Let's talk about $$$!

Or, you know, whatever

So once in a while there will be a sale somewhere, like now, and one of my novels will be two bucks or .99¢ or whatever. When that happens, I get on social media (the best thing ever, yay) and plug that shit HARD. You know, because readers like cheap books and that’s fine. I’m a reader, so watch me preorder a bunch of books I’ll get galleys of anyway just because there’s a sale going and I know how much preorders help authors. Anyway! I’ve heard the whole, “But you’re telling people that a year and a half of your life and a chunk of your soul are only worth .99¢” argument and don’t agree with it. The work and the memories and the magic and the good old blood, sweat, tears, edits, more edits, another round of edits, and some more editing? I do that shit for free. I’m a writer. I’ll cry through the whole fucking process with a smile on my face. The work is what I do. Ah, but the stack of bills on my table cares little about my art. My bills demand monetary sacrifices. So I have to sell books, and selling something that’s only a dollar is about 19 times easier than selling something that’s twenty bucks. Remember: writing is art, but publishing is a business.

So I plug. And then I plug again the next day if the sale is still going on. And do you want to know what happens on that third day? Well, on that third day the voices start. Yo, you gonna hit them with a link again? For real? Listen, there’s only a certain amount of marketing bullshit folks are willing to put up with. You should be working on the novel and not wasting time posting the same thing everywhere. Amazon? Are you for real? I don’t give a fuck that you’d get half a dozen ebook sales if it wasn’t for Amazon, you fucking know how evil they are. Marketing, dude. You’re a writer. An author. A storyteller. Da fuck are you doing posting about this again? Loser. Go work!

And do you want to know what happens next, dear reader?! I usually get online and plug the thing. Yup. Not because I want to give my soul away for a buck (I already gave it to the Devil for a book contract…and the fucker still insisted on getting his name on the cover), but because I hope a cheap book might get me a new reader or two, which is priceless. Oh, and because of the money thing. You see, The Devil Takes You Home did okay. Indie Next, BOTM, the Edgar nomination, and the Stoker/Shirley Jackson wins helped a lot. House of Bone and Rain did…better than my indie novels! Hah. Shoutout to every author out there with a pre-2024-election pub date and shoutout to every author familiar with the sophomore curse! Long story short, I haven’t earned out. I’m looking at the future (and working for it!) but also not giving up on that. On earning out. I’ll climb that mountain a few pennies at a time. Fucking watch me.

Ah, the life of an author! Don’t worry. It’s still the best gig ever. These edits turned into a rewrite that’s killing me, but I’m doing it. Been doing it for months. Fuck a prompt; I’m building a career here, and without a contract and my editor gone from Mulholland, the novel I send my agent better be the best fucking thing I’ve ever written. So yeah, gonna get back to that. Oh, and yes, House of Bone and Rain is only $1.99 for your kindle. Want it? Get it HERE. Already read it? You’re the reason I do this, so my infinite thanks. A fellow author who hates marketing? I see you. Hugs. Stay awesome. Make art. Talk soon. Thanks for reading.