A lot of my blog posts this week had to do with money, wealth, and politics, so when I was searching for an old post to bring back, this one made me stop and reflect for a while. My opinions and perspective have changed a bit since I wrote it, but the fundamental message is… Continue reading 3am thoughts, or why everyone says to be an accountant (Blast from the Past: October 2013)
Tag: career decisions
What I would do if I were starting out now
In a word, short stories. Write a bunch of short stories. One or two a week if possible. Keep that up for a year or two, tapering off at the end to transition into novels. But keep writing short stories even after novels have become the main focus. Make a serious effort while writing short… Continue reading What I would do if I were starting out now
Write every day or quit now?
Hoo-boy, do a bunch of writers have their panties in a twist over this article. Who would have thought that the suggestion to “write every day” could be so triggering? Not just for aspiring writers, either, but for Hugo-award winning authors as well. I’m being a jerk, of course. So is Stephen Hunter. But he isn’t… Continue reading Write every day or quit now?
Rethinking free
I recently read an interesting blog post on Dean Wesley Smith’s blog, about how, how not, and whether to make your books free. The conclusion he comes to is this: Free is short time, limited supply, and never on the major bookstore shelves. In other words, no permafree, no free pulsing, and no publishing free… Continue reading Rethinking free
Writing is not a business
I recently read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. It’s a fantastic book, not only because it gives you a basic education on financial literacy, but because it gives you a solid foundation for making money in general. It’s one of those books that really deserves its bestseller status. About midway through reading it,… Continue reading Writing is not a business
The timelessness of novels
Every few months, an article about the “death of the novel” makes the rounds on the internet. This subject, the impending doom of one of literature’s most enduring forms, is a perennial favorite for bookish handwringers everywhere. If it isn’t ebooks that’s going to kill the novel, it’s millennials, the internet, our dwindling attention spans, or… Continue reading The timelessness of novels
Thoughts on series and perma-free
For the last five years, the conventional wisdom among most indie writers has been to write short books in sequential series and make the first book permanently free. It’s a strategy that works, to a certain extent. It’s what got me from making pizza money on my book sales to making a humble living at this… Continue reading Thoughts on series and perma-free
Can you make a living writing short fiction?
This question has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks, ever since I made a couple of semi-pro story sales. From all of the classes and conventions I’ve attended, the answer has been no, but I’m starting to wonder if that hasn’t changed in the last few years. First of all, it’s worth pointing… Continue reading Can you make a living writing short fiction?
Why SSF-V: Captives in Obscurity won’t be coming out in January
Okay, so here’s the deal. Back in May, I made what might possibly be the worst mistake of my entire publishing career: I severely underpriced all of my Star Wanderers books. For the year and a half leading up to that decision, sales had been declining rather steadily, and I was getting rather desperate for some way to reverse… Continue reading Why SSF-V: Captives in Obscurity won’t be coming out in January
The Self-Sufficient Writer: Lifestyle Choices
Before I go on with this series, I feel I should take a step back and discuss the topic of lifestyle choices. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines lifestyle as “the typical way of life of an individual, group, or culture.” According to Wikipedia, this includes “interests, opinions, behaviors, and behavioral orientations,” and is constrained by things… Continue reading The Self-Sufficient Writer: Lifestyle Choices