Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.
Would you like to be a bestseller or have a smaller, more manageable following?
Personally, the idea of fame and fortune does not appeal to me. Fame brings its own set of problems. Mostly, I would hate the inability to find solitude. And at my age, any more money than I can reasonably use is no benefit. If I suddenly acquired it, I would probably give it all away, to family or charity.
As for a bestseller, I have given away far more copies of my books, to reviewers and bloggers, than I have ever sold.
The main reason that I write and publish is because I can. It’s my hobby in retirement, like golf or fishing. I enjoy the actual writing, watching the story unfold in my head and writing it down. The steps involved in producing and publishing a well-presented novel are enough to keep my mind active.
Not only that, I find the whole process fascinating. I get a lot of pleasure from holding a paperback in my hand and knowing that I have been responsible for every stage in its creation.
A lot of people have taken time to criticise Amazon, and there are things that it does that I do not agree with. However, the one, undeniable thing that it has done is given everyone a voice. It has removed publishing from the grip of the self-proclaimed industry gatekeepers and put it in reach of anyone with a tale to tell.
Because of that, I can write and publish what I like,
I don’t have to satisfy the latest trends or write only that which is acceptable to (or approved by) the establishment. Nobody can tell me to amend my story, change the characters or location, make it conform to some mythical ideal.
We should all be grateful for that freedom. I have been able to read stories that would otherwise never have seen the light of day, from writers who are now friends, thanks to the power of self-publishing and social media. And people that I have never met have had the chance to read what I have written, and the opportunity to comment on it.
I have a small group of people who seem to read most of my books. Considering that I write in three separate styles within the Science Fiction genre (Space Opera, Steampunk and Cosy Crime), I’m quite pleased with the number of readers that I’ve attracted. I might not sell hundreds of books but as I only write as a hobby, and don’t do very much marketing, that’s fine by me. I currently have thirteen novels, two collections of short stories, a textbook and nine short reads available. The positive reviews I get are a great boost and encouragement, it means that I’m doing something right.
I consider myself extremely lucky that I’m able to write at a time where I can publish in the way I want.
What do you think, does fame and fortune appeal?
I’d love to get your comments, please leave them below. While you’re here, why not take a look around? There are some freebies and lots more content, about me, my writing and everything else that I do. You can join my newsletter for a free novella and more news by clicking this link.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this week’s thoughts, please go and check out the rest of the great blogs on the hop. Just follow this link.
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/73d77a3db20c4b3bad7f1e8069557e5d
Stevie Turner
Ha ha, I could do without the fame, but the fortune appeals greatly!
Richard Dee
It would be nice to make a little more profit on the deal, I probably break even after expenses, which is better than I could do playing golf. I’m lucky that there is no pressure on me to do so.
Lela Markham
I’m mostly breaking even, which was always my goal. Certainly, it doesn’t pay for my time, but I’d be spending that anyway. I think this week “Gathering In” may be in the black from its initial cost, which the first book in the series broke even nearly two years in. But I’ve always said all along that writers should write for their own amazement and then, if others love it too, we’ve got our reward.
Richard Dee
That works for me, I try to write what I would love to read. It’s nice that a few people seem to agree with my choice of words.
P.J. MacLayne
I’d love to do more than break even. I wouldn’t feel so bad about spending money on my books.
Richard Dee
Oh yes, I won’t deny that more would be good, but very often too much can bring its own problems.
Roberta Eaton Cheadle
I think that you and I have arrived at the same conclusion, Richard, via different thought processes. Writing needs to be pleasurable.
Richard Dee
That’s right, it’s why I started and if I can just write, without having to do much else, I’m contented.