Outlasting the Storm [of Indies]

Isn't this beautiful? A pine cone in nature is beautiful in its shape and purpose, and I find them hard to resist when I come across them in one of our pine forests around here. I've collected a pail full this fall. I had plans to do something with them, and came across this idea over the Internet. Let me tell you briefly about it, and I'll come to my point soon.

If you've noticed, this pine cone is nearly white! How did it become that way? Well, it didn't happen in nature. Someone bleached it. The process is, shall we say, a bit of a challenge, dedication, and work. And if you don't know what you're doing, it might not come out right. You see, you take a pail of water, add just the right amount of bleach and let the cones soak over night--or something around 12 hours or so--and then you take them out and rinse them thoroughly, and then, you have to let them dry (either in the sun or an oven). But when finished you have a beautiful ornament--if it works!

So, what's this got to do with writing? As you can see there is a process, an amount of time devoted to making it, and a formula. And if this isn't done quite right, you'll come out with mushy pine cones that smell of bleach. If that happens the only thing you can do is--WHAT? GIVE UP?!!! 

No. you go back to the starting point. 

I've used this analogy because it is simple. Today's blog is about NOT giving up, but having a bit of a break. And I wanted to bring up a point, too. Something I've been thinking on, recently, and lo-and behold, someone blogged about it. James Scott Bell's post goes into great detail about how some are saying the profits from ebook sales for Indie authors have dropped. He explores/examines the reasons, and gives a couple of links from the Passive Voice blog, where someone has also expounded upon the reason, and goes into more detail than I will here. But, I think you've seen it too. More people are putting up their works over on Amazon than ever before. Bell describes this ocean of titles as "sprouting like steroid-laced Kudzu". And it really is. Why not? Anyone can do it if they've got a cover, and figure out how to get the formatting down. A ten-year old could do it. But should he?

If you are an author, you must have noticed this wave of new authors out there pimping their books/titles on facebook--you know, those groups for writers where you try and pimp your ebooks--to other authors. I think there must be hundreds of them now. I've talked about this before. The only people who you are putting your titles out to are other authors who also are trying to get sales. You aren't gaining new readers by doing this. Not really. Your readership has to come from regular (non-writing) folks. The only way to do this is gain them one at a time, and if they truly like your work, it will be from word-of-mouth. Not by hitting the share button on your book's page over on Amazon a couple hundred times a day. I've done it, yes, but sparingly. I find that the same people are popping up on those groups I belong to on facebook. I'll see the same one or two people over and over down that list, Is it a wonder I've given up trying to compete with them? It's nuts! I don't have the time to waste on this. And it is a waste of my time when I could be doing other things--such as writing or anything else I want, or need to do throughout the day.

But back to what might be going on with sales on Amazon. Okay, I've thought about this a lot. This is why I'm doing something else right now, and not worrying about whether or not I get the 8th book done in the series, because the 5th, 6th &7th are written. They just need some editing, and I'm basically done. My sales were good, and then they went flat. They might pick up when I put out #5, but I need the photo for the next book cover, and my people (photographers), aren't supplying. So, *shrug*.... I won't get all hyper about this. I'm exploring my other creative venues, and I'm just chilling from writing. I don't know how long I'm going to take a break(this time), but it's going to be a break of more than a few weeks. It might be months, or longer.

Some authors who may quit writing because they are experiencing this drop (or stoppage) in sales, or let's just call it a brick wall--because everyone they know has bought their ebooks. They don't understand why no one else will buy it. They'd have to write another book, and then another book, and yet another book... well, you see where I'm going. Yep, in order to get more sales they'd have to simply keep on writing the same old crap. I think the majority of these new Indies are a one- or two-book author, and can't come up with another book idea that would be as good as the first. So, I'm just going to wait this (storm) out and see what happens. Some of these Indies who are considering quitting really should because they aren't really "writers". They had this "great" idea for a book, thought it would make them a lot of money, maybe their initial sales were good--yeah, they probably have a lot of friends and family who supported them and bought their book, but after that, they're finished. They can't come up with another idea for another story. Or, if they did, maybe somewhere in the middle, or the beginning of that next "great" novel, they can't come up with the rest of it, and sort of lose interest in working on it so hard. Well, here's a news flash: they aren't writers. Yeah. I've weathered 30 years of trying to get published either by trying to interest a publisher, or an agent. I didn't quit then, and I'm unable to simply quit writing, so, that seems to pin it down for me.

Let me give you another quote from Mr. James Scott Bell: "...the successful writers are the ones who can't not write. Who exhibit persistence, discipline, production of words. Who write in the face of serial rejection or dismal sales."  Well, if this describes you, congratulations! If not. Just get off my cloud.

I'm taking a slight hiatus from writing. When I feel the need I will jot a few notes down, if I have an idea for a scene (which is constant, and I have ideas daily), I will write them down. In the early '90's I took a four-year break. I went into crafts. I worked at a craft store and had a booth there, I also had my crafts in two other stores. But although I made money--checks monthly--I found that I was putting the money back into my crafts. This time, I'm going to concentrate on a few things. I'm not going to broaden my horizons to the point I'm looking over the ocean. Even though I can do just about any craft I put my mind to (including the above one, which I'll try next summer), I'm thinking that working on just a few crocheted things for now might be the best way to start out. Branching out will come later. I've a couple of places nearby who still take crafters--one takes rent, but the rent is beyond me right now (mainly because soon the big season of Christmas will be over, and coming up with $30/month might become impossible, depending upon sales). So, I'm going to play it smart.

Do you have what it takes to outlast those who are out there, hawking their books and finding difficulty in finding new readers? Can you last through the low sales/storm of Indies, and keep on writing? If you truly can't not write, then you need to keep going. I encourage you to keep on going.

As for me... uh, well, this sums it up. I think I'll take a cat nap for a while.

On Being Thankful as A Writer

I've just read something very good by James Scott Bell, over on The Kill Zone. I shouldn't be too amazed that I found this piece rather moving for me, personally. I will share the link with you in a little bit. I wanted to share my own thoughts on being thankful as a writer here.

It's been a long haul for me to finally feel grateful to be a writer. I've often thought of it as a curse because... well, I've had a hard time becoming published, or accepted in the writing world. An agent wouldn't touch me. But, that's okay. If they don't think my writing is worth their while, then too bad. I've got some major issues with top publishers also, but we won't go there. I was supposed to be grateful for being a writer.

So, here I am writing about writing again. I have 3 novels out there, and some things in the wings, and had a short story just recently be accepted and it's now out there along side some other wonderful writers. How could I not be happy? I have many fans out there who love my work. I just wish it were more than a couple dozen.

Being a writer means that I can make up stories and possibly be paid for it. I can sit alone in my room and ponder the next sentence, or even the next words, or the plot of a whole book. I love to create worlds, disastrous situations, lovable characters that readers will--I hope--love and enjoy.

I have earned the right to be slightly neurotic and talk to myself. I might look off into the distance and my husband knows that I'm not ignoring him, but that I'm actually thinking about my book or story. Others who don't know me just think I'm neurotic, crazy, or peculiar... which I am. I'll admit that.

I sometimes loose focus on the importance of being a writer. We are creative people. You don't run into that many people who would cut off all social ties so that they can sit alone in a room and write. I used to hate when a friend would demand I go out with her to the bars. That was boring, but I must admit it was fodder for any bar scenes I might need to write. As a result, I don't have that many friends that want to socialize with me and I avoide the phone as though it had the plague wiped all over it. I HATE talking endlessly on the phone and not knowing how to end a conversation. Thank goodness for email!

People who envy you (yes, there are those who do), and say "Oh, I should do that" (write), but don't. Those are not writers. They are dreamers of doing something "romantic" like writing. But once they receved one rejection, they'd probably quit.

We are not quitters. We write and enjoy it so much even in the face of being rejected a hundred times, we believe--or try to believe--that maybe if I do thus and thus, it will be accepted with the next one. 

Of course, now in this self-publishing world, we can do it so easily, but I hope we are wise enough to get at least one critique on it before hand.

What I guess I'm saying is that we are a unique group of people and we do need to consider ourselves lucky to know that our words will find their way into the hands of someone who will enjoy reading them, and give you a nice comment, or give you a glowing review.

I've experienced this with my first book, Spell of the Black Unicorn. It was self-published, and I was so thrilled to hold something that I wrote, and have people buy it and tell me they liked or even "loved" it. I  drew the cover, and did all the formatting inside the book. It was the first book I actually got to hold with my words inside it. That made me gosh darn happy and grateful besides.

I now have two novels published since then and all the excitement about this makes me happy, but slightly bitter sweet about the fact that it took so darn long to find my way to this point. But what James Scott Bell said resonated with me. Often what he writes does. And I'm very glad that I got to read it.

If you're feeling blue at this time of year over the state of things, confused over why you're doing what you're doing, go read THIS by James Scott Bell. It might resonate with you too and make you gosh darn proud to be part of the writing community.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Coffee Klatch Monday

I have a cup of coffee--creamer & Splenda--and a cookie this morning. What did you have?

Hi, and greetings to old and new fans/followers out there. I'm unable to see my followers list, so you'll forgive me that I'm not able to return the favor unless you make a comment here. Thanks for the add, at any rate.

This is going to be a trial thing, this Coffee Klatch Monday. What is Coffee Klatch? It's a casual gathering for coffee & conversation. So, if you are participating this is all I ask of you:
1. Leave a comment. Say hello.
2. Tell me what you are having at this Coffee Klatch (i.e. coffee & bagle or whatever)
3. Click on someone you don't know who leaves a comment and check out their blog! And all of a sudden you have a new friend and possibly a potential follower. The whole idea is to follow the meaning behind a coffee klatch in the old sense of a casual gathering and chatting/greeting. If you want to join in, please do. I'd love to hear from you, what you are doing today or this week, and hope to accomplish. If you are doing NaNo, let me know how it's going. If you are joined up but are not getting anything done with it, share that. (I did join, but early on decided it was too much for me--got too much this month to do.)

Tell us what you've done this week, or what you've blogged about. Anything you wish to share. We all need support and kind, encouraging words from our fellow bloggers/writers. I know that not everyone can stop and say hello, but I'd love to hear something from any of you who have not made a comment here in a long while. Again, if you are doing the NaNo, I don't expect it. This will be a lean month of comments at Lorelei's Muse. But if you do read this, and have in the past made comments on something, I think you for your kind words and encouragements.

Meanwhile I'm going to tell you about a few blogs/people you should check out.

The first one I share in the name of all writers who have had doubts about themselves and their writing at least once. If you've never seen The Kill Zone blog, you might want to go check it out. James Scott Bell is known for his suspence writing, as well as his contrabutions to Writer's Digest. He has a list of things you should NOT do as a writer called "How To Feel Miserable As A Writer".

And this just in: James Garcia Jr., author of his fast-paced, vampire book, "Dance on Fire", has given me an excellent review at his blog. If you have been considering reading my book, Vampire Ascending, but have not commited, you might want to read his review. THANKS JIMMY! I think he gave me a fair review here.