I’ve been at this since 1986, and online since 2005.
Made my living the whole way—no viral hits, no windfalls, just grit, quality, and a metric ton of consistency. I’ve raised 13 kids on a single income as a fiction writer and illustrator, which, depending on who you ask, either makes me incredibly stubborn or just plain stupid.
Probably both.
Truth is traditional routes never worked for me.
As in e.v.e.r.
I’ve always felt like I was building my own vehicle while speeding downhill…brakes optional, instructions unwritten. This mindset shift you talk about—selling as part of the art—is exactly the kind of perspective I’ve needed someone else to say out loud.
I've always believed that, AND accepted it…but I'm BAD at it, apparently. Or not as good as I want to be, I should probably say.
We create these stories with so much heart, and yet the idea of selling them often feels like we’re betraying the very thing we poured our souls into.
Not true. My father was a marketing man. I grew up with it. I've been paid a great deal of money working on projects for others and always helped them hit success…always.
But it never worked for me, which I have found odd, frustrating and at times, discouraging.
And yet…selling IS creative. You’re absolutely right.
If we’re capable of crafting entire worlds, why wouldn’t we be capable of packaging and sharing them in equally imaginative ways?
That’s an artisan mindset I can get behind.
I’ve signed up for the Kickstarter notifications and I’m genuinely looking forward to this book.
After decades of being told “you’re doing it wrong,” I’m still here, still working, still building, …still making enough money to keep going, but always hoping for that one new perspective that opens the door I haven’t kicked in yet.
Maybe this is it.
At the very least, your words feel like they’re written by someone who gets it.
We’ve got some similar experiences, you and I. It’s just encouraging to see a fellow creator out there still experimenting, still adapting, still showing that there are other ways to thrive.
As I've said before, I've watched you and listened to you from the beginning. I liked you then, but considerably more now.
Yes! This all resonates. I think there's a COMMON path, but that doesn't mean it's the RIGHT or BEST path. It's just that a lot of people end up doing things the same basic way, and it works for them ... until it becomes too over-crowded because people then decide it's the ONLY way.
People who do things differently, like any artist, aren't doing anything wrong. It's just not common. But often, that's why it works best for an individual.
Since I moved my publishing to Draft2digital, Amazon is just one seed in the basket, and since ingram spark prints d2ds print on demand, I get to see my work in more places.
Now, if I could just get those places to put the books on the shelves. But that's my problem.
It's still something I have to work out, along with my own webpage.
Lurved the A-Ha! reference. One of my fav groups back in the day and the fact that they wrote a song for the James Bond movie "The Living Daylights" was icing on the cake. BWAHA!
Ha -- I had to look it up because for some reason I thought that was Duran Duran. But nope -- Duran Duran did View to a Kill. (Underrated song, actually.)
Thank you for calling writing art. Art is art whether anyone ever sees it, or reads it, or listens to it, but the sharing of it elevates the experience for artist and audience.
I do the Amazon thing, but I feel like there is a "me" way to do things and I'm looking forward to your book for some place to start, for prompts to think outside the box.
I'm lucky. I don't need to make a living by selling my writing, and I often tell people who liked my book to please share it. Okay, I'll take money for it too, but how fun would it be to find people who need my writing and never knew it until I found them? If I can learn to market that way? Oh boy, would my little artist heart be pleased.
Artisan Author. Me. You wrote a book for me. How kind of you.
Oh yes, I 100% believe that writing is art. For me, it goes a bit beyond self-expression. I think that art is anything that attempts to convey the creator's thoughts and emotions to someone else, like empathy in reverse. I also think it remains art even if nobody "consumes" it, because it's the intent to convey that matters. (But once someone DOES see or read it, art becomes collaborative and, in my mind, no longer wholly the creator's. That's a philosophical rabbit hole for another day.)
I think you'll really love the book. Thanks for being into it!
Thanks for the lovely reply, Johnny, and I'm sorry I missed it somehow since Tuesday! Empathy in reverse is brilliant. Philosophical rabbit holes are my forte, so I'm looking forward to your future posts too!
Johnny,
I’ve been at this since 1986, and online since 2005.
Made my living the whole way—no viral hits, no windfalls, just grit, quality, and a metric ton of consistency. I’ve raised 13 kids on a single income as a fiction writer and illustrator, which, depending on who you ask, either makes me incredibly stubborn or just plain stupid.
Probably both.
Truth is traditional routes never worked for me.
As in e.v.e.r.
I’ve always felt like I was building my own vehicle while speeding downhill…brakes optional, instructions unwritten. This mindset shift you talk about—selling as part of the art—is exactly the kind of perspective I’ve needed someone else to say out loud.
I've always believed that, AND accepted it…but I'm BAD at it, apparently. Or not as good as I want to be, I should probably say.
We create these stories with so much heart, and yet the idea of selling them often feels like we’re betraying the very thing we poured our souls into.
Not true. My father was a marketing man. I grew up with it. I've been paid a great deal of money working on projects for others and always helped them hit success…always.
But it never worked for me, which I have found odd, frustrating and at times, discouraging.
And yet…selling IS creative. You’re absolutely right.
If we’re capable of crafting entire worlds, why wouldn’t we be capable of packaging and sharing them in equally imaginative ways?
That’s an artisan mindset I can get behind.
I’ve signed up for the Kickstarter notifications and I’m genuinely looking forward to this book.
After decades of being told “you’re doing it wrong,” I’m still here, still working, still building, …still making enough money to keep going, but always hoping for that one new perspective that opens the door I haven’t kicked in yet.
Maybe this is it.
At the very least, your words feel like they’re written by someone who gets it.
We’ve got some similar experiences, you and I. It’s just encouraging to see a fellow creator out there still experimenting, still adapting, still showing that there are other ways to thrive.
As I've said before, I've watched you and listened to you from the beginning. I liked you then, but considerably more now.
Thanks for writing this.
—Jaime Buckley
Yes! This all resonates. I think there's a COMMON path, but that doesn't mean it's the RIGHT or BEST path. It's just that a lot of people end up doing things the same basic way, and it works for them ... until it becomes too over-crowded because people then decide it's the ONLY way.
People who do things differently, like any artist, aren't doing anything wrong. It's just not common. But often, that's why it works best for an individual.
Since I moved my publishing to Draft2digital, Amazon is just one seed in the basket, and since ingram spark prints d2ds print on demand, I get to see my work in more places.
Now, if I could just get those places to put the books on the shelves. But that's my problem.
It's still something I have to work out, along with my own webpage.
I hope you also know that Ingram also sells on Amazon, and you can link the books?
You probably do -- but I always try to remind writers of that.
Too many are unaware. I use them for hardback only.
"Writing books is a process that involves facing and solving problems over and over again." That will never not be true! Always good thoughts here!
Great advice. And yup got the A-Ha reference too.
Now it's in my head.
Lurved the A-Ha! reference. One of my fav groups back in the day and the fact that they wrote a song for the James Bond movie "The Living Daylights" was icing on the cake. BWAHA!
Ha -- I had to look it up because for some reason I thought that was Duran Duran. But nope -- Duran Duran did View to a Kill. (Underrated song, actually.)
Agreed! Love that song, too!
Excited to see where you go with this! I'll be watching the Kickstarter and look forward to future installments. 🙌🏼
Hey Chris! Always great to hear from you. Thanks for the well-wishes and hope you're doing awesome yourself.
I hadn’t heard of D2D til this article, so thank you for the heads up on something to look into.
Oh yeah, they're awesome!
Bravo 👏 interesting ideas to think about
Lots to think about (as always). Thank you.
You're taking all the unconscious assumptions of publishing out to the whipping shed. I'm glad to see it. Keep it coming!
Johnny,
Thank you for calling writing art. Art is art whether anyone ever sees it, or reads it, or listens to it, but the sharing of it elevates the experience for artist and audience.
I do the Amazon thing, but I feel like there is a "me" way to do things and I'm looking forward to your book for some place to start, for prompts to think outside the box.
I'm lucky. I don't need to make a living by selling my writing, and I often tell people who liked my book to please share it. Okay, I'll take money for it too, but how fun would it be to find people who need my writing and never knew it until I found them? If I can learn to market that way? Oh boy, would my little artist heart be pleased.
Artisan Author. Me. You wrote a book for me. How kind of you.
Hey Jo!
Oh yes, I 100% believe that writing is art. For me, it goes a bit beyond self-expression. I think that art is anything that attempts to convey the creator's thoughts and emotions to someone else, like empathy in reverse. I also think it remains art even if nobody "consumes" it, because it's the intent to convey that matters. (But once someone DOES see or read it, art becomes collaborative and, in my mind, no longer wholly the creator's. That's a philosophical rabbit hole for another day.)
I think you'll really love the book. Thanks for being into it!
Thanks for the lovely reply, Johnny, and I'm sorry I missed it somehow since Tuesday! Empathy in reverse is brilliant. Philosophical rabbit holes are my forte, so I'm looking forward to your future posts too!