I wrote 40 books in 4 years: here's what i learned
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- čas přidán 24. 08. 2024
- For four years I tried my best to follow the indie writer rapid release strategy, putting out a paranormal or fantasy romance book almost every month! It was tiring & I did a lot of things wrong, but it made me a better & faster writer.
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See the title
Brandon Sanderson: Finally, I've meet a worthy adversary.
LOL! His books have to be like 2-5x the size of mine though
I was just about to comment exactly this 😂
Even at 5x, that's 8 books in 4 years. Quite a bit of writing if you ask me.
really glad this popped up on my feed - this is a super interesting perspective, thanks!
I agree, Mr. Thing.
I know this guy, from other places!
czcams.com/video/ZgR1VPqQnto/video.html
did not expect to see you here mancarryingthing
I'm expecting you to start pushing out some spicy romantasy books soon Jake. Don't let me down.
even his youtube recomendation algorythm never misses (or at least as much as mine, because this video also poppen randomly in my feed xd)
I took notes:
1. It is ok to write some shitty books.
2. Get in touch with your inner teenager.
3. You must enjoy yourself.
4. Craft an outline. It’s ok to recycle plot framework.
5. Accept that you can’t control how much someone will ultimately enjoy your work.
6. Find a method of marketing that feels authentic and sustainable for you.
Thanks! Definitely don't need to write 40 books to reap those rewards
1. But will there be any books at all, that are not shitty, if you write a novella a month? I can't fathom this.
Well, as long as you don't ask people to pay money for your results, it's fine to just do all this.
You say witty and sarcastic things in such a calm demeanour. You seem like the type of writer who likes to torture your characters. I like that.
Accurate, haha
(Though does any writer NOT like torturing their characters?)
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor (There definitely are, but .. still ... totally fair! 🤭🤭😁💖 LOLL😊)
“I don’t get all the people, but I get MY people.”
And, your people get you. Every audience should have an author that gets them. Well done.
Aw, that is true. No better feeling than having an author to read that you click with.
That "this is how literature dies" quip got me really thinking. I don't know why but it feels like the straw that broke the camel's back. I think I've been too worried about not being worthy enough to write. I don't know where this line of belief came from, but I'm sick of it. When I look back over the last 10 years I could have probably made at least 5 books by now, that's me low balling it. I've let myself stagnant in some self fulfilling prophecy. My brain basically came to conclusion that if literature is going to die then the goddamn it I'm going to either contribute and killing it or I'm going to end up being so good at it that I'll revitalize it.
That's a really good way of putting my current mood as well!! It's better just to go for things. I was really paralyzed about finishing stuff and/or doing anything with it for years, so I get it, but I never really progressed until I got past that stage.
I just refuse to write crap. I grew up reading crap until high school, then discovered real literature. And while I didn't like all of it (Bronte), most of it was life-changing (Shelley, Salinger). So ever since then I've been a fanatic of the idea that literature is art and if it isn't the purest summit of your entire creative talents, then it's not worth doing. If literature is "dying" it's because there's too many mediocrities being promoted to artisans and destroying the discipline.
@@thatvalensteingirl See, you get it!
I've been paralyzed by perfectionism for years, too. The breaking point for me was when I was listening to someone's in-depth review of Modelland and the whole way thru it I was thinking that while it didn't sound like a particularly good book, it DID sound like it was a blast to write. It made me want to join in and write my own silly nonsense. I haven't published anything yet, but I am having a great time.
Best of wishes to ya!!! 👏🏻👏🏻😁💖
Do you know how many books I didn't allow myself to finish because I beat myself up into believing they were not "perfect" enough? Decades worth! This is the most honest writing advice I"ve ever heard. Thank you!! 💖 (You're also hilarious and made my day!)
Thank you!! Yes, just finish those books because none of them will EVER feel perfect, that's for sure!!
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor Thank you! ❤
As someone who’s been trying to write a book for the last 7 years, I needed this. Thank you.
As an aspiring author, thank you so much for the candid advice!!
I'm so glad it was helpful! Good luck!
I used to work at a Christian bookstore and there were some authors who wrote DOZENS and DOZENS of books. They found a formula and then just edited it for each book and people loved it.
Yes, there are definitely authors considerably more prolific than me. One of my Facebook friends writes Christian romances as Liz Isaacson and she is mega-prolific!
Honestly sounds better than my 0 books in 28 years.
Burnout is like the most productive mental health problem
I love the line “your art has worth”. That really hit me. Thanks for inspiring me to write again!
I really needed to hear this. I've been looking at my ideas in a "this needs to hit a large audience" instead of a "this is the story I want to tell". The worry of writing a book and it not getting attention is still on my mind, but it's very nice to hear your perspective on things. I want this journey to be fun, not something where I'm worried too much about the numbers.
I love what you had to say about dropping what you "should" do and focusing on having fun. The last year or so I did the same thing, instead of focusing on stuff like what is gonna get me the most views on youtube or crafting the "perfect" video or project, I started just doing whatever seemed really fun at the time. And honestly I've made some of my favorite videos and projects due to that. They're certainly far from perfect, but I feel much more interested in what I'm making now and more motivated to actually MAKE it.
Oh my goodness this video is probably one of the best things I have ever watched on authortube. I am definitely saving this for those hard days when I get down about my writing and publishing. I just found your channel and I am so excited. I hope you do more videos like this, it was everything I needed to hear!! I have been indie publishing for about 3.5 years and have put out 20 books and written probably 30-35 (I stopped counting a while ago lol). My main goal is to be prolific, and just get all the ideas I have in my head on paper and in book form. But so often I worry about the marketing and publishing side, or I feel insecure about maybe not writing the best books of my career, or bad reviews etc and your take on things is just such a breath of fresh air. I love how you just seem so relaxed about writing, to me writing is often a source of stress even though I love it, because I just feel like there’s so many things I should be doing or ways I should be improving, but this makes me feel like, Hey maybe I should just calm down and focus on the fun and channel my teenage self 😄 It reminds me of an adage I heard from Dean Wesley Smith that transformed my whole mindset around writing: “Dare to be bad.” Sometimes we just need to focus on having a blast with our worlds and our characters and not spend so much time worrying if it’s “good” or not! 😆 Thank you for making this video, I’m definitely subscribing!!
Oh thank you, that is so good to hear! My channel is new but I've been planning it for a while, as I've been watching a lot of authortube & CZcams in general and thinking about various topics I want to do, and I keep adding more to the list based on comments and questions! If there is any topic you really love to see videos on, let me know!
I've totally been through that phase where writing was more stressful than fun and ohhh the bad review stress. I think I've been through allll the cycles at this point, LOL...but a lot of the things that I loved most as a reader or fan, the things that stuck with me, were kind of cringe or not the most sophisticated, but the characters, emotions, or atmosphere just resonated. I also think we are not great at deciding for ourselves what is actually "good" or will succeed...I definitely have a whole video on that topic in the queue...
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor thank you so much for replying! I would love to see more sit down videos talking about the mindset you have around your writing career, maybe even what your daily writing routine looks like. I’d be interested to hear your perspective on marketing and see if you have any tips!
I completely agree and I can’t wait to see that video you have in the queue on this topic! Also just watched your homeschooling video, and as someone who was homeschooled for most of my life I absolutely loved it!
Thank you for the input! I will add daily routine to the list for sure! We'll see if I still know how to market myself when the Broken Queen releases...😂@@chyzanne
You showed up on my feed and I just had to click on 40 books in 4 years! That’s so impressive idk how anyone can do it! I write so much and only seem to be able to do 3-4 books a year!
I just published my first book last Jan and have another one coming out this month. I love hearing about your experience. Can’t wait to watch more of your content. ❤
It did take me quite a while to build up to that level of prolific-ness, I will say. I was a 1-2 books a year girl for the first ten years I was writing seriously.
3-4 books a year is insane, especially if you are a student or employee outside of your personal writing. I write 1-2 books a year plus short fiction as a student right now. Be proud of yourself and focus on quality over quantity, don’t compare your processes to others and focus on making your stories the highest quality and as much of something you love as possible.
This resonates. I've written several books too, and the thing that stands out is how there is no perfect story that satisfies all readers, even within a sub-genre, so you're absolutely right to value your own art. Thanks for recording this.
This felt like a warm hug from a fellow writer. Thank you! 💖
Remember Shakespeare was considered trash in his time.
38.25 (lol) books in 4 years is an incredible achievement. And I’m glad you feel able to slow your pace down and make things a little easier for yourself. I like that you emphasized having fun while you do it. It reminded me that process is as important as product, at least for the creator. Thanks for the video!
Your channel will be big. Love the honesty and the behind-the-scenes of your writing career.
Thanks for the reminder about time management. I’m not a writer, but I am a creative and I needed that reminder today. I suffered from really bad burnout for a few years after shutting down my shops during the pandemic/brexit and now I’m struggling to figure out what to focus on again.
I'm currently working on my first book, well deep into the editing stages. It feels like I've been editing for months now... I've definitely decided, that my next book will be some silly fun spice. That is what I like reading and I figure it will be easier to write and sell (fingers crossed) than my current project. The current book is about childhood, toxic family dynamics, and isolation... with some spice mixed into it. The audience for that is probably small, but I am too deep now :)! Thanks for the video! There are some good insights, into the reality of self-publishing. I am tapping into the same traps you have been.
LOL, I really identify with this description. I know I tend to put too much, I don't know, psychology maybe, into what is supposed to be just a fun romance. Always glad to know I'm not alone in this!! Best of luck to both of us...
Fushigi Yuugi! I think we just became best friends.
And yes, taking inspiration from all sorts of sources is great for breaking out of a slump AND keeping momentum.
Yes!!!!! Fushigi Yuugi is the best! I still love it, I hope we get more Byakko Senki manga soon...seems like manga creators get a whole other level of burnout though.
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor I never managed to get my hands on the manga, but with ease of access digitally now... I should definitely try.
Oh my gosh, definitely! If you haven't read the Genbu Kaiden manga, it is SUCH a treat. Definitely as good as the original, and I liked the MC better...I really wish they'd done an anime of it!@@TheDarqProject
My strategy is having a day job. I never write anything I don't want to write. It also takes me years to produce anything because I keep tweaking it. But I'm having fun.
Finding your audience is best thing you can do. Those you will find your superfans. Uping your skill will only take you so far.
Yes...that's a great way to sum it up. Skill becomes very subjective after a point.
This is the most enlightening video on literature writing I've seen i think! Thank you so much
This was really interesting! I like your concept of not writing books that hit for everyone, but ultimately finding your own niche audience.
All right. So, whenever I see someone has written an overwhelming number of books in a short period time, I get insanely jealous. HOWEVER! Your video has been a refreshing change of attitude for me. The way you explain what you learned through this journey was comforting and didn't create this insane competitive desire that I normally get.
I'm one of those authors where my short stories take me 2 years to finish and it frustrates the hell out of me. Any attempt to get faster has only led to me taking longer and longer to complete a work. What you covered in this video made me feel so much better about my own insecurities. The shortcuts you mentioned make a lot of sense and I could see how prolific authors become so fast.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful advice. This was a really great video and you've earned a mad amount of respect from me in regards to completing so many books and all you've learned from the journey.
Wow, every bit of this video is exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and advice.
😊
your chill attitude helped me relax a bit, thanks for that :)
I feel like your words have put up at ease the worries and concerns that eat my brain everyday when it comes to writing. Thank you for sharing your experiences. This is super valuable 🙏
I really love the authenticity of this video. Thank you for being vulnerable!
The "you dont know what people are giving up to do this" really resonated with me. I work, study, and do youtube, i balance a lot but have to give up a lot of time and social occasions to do it. Can't wait to see more 🌱
I just found your videos (this is the 2nd one I watched, I believe) and I really appreciate how authentic and candid you are. As an aspiring author (I have self-published one book so far), I really needed to hear some of the things you said. Like to chase the fun instead of some elusive craft holy grail. It's nice to hear that someone else feels the same about marketing as I do (your retrospective "too much" was particularly poignant). So thanks for being here on CZcams doing what your doing
You make SO many good, relatable points that I immediately started quoting bits of this video to my writing friends and sent them the link! It's so refreshing to hear about your experiences with fast release. I'm still recovering from severe burnout from my self-employed creative job that pays the bills outside of writing, and am restructuring, so this video came at the perfect time. Thank you for the validation and perspective, lots to think about 🥰
Oh wow, I'm so glad it was that helpful!!
This video came to me right when I needed it most. Thank you for sharing your experiences. ❤
New favorite authortuber alert! The algorithm finally did me a solid, and I had to watch all your videos. I second the comment for a video about your inspirations!
Oh thank you!! That will definitely be a video for the near future!
I'm 2 years into my goal of writing 119 books in 5 years. That looks like finishing a first draft in a day most of the time. This was so inspiring to see someone else at that level of being prolific. I couldn't be more proud of you
Wow, that is a very ambitious goal indeed, and very impressive to already be almost halfway through it! Take care of yourself along the way and good luck! Thank you for your kind words =)
Wow how do you even come up with an idea a day let alone write an outline
I came up with the ideas in August 2022 ! For outlines I do a zero draft :)@@i.wright2106
Quality over quantity
Duh@@jonpendragon2066
One of these days I'm going to do an investigative essay about the influence of The Purple Eye'd MC, cause that really is a strangely specific trend I've seen in fiction - particularly fantasy - ever since I first started reading as a child.
The funny thing is, it's been a thing since even before the term "Mary Sue" was coined.
I'm glad to meet another prolific writer. I wrote 26ish poetry books in 10 years, It's easy to burn out but also important to solidify your good series more. Props to keeping your books up. I took mine down. If I could start over, I would just publish the best first, and keep the rest in queue until or mix them into volumes.
Are you considering doing that? I've definitely taken some of mine down to rework because I improved either as a writer or for how I wanted to present my fantasy world as a whole.
There at least two indie poets that I know off out there making it work, so there are examples to look at and interviews from them on indie podcasts/CZcams. There's probably more than two obviously I just don't know them.
Thanks for going over the history of misogyny of book publishing. It oddly makes me feel better it's always been happening.
Yeah, it's no surprise really is it -_-;; I still see it at the bookstore where I work, from women and men alike, dissing romance more than pulpy sci-fi for example
Crazy... last I heard Danielle Steele was the highest grossing writer of all time.
My bad... it is Just Kidding Rowling.
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor look up a list of pulp authors. I often hear it used as an insult, but most would be thrilled to be on the same list as those authors. All it meant was your books were being printed on cheap paper for the masses. It was used as an insult, but it's like being called a swot/boffin, its utterly without weight as an insult. Similarly, trying to insult romance as a genre is bonkers. What, you mean like Pride and Prejudice, or Much Ado about Nothing. The thing to remember about these people is they generally don't have any clue whatsoever about books, literature, the entire purpose of fiction or even basic history.
Not that their nonsense doesn't get your back up as a visceral reaction, but the conscious part of your brain is within rights to dismiss them as non-entities.
@@jonevansauthor Honestly it doesn't bother me that much, but I do want to make it very clear that my channel is not a space to disparage romance, pulp, or indie authors. Especially since I am pivoting away more into fantasy and writing slower, which some people have taken like "oh good for you that you don't have to write that trashy romance anymore".
This is so great thank you for talking about this and being an inspiration! Love how honest and light hearted this whole thing is
OMG, you are the most adorable, lovable being, and I am so happy you decided to start making CZcams videos! This is the second one I have watched, and I enjoyed hearing your perspective again so much. Being a writer is such a strange, mysterious and often lonely road, so you’re doing a real service to the community by sharing your (very informed) experience, with so much candour. You have a new fan and subscriber in me. Please keep going - you’re great! ❤
Thank you so much! My propensity to be too honest finally has a use, lol
I have suffered from too much honesty all my life, too. 😂 Please keep going - you’re really great! 😍
This was really interesting. I do not read the type of books you write, but I enjoyed seeing behind the curtain of the life of a real writer. I do wish you the best! Cheers
47 year old male here, and I’m an aspiring cozy fantasy writer. I just wanted to say that your video is very inspiring and helpful to me
Yay for more cozy fantasy!
Well hi there! I've spoken to you on FB and I didn't even realize you were on here. :) I enjoyed this candid chat. I burned out during 2019 and then the plague knocked me over even more. I kept on keeping on, but I lessened my output. Now, I feel okay with doing three books a year. I just can't do more and enjoy life.
Alisha! Hi! Good to see you here! That's not surprising, I know you've also built up quite a catalog. I'm also thinking three books a year is a reasonable pace these days. I could end up writing more if inspiration really gets me, but I'm only aiming for three.
This video is brilliant. As a fellow writer, who's struggling to earn a living without being overwhelmed, I connected with so many of the points you made. Thank you for the advice. I've felt burnt out on countless days. I'll try to focus on maintaining my passion for the craft, rather than becoming a book machine.
Happy that I found your video. I've been very nervous about getting into writing. I constantly have dreams of what to write to the point it stops me from everything cause of constant thinking/day dreaming from world building, fantasy, so many genre, but I never act on it. This video is helping me push myself to at least put the first letter down. Thank you, you have a new subscriber.
That sounds like most of us to be honest - imposter syndrome is a very real thing but all the information you need to get your first book finished is out there for free and you don't need anyone's permission. World building is great fun for fantasy and sci-fi and its easy to get bogged down in it - just as easy as it is to not make enough world building notes and then have to re-read your early chapters to verify a characters name or eye colour :D You can do it if you want, don't be discouraged and best of luck.
Great video. Some of Dostojevskis work was written rapidly because he needed to pay the bills. Just saying :)
Thank you for doing this video. I'm in the stage where I'm about to give up on my writing. You just hit the nail on the head. I CAN"T do it all and I'm tired of feeling like my writing is crap. Then I feel bad because I let other things go for my writing. Then when I stop writing, I feel bad about not writing. Plus I had several bad situations with publishers and movie directors that have me not wanting to deal with the traditional publisher. I feel I can't make it in this writing world.
I totally get it. It's very hard to balance all of this.
Such an honest discussion. I really enjoyed (and appreciated) that. Subscribed.
Not a romance author, but many things you’re saying are really helping me in my journey! Thank you for making this!
I really enjoyed your video! As a fellow writer, I found myself in the exact same position of just being overwhelmed with trying to keep up with what others said an author "had to do" for marketing. I got burned out and didn't write a book for two years. Now this year, I'm focused and have slowed down. All I'm doing for marketing now is just running pre-orders for kindle books, running fb ads, and then whatever else I'm in the mood to do. I write from Monday to Friday from 1pm to 4 or 5pm, and get about 5k words per day. I could so related when you said all you want to do is just tell a story. That's what I'm focusing on this year; the story-telling! And I'm happier than I've been for a long time! I've subscribed!
It's good to hear I'm not the only one! It's so exhausting! Glad you seem to have figured out a better balance too.
The title drew me in and then I liked this video a lot! I subscribed and hope to see your videos do well and pop up on my feed.
I needed this today. Thank you.
I absolutely loved the honesty here. Thank you so much for sharing this part of your journey. I have been writing for 20 years but did not even know that rapid release was indeed a strategy. I learned a lot. Pain is indeed a powerful teacher.
This is so helpful. Please, please make more videos about what you've learned from writing so many books because you said so many gems. I would love to know more about the bigger lessons you learned that you know now vs. years ago when you were just starting. Thanks for sharing!
Ooh, thank you for the ideas, I will definitely put that on my list.
with all the harlequin romances, this is nothing NOTHING new. also wow? its you!!! i encountered your books a while ago and i've read a few. beauty is my very favorite! thank you so much for the advice. i have been writing forever and i want to publish eventually.
Not new at all! I was actually so surprised that some people thought this video was clickbait or impossible... That's awesome that you've already read Beauty!
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor its weird that writing fast is seen as some kind of superpower, but if you were to tell people you'd done three appendectomies before lunch, no-one would gainsay you.
I hate fantasies but I loved your Thumbnail and video title! I agree, it's much more useful to listen to someone's lessons learned than to hear about their easy success. I witch you much luck!
Everyone is welcome to hang out here, I personally don't get mystery (although I do sometimes read them for the characters) so I won't judge if you hate fantasy, LOL. I feel like a lot of info online is about big success, or struggling newbies, not as much about the ups and downs of the "midlist". Glad you enjoyed it!!
Although I dont think I've read one of your books, you write exactly what I read. You popped up in my fyp, glad I found you.
Another great video, Liydia! I'm many years older than you, but you always have something to teach me. Your honesty is so refreshing!
Oh that's too kind! Thank you!
I'm a star burning up right now! But I do hope by the time I really burn out I have a nice settled home life to soothe myself with. Another great video. I am so into this "embrace cringe" life, catering to your teen self... This month I probably lost a whole week of productivity just by being entranced with Hazbin Hotel, which like... On one hand is very embarrassing, but on the other, my friend and I have been doing our own Heaven/Hell AU RPs, and it is so exciting how spinning off the existing dynamics of Hazbin has naturally progressed into it's own twists and turns. So much fun! It's easy to write a ton when it all just seems to be falling into place!
Yes, I think it's pretty normal to be that burning star for a time, especially if things are going well! I just like to warn everyone that you might burnout, and it can be sudden and hard sometimes. I wish I had thought about this more when I was younger.
Have you watched the ContraPoints Twilight video? It's really long so I'm not done with it yet but she talks a lot about why Twilight is appealing despite being "cringe" and even though I'm not a big Twilight person, I was like yesssss, it's a great analysis of the brilliance of all sorts of trashy, cringey, and commercial entertainment.
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor YES, I loved the Contrapoints video and actually thought of it while I was watching this one! It was interesting especially because I feel like Contrapoints videos are rarely "about me", but that one definitely was.
Yes, I totally agree, I told Dade the video explained my entire personality, LOL...I just need to finish watching it@@IvyAlive
I have seen potters decide to go into production mode and burn out in a year or two. They only get wholesale pricing, they work long hours, and they no longer feel creative because they start hiring other people to work on their production designs.
Yes, I've seen some talk like that on visual artist's channels too... The Cottage Fairy had a video about that very thing recently.
Glad I came across this! I’m interested in checking out the trilogy and the Beauty and the goblin king. The only place I’ve ever found good reverse harem is through fanfiction and anime 😂. Too funny I’m actually currently watching Fushigi Yugi in entirety for the first time.
Well I will say one reason I stopped writing reverse harem is that I kept reading other indie RH that were popular to see where trends were going and I didn't love any of them. And basically the only ones I LIKED were written by my actual friends...so...I started thinking, "I am probably not writing what anyone wants in this space..."
Thanks for the down-to-earth chat. Really needed it.
Thank you, I've been struggling with revision and perfectionism for the past 6 months and getting nothing actually accomplished.
Have to say, you've been releasing some really solid videos. I really like personable vibe to your channel and the insights you give on your journey so far, this is some super awesome content! 🙌
This is actually pretty good advice
Really excellent video, glad I came across this. I love the way you talk in general, it's very personable and open and friendly. +1 subscriber!
I'm so happy I found your channel! Thank you for sharing your story!
I'm so glad I found your channel. Thank you for sharing this!
welcome to youtube from a fellow 'have fun with it author!' (This is the first video of yours I've seen so, my welcome feels like it naturally should go here.) Being on youtube, I think it's easier to be your authentic self. Or maybe that's just me. And you have great points in your video. I feel writers should always write what they want to be reading. It's much less stressful!
You are so natural in front of the camera and have a great, warm presence. It was interesting to hear about your experience. Looking forward to more videos!
Thank you for being authentic and inspiring. I've been writing the stories and characters that I want to read. You know, the ones that rattle around in your mind for years wanting out. There is an antique chalk board in my entryway with the words "don't die with your stories still in you" written on it. It reminds me daily that I have something to share with the world. I hid my light for years under excuses of "real" life, I'm over that finally. I will publish in 2024. May the world bring the best as you continue your career.
I love your chalkboard message. I want to focus on the stories that mean the most to me while I still have time on this earth.
You have described my entire author career in one video 🖤
Love this video, thanks for sharing your experience :)
Woww of all the anime you mentioned fushigi is such an underrated one that i feel isnt talked about enough. Gained a new sub for that alone!!!
It's sooo good... I will never forget me and my sister just bingeing it (back when you had to buy bootleg VHS subs from somebody online somewhere) when our parents had long gone to bed, and crying over characters deaths, so it was hard to sleep...
I love your comedy. Makes this topic which I'm only tangentially connected to fun and interesting.
This resonated with me so much. I don't do rapid release but I do write a lot of books. I was trad but I went indie and I've never been sad about the change, but the amount of work and the choices you have to make to get the work done... that's so true. Great video! Subscribed!
I also started in trad! What genre were/are you in?
It's so different and I also don't regret it...especially since I have this big fantasy world in my head and that is SO hard to pull off with trad...BUT...well, those early indie years were actually kind of fun at first because everything was going so well and it felt liberating. Then it got sooo exhausting. I hope I can find some balance this year. Thanks for subscribing & I hope to see more of you!
It’s nice to hear some behind the scenes stuff.
I’m trying to write a book this year and complete it. I work 40 hours a week and it’s slow moving, but I’m still trying.
Your advice about having fun - I needed to remember that, so thank you so much. I have been pushing that indie publishing schedule now for ten years, just over a hundred books, so yes, it is hard, burn out can be a very real thing, although financially I had no choice but to push through it and ignore it's existence. It's almost ironic I watched this while waiting for my doctor's appointment. The stress does catch up with you. Definitely look after yourself above all else.
i might have been in the same boat if my father in law hadn't died. I had planned out a new PNR series to rapid release, though I was already considering taking a year to try going back to my old beloved fantasy world. It would have been very financially risky though. Selling off his stuff gave me more of a break and a cushion, although it was not very fun work.
This is illuminating honestly
Thank YOU! I'm publishing my 4th book, in one year, next month. I have 6 more books planned, 3 of which I've already started. One of which, I'm actually focusing on. Juggling all the stuff is freaking me out! I did rapid release with my debut trilogy and I thought I was gonna snap! My home, marriage, dogs, yard, garden, everything suffered. I'm now trying to relax more, find the balance with my, ahem, LIFE and my passion for writing. Your video has helped me remember that, while this is work, it should still be enjoyable. Fun needs to be had. This will transfer to my stories and then to my readers. Rock on, sister!
this was so fun to watch
That was interesting, thank you!
Great video and I love your style! I feel you on starting CZcams because it's how I enjoy taking in content. I've come to recognize that forcing myself to market in the way that drains my soul is not helpful to anyone, especially my creativity. I'm excited to see more of your videos and read your books! :)
Hats off to you for writing all that in four years. If I can do four a year that's going some for me! I totally hear what you say about social media. I hate it but I know I have to do it. Trouble is, I'm not really interested in the platforms myself so it's hard to think of content that anyone else would be remotely interested in. My life is very boring. I sit on my butt and write - a lot. So there's not much exciting posting material to be had there 😕
Asimov's autobiographies (and he wrote several) were always just him talking about how boring his life was because all he did was write...but I guess he didn't think all the writing was that boring after all, haha
Loved this. My first time on your channel: you are fun and informative. I ate it up.
So glad I found you. I am developing a co-authored series and today hit a rather serious hiccup in our world building. This video has opened the freedom for me to do writing independently and see where the series goes. Thank you.
I'm 100% behind you choosing to be yourself and choose to be on the platform you actually like. I don't personally read much self published fiction, but you've found this viewer here and I'm very interested to check out your work. See, it works!
Thank you! That's awesome!
Thank you for making this! As a fellow author, I really needed to hear this! 😊💙📚 Especially about the part of thinking as your teenage self and having fun. :)
About burnout -- I've been at YT for about 9 months now, uploading every week, so I decided to take a break. ^_^ I prepared 2 weeks of content this week, so I can take next week off. SO AWESOME 😋
And I definitely prefer YT over other socials, just like you. :) Got almost zero engagement on socials and have much more here on YT. :)
I absolutely love your channel! Your voice is so nice and you seem super knowledgeable as an indie writer. As an aspiring author it's inspiring to see what I suppose is a more average expectation of what it'd be like. Also, my cat likes your cat so I'm kind of forced to subscribe lol
Interesting. I went and bought one of your books halfway through this. Can't wait to read it. .
Wow, thank you!!
I'm so glad this come up on my feed sometimes I think I'm not doing enough and I m as shitty at marketing. This video make me reflect on that❤
This was AMAZING. Easy decision to subscribe. Thanks so much for your candor. And I love your outfit.
Oh wow! I recommend your 7 Figure Fiction to people CONSTANTLY!! You're a genius, I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. & thank you I have a thrift store addiction 😂
well done with writing so much
I love that you know that you are a good writer, and that your work has worth, even if it hasn't hit big commercially. I firmly believe that if you're able to work with something for as long as you have, and make a living of it, then you are most certainly good at what you do.
In this day and age it the competition to reach a spotlight has become very saturated, so it doesn't need to mean anything bad just because you don't "go big"..
I think starting in traditional publishing helps with confidence. In most cases you really usually do have to hone your craft to get through the gauntlet of agents and editors. An agent and editor is not only going to get you an advance payment, but they're going to spend SO many hours on your work. While there are lazy or trashy books in traditional publishing too...selling a debut novel is just HARD.
Thanks for speaking how I also feel about being an indie writer. 40 books is a lot, and you should be impressed and proud. I have several crappy ones and a couple good ones, and one good one on the way. At this point, it's like you said, I'm no marketer, I'm just in this for the love of the craft and the ability to put it out there. Maybe someday even make money from it.
This is good advice. I spend way too long on editing.
Takes me 4 years to write a novel. Finishing my second right now. Everything I do HAS to be original though or I simply can't force myself to do it. Was the same way 20 years ago when I wrote songs for my band in college. My album didn't do too well back then either. LOL. Right there with you on the marketing junk. Sometimes nothing seems to work even when you ARE on top over it all.