I left this blog dormant for a couple of years.
There were a few reasons for that.
- I became a web developer and created a new website for my portfolio, one that left this one in the shade.
- I’ve written very little fiction recently. This site was always a way to communicate with readers and keep y’all updated on what was in the pipeline.
- I haven’t been active in the WordPress community. Admittedly, a few years ago it was a lot of fun, chasing goals like getting a post Freshly Pressed, manically observing blog stats and hopping on trending topics to claim some eyeballs. The landscape has changed, and the drive to get more clicks/views no longer motivates me. Interacting with others in the community was great fun at the time.
It was a great platform and still is – if it is actively used.
I was greeted by thousands of spam messages when I logged back in a few weeks ago – automatically approved, which was a joy to wade through!
I celebrated seven years on WordPress last month. It also marks FIVE YEARS (!) since I published Pathfinders – my first novel which was a bittersweet labour of love.
No-one quite prepared me for the flipside of self-publishing, namely the cost to promote and market the book. Without the eyeballs it would have felt like an ode to self, or diary of sorts. Pathfinders was relatively well-received, but I was a lot more thin-skinned back in those days. Some of those barbs hit hard!
Initially, through this blog I sought to educate aspiring authors about my own journey, sharing tips and tricks on things like, Getting an Amazon Top Reviewer to review your book, Getting #1 Ranking Spot on Amazon, The Editing Process, Marketing your Book, etc. (Many of these have been purged because of WordPress migration – but some self-pub articles can still be found here).
Hopefully those articles helped someone, somewhere at the time.
It’s also been a great sounding board to share ideas and find readers for my work who have, in turn, offered wonderful constructive feedback on my own ambitions as a novelist.
For all the reasons above (and many more), I’ve decided to breathe life into the blog again.
Consider it Version 2.0.
It is now three years since my last novel was published and I miss the creative process and sharing my thoughts with the community. Interacting and reading their works. Learning from others and perhaps helping one another in the process.
Through my newsletter, I often got the feeling that throwing more books (especially free) at readers certainly reached a point of diminishing returns. Right now, I could download hundreds of titles through any number of promotions – whether it be BookFunnel, ProlificWorks/Instafreebie. There is no shortage of books available – though there is a shortage of real human connection between readers and authors.
That’s not something that can bought or bribed. Blogs and newsletters are a wonderful way to do that, and it took a while for that realization to set in for me.
I’ve made all my books free at various points in the last five years. I estimate I’ve given away around 20,000 short stories and novels. A small fraction (0.1%) have probably left reviews. I’d hazard a guess that those books are still sitting unread in many digital readers in the US alongside thousands of other stories on the ever-increasing TBR pile.
That is one reason I set up the Buy me a Coffee widget/link on my website.
Writing isn’t glamorous.
To paraphrase Stephen King, often it can feel like you’re shovelling shit from a sitting position. Buying a book from an author – especially an indie author – can be incredibly empowering. It’s recognition of the dozens of hours that have been put into creating the story. Everyone loves a freebie of course, but artists and writers needn’t suffer for their work.
Buying a coffee is an alternative to buying our book because it is a digital pat on the back – a way to say, ‘Well done’ or ‘Keep it going!’
If I had set it up sooner, perhaps I could have reinvested some of those donations into expanding my reach, but I felt a little uneasy asking readers back then. Now, having invested thousands of hours into writing stories, I’m less shy about asking for donations.
Anyway, I hope some of my followers from yesteryear are still alive and kicking.
If so, I would love to hear about what you are working on, what’s new and what your plans for world domination look like 🙂
Hello?… Is this thing on?
If you enjoy my blog, or have a guilty conscience about downloading all my life’s work gratis or have illegally downloaded my books AND your rich grandmother passed away leaving a considerable sum of money – you can say ‘thanks’ by buying me a coffee! (scones are optional)