David R. Michael's Blog, page 23

My First Full Year as an Indie Author

 
With the close of September comes the close of my first full year as an indie author. I won't go into as much detail here as I did in my 9 Months of Indie Publishing post. No, this post is a bit more macro.
 
In my first year as in indie author, I published:

3 novels
5 collections of short stories
10 short story singles

 
In that same year, I wrote:

1 complete novel (GoSh1)
finished 1 novel (Gunwitch)
3 incomplete novels (Sigils, HoE2, & Nano2010)
4 short stories ("Encounter", "Evanescent", "Secondhand Coffin" and "Selene")

 
Which I think means I need to work harder to integrate writing new material with publishing existing material. On the other hand, I had a lot of accumulated words to publish and I spent a lot of time/effort/expense to get then ready and released. Now, though, I just have what I write new (or eventually finish). So publishing shouldn't get in the way of writing so much.
 
On the financial side of things, at the end of the first year I had recovered about 16% of my total cash investment. Which is much lower than I expected to recover. Fortunately, none of my expenses are recurring costs. I only add to the expense column when I publish a new book, or buy a snazzy font collection (like I did last week), or something along those lines. In fact, most of my costs are "sunk" at this point. I really shouldn't even consider them. Except, of course, I will consider them.
 
Comparing my total costs for indie publishing to my total costs of the first year of my Warmachine hobby (which isn't over yet), indie publishing hasn't required that much more–with the bonus that I will (eventually) recoup all my indie publishing costs (my Cryx army is pure hobby-consumerism). Compared to my first year as an amateur photographer (back in 2005-2006), I think indie publishing was cheaper (lenses are expensive).
 
So if I look at my indie publishing as a hobby with growth potential, it's doing quite well.
 
In total unit sales, I sold more ebooks and trade paperbacks in my first year as an indie publisher than I sold copies of The Journal in my first year it was available (1996-1997). Looking at it that way, I'm ahead.
 
Starting a new enterprise is always a challenge, especially if you're starting that new enterprise in the middle of the vast expanse of the World Wide Web and/or Amazon's online bookstore. It's very hard to even be noticed at first.
 
The trick, if there is one, is that you have to consider your first year as exactly that: your first year. Meaning that there are years yet to come. Years ahead of you to grow and learn. Years where you'll do more and do it better.
 
It ain't over til it's over. And so long as you don't quit (or die in the coming zombie apocalypse), it's never over.
 
Have a great weekend!
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
I Have Big Plans for 2011How I Stopped Feeling Like a Self-Published AuthorThe Day Job Strikes Back!

Gunwitch Proof Ordered

 
I hope it arrives before the end of next week.
 
I hope I don't have to make any changes.
 
I hope I hope.
 

 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Not Exactly How I Planned It…Gunwitch UpdateTruth Be Told…

Gunwitch Update

 
I went through the entire manuscript of Gunwitch several times today. That is, after I finished formatting the whole thing for printing.
 
First, I had to fix the font used for the chapter headings and page numbers. Because I didn't have rights to that font, but I think the change might have improved the look.
 
Then I decided to fix my s's to just s'. Personally, I prefer "James's" to "James'", but I realize that's not the standard. Yet. Now I'm consistent throughout the manuscript. (And I will think twice in future books before having a lot of character names that end with -s.)
 
The last pass was to fix widows/orphans. I twiddled with the spacing of paragraphs, contracting and expanding character spacing of selected paragraphs by fractions of a point size (-0.1 to +0.15). This was usually enough to close up a paragraph with just one word on the last line, or to push a blocky paragraph to take up just one more line. I reviewed the PDF when I was finished, but could not easily spot where I had done either one. So I'm calling it a success. I'll give the proof the same close scrutiny, because I prefer subtle to glaring.
 
As of a few minutes ago, I have uploaded everything to CreateSpace and submitted it for review. Maybe I'll hear back tomorrow (Thursday). But I doubt it. I would like to order my proof this week.
 
I'm excited. This book is almost ready!
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Formatting Has CommencedAnother Week, Another 15K WordsSlow Motion Progress

Formatting Has Commenced

 
I've finished line editing Gunwitch, written what I think is some workable backcover copy, and Don has finished the front and back covers for the book (pending wishy-washy author nitpicking). Now I'm working on formatting the book for print-on-demand and ebook formats. And, yes, still doing as-I-see-it's-necessary editing.
 
If this was an ebook-only release, I could have done the backcover copy last. Which is when I prefer to do it (because I'm always hoping/wishing someone else would do it). But Gunwitch is also POD, so Don needed the copy so he could properly format and arrange the back cover. Insert indie author whining here.
 
I'm looking forward to showing off the cover (front and back) soon. And announcing the book's availability, also soon.
 
-David
 
PS Hmm. Now that Gunwitch is almost out, I guess I'll have to start treating it like a book title. Like this: Gunwitch. That's gonna feel weird.
 
Related Posts:
Slow Motion ProgressGunwitch Editing BeginsPublishing Seemed Less Work When I Didn't Know Any Better

Writing Progress Report

 
Writing progress report for the week starting Monday, September 19, 2011.
 








Writing Project


Words




Monday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 12, 13, 14.







Tuesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 15, 16, 17, 18.







Wednesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 19, 20, 21, 22.







Thursday


Gunwitch backcover blurb work.







Friday


Gunwitch backcover blurb work.







Saturday


Gunwitch backcover blurb work.







Sunday


















Total








 








Publishing/Marketing




Monday





Tuesday





Wednesday





Thursday





Friday





Saturday





Sunday





 
Reading List

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp.

 
Related Posts:
9 Months of Indie PublishingNow Available – "Insanity"Now Available – "The Perfect Hiding Place"

How I Tend to Abuse English

 
I'm about 2/3′s of the way through line editing Gunwitch now. I'm learning, via Serenity's Editor, that my grasp of English isn't as complete as I thought it was.
 
Here's the list of my most common issues:

"stand up"/'stood up" – "up" is usually redundant
"sit down"/"sat down" – "down" is usually redundant
"… and then…" – can usually get rid of "and"
"…but then…" – can usually get rid of "but"
"onto" – that's not really a word these days
"…so that…" – can usually delete "that"
"…once again…" – can usually delete "once"

 
In fact, I can do a simple Find/Replace on those items and be 75% of the way finished line editing a chapter.
 
In dialog I'm not so fussy, but in narrative prose, I like to be as correct as possible–while still hearing my own "voice" in the words.
 
Just going through this exercise, I expect to commit fewer of these transgressions in the future. Even my normal, spoken English is getting tighter than it was.
 
The trick, I think, is to improve without becoming a pain in the ass about these sort of copy issues when I see them in other people's prose.
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Publishing Seemed Less Work When I Didn't Know Any BetterFound a Useful Editing Tool TodayGunwitch Editing Begins

Writing Progress Report

 
Writing progress report for the week starting Monday, September 12, 2011.
 








Writing Project


Words




Monday








Tuesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 3, 4.







Wednesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 5.







Thursday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 6, 7.







Friday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 8, 9.







Saturday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 10.







Sunday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 11.

















Total








 








Publishing/Marketing




Monday





Tuesday





Wednesday





Thursday





Friday





Saturday





Sunday





 
Reading List
 
Related Posts:
9 Months of Indie PublishingNow Available – "Insanity"Now Available – "The Perfect Hiding Place"

My Gl!tchCon Weekend

 
My son, Davis, and I attended Gl!tchCon this past weekend. Davis attended to support the 405th and to wear the Master Chief/Halo Reach/Spartan armor he's been working on for the past six months.
 

 
He won 1st Place in the Cosplay Contest:
 

 
Here is the weekend in photographs:
 
GlitchCon Day 1
 
GlitchCon Day 2
 
GlitchCon Day 3
 
Time to get back to work!
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Slow Motion ProgressI HaZ LogOI Like Publishing

Writing Progress Report

 
Writing progress report for the week starting Monday, September 5, 2011.
 








Writing Project


Words




Monday








Tuesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 2.







Wednesday








Thursday








Friday








Saturday








Sunday


















Total








 








Publishing/Marketing




Monday





Tuesday





Wednesday





Thursday





Friday





Saturday





Sunday





 
Reading List

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.

 
Related Posts:
9 Months of Indie PublishingNow Available – "Insanity"Now Available – "The Perfect Hiding Place"

My Latest Heresy: I Don't Want to Write Fulltime

 
For the simple, selfish reason that I don't want to do *anything* fulltime.
 
It might sound flighty, but it's how I do things (or don't). The results speak for themselves, I think. Since my last fulltime job in 1999, I've designed and developed The Journal versions 3, 4, and 5 (and beyond), including finding time to do bug-fixes and additional development within each release version–and providing daily customer support via email.
 
In that time I've also finished multiple video games in a variety of scopes (and abandoned a number of video game projects for various reasons). In that time I've written five novels and a silly number of short stories, plus a couple of nonfiction books. I taught myself photography. I'm (still) learning how to be an indie publisher. Currently, I'm also learning to paint (despite vowing not to).
 
I've often wondered (and probably more than once just on this blog) how much more successful, how much further along any given potential career track I would be by now if I could focus on just one thing for more than a few months. I would certainly get my software done sooner (The Journal 3 was 14 man-months spread over three years; The Journal 5 was 18 man-months spread over two years).
 
But, no, I tend to shift my focus almost seasonally.
 
I'm a programmer, a software developer (no, they're not the same thing), a writer, a game designer, a photographer, an indie publisher, and all those personal things that all of us are but often forget to mention when someone asks us, "So, what is it you do?": father, husband, brother, child, friend, neighbor, etc.
 
How do I fit it all in?
 
I don't.
 
Well, not every day. That would be impossible. Or, if possible, really grueling.
 
Thus, I tend to let my focus drift a bit.
 
I recognized the revolving nature of my interests and focus early in my professional career (AKA, the 1990′s). I was working fulltime then, so my job was something I had to do most of the week. But the rest of my time I would cycle through periods of programming, writing, and gaming. Some projects would cause one of those periods to stick around longer than normal, but there was always a revolution coming.
 
Hell, I don't even listen to the same music all the time. Just this year I've gone through European dance metal, punk music of the 1990′s and early 2K's, black metal, speed metal, techno and just today I've listened to both Blue October (Any Man in Amercia) and Against Me (White Crosses).
 
I don't know why I forget this basic fact of my personality every so often. Maybe because I still buy into the American idea of "doing" only one thing. Maybe because I'm still an optimist about myself and my future.
 
At the beginning of this year, I really thought I would spend all year writing and publishing.
 
I should have known better.
I'm not being negative, or down on myself. This is more me being amused at myself. Admitting my foibles with a chuckle and a shake of my head. How could I not have known this was how it would go?
 
I should know better than make plans based on me doing the same thing, having the same focus, for more than six to nine months at a stretch.
 
I plan to pick up daily (or near-daily) writing next week, continuing through the end of 2011. But this won't be fulltime writing.
 
Instead, I will be targeting 1000-ish words per day. I can usually do that in about an hour to 90 minutes. This will allow me time to continue working on my new project for The Journal *and* get both Gunwitch and GoSH1 published before the end of the year. It should even be enough writing to finish one more novel before New Years, which would be cool.
 
When I start setting goals and making plans for 2012, I will try to keep all this in mind. But December has my birthday, and I get so excited about the New Year, so I'll probably bite off more than I can chew once again.
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
The Day Job Strikes Back!My 2010 Writing GoalsSigils Update and Existential Artist Personality Bullsh*t