Rock Out With $$$ (Can I Get a Self-Pubbed WHOOP WHOOP!!)

I am a math(s) geek and probably always will be. I love numbers and how factual they are. Like any good scientist (yes, I also loves me the science), I pithily say, "The numbers don't lie!" If your math(s) are right, you have your answer!

So.

The fact is that I am in a situation where $600/month (600*12 = $7,200/year) is an adequate income for me. I understand I am lucky in a few regards:

1. I live with my fiance who only requires I pay my own bills and stock the house with food. (No rent.)
2. My car payment is less than $188/month. (Rock on Riley, I love my 2006 Chevy Aveo!)
3. I sent home most of my income while I taught in Japan - thus paying down my bills more than average.
4. I am smart with money (AND MATH(s)!)
5. I have implemented the Snowball Effect as pertains to bills, so I am ahead of the curve.

I am planning on selling my current WIP for $3.99. Let's round my royalties from that to a nice number - $2.50.

At $600 needed a month, in increments of $2.50 payments:
600/2.50 = 240 books a month must be sold
Per year:
7200/2.50 = 2880 books a year.

My goal is to sell 1000 books by December 15th, 2011 (of my current WIP). I expect to have at least 1 other book completed and up for sale before then.

If I assume 3/4ths of my sales will be from Book 1 (based solely on the fact that it will be sold longer):
.75*2880 = 2,160 books will have to be Book 1.

Hmm, that's still higher my 1,000 goal.

But, if I make my goal to sell 1k of Book 1, and produce 2 books, I can break it down closer to something like this:
Book 1: 1000
Book 2: 700
Book 3: 400
Total: 2100... getting a lot closer to providing for myself!!

This also assumes a continuous $3.99 price point for all three. That may not necessarily be the case, in which, I will have shorter works but probably more of them. So, if I were to say:
Book 1: 1000
Prjct2: 700 (at $2.99 ~ @1.75/book)
Prjct3: 400
Prjct4: 100
Total $: ((1000*2.5)+[(700+400+100)*1.75]=$4,600/year. That's more than halfway to my goal :)

I don't know what I'll write this year, or how fast I'll write. I don't know how good the ideas that come to me will be (but I pledge to discard the lame ones). I think it would be a shame if I couldn't produce one more book this year, awesome if I could produce 2 and amazing if I could do more, and still have the level of quality I expect from myself.

From my random math(s) ramblings, I believe I could be self-sustainable within 2 years.

I would like that very much :)

Addendum:
Robin Sullivan posted this insight over in the comments of Konrath's blog:
1 book - 10 / month
2 books - 50-60 / month
3 books - 200-400 / month
4 books - 1,000 / month
5 books - 10,000 / month

So, according to that, if I have 3 good books out, my theory holds pretty true! Two years ahoy!

I Can Hear the Bandwagon, but I Can't Jump On

The indie community is really a thrilling place right now. It seems like everyday I find a new author out there - a living, breathing, pulsing, thinking organism who is jumping with both feet into indie publishing.

They say they've posted X number of books and are seeing between 1-15 sales a day, just on what they have up for sale. To me, even the idea of selling ONE book a day irrationally excites me. My work for consumption - what a dream!

I consider Aaron over at E-Publisher's Manifesto to be a good friend. I've followed his journey from Ground Zero as his sales have clawed their way up from 1/day to now 14/day! I see his success and cheer him... and also want it for myself.

I've touched a little before on how I gave up writing. I haven't finished that story for the readers yet, but I shall... I shall.

The point I want to make: I don't have a backlist of books to explode the face of the InTaRwEbS with my obvious genius. "Chains of Memory" is the first work I've finished...

In Ten Years.

It will be the only thing I have on Kindle, as I labor through my next piece.

Well, that's not entirely true. Along with Derek J. Canyon and 10 other authors (plus a few in the bonus section), we're putting together an indie anthology of which the proceeds will go to a (as yet unnamed) charity. THE ANTHOLOGY IS CALLED TWELVE WORLDS. (/end shameless plug)

But, we're looking at that around March. CoM will be up in the next ten to seventeen days. Even reading that terrifies me.

I do think finishing CoM has given me some serious momentum though. I jumped into the anthology and wrote my bit. It wasn't terribly long, but the idea burned pretty brightly in my mind. Even though it was only a short story, it was the second!... work I'd finished...

In Ten Years.

I feel like I'm far behind the curve, with only one submission for the indie world. I don't have this huge backlist I can wave around and say, "These are my rejections! These are my almosts! This was not quite traditionally published! Kindle hooooooooooi!" It's just my one novel that I've put a lot into (and about a month later, my one short story that I also put a lot into.)

I kind of wonder where I'll be...

In Ten Years?

Extra Blogging Room

For those that are interested, I started up two new blogs.

The first: is all about my release dates. Please go have a look-see/follow it if you are interested in acquiring my work.

The second: is for my reviews of books. If you're interested in my opinion and want me to review your work, please check it out. I will also review books I read of my own choice, so you can see what caught my eye (and how it turned out!)

End this public service announcement :)

Plungering

At the very beginning of January, I gave myself an anneurism (figuratively) by sending out a query to a cover artist. I'd heard good things about his work, even though his internet page made me a little gun-shy. (I don't dig white text on a black background.) Seeing as how I'd never finished a story of this caliber, nor put it out for people to love (or hate), this was a huge step for me. I was filled with the most unholy trepidation you can imagine.

So the days ticked by and I sort of heard from him (I had been e-mailing updates to try and stay in the loop) and finally I asked when he would have something for me. He promised me on January 20th he'd "Have something to show you by the end of next week" So I waited... waited... sigh, waited.

Yesterday I sent him an e-mail asking if anything had materialized, or if I needed to find another cover artist. I tried to be as polite as possible. I still have not received an answer.

So, heart heavy and weary, I sent out a second query to a different cover artist, who I was introduced to no later than today.

Within the hour he had e-mailed me a response. He also likes to read the piece, to help him get into the story and make a really great cover.

I am absolutely thrilled.

I am also poor. He offered me a VERY reasonable payment plan.

My hero of the day is Jeroen ten Berge!!

Gozer (The Gozerian)

I told my fiance today that if I ever get another cat (If my 13-year old cat ever dissolves into an angry cloud of swirling, bitter, dust) that I want to name it Gozer (The Gozerian).



Go get her, Ray!

I think this scene brings up a good point for indie authors (see how I worked that in, there?)

I mean, there is a Gatekeeper and a Keymaster (There is no Dana, there is only Zuul!). Obviously, the publishers would be the Gatekeeper (though for digital books I would say that is changing to Amazon and a lagging B&N), but who would be the Keymaster? I'd be inclined to say the readers, as they are the end users of the product - but the more I think about it, the more I think it might be the authors themselves...

Think about it. If an author picks a lame cover, a boring title and puts out a product riddled with errors, people just won't want that product. You can give away crap (sometimes) but people want a good product and they want it affordable. Too inexpensive... and they worry about the quality. Too expensive... and they bypass it via the "this does not meet my impulse buy threshold requirements". In this blooming digital era, the Indie Authors really hold all the Keys they need to be successful.

Does your cover suck? Change it. Title not catchy? Tweak it. Priced too high? Lower it. Priced too low? Raise it. Manuscript errors? Correct it. Story shoddy? Remove it.

All of these changes can be enacted within 24 hours... some within only a few minutes! That seems like a pretty heavy keyring to me. Putting out a product that we can't be proud of - that is every author's personal Gozer (the Gozerian). WE can choose the form of the Destructor!... and it doesn't even have to be a giant marshmallow man (coughMichelinmancough). It just has to be laziness or incompetence. Both of these can be overcome by acting, learning, or hiring someone to do it for you!

My cousin recently sent me her manuscript and BEGGED me to read it. Great! She's interesting, fun to talk to, so I agreed. I received a copy that another (possibly more than one person) had already interjected about a million comments into via the Word comment tool. After 20 seconds I had a headache and couldn't read it. I have to request a "clean" copy.

Ask yourself: Is my manuscript clean? Does it read well? Did somebod(ies) check my grammar/punctuation? Is my voice unique and representative of me?

Kindles aren't that expensive anymore (especially compared to when I bought mine) *coughearlyadoptercough* I would ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND (Pay attention now, I just used caps for TWO WORDS in a row!) buying one and testing your file out on it before you release it.

I was having crazy and infuriating spacing errors with my document when I first started. Random paragraphs would be completely tabbed-indented in a big square with no idea where they start or end. There were ridiculous spaces between certain words, etc. I poked about the interwebs for about half an hour (acted, learned) and now my document looks quite clean and understandable. I even learned how to make a linked ToC (that even connects to the ToC function on the Kindle).

My mother-in-law-to-be got a Nook Color for Christmas. Before I release my book to PubIt, do you know where I'll be? (Hint: At her house checking my file!)

So Indie Authors: Master your Keys and Go Get Her, Ray!

And remember: If anyone asks you if you're a god... you say YES!

Distractions Made Easy

I love to write. I love to fill my hours by baring my brains on an otherwise blank screen, fleshing out characters and dialogue, scenes and ideas. I love the subtle ticking noise my keyboard makes as letters form words and then sentences on my screen. I love the satisfaction I get from a piece well written and usable.

I hate when I'm working on a project and get an idea that I really want to work on more... especially when I'm almost done with said project and absolutely need to finish it (I am under threat of losing my computer again... thanks fiance!)

When this happens, I encounter a big ugly roadblock in my head. The ideas are still there, but they feel pale and flimsy next to Big Shiny New Idea. Imagine you just got your first computer, and it is 64-bit (pixelated), all the game music sounds straight from the original Nintendo and it runs so slow you can make yourself a full meal before it finishes booting. But imagine it's also the only computer you've ever seen and therefore is a marvel of mankind.

Then picture that about a week after you got that awesome (horrible) new computer, someone plunks down with the newest Alienware with a processing speed so fast it literally tears the clothes from your body and a graphics card that makes you feel like what you see everyday with your real eyes is actually a poorer resolution than what is on your screen. Also, that computer can revive Beethoven from the grave and make him compose a brand new musical score just for the occasion. It also makes Julienne fries. In five seconds. No potatoes needed.

That is how I feel when these new ideas crop up. I am horrible at finishing stories. I am about 2-3 chapters away from finishing the 1st manuscript of Chains of Memory yet... it is SO hard to get it down.

Everything distracts me. My computer connects to the internet - I play Facebook games. I have to work, the puppy whines, the puppy farts (a VALID EXCUSE), I'm hungry, I'm tired, I need another pop, I have to go to the bathroom because I just drank six pops... all because I want to work on another idea.

I can't though. I have to finish this one. I know, you'll say - step baaaaack. Give it tiiiiime. If I do that, I'll never finish it. It's that simple. The whole idea will simply fall off the face of the earth. It's just how I roll.

Meanwhile, I've been accepted into an anthology, the first draft of which is due February 1st. It seemed so far away back on January 10th... For the three of you who read my blog, and who may not read Derek J. Canyon's... it's the Twelve Worlds anthology and we're donating the proceeds to charity. I'll touch on it more as we get closer to publication. For my piece, I've done 1.7k words on it (it has to be between 3-7k) but I'm not sure I like the voice. I may switch to third person and rewrite.

Here is how I'm standing on what I want to write right now:
New, Shiny Idea
Older, Still Sparkly Idea
Anthology Draft (Tentatively: Sleepeater)
Chains of Memory

I think it's unfair New Shiny Idea is being an attention hog. Didn't anyone ever teach it manners?

Injecting a Little Confidence

I finally saw Up yesterday. I thought it was a very good movie and, incidentally, Doug was my favorite character. He was lovable and honest and cute!

I also watch a show called Project Runway. For those of you unfamiliar, it is a show hosted by Heidi Klum, featuring 16 designers who have to make a catwalk "look", usually in a single day and sometimes with bizarre things. (Good examples of this are: design a look with items only from a grocery store = winner made a dress from corn husks; this season: design a look with things Only From a Hardware Store... all in all it's pretty innovative!) I'm currently almost finished with Season 7 (I know, I'm way behind!)

One of the funny things about this show, is that it gives me a lot of confidence as a writer. How could a show about fashion design make me more confident? Well, consider that they are both forms of art, carried out in a limited amount of time, to a panel of judges who may, or may not like their "design" aesthetic.

Sometimes the garments that go down the catwalk are absolutely gorgeous, or amazing, or stylish, creative, fun, witty, comfortable... something I would seek out and overpay for. Yet, the judges bash the designer, call it a "trainwreck", "complete disaster", "shoddy piece of blah". I can't understand how the judges don't see what I see. On the other hand, things go down that same catwalk that make me cringe, that I believe should never see the light of day... that I wonder if the designer even knows that someone is expected to wear that slipshod piece of work... but the judges love it, praise it... award it first prize.

In the third scenario, the judges and I are on the same page and love/hate what we are seeing and have nothing but good/bad things to say on an equal level.

I think writing is the same way. The things I (or anyone) write, can be good, fantastic, witty, amazing - something people would seek out on their own... but to some, it will be blah, boring, uninteresting and typical. Or, I could write something that I'm not entirely sure of, but people go rabid over it and demand more.

You can't please 100% of the people, 100% of the time. And may I add - if you do, then what is the point? You'll have nowhere to grow. I will settle for pleasing only one person - myself. If others also see my genius and are pleased in the wake of Typhoon Medrick, then hurrah for me!

I know what I am writing is good to some degree. I know people can enjoy it.

I was browsing in the bookstore the other day (Yes, I STILL do that). Despite my mammoth reading list, I passed a copy of Fahrenheit 451, a book I have already read, but sadly did not own. I picked it up. I put it down. I picked it up again. I looked at my fiance with quietly desperate eyes. I bought it. I read it in about a day.

Will I ever write something as full of meaning and impact as Fahrenheit 451? Mmm, probably no. Will I write something that shows my own design aesthetic to the world? Something that is "me" and I can be proud of?

Hell. Yes.

I don't have any reviews out there yet. I only have some editors who point out my grammar mistakes and plot holes. I don't have a finished product that needs defending in a violent marketplace. I have a concept, that is almost finished, that I want to do well.

But I'm not going to sweat it.

I know I have put a lot of work into this manuscript. I can see, from where I started, to how I'm writing now - I've grown while writing it.

I can be proud of my product, and hold my head up high when someone says, "You wrote that??" for better or worse. When someone asks me , I will straighten my spine, look them in the eye and say,

"Yes, I did. Thanks for asking." Then I will give them biggest s***-eating grin I can. I made it, and I'll stand by it.

Readers may be my judges, but no one can be my executioner but me!