Amy’s Comments (group member since Jan 15, 2017)

Amy’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Don’t know. I’ve heard different things. Or rather read them. And you can’t believe half of what you read on the internet! I suppose if you’ve got loads of money and just want to see your book published and aren’t looking for financial gain, it might be a way to go.

That would be nice! We just need to get through the next 8-9 years. My husband can retire and providing nothing catastrophic happens the mortgages get paid off in under 9 years. It’ll help. I wonder if the bathroom will last that long.

Alex wrote: "Amy wrote: "I didn't get the grades to go. I had a grant, but couldn't get into any of the London drama colleges. I got close, but they only really took me seriously after I lost 3st. Anyway, she'l..."

I can see it working for some. If you're broke, you'll get the full tuition fees loan and the full amount of the maintenance grant and it is possible. Where the system doesn't work is with people in the middle. We earn a bit more (or he does) which means that we don't get the full maintenance loan. But just because he earns more than some people doesn't mean we have extra sitting around. Two mortgages on one house in an expensive area to live. Without this inheritance I'd be shafted.

Then don't have to start paying it back until they earn more than £25k a year either.

I think our bathroom will just have to fall apart on us. It needs fixing. But I reckon I'll need £5-£10k to get one child through the extras needed for uni. Then in 4 years we'll be thinking about it again for our son if he wants to go. It will clean out what is left of my inheritance, but at least I'll have managed to put them both through uni. Providing I manage to provide for the family on the money we have coming in. ugh If you'll excuse me I have to go and boil most of a 40p bag of pasta for their dinner... (moans)

I didn't get the grades to go. I had a grant, but couldn't get into any of the London drama colleges. I got close, but they only really took me seriously after I lost 3st. Anyway, she'll get a loan for the tuition, but we won't get the full amount for the maintenance loan because of my husband's salary. She'll get around £4k for living costs, but the room alone is £5300 per year. Then there's books and food.

It's early days. I've only just cleared the mammoth debt. Maybe it'll be OK.

When does it end? I have cut back on everything I can cut back on. I've even stopped playing the lottery (although I won £25 this week, one of my last weeks) We're eating the cheapest food. We barely go out (although two of us are going to the cinema tomorrow-haven't been in months.) My husband is capable of eating way more food than I put on his plate but I'm cooking precise amounts. People complain to me about the cost of their food bill, but then they confess they're eating the more expensive branded food. I've been buying the cheap own brand basic stuff for years.

I have to keep telling myself it'll be fine. But I'm terrified that I'll end up in a huge debt again trying to get our daughter through uni next year.

I have lost so many of my team over the years due to lack of business. That has had an effect on my income. My sales are scraping the floor. I'm tired. Other than helping the people have left, it doesn't have much going for it. I made less than £30 last week. It used to be a full time job with money to go with it.

Business is all the negative words you can think of at the moment. I'm still torn between toughing it out or quitting. If it was my second job, I'd quit and give myself a break. It's my only job and each week the amount of cancellations involved make me question the hours and money I put into it. I keep running the numbers. All the time I'm making a tiny profit I'll stick at it.

So sorry for mixing up my terminology. That's very helpful thank you.

Works for me ...

With a ghost...

Well done. It won’t work on my phone I’ll check it out later.

Oh I definitely agree with that.

Yeah thanks both. Fixed it. I attacked someone in authority.

I feel I haven't found my stride with Iridessian Haunts. Maybe it's the paranormal genre. Perhaps I need to blow something up...

Royalties are low enough without them being in the red!

Interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts. I looked into the vanity publisher I couldn’t afford and read that people weren’t happy with the way they or their book were treated. Others were. I approached them because they also offered the ‘don’t pay anything up front’ contract-only not to me as an unknown. But frankly, no-one ‘known’ would contact them anyway. On here I also read that people have mixed views on individual services they’ve used elsewhere. Ugh even if I did have the money I still wouldn’t know where to go. I got taken for a ride with my other business for hundreds of pounds years ago-I don’t have great judgement. I’ve learnt to turn everything down as I’m constantly fielding attempts at being poached by other companies.

As I’m from saaaaaaf east England I wouldn’t stand a chance either.

My mother on the other hand annoyed me no end with her “do you not think...” rather than “don’t you think...” she wasn’t aristocracy either.

She had me rewrite a letter to a friend when I was about six. Apparently I was to use the work “received” rather than “got” when talking about birthday presents. I was six!

I digress... again!

I edit them more in prose than dialogue. I don’t bother in dialogue. It’s the way people speak. I won’t stilt my dialogue because of that rule.

Missing Remnants is a challenge because it’s written in the first person. The main character Track is not a member of the British aristocracy and as such finishes sentences will all kinds of words!