book published. My tentative release is late September.

Future Books

I've started writing my 5th book. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but the ideas are flowing, and I have a narrative I'm forming. I'm eyeing having two books out 2025: the one I'm currently drafting, and - depending on the sales of THE REVENANT AND THE CULT - Halsedric's origin story.

Halsedric's origin story has several chapters already complete. It would be another novella like THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, and address a recurring event: the hunt for the notorious Prophetess. I abandoned the work because it lacked a sufficient middle to carry you from the first act to the third.All of this, of course, is subject to change.

Upcoming Schedule

OK, so, I tried implementing a kind of calendar of events on this site and nothing seemed to work well. I've given up trying to put it here. Instead I set up a calendar on my Facebook page. You can check it out here. I also have a section on my website that will take you there.

As is stands right now, I'll be attending:

The Clawson Comic Book and Toy Show (Clawson, MI), February 4th. The Midland Mall Comic Con (Midland, MI), March 2nd & 3rd. Superheroes Con (West Branch, MI), May 11th (tentative). BasedCon (Grand Rapids, MI), September 6th, 7th, & 8th.

I'm also looking into attending The Writer's Cantina in Utah. That will be sometime in June.

And that's all for now. I usually post a weekly update on Twitter, Facebook, and Minds. Check those out for to see how my writing is progressing.

Until next month...

Status Update - December, 2023

Not a lot of activity in December because, you know, holidays.

Normally I break this down into sections, but there's not much to report. I was busy, but I was busy with some pretty mundane stuff. I did a readthrough with the book, fixed stuff that my wife found, did another readthrough, and then shipped the manuscript off to an editor.

We spent Christmas up at my mother-in-law's house. I intended to write over the Christmas holiday, but I ended up recording a bunch of videos instead. Two of them already premiered. Another is scheduled. I'm also working on a 4th video that will appear much later.

The manuscript came back from the editor and, as of right now, the edits have been applied. So, now, all I'm doing are a couple of readthroughs, and then it's off to an editor for a proofread.

What's left to do? I need to contract an artist for the map (which I've drawn but considering revising), contact the book formatter, and find an artist for a new bookmark.

I'll be setting up a booth at a small toy and comic convention in Clawson, Michigan. It's nearby, and I thought I'd try my hand at selling a few books. The date of the event is February 4th. I'm considering going to a con in West Branch, Michigan in mid-May.

I'm working on a trailer video for the next book (book #3), and I've started writing book #5. Or...what I hope will be book #5.

That's it for now.

Christmas Message, 2023

A video message from me to you, this Christmas.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/5b7182_252b6e3d3640477e9667e3c4d1daac11/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

The Next Book

The title of the next book will be called, "The Revenant and the Cult." It's done, it's in the middle of the process where beta readers are providing me feedback. The next major step is to send it off to the editor.

However, I want to address one salient detail of the book: it will be released in two parts.

Now, I touch on this subject in the Foreword of the first book, but that's really not the right forum to explain my decision to take one book and break it into two parts. The forum to do that is, well, here. I have several reasons for my decision, and I'll detail them below.

Finances and Sales

The elephant in the room here is the current state of the economy and sales. Inflation is taking its toll on people's budgets. The first thing that people cut out of their spending is frivolous things like entertainment. Books fall under that category.

As it stands right now, the whole story clocks in well over 110,000 words. That's a sizable book. While there is a debate on whether places like Amazon prioritize larger books over smaller ones, I don't make my sales riding the algorithm. I'm doing old-school, pavement-pounding forms of promotion that don't rely on the intricacies of Amazon's technical wizardry. I could provide other reasons why I don't want to have a strong link between Amazon and sales, but most of them revolve around the adage, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." In this cancel culture age, I don't like knowing that someone can shut down my sales with the flip of a switch.

Given that most of my audience is keeping a sharp eye on every penny, it's in my best interests to provide as much as I can for as little as I can. If I can give them the first half of a book, and then give them time in their budget to buy the second half of the book later, that seems like a reasonable tradeoff. If it comes down to it, I can set up bundles that people can buy to get both books. And, if I do direct sales, I can easily provide discounts if I bundle both books.

Furthermore, I sell quite a few books using outlets like Bookbub, where I can advertise eBook discounts at various sites (Barnes & Noble being one of them). However, above a certain price point, the discount becomes less attractive. So, the lower the cost of the book, the better. I can only discount a 110K book so much before I lose my shirt on it.Keep in mind, THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB hasn't even paid for itself yet, and it is my biggest seller.

While I like to tout my sales numbers, the reality is that people gravitate more toward THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB than they do THE WIZARD'S STONE. The reason for this is pretty obvious: THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB is a $2.99 eBook. So, price matters.

Selling a smaller book looks way more attractive from where I'm standing. Even though I'm spending more money (buying two different covers, two different ISBNs, and paying for two different copyright registrations), I have to potential to make more sales.

Yes, I said it - it's costing me more money to do this.

But sales and people's finances aren't the only reason why the book is being split up.

Time and Effort

This story grew far larger than I initially envisioned. I spent a month telling people, "I only have 2 chapters left and the book is done," after each and every chapter I wrote. I ended up having to rework the story and drop the initial concept. Then I added a bunch of elements that greatly added to the complexity of the overall story.

And now that it's done? Well, it's taken a lot longer than I expected to get here. I suspect that if I hand the book to an editor at this point, the release date is going to get delayed. I don't want to say that I'm in over my head here, but it certainly feels like it.

If I break up the book, I essentially postpone large amounts of time for editing, large chunks of time for additional revisions, provide more time for beta readers to provide their feedback, and so on, and so on. Carving the beast into chunks and dealing with them is much easier than having the handle the whole thing at once.

Remember, I have a good-paying career I have to maintain, and they frown on me working on my personal stuff during work time. I'm not a full-time writer, though I take this calling quite seriously. My time is limited. So, downshifting my literary ambitions a bit helps keep from things getting out of hand.

Changing Trends

Most Fantasy authors seem to be saddled with two genre expectations:

You must release an epic work (100K words or better). It must be an epic series.

I can almost hear the people reading this tell me how wrong I am. However, if you start scrolling through the various Fantasy subgenres, you can find book after book after book where these two "rules" apply.

Most of those huge books contain a lot of fluff that doesn't need to be there. People praise the works, but often complain that, "This book could have half the size it is and still be good." In fact, I'm hearing that quite a bit.

THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB was recently praised by a long-time, well-known author for being both well-rounded and short. That book embodies much of my writing philosophy: only write what is needed to service the story. I don't need to explain lines of ancestry or thousands of years of lore across dozens of chapters if I can simply mention it and move on. Plus, it allows me to write a book to examine, in detail, those hints of lore in greater detail without bogging down the story that brought it up in the first place.

Plus, with the Pulp Revival movement, and a growing trend of rapid-release publishing, books are getting smaller and more numerous. It very well may be that the trend of mammoth Fantasy epics becomes a legend of the noble past.

The fact is, I'd rather write a thousand short books than a hundred huge tomes. if you want an epic huge tome, I can always combine these stories into a hardback and sell that.

Don't get me wrong - I don't have anything against big books. I write where the story goes, and I stop where I feel the story needs to end. I don't like adding things to a book unless it somehow applies to the story. And when I do add things, I like to only cover those things that apply to the tale being told. While I may drop a few hints here or there, that's about as far as I'll go. Plus, hinting at bigger things opens the door for me to write another story to flesh it out. If it takes 130,000 words to do that, so be it.I must confess, I sort of scratch my head at the popularity of THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB. I thought - and still think - that THE WIZARD'S STONE is a better book overall. However, I can see the appeal of THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, and I don't mind writing more of those types of stories. But I don't feel the need to turn them into huge books.

One last thing I should mention as it relates to the rules. THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB was a success going against a lot of the established rules of publishing. It was a novella. The book cover was fairly simple. And I didn't even establish an extensive backstory for the villain or the hero. Yet, it garnered a following quickly. The prime reason why I'm writing THE REVENANT AND THE CULT is because fans wanted more. I routinely get praise for the cover. It has a bunch of critical elements that should have failed but didn't. And that was literally by design. I knew what I liked, what I wanted, and I chose those things that fell in line with my preferences.And it worked.I think the same applies here.

Thematic Concerns

And now we come to my greatest concern.

Over the years, I've learned to trust my gut. If something doesn't feel right, then something ain't right. This proved itself out during the beta read of the first part of THE REVENANT AND THE CULT. And as soon as this deficit was mentioned, it wasn't long before I acknowledged the problem, and even had a solution that made the entire story better.

But I can't escape the fact that my gut knew there was a problem that needed to be addressed before someone pointed it out.

Well, my gut has been telling me, for some time now, that this book needed to be split up. I've been agonizing over this decision for months, to the point that my wife rolls her eyes when I mention the subject. I didn't make this decision lightly.

While the whole of the story is cohesive, it holds two distinct moods. The first half is more of a Fantasy thriller. The second half is more like THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB. Given all of the other considerations I explained above, why would I put this out as a singular work?

The reluctance I had to embracing the one-book solution revolved around the fact that neither half could easily stand on their own. The first half would have a fairly abrupt ending. The second half would have an abrupt beginning. Are these bad things? I don't know. Does this constitute a reason to invalidate all of the concerns I highlighted above? Well, the answer I came up with is: no.

Moods and themes are important in stories. I can't ignore that. So, I'm going to embrace this decision. Because that's what my gut tells me to do.

In Conclusion

I know that, despite my justifications, some will draw their own conclusions as to why I'm breaking up this story. From an eBook and audiobook standpoint, the cost would be the same to the reader regardless if I broke up the story or kept it together (I price my books based on word count). I know that some people are sensitive to being left with cliffhangers, and some won't buy a series until it is complete. Both books are already written. Part 2 of the story will be published regardless. So, you won't be left hanging.

That all said, I know full well that doing this is a risk. Not an earth-shattering risk, but a risk nonetheless.

I felt that the direction I took was best for the story overall. I probably won't repeat this with future books. I'm pretty sure most publishers would never do something like this. However, that is the beauty of self-publishing. I can work outside of the box and do as many dumb things as I want. I'm just praying that this was the right dumb move.

Just a Quick Update (Dec. 2nd, 2023)

Only 4 chapters left to revise in this current pass. After that, I'll have it read back to me, then it's off to the editor. With the Prologue, it's 18 chapters long, and a little over 53,000 words. That's 13,000 words longer than THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB and roughly 29,000 words less than THE WIZARD'S STONE. The second installment to this story will be roughly the same size as the first.

Of course, those numbers might change after the editor gets ahold of it. We shall see.

I gotta say, I was nervous that this book wasn't up to snuff before I started. I was definitely wrong. I'm now in that space where I feel good about the story overall. With some feedback that I received from beta readers, I added 2 more chapters that rounded off the end, and added some more depth for the next book in this "mini-series."

I included a Foreword that detailed how this book came about. I'm considering narrating it and putting it out as a video on YouTube and Rumble. I'll have some time to do that over the next month. These books were something that I never planned to write. But, then again, nothing I do ever seems to go according to plan, so maybe it's a good sign? We shall see.

Technically, when I set this up in Amazon, I should probably create a bundle for the eBooks, given that THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB and the REVENANT AND THE CULT books create a continuous storyline. I'm not sure if I want to set that up with the release of Book 1 or Book 2. It's something I have to ponder.

I joke to myself that I should name the two books, "Setup," and "Payoff" respectively. Book #1 sets up everything in Book #2, while still being an entertaining read all on its own.

By the way, Book #2 does a brief lore drop with another concept I've had in my head, but have yet to fully flesh out in my literary world. It is, however, a great little nugget to include in the story.

Anyhow, I should be done with this pass by the end of the day Sunday. I now have to get in touch with the editor and schedule some time.

That's all for now.

Status Update - October / November, 2023

Once again, I'm neck-deep in the book and I forgot to send the update even though I've had it done for weeks now. I've been bogged down by a lot of things, mainly getting the house ready for winter, work, and so on. The simplest explanation is that writing and promoting books have priority over this blog and these updates. It is what it is.

The Next Book

Well, the book has been sent out to beta readers, and I've received some feedback. What I've received is mostly good, though I did get some specific comments that led me to add two more chapters to the first part of the book. Honestly, I've been a little surprised just how fast this book has come together. I only did 2 editing passes before it was good enough to give to beta readers. Usually, it takes twice as many.

And then there is the term "the book." I'm going to do a separate post on this subject, but I've decided that I'm going to split the story into two books - Part 1 and Part 2. I'll release the first book in May. 2024, then the second a few months later (maybe October?). I have very specific reasons for this, but it's worth noting in my update.

The design of the cover is also done. I've approved the rough concept and some of the graphic elements. I think I'll also do a cover reveal video like I did with THE WIZARD'S STONE.

As I write this, I've finished 2 revision passes of Book 2, and 3 passes of Book 1. I'll probably do another pass on Book 1 before sending it off to an editor.

A small confession here: creatively, I'm running on fumes. This book took WAY longer to produce than I'd prefer, and it is MUCH larger than what I was aiming for. To further complicate things, it doesn't feel like it's done. Or maybe it is "done," and I'm just being overly critical of my work? It's hard to tell when you're deep in the weeds with the nuts and bolts of the story. I'm reliant on my instincts, and by outside opinions. I don't want to release a flawed book, and there are a lot of elements and details in this work that can be easily overlooked. Add to that having a constant eye on a timer, and the stress of it becomes taxing.

The Website

As you may have noticed, I've added a new section to the website: Events. This will provide a calendar of upcoming appearances both in-person, live, and pre-recorded. I'm also gearing up to open a web store where you would be able to purchase books and swag directly. I need to set up a business first, which means consulting a lawyer and possibly an accountant.

Video Content

Now that the sent the second part of the book is off to the beta readers, I think I'm going to take a week off from writing. As I've mentioned before, I'm pretty burnt out. So...maybe I need to just put writing away for a short bit and let the creative battery recharge.

I'm probably going to create a few videos for the YouTube channel during that time and over the holidays. I've neglected my channel for a while now, and I'm beginning to lose subscribers. While my subscriber counts are minuscule, I do like making videos, and they give me an outlet to voice certain opinions I have on writing and whatnot. So, keep an eye out for some new content coming your way.And that's it for October and November 2023. I'll leave you with a "Happy Thanksgiving," (for my U.S. readers), and a premature "Merry Christmas," should I not get an update out next month.

Status Update - August / September 2023

Busy, busy, busy...

Ironically, I went to go create this update and I noticed that I never sent out the August update. So, I guess they'll be combined.

The Next Book

It's done.

Done, done, done.

Now it's a matter of doing a couple of passes of revisions and it's off to the beta readers. Thus far, the feedback from the first beta reader - my wife - has been good. As I type this, she's going to read some additions I made to the first half of the book. I added a new chapter with a rare POV from Herodiani. While I usually follow Halsedric throughout the entire book, having a Herodiani chapter adds a lot to the overall story and links a bunch of plot elements that weren't fully fleshed out in the original manuscript. The more I think about it, the more I like the addition. So, it's staying in.

There is a later chapter that I will be pulling out as it really adds nothing to the story. So, technically, the book hasn't grown much. Including the prologue, the book is 35 chapters long, and is, at present, over 96,000 words in length. Removing a later chapter will probably drop that count to about 93,000 words. By contrast, THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB is over 39,500 words in length, and THE WIZARD'S STONE is over 82,000 words long (including the Foreword). I expect the final word count to shrink some after my revisions, as I'm pulling a LOT of redundant stuff out of the story. But, I'm fairly sure, adding another 1,500 words with a Foreword, the next book will be bigger than THE WIZARD'S STONE.

So much so that I'm contemplating splitting it in half. I'd release the first half in May, and then the second half in July or August. Not sure if I'll do that yet.

Why split it up? One reason is the cost of printing. I haven't run the numbers yet, but my gut tells me that smaller paperbacks are less expensive to produce and sell than larger ones. Again, I haven't looked into it yet. Smaller books sell better in many areas than bigger books, especially with unknown authors like me. Plus, if I produce the books in smaller chunks, I can get through the beta reading, editing, and audiobook production processes faster. Two passes with an editor takes a lot of time.

The decision, however, has not been made yet.

The tentative release date for the next book is May 21st, 2024. And - special bonus - this book will include a map.I can't say I'm pleased with the story at this point. The fact is, at this point with both THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB and THE WIZARD'S STONE, I felt that both of them sucked. It took months of revisions and editing before I felt that I had a book I could be proud of. In fact, with both books, there was a distinct moment when it "felt" like a good book.

This story contains a lot of complex stuff that I hope I successfully pull off. And realize, if I miss my May release date, it's because I'm trying to put out the best story I can. But, let's hope I don't miss my release date. It is a date of special significance for me.

BasedCon

BasedCon went...well!

I got to meet Blaine Lee Pardoe and a few other bigger names than me. I also sold quite a few books as well. However, what was most satisfying was hearing how much people, who were at the last BasedCon, enjoyed the book. Unsolicited praise is always a good thing! Given the feedback I received at BasedCon 2023, I signed up for BasedCon 2024 almost the minute I got back home.

While I am not that much of a social butterfly, it was nice to interact with everyone there. I got to meet up with a lot of the WriterDojo people (a writing group on Facebook) and talk about my writing and books. And now...I have to replenish my stock of paperbacks.

The Book After the Next Book

I've started writing another book, though I'm not sure which direction I'll take. I have two options at present, one of them being the resurrection of the first Halsedric book that I eventually abandoned. I put down about 900 words thus far for the other idea. My priority is getting the current book out to the beta readers. But, production is underway for another book.

I also have my Merrith books lying around, waiting to be revised and published. If you remember, Merrith was the king mentioned in THE WIZARD'S STONE. I have 2 books written about him (actually, it's one story broken up into two parts). I'm drawing near to the time when these can come out of the freezer.

What's in Store for 2024?

I'm getting to the point where I think I'm going to update my website to have a calendar of events. I've signed up for 2 different conventions and might be signing up for a couple more in the next few months. I registered for a comic convention in Midland Michigan in early March. I also want to attend another smaller comic convention in West Branch, Michigan, organized by the same people who put on the one at Houghton Lake (that I attended this year). I'm also eyeing Rise Up Convention 2024 in Tennessee, which will occur sometime in late May. It's an 8 to 10-hour drive down there making it a big commitment, so that's up in the air.

I rather like going to smaller cons. My strategy was always to start small and work my way up. And, I'm kinda enjoying being small right now. So, finding these smaller venues in and around where I live is going to be where I'm going to focus my efforts next year.

I'm still debating about starting up an online store in 2024. I'd have to register as a business and apply for a sales tax license in Michigan. That's a lot of paperwork for an author who is operating at a loss from year to year. So, right now, I'm just exploring the idea.

I'm also working on some legal stuff, which is not cheap. But, it's important that I do it. I'll provide more details later when everything is done.

And that's all for now. I gotta get back to work.

A Recent Convention I Attended

Some comments I posted (elsewhere) about a recent convention I attended.

(Snip)

I attended a few panels before the lunch break. My panel was the last of the day : world building. I tried to be my witty, deadpan self. Some of it landed. Some of it really didn't. My "The multiverse fixes everything," got a few chuckles, though I learned a few lessons. First, never joke about "Time travel fixes everything," in a group of SciFi diehards. And never talk Tolkien when there are Tolkien fans in the crowd. I was right about Tom Bombadil rescuing the hobbits, though.

All in all, I'd give my performance a 6 out of 10. I ramble too much.

Some of the most profound moments I had was when a couple of people came up and told me that they had bought THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB. People remembered my book a full year after reading it, and felt the need to tell me how much they enjoyed it. I had two other people ask me if I was coming back next year. I gave them a non-committal answer, because I really didn't know if I was coming back. Then I got into a discussion with a third individual and I asked them if they were coming back next year. Their answer was (and I think this is the exact context): "If you're going to be there, definitely." That gave me a genuine moment of pause. I often remark about how I have fans and that's a new thing for me. But now, it seems, I have fans that will actually attend an event that I am at. It's a little bit beyond those guys waiting for your next book to come out. So now I feel a little obligated to go back next year. Because part of this gig, in my opinion, is fan service. The good kind. Not the Ghostbusters reboot kind.

So, unless something comes up, I'll be going back next year.

What You're Owed

A while back, I saw a live stream by a young author who had just landed a book contract. Someone on the live stream asked, "What are you hopeful for?"

His response was, "The publisher paying me what I'm worth."

Mind you, I'm paraphrasing here, but that was the gist of the exchange. When I heard it, I just about put my fist through the monitor.

I can say, without hesitation, that I have spent thousands of dollars producing and promoting my books. While I walked away from the traditional publishing sphere, I don't make any bones about my chances of being published traditionally. I seriously doubt any major publisher would ever pick up my books. At least not now. I didn't want to be in this position but it was the only way I'd ever have a crack at publishing.

The reality is: I didn't want to be here. But here I am, nonetheless.

Being traditionally published would save me a lot of money and frustration (no doubt replacing them with a whole new set of frustrations, but at least it wouldn't be on my own dime). While my first book was a very minor success, and the second book a bigger success than the first, I probably would be further along if I had a publisher paying me an advance. That advance I would 100% roll into promotion (OK, maybe 95%, after an expensive night out), so as further build a fan base. I know full well that my first few books aren't going to put me among the literary greats or give me Rowling's millions (billions?). I need to grow an audience first. Once I get an audience the money will come. This is just the way things work.

But the publisher isn't going to, "pay me what I'm worth." That comes over time. In fact, the publisher wouldn't be paying me anything. The people paying me are my fans. The publisher gets a chunk of that. The agent gets a chunk of that, as well as an entire distribution and promotional infrastructure that's putting my book in front of potential readers, collecting the sales taxes, and so on. I'd be left with a tiny piece. This is the reason why a) really successful authors have published multiple books, and b) they are always trying to grow their audience. More fans equals more money. You get the general idea.

What I think I'm worth has N-O-T-H-I-N-G to do with anything, especially if I've only published one lousy frickin' book.

While I find myself in the uncomfortable position of defending the traditional publishing syndicate, the reality is that books are an expensive and risky business. Publishers take on authors, subsidize their work, pay artists for book covers, pay printers for huge print runs that may never sell, hire people to manage and promote a new release, as well as fund an entire distribution scheme to put that book in front of potential readers. By the time any manuscript is transformed into a book sitting on a bookstore shelf, the publisher has spent MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to produce a saleable product. All the writer did was pound out and revise a manuscript and maybe go on an interview or two.

Granted, they take a huge chunk of the incoming revenues generated by that book. But, it's either that, or you fund it yourself. And funding it all yourself kinda sucks.

Pardon my French here, but your perceived individual worth doesn't mean dogsh*t.

In the end, it's the fans that dictate how much you'll make, not the publisher. Yeah, maybe you can negotiate a better cut of the royalties, but you'd better have the name and the clout to do that. They are not going to go into the hole, financially, for some entitled, self-absorbed baby who thinks that, because he got someone to publish his book, he's "worth something."

Some of us would gnaw off our left arm to get that kind of recognition and deal. And most of us in the wilds of self-publishing will never get a book deal. Not because we're we don't have the talent. It's merely because we don't fit a demographic or mold. That changes, however, when our sales start to spike but that's another story altogether.

A little humility and gratitude go a long way. Be glad for the things you've received, whether you earned them or not. Because there are lots of people out there (and I'm excluding myself from that group) who do measure up, and are worth more. But they didn't get what you have.