News and Notes from the Writing Desk: June Edition

I'm trying to keep busy this summer (like that's hard to do). Here are some updates:

What I'm Working On:

By studying the entire independent publishing industry, much of which I probably still know little about, I've realized that while four pieces/projects/books/whatever-it-is is a good goal for writing, it's not a practical schedule for publishing. An indie writer has to be ready with the next-big-thing as soon as the buzz dies down from the most recently published once-big-thing.

My project for the month is not one, not two, but three romance novellas. These will be sweet romances where readers will be eager to find out whether the main characters thrown together as temporary roommates will eventually see that they were made for each other (spoiler alert: they are, and each book will rise to the height of the first kiss). The series is based around the specific place rather than the same cast of characters, so there will always be new people to meet.

The reason for waiting until three are complete? I want to have backups when the first book's sales drop off. Whenever these are ready, they'll be on KDP Select and probably only available as an ebook for a time so that it's easier to managing sales and freebies. That means I can't explore other retailers with this set of work, but having only one sale outside of Amazon in the past five years has taught me that other retailers don't hold the same weight as Amazon. I have to go where the most potential for sales would be, at least until I've established a bigger audience.

Once all three novellas have fallen from their brand spankin' new status? They'll get bundled into a box set, of course, which appears as something new, and gives new readers a chance to get a bargain on all three. It's a good plan, but whether I can execute it in the timeline that I give myself, I'm not sure.

What I'm Reading:

Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad books. So bad I won't even call them out by name. Not all of them, of course, but two of them are ready to get some harshly worded reviews next week. These books are not at all what they portray themselves as, either by synopsis or by average review, and that's getting on my nerves.

What I Wish I Was Doing:

Um, I don't know... writing more? Having more new patrons to get to know on Patreon? I would say traveling the world, but I would be lucky if I add half a mile to my weekend bike route.

Oooh! I know! Getting more reviews! I found a new site that does daily emails like BookBub and FreeBooksy that is way more within my budget for promotions. The problem is I still have to meet the minimum requirement of ten reviews (a four or five-star average) on a single title before I qualify. I wasn't going to use the promotion until I had something new to put out, but in order to get a new book in, one of my previous books has to meet the ten review requirement. I'm still very willing to give digital copies of my books for free, but I really need the review if anyone ever decides to request one. Or, you could just drop $1 a month on Patreon and get digital access to all of my books instantly. You know, whatever gets you in the mood for some book review love.

Where These Roads Lead

I finally did it--I took a dozen boxes of junk and got rid of it all. Okay, that's not entirely true. There are a couple of boxes left, but it is so much better than it was before. I feel relieved. I didn't need any of that stuff, and I know that it will still have another life with someone else that will enjoy it, whether it was clothes, books or anything else I seemed to be holding on to for no reason.

With me the celebration is usually very short, and this little victory was no different. I got rid of all my stuff for a specific reason--I wanted to leave where I am and end up somewhere else. As soon as the boxes were out of the garage, I clearly expected a miracle to occur. There was nothing. I'm not surprised. I constantly look for answers and never find them. I only look and find the avenues that I know aren't right for me. At least that's a start.

This week hasn't been kind to any plans I may have formulated. I lost a freelance job I thought was going to be long term, I didn't win a grant I thought I had a real shot at winning and all I'm left with are daydreams. I have reached a point where it seems the only answer is to just walk out the door. There's no thinking or planning involved. I just go. People do it all the time and seem to find a way to create something out of nothing. I usually end up with more of nothing, if that's possible.

Photo: Pixabay.com

There's a deep pit of desire inside that just wants to take me everywhere. Even my usual plans aren't satisfying dreams anymore. I don't just want a city at my disposal, I want the whole world now. I want to see every inch of it. I think this case of wanderlust is so bad because summer is right around the corner. I tell myself every year this will be my golden summer, the summer of all summers, the one I never forget. I always end up in the same places, doing the same things and not enjoying any of it.

The cure? Become a travel writer. I have plenty of experience writing travel copy for amazing destinations around the world--though all of this work is anonymously floating around the Internet and has no hint of the unique voice I could have given it had I really experienced it.

My rational side has already thoroughly vetted this career option. Most travel writers cannot become travel writers without a long history of, you know... traveling. The current market for travel writers has also become so overcrowded that even if you get a gig or two, it only pays a fraction of what it used to, which is never enough to cover the travel expenses you accumulate trying to get inspired in the first place.

I may have cleaned out the garage, but there's still a lot of thoughts and fears cluttering my mind. Progress is still appearing as a tiny dash on a long, winding road.