A few days ago I finished writing my 17th book. No, it wasn't Gale Harbour 3, that was the 16th book. A quick look at my Amazon page will show I've only published 4 full-length books (Gale Harbour 3 will be number 5), plus stories in various anthologies.
So what are the rest of those books? Ten of them, including number 17, are the "Christmas books," the books I write for my family as gifts for the holidays. This doesn't include the picture books I made when my kids were really small; the ones I'm counting are all 40k words or more, and none of them have been read by more than a dozen people.
The other two are the very first full length novel I wrote—the one I sent to publishers and agents in my mid twenties, and with which I collected dozens of rejection letters—and a large heartbreaker fantasy, part of a substantial series I envisioned spanning seven volumes. Fortunately for all of us, neither of those books will likely ever see the light of day.
Why do I bring this up? Next year will mark my 10-year anniversary with self-publishing (I'll also be turning 45, holy crap). Unless a meteor falls out of the sky, I will have published my 5th by then. Five books in 10 years is pretty good, right? Not really, not by today's standards. Not if you want to find any success in this business. I'm in a few writing groups where people are sharing their successes, celebrating the publication of their 50th book, or making six-figures a year, or making their first million in writing. I've seen a couple of examples of people who have hit all the boxes: they only starting publishing during the pandemic (less than 5 years ago), are already closing in on $1 million in sales, and have published between 40-50 books.
It really puts things into perspective. I always knew I wasn't going to be rich as a writer. I would probably never even write as a full-time job. But a little bit of success would be nice, right? In ten years, I've only sold a little over 500 books total, so not exactly big money. Should I be happy with that success? I mean, I used some extreme examples above; for everyone who makes a million dollars, there are thousands of people who don't sell anything at all. And for every one of those, there are probably thousands who wish they could even write and finish a book. So I get it, I'm doing better than many people, and I should be proud of what I've accomplished. When I stop to really think about it, I am grateful that I've gotten as far as I have. But we all have those "what if" thoughts. What if I wrote something that really caught on? What if my books find the right niche market and exploded in popularity? What if I found the right routine, and I could finish 5 books a year, instead of 5 in a decade?
At this point, I would be happy if I made back what I spend on writing. Between editing and writing software/aides, advertising and design fees/software, I think I'm still in the red. Writing is not a cheap hobby, it turns out. Not to mention the hundreds and hundreds of hours spent actually doing it.
Anyway, I'm not sure what my point was with all this, it's just some of the things that's been going through my head the past week. The important thing is I finished this year's Christmas book on time and got it off to the printer. I nearly cut off my finger working on a different Christmas present, but that's another story. I'm not going to do the questions this month as I'm sure you're all tired of reading my nonsense anyway. Instead, I'll just wish you all a Happy Holiday season, and I hope your New Year is healthy and productive.
Hugs & kisses,
-CDGK
The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers post their thoughts on their blogs, talking about their doubts and the fears they have conquered. It's a chance for writers to commiserate and offer a word of encouragement to each other. Check out the group at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
6 comments:
It's crazy that you have more Christmas books out of all the seventeen books. 5 books in ten years is great if you've enjoyed writing those five books, I guesse. I mean, I try to imagine what those writers publishing five books in a year do all day. I can't imagine myself even if I ever choose to be a writer that I'll publish more than one book a year. Even one book is just a daydream. It's about something good happening with what we write. I've never been happier when one of my friends felt great after reading an optimistic blog post than the 50K words which no one cared to read. Most times.... its just bloody luck if we're all being honest. PS you just reminded me that my dad is also turning 45 next year.
Happy Xmas and New Year. I hope that this would be a wonderful year for all writers!
I think you're doing great publishing so many books in 10 years. You can only spend so much time writing when you have other responsibilities. And I think the percentage of authors raking in the money is really pretty rare. Happy Holidays!
Five in ten years is good. It took me twelve years to do five books.
Even if you don't hit big sales, has it been worth it? Those books you do for your family only - do they appreciate them? That is the mark of success.
We're the same age! And yep, I agree, it'd be nice to make back some of what I've spent on writing... But I do love the writing part!
Happy Holidays. Glad you didn't lose any fingers.
I feel you on this. I've been published a good 10+ years too and in terms of sales, it's been an utter flop. But then I look at some of those people making uber bucks and the types of books they put out and how little free time they have, I'm not sure I want that kind of success. I'd be happy with modest monthly sales that added a little money to the bank account.
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