Coming of Age and Family Chaos

 

AUTHORS AND MONEY

 

Let me begin by saying I am in agreement with all of the professionals out there.

You need a good editor – several in fact: A story coach, a copy editor, and a line editor.

You need a stunning cover.

You need someone to format the book and upload it properly.

You need a business plan.

You need a marketing plan.

You need a marketing consultant.

You should attend several writing conferences.

You need a publicist.

Are the dollar signs adding up yet? You bet they are. I guess authors are millionaires? They must be well off, certainly, because how does a starving artist afford all this?

More to the point, REALLY?

I get it, I do. Put the best product forward to be taken seriously. But it just comes down to this: I can’t afford $5,000-$7500 per book. I’m not retired, and I’m not rich and I’m not in the upper middle class. I work hard at my business during the day, and I’m working hard on my books and my writing at night—very hard.

My first series will be four parts, and 14 novels. Let’s do the math. Minimum, that means I’ll need $70,000 for the series.

I have dreams just like everyone else, that by the time I’m on my fourteenth novel I’ll be making money. But if the average return is $1,000 per book, I have to ask myself . . . so what if I don’t have a cover that costs $750-1,000! So what if there are a couple of mistakes in the book. I see them all the time, and in books that have good sales statistics.

Perhaps the answer is to try and assemble a few beta readers who enjoy the story and get a free read.

Perhaps the answer is to dig in and take a few classes and learn how to format the book myself, and learn the ins and outs of Create Space and Amazon.

And then I read a blog by a well-known publicist who says no author has ever gotten traction without hiring one. And their fee is . . . take a guess. Thousands. Let’s not forget we need reviews.

If you have a gaggle of friends and family, no problem.

For those of us who don’t? We’re subjected to Net Galley and free giveaways.

Who makes money off of authors?

I’ve come to the conclusion unless a writer is well off financially; it’s just about everyone else except for the author. There’s got to be a better way. I’m determined to find it.

As I search and sort through all the mucky-muck I’ll share everything.

I invite you to share you sweat and struggle.

We often deny the risk and struggle we’re really facing whether it is financially, personally, professionally, or medically. But it’s all a part of the mix.

Onward.