Any of you guys ever publish anything, either self or through a legit publisher?

Damn, nicely done. Do you design your own adverts?

For the most part, yeah. I can't afford to have someone else do it for me. I was lucky that my brother offered to do the cover for me for free, so I didn't have to drop funds on that.

I once was encouraged by a professor to submit my poetry to a literary magazine on campus. I did.

I shipped to basic before I was able to read which poems were actually selected to be published but apparently some were and people liked them.

In hindsight they were absolute garbage and I despise myself for even bothering.

Something kinda funny and stupid, one of the things that really inspired me to get off my ass and write was Shia LeBeouf's "JUST DO IT!" thing. Don't let your dreams be dreams. I sat there, giggling like a dork at it, and then it kinda hit me, wtf is funny about it? If I just keep dreaming of writing a book, I'll never write the bastard. So I picked up the pen (figuratively speaking) and wrote my book, revised it, revised it again, sent it out to beta readers, revised it AGAIN, edited it three times over myself, and then published it. Now, it looks like I might actually be able to do this for a living, and after I get a few books out there, I might actually make some decent money off of it. Might be able to quit a job that I do not like, and do it for a living.

>beta readers
What kind of betas did you find?

I had no life experience at the time which is why I hate my old work. I've had an affair, been to 26 countries, and deployed and I'm only just now writing again.

Kudos to you I spose.

If you earn money from your writings, you're a worthless writer.

They kept eating each other so I had to keep them in separate tanks.

It's said that if Victor Hugo had an editor, Les Miserables wouldn't be that 5-volume masterpiece.

IIRC, the black director Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) made a living by selling his own stories door-to-door.

I'm not saying that editors nor publising houses aren't necessary. But they sure aren't something that has been around forever. (And don't get me started on editors that treats the text with the same sensibility as a spaz retard butcher doing brain surgery.)

Anne Rice also hates editors and the kind of petulance that causes writers to refuse them outright is almost always more damaging imo.

Don't trust that windfall to keep up if you quit your job. It's boring to suggest this, but don't stake your life on this unless you're 100% sure.

I'm considering self-publishing. But I'd like to publish both anonymously and under my own name. Does Amazon support that so that the main risk is that your outing will at least be self-inflicted?

>Anne Rice also hates editors and the kind of petulance that causes writers to refuse them outright is almost always more damaging imo.
For whom or what? The author or the text itself?

I like the old studio system. Selznick may on paper have been the producer for Gone with the Wind. But in reality he managed the shoots, so you could say that the film had 4 directors and one extra camera man.

The directors didn't really care, since people got the MGM-logo shoved into their faces when the film started. The work was MGM, so Selznick couldn't really ruin anything for them.

I don't recall what swedish author nor editor I read about. But that journalist editor fanboy, praised some edtior for his ability to fuck around with the text without the author knowing anyting about it.

But the editor doesn't have to own it. Name five famous editors from your country. Your continent. At all?

Are you actually a big fantasy fan, or did you pick the genre for money-making purposes? Do you have dreams of writing an unsellable litfic masterpiece?

How do you figure that?

I'm a fan of fantasy, and yes, I'm motivated by dreams of that huge, multi-volume epic series. If I chose fantasy for making money, I'd be going against every bit of advice of ever gotten.

Oh, I'm not staking the house on it or anything. I'm only part of our income; I plan on holding onto my job until we've got substantial savings, and I've got a more stable presence as a writer.

I'm pretty sure they let you use a pseudonym.

I heard romance and erotica were the easiest sellers in the Kindle store, so I banged out a few smutty little novellas. I tried to write and publish each one in a single day. I move a few units a month, though there's definitely a bump for the whole catalog when I publish a new one. Longer romance books are where the money is now with the way KU payments are structured, but I have yet to write one.

Once I understood how easy Kindle publishing is, I tried doing one I actually wanted to write and would want to read. That one moves far fewer units, but the good reviews are more satisfying. I got a 5-star review from a crime writer I really like, which is validating as hell.

As far as promotion, I've done literally nothing for the smut. The shirtless musclemen on the covers do the selling for me. I did a book giveaway for the crime novella and had about 100 downloads resulting in one 5-star review. I think it will work a little better next time since readers seem to respect indie writers more when they have multiple titles.

Am I right in guessing that you use different names for each?

Right. One for smut and one for genre fiction, and I'm planning on putting out some non-fiction under another. It's common, especially in romance/erotica, for writers to have a bunch of pen names.

Tried to get books published for a few years, had no luck.

I was always bad at short stories, but recently I started writing tons of them. A magazine has agreed to publish one of them this summer.

Eventually I'd like to make a living off it, but as of right now I'm just focusing on writing good stories, and putting them out there to make a name for myself.

>not writing dozens of poetry and philosophy books and stuffing them in a chest in your basement for people to find, publish and get rich on your work after you die
You're not getting this whole 'writer' thing, are you?

How do I figure that? Name a single rich writer that is not a hack.

how much money do you make off the book porn?

>Traditional Publishing
>2017
Stop reading the propaganda at Tor.

Very interested in this. Considering doing this next year when the book's complete.

How's the advertising process? Amazon/Google/Facebook ads only? What's the cost, etc.?
What are the high ROI genres, and what aren't?

If I put out something new I end up with about $100 the first month, including the increased sales for older titles. If I do nothing, the sales trickle away each month. I think I made $6 last month, but it's probably been a year since I wrote one.

Does it even make sense to try and self-publish my modernist novella? Will there be the slightest bit of interest in something outside genre fiction?

>How's the advertising process?
You pay somebody to spam Reddit like everybody else.

The slightest bit of interest? I stopped reading at "modernist novella".

I've self-published a bunch of weeb novels, but only digitally and it's made me fuckall. People praise the stories I've shared for free but no one wants to pay a dime for the rest.

kek, that's what I mean
there's literally no reason to buy or read the book, and it's not good enough to stand out on its own
are all writers damned to write genre fiction now?

no, but I make like 200 bucks on pateron every time I write furry porn

its not my job but it helps when I need an extra buck for the rent

People don't want to pay for novels, they'd much rather pay for their authors to write.

try patreon nigger, put those novels as reward tiers, maybe you will get some traction that way if you have a considerable audience

True words. I'm old-fashioned and would rather earn by selling books than begging for donations, but I can see people are outgrowing such a business model.

Would you recommend going straight to self-publishing or at least try to get published/an agent first?

>write novel
>go in for the second draft
>it's absolutely uninspired garbage
How do you escape this hell?

Self-publishing is the last option for when you're rejected/know you will be rejected by all the publishers and just can't give up on your shit

Except lots of people are making decent money at it, because it's a viable method. It's a lot like indie gaming companies; the talent is there, why work under a larger company that reaps all of the profits? I make 70% on every ebook I sell, and if someone reads my book on KU, I actually make a little more than I do selling the paperback or ebook.

write another one

>lots of people are making decent money at it

lol no. And if money is your only motivator, then your writing is worthless anyway

Are you saying that when rereading the first draft it comes off as uninspired, or your second draft comes across as uninspired?

The first. For instance, I never laugh at any joke when I reread.

Have someone other than yourself read it, preferably several people. You are the least objective reader when it comes to your own writing.

any links to the smut books? i'm curious what your covers look like. I tried putting one up but it sold literally nothing, kinda deflated any further effort. i'm guessing covers are the most important part for trash

You say that without even reading what I wrote, but that's fine. It's not my only motivator, but I've got a mortgage and kids, dude. I'd like to be able to do what I love and pay the bills at the same time.

Working in your dream art field and being penniless don't have to go hand in hand.

I read your post. The vast majority of both indie game devs and self-publishers make jack shit, this is a basic fact. So choosing self-publishing over the standard channels, expecting to get left with more dosh in the end, is naive and irrational.

I'm not saying you write just for money, how the fuck would I know, but IF someone does, then it's not a sign of quality.

Good man. Now prepare to learn why all self-employed people hate the IRS. How long did it take you to write it?

This draft that I finished this time, I started on July 25th, 2015, so just under two years, but the story has been a bit over 20 years in the making.

I get that. It makes sense. It just seemed, from your previous posts, that your intent was that if you tried to make money from it, then your writing was garbage. I'm glad I misunderstood that.

I'm trying to get into it myself. I can put a lot of words down fast but I hear the editing process is where stories go to die.

It was definitely the hardest part, imo, but I can't afford an editor, and the few friends I have in that field couldn't donitnfor free, so I did it myself. I've got a book that helped immensely.

Sorry, I'd really rather not do that here. I get them on Fiver, thought. Pick a good stock photo of a buff dude or sexy couple and find someone on Fiver who does decent romance covers.

The last person I showed said, as I quote, "the MC should be a more confident". What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?

Did you try official publishing before you put it on Amazon?

Less whining, less self-reflection, more distinct set of values.

>I've pulled in about 550 in the first ten days

That's actually a lot more than I expected. I came in here intending to make fun of your weekly $29.50 Amazon check for writing sword and sorcery.

Interesting, but what if that is supposed to be part of his character? Wouldn't a MC who never doubts himself be pretty much boring?

Authors get especially fucked because they can go their whole lives making pennies and then when they finally make it big they get taxed like a billionaire just because they happen to make a lot of money in short spurts. The tax code doesn't factor in that they went previous 20 years making shit for money.

Doubt is fine in the crucial moments. But not all the time.
Unless you're making a point ot have a weak/naive character, à la Senlin Ascends (where it's a funny juxtaposition with the rest of the characters)

>I came in here intending to make fun of your weekly $29.50 Amazon check for writing sword and sorcery.
Oi Fuck you

No, dude, I get you. I didnt expect much either. Maybe 50 a week until, hopefully, I had a few books and they picked up.

I just hit number sixteen on that list up there. Gaining steam still.

I had considered it, but in the end, I don't have an agent, a platform, or a fanbase. I plan on pursuing a trad publisher later in my career, after I have developed a bit more of a presence. Maybe re release the books I publish through Amazon as special editions or whatever at that time.

Nah, I'm going more for the whole 'author' thing.

So far, I've only invested money in Facebook. Amazon can boost it and promote it too, but for a minimum $100 ad. I'm going to wait until they pay out, 60 days after the end of the calendar month, and re-invest some money into it. They rest is going into a safe, or going to pay off credit cards.

My MC is a little on the Naive side, in that if something seems trustworthy or legit up front, he tends to give it the benefit of the doubt. By the end of the first book, he's learning better.

How did you do the cover?

I am lucky enough to have a brother who is a professional artist, and he did this cover for me to get me out there. I'm going to have him do the rest of the series as well, so that the covers all have a cohesive style. I did the lettering and the layout, as well as the back cover design and blurbs.