Leaving "Reliable" Work To Write Games and Fiction Full Time

If you've ever wanted to try your hand at being an author, a professional RPG designer, or any other creative career path, you've likely heard the warnings from the naysayers. It's not that they don't believe in your abilities or talent, but that you need to have, "something to fall back on." You need to have a "normal" job, even if that job is tangentially connected to your creative endeavors.

I took this advice... and it burned down rather spectacularly during the pandemic. So I thought I'd take this week to talk about how this is, largely, advice given by people who don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Never trust people who haven't been where you are, but speak as if they have.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter if you want to stay on top of all my latest releases, and if you have the spare dosh to help me keep the lights on consider becoming a Patreon patron today!

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Needs Be When The Devil Drives

I have been a writer as my main profession for going on a decade or so now. I've been a newspaper reporter, I've written for magazines, and I've blogged for dozens of websites and hundreds of clients. My goal was always to write novels like my hard-boiled cat series Marked Territory and Painted Cats, or to switch over to writing RPG supplements and gaming guides full-time, but those were always considered a "risky" use of my abilities. It was better, according to a lot of people who felt compelled to give me advice, to stick with business-oriented clients who needed ad copy for their sites, or articles for their blogs. After all, they weren't making games. They were serious people, and serious people paid their bills.

I am here to tell you all in no uncertain terms that this is utter horseshit.

This is a fact. Not a discussion.

On its face, it seems like sound advice. After all a plumbing company or an environmental clean-up business seems more grounded than a company that produces games or novels... but it overlooks the fundamental point that behind the colorful splash art and the rolling dice, these companies are also looking to make a profit. You're creating a product, no matter who it is you're doing the work for. And in that regard the clients are all the same; like bags of cereal once you take them out of the boxes.

And when the pandemic hit, all those serious-minded business clients who needed blogs about their home repair services, moving aids, or garbage clean-up? They folded up and blew away in the breeze. I had several thousand dollars worth of work waiting to be approved by these clients that just went up in smoke. Some had the decency to inform me an order was cancelled. Most just vanished without a word, leaving me to try to track them down. So I went from having a relatively steady stream of income from all my "day-job" ghost writing and blogging gigs down to a bare trickle, if that, around the late Autumn of 2020.

You know who didn't go anywhere, though? You know who had all the work I could handle, and then some? My creative clients. RPGs had been doing pretty well during the pandemic as more virtual games than ever before started up, and people needed new, fresh content to consume. People needed stories and books to read to stop themselves from going stir crazy as they stayed inside except for the most unavoidable of chores and errands. Which is why it was around this time last year that I dusted my hands and said I was done with so-called "safe" and "serious" clients who needed a blogger, a stringer, or somebody to fill text on their pages. Because when things got rough, they abandoned me en masse without so much as a peep.

How's It Working Out So Far?

Starting early in 2021 I increased my monthly output on RPG supplements and projects. I started my own fantasy RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age, which has covered location like Ironfire: City of Steel and Moüd: City of Bones, in addition to getting into metaphysical aspects of a setting with no alignment system in Gods of Sundara, or discussing how the creatures of the setting are strange and unique in the Species of Sundara series, which has covered elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, and the Blooded (half-elves and half-orcs) so far.

That wasn't all I was doing, though. I also released two novels (Painted Cats, the second of my hard-boiled cat series, and Old Soldiers, which is a dystopia thriller about defunct super soldiers hunting down a conspiracy), in addition to a fair amount of World of Darkness content. From Evil Incorporated: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries, to 100 Mokole Kinfolk, to 100 Hobs To Meet in The Hedge, I put out 12 supplements for this setting when all was said and done.

And then money, yes?

The end result of all this work, and the massive archives of articles, supplements, novels, and even my patrons? Well, as the year draws to a close, it looks like it's going to earn me about $10,000 and change for the year. Some of you are likely staring at that number in shocked horror, wondering how anyone could survive on that. However, what I earned in 2020 with all of the safe, steady, business-oriented clients while I wrote stories and gaming content on the side was about $12,000 and change. A difference, but not one as significant as you might think.

Now, I am broke as hell doing what I do. I'm going full-bore, hitting that grind every day, and I make less in a year than some people make in a quarter. But something you should keep in mind is that among creative professionals (especially those who work primarily in RPGs), I'm considered above average. The idea that you can just write books, create games, and then kick up your feet and wait for the royalty check is an absurd fantasy that might have been true for a handful of people in the 80s, but sure as hell isn't the case today.

So if you want to help me (and other creators like me who are having just as tough a time), but a book, leave a review, and tell your friends about it when you're done. Or become a Patreon patron, leave a tip on my Linktree, or kick me a Ko-fi. Every little bit helps, and we really do need every penny if we want to keep the lights on at the end of the day.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Creators Need Support, Not Another Hustle

If you're a regular reader here, or if you know a creative professional in your daily life, chances are you're already well aware of the struggle most of us face. Whether we're trying to sell books, get reads on our articles, hustle for Patreon patrons, or a dozen other things it can often feel like we're dancing on the edge of a volcano, and that we might fall in at any moment.

The volcano in this metaphor is capitalism, and there's no safety net to stop us from being burned up like an evil ring at the end of a trilogy if we miss a payment.

Capital has but one master, and it answers to no other!

And while there are a lot of folks out there who are willing to give advice, I want to take this week to ask you to please, pretty please, stop suggesting that we pick up "side" jobs or "real" jobs until we make it. Because you're not helping, and if possible you're making things worse.

Before I get into the nitty gritty details of that, though, remember to subscribe to my weekly newsletter if you want to stay on top of all my content. Also, if you want to help me stay on top of my own bills consider becoming a Patreon patron!

A Side Job? Oh If Only I'd Thought of That...

If you have a friend, family member, or even just a close acquaintance that's a creative professional, chances are good you've let fly with this sentiment at some point. You've probably wondered why the simple solution of just picking up a few shifts at a local grocery store or gas station until they break big hasn't occurred to them. After all, it seems so easy. The author sacrifices a bit of time, they get an extra few hundred bucks a month, and they're not as worried about the performance of their work.

A win all around, right?

Just don't be poor? Shit, why didn't I think of that!

There's a lot of reasons why you're probably getting scornful looks from your creative friends if you've made this suggestion to them, either in-person or in text. So I want to take a moment to break down both why it's insulting, and the underlying message that it conveys to them since it's something the person making the suggestion rarely thinks about again, but which will stick with the creator for months to years afterward.

First and foremost, let's talk about the tone of the suggestion. It's often presented as a simple solution to one's problem, as if somehow the creator in question doesn't know what wage labor is, and hasn't even considered it as an option. Secondly, the suggestion is usually presented as something that's easily achievable, which it often isn't. Even if there are businesses hiring in someone's area (far from a guarantee), there may not be any that are willing to offer the schedule a creator needs, to be understanding with their requirements (you can't go to shows and conventions if your job won't give you weekends off, for example), or which will compensate them fairly for their efforts.

Thirdly, and this is the category I often find myself in, a creator only has so much time and energy in a given day. If they are suddenly using that time and energy to perform labor for someone else (and especially if it's labor they hate, find difficult, or which is extremely draining for them), they aren't going to be able to make art at the same rate they were before. In some cases it's possible that this "side" job siphons out all their energy entirely, making it impossible for them to keep making their art at all.

As the song says, being a rock star is a fun job, but it's still a job. And when someone is already giving their all to push a rock up a hill, you showing up and suggesting they put on this pair of ankle weights as if that will somehow make things easier is not helping.

There's Also The Underlying Message We're Hearing

In the interest of absolute clarity, I'm not talking about when a friend offers a writer a job as a stringer for a news site they have connections at, or brings them on as a short-term editor so they can get a fast paycheck to cover their bills. I'm talking expressly about when someone suggests you simply go out and get a standard, minimum wage, part-time gig that has nothing to do with your creative field, but which is meant to supplement and support your creative efforts. Because a different message is being sent in these two situations that people who think they're being helpful might not realize.

If someone offers you a job using your craft, what they're saying is, "I value your talent as a professional, and I trust you to get this job done for me."

If someone just suggests you go pick up a few shifts as a clerk, or find a part-time security officer gig, though? The message there (whether you intend it or not) is, "Well, clearly your art isn't worth anything on its own, so go get a real, grown-up job if you insist on following this dream."

As we all know, subtext is often present whether we want it there or not.

If you think the artist you're about to talk to creates good art, and that they should have the time and resources to create more of it, they don't need you telling them to spend their energy on other things. What they need is you to hold out your hand, and help them make those ends meet.

Because talent is meaningless when it comes to the success of art. We rise and fall, live and die, by whether we have an audience that supports us. Period, end of story.

Again, if you have money, you can support your creative friends directly. Buy their art, become patrons, and make sure your cash goes directly toward helping them. If you don't have money to give, though? Boost their signal using your voice. Share their art on your social media pages, leave good comments, and tell your friends and family members about them. Help them reach a larger audience so that they can get the eyeballs (and patrons) they need.

That might not feel like a lot, but I'll give you a concrete example of how this could snowball.

Seriously, go check this out!

About a week ago I released the short story Devil's Night over on my Vocal page; a fun little fantasy tale about devil-worshiping fascists getting punched right in the face in the low-town district. It took me plenty of time to put together, but at time of writing it's gotten maybe 50 reads or so... which amounts to about 30 cents in my pocket.

On average, roughly 100-500 people read my entries on this blog. If 100 people out there read this short story, it would probably put another 50 to 60 cents in my bank account. But what if 100 people all went and shared it on their social media pages? Sure a lot of those shares might go unremarked, but with that many shares chances are good it would catch on somewhere, and reach a far wider audience. It's possible that it could spread, reaching hundreds (if not thousands) more eyes than I could ever reach on my own. For every one thousand people who read said story, I'd earn $6... and there are millions of potential eyes on those platforms.

Will all the people who read this article click through to share that tale? Probably not. But that one, concrete action taken by even a moderately-sized group of readers could have rather dramatic consequences for me as a creator. And it would be far more helpful than any advice that I just pull myself up by my bootstraps until something eventually got popular enough to pay me what I'm worth.

Be the change you want to see in the careers of the creators you like. It makes a far bigger difference than you know.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

The Catch-22 Capitalism Has Me Caught in as an Author

If you've heard the term Catch-22, you likely know that it comes from a novel about WWII. In short, the military stated that pilots who were not sane would not be allowed to fly combat missions. However, being afraid of death was a perfectly rational feeling, so if you were sane enough to take the out, then the military would deem you sane enough to fly the mission. This put you between a rock and a hard place where there was no real way for you to win short of doing something drastic. In other words, a Catch-22 is a problem where the only solution is denied you because of the conditions of the problem itself.

I bring this up because this is a situation I find myself in as an author the further into 2021 we get. And since I know I'm not alone I wanted to shine some light on this so readers out there might be able to better appreciate why their favorite creators are doing what they're doing.

It will take how long? No, I've got rent to pay.

If you want to help alleviate some of this pressure from the rock and the hard place I'm caught in, please consider becoming a Patreon patron. And if you want to get all my regular updates, all you need to do is sign up for my weekly email!

Why You're Seeing a Lot of Smaller Pieces From Me

For folks who didn't hear, I had to move at the beginning of 2021. My old apartment building had been bought by new landlords, and they were squeezing everyone out in order to renovate the place. In the middle of a pandemic, before vaccines were available. Not a great look. I found a new place that still cost more for me to live in, but which allowed me to save some money by providing amenities my old place didn't. However, at the end of the day, I was still going to need to increase my income to stay one step ahead of the bills and to keep my new landlords happy.

I did this by talking to one of the main companies I work with, Azukail Games, and voluntarily increasing my workload with them. So rather than putting out one RPG supplement a month (stuff like my 100 Random Taverns or 100 Tieflings to Meet in Your Travels) I have been writing two of them a month since about March. I've also been taking occasional side projects from other companies looking for short-term, fast turnaround projects that I can plug into the gaps while I spin those other things out as quickly as I can.

And the spinning is getting pretty fast.

As a result, I'm quickly growing my archive of RPG supplements over on Drive Thru RPG. At time of writing, my name appears in 114 projects, and about 91 of them pay me royalties on sales. And while some of them sell a lot of copies, and some of them sell far less than I'd like, mostly I'm churning out so many of these projects because I need that per-word rate I get up-front in order to cover my bills. Don't get me wrong, royalties are lovely, but I would need to either write another 90 supplements (something that will take quite some time even at 2 per month) or for a piece to go seriously viral for those royalties to buy me some breathing room.

So what does that mean to you?

Well, if you were hoping I'd put out more novels anytime soon (perhaps a third case for my feline heavy Leo to follow up Marked Territory and Painted Cats), that's probably not going to happen for the foreseeable future. If you were interested in me putting together a campaign book, perhaps in my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting, that's just not going to be possible. If you wanted to see me assemble something like a freehold starter guide for Changeling: The Lost, or put together a supplement book for Hunter: The Vigil (and I really had something special planned for that), those things just aren't going to be feasible for a while.

Because writing things like this takes time, and my landlords, utility provider, etc. aren't going to let me slide for a few months to a year while I assemble those bigger projects and put them out on the market.

The Catch-22

Now, here's the rub. Because bigger, more involved projects usually come with bigger checks and larger royalties to make them worthwhile. So if I had the time to, say, put together an entire campaign where players had to save the dragon eggs stolen from one of the Founders of Hoardreach (an idea I have notes on, should I get to expand on it) there's a good chance that would actually make some serious money. It's a lot easier to sell novels than it is to sell short stories, and even a mildly successful novel could transform my income overnight as new readers dug into my archive to see what else I've written.

But again, that's the Catch-22.

I can't write bigger, longform projects right now because I need money to pay my bills immediately. But there's a good chance I could get the money I need, if only I could get some of those larger releases onto the market.

So What Can You Do?

If you've read this far, and you want to help me get out of this tight spot so I can breathe again and get back to working on longer-form pieces instead of killing myself trying to churn out as many short and snacky things as I can every month, there's a couple of things you can do. The following list isn't complete, but it's a good start for folks who want to make an immediate difference right now!

- Become a Patreon patron. Seriously, no joke, Patreon is the best way to help out me, and creators like me, because it adds up fast. I've had a tough time holding onto patrons for a while now, so every subscription helps. Of course, for those who want to offer a one-time tip, I also have a Ko-Fi page!

- Buy my books, and help spread the word! Whether you want a feline mystery with novels like Marked Territory and Painted Cats, a dystopian thriller starring decommissioned super soldiers in Old Soldiers, or even old-fashioned sword and sorcery in Crier's Knife, I need all the readers I can get. And if you've already gotten your copy, leave a rating and a review... once I make it over 50, that's when the algorithm kicks in and Amazon starts advertising my books to people outside my personal reach.

- Tell your friends and followers. This is a huge deal, and people really don't appreciate how important their voices are. Authors have a generally limited reach unless they're already hugely famous, which is why we depend on people like you to help boost our signal. The algorithm does everything it can to muzzle us to force us to pay for ads, so we need all the help we can in fighting it.

- Follow me on social media. Speaking of algorithms, social media sites give more credence to accounts with larger amounts of followers. Even if you're just taking up a slot and acting as a warm body, you still get counted (though interacting, liking, sharing, etc. is also greatly valued). So help me boost my numbers on Facebook and Twitter so I can reach more people, find more support, and hopefully be able to take my foot off the gas on these shorter projects before I turn 40.

It might seem small and insignificant... but when you're as close to ground level as I am as an author, little gestures make big differences. Thanks in advance to everyone who holds out a helping hand, and remember, creators need your help to be able to keep doing what they're doing.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Self-Publishing is Often a Proving Ground For Authors

People often see traditional publishing and self-publishing as natural enemies. Their systems are different, their philosophies are different, and supposedly their authors are different. People see the decision as an either/or sort of choice; as if authors are all out for the big draft, and they either need to tie on with a company, or remain true to themselves as a free agent.

That isn't really how things work, though. You see, there's actually a lot of interaction between these two spheres, and if someone makes a splash in one, then the ripples are going to get attention in the other. And if those ripples are big enough, you just might find that opportunity comes a'knocking at your door.

Hello there. Would you like work, and a big, fat check?

Reputation, Work History, and Ripples in The Water

So, I'd like to tell you a story. A story about how my own self-publishing efforts got me noticed by some bigger, more established folks who followed the waves I was making back to me.

To begin, most of us don't tend to think of blogs, YouTube channels, and other avenues as self-publishing. They totally are, though. So, as soon as I started writing this blog (and my gaming blog Improved Initiative) I staked out my little piece of turf as a self-published creator. And I haven't moved from that patch.

The charter is under construction, but we may have a flag soon.

Of the two blogs, Improved Initiative quickly pulled ahead in terms of readership and traffic. By the end of my first year I had a regular flow of traffic, I was well-known in tabletop gaming groups on Facebook, and I was starting to expand onto other social media platforms. One of my main attractions was a feature I ran called Character Conversions. Basically I would take a popular character, like Captain America, Tyrion Lannister, Iron Man, etc., and I would write a guide for how you could re-create that character in a particular roleplaying game. That page remains one of the most popular features on my blog to this day.

After I'd written 20 guides or so, I started noticing some changes. People I didn't know would message me, and ask if I was going to write a new guide for this or that character. They wanted to know my thoughts on whether it was possible to convert characters from Lord of The Rings or Dragon Ball Z into different game systems. My traffic on that page went up, and people started passing my guides around among their own groups. I was getting read, and the ad revenue on those articles was getting noticeable. Not, "Oh my god, I can buy a house!" noticeable, but I had a little extra padding for when deadlines ran long, and checks ran short.

Then something else happened. The publishers who wrote official content for games started reaching out to me, asking if I'd like to work on their lines. Because they'd heard about my blog, checked out the stuff I was making on my own, and they decided I looked like the kind of writer they wanted to take for a spin. Sometimes we clicked, and sometimes we didn't, but as time has gone on, being the author of Improved Initiative actually gains me credibility when I talk to RPG publishers.

Because it establishes that I can do the job, and that there are people out there who like what I make.

All Publishers Care About Is Results

I said this in You Don't Need A Degree To Be A Writer, but I feel like it bears repeating; publishers only care about your results. A publisher doesn't care if your books are good or bad, offensive or safe. They only care about the bottom line. If you have a following, and you are making money, then they would like to shake your hand, and work out a deal so you can both make more of it.

This is why celebrities get million-dollar book deals. It's not because they have great insights, or they're phenomenally talented (though some do, and are). It's because they have 10 million followers who are all going to go out and buy a copy of their book once it's released. It's also why if you've been self-publishing a series that's making you some serious bank, then a publisher is going to want to talk to you. Because you're a proven talent, with a definable audience, and that makes you a safe bet.

Just something to think about the next time you consider your publishing options, and what your efforts could lead to in the future.

That's all for this week's Business of Writing post. If you'd like to support me, and this blog in particular, then head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today. As little as $1 a month is a big help to me, and it gets you a pile of sweet swag just for signing up. Lastly, if you want to keep up-to-date on all my work, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Why Other Authors Are Your Allies, Not Your Competition

Anyone who has been an author, or thought about trying to become an author, has no doubt seen a message that says, "other authors are your allies, not your competition." In one way, this seems like total bullshit, as every author is clearly competing with every other in a very real way. There are only a certain number of places on the store shelves, a certain number of people reading books, and with a certain amount of disposable income, and everyone is trying to get to the top of that heap.

Artist's Interpretation

However, if you step back from the dog-eat-dog, pure capitalist viewpoint, you'll see there is a lot of truth to the idea that we are all in this together. Helping fellow authors doesn't hurt you; if anything, it gives you allies that can help you keep your head above water.

Building Each Other Up, Instead of Tearing Each Other Down

Since people love real-world examples, I'll share one of my own here.

For those who have never been to The Literary Mercenary's sister blog, Improved Initiative, it's where I talk about tabletop gaming. Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons, the World of Darkness, stuff like that. And, over the past three years or so, that blog has garnered a reputation and a following. Not a huge one, but it is still there.

Would you get to the point already?

Right. So, I was in a Facebook group dedicated to the Pathfinder roleplaying game, when a fellow I didn't know made a post, asking for advice on whether he should start a blog of his own. He'd been an avid gamer, and wanted to figure out a way to make his hobby into a career. On the one hand, if this fellow did write a blog, then that was (technically) one more website gamers could go to for the resources they needed. And, if he was good, then it would mean I'd have some serious competition on my hands.

Or would I? Because Simon Peter Munoz, creator of the Creative Repository Blog, is quite good as a blogger, gamer, and designer. However, rather than trying to discourage him, or undercut him so he couldn't take any of my traffic, or my audience, I offered him a hand up. I shared my experience being a blogger, answered what questions he had, and I try to mention his work as often as possible (speaking of which, if you're a gamer, go check out the CRB Facebook page). But why do that? Won't that take people away from my blog, and hurt my income?

The reason you may think that is because of the primary, incorrect assumption we make when we turn publishing into an "us versus everyone" game. We assume that there's only so much success to be had, and that if someone else gets more, there is somehow less for us. Which isn't, strictly speaking, true.

You see, I have an audience. Simon, now that he's been in the game a while, also has an audience. I tell my audience about the stuff that he does, and do my best to big-up his signal when I can. He returns the favor. The net result is that, working together, we both have bigger audiences than we'd have had separately, with more exposure, traffic, and success all around.

Networking Helps More Than You Know

There's an old phrase authors should remember. If you act like the world is against you, sooner or later you're going to be proven right. If, on the other hand, you help other authors succeed, then they're going to turn around and repay the favor to you. If you introduce someone to a publisher, editor, or opportunity, then that means when someone they know is looking for someone that has your skill set, your friend is going to hand that someone your contact information.

Because that's what makes the world go round.

Sometimes all it takes is kind words, and the occasional book review, to make a new friend. And, when you have a book coming out, all those friends that you helped are more likely to help you get the word out. You can do all the marketing you want, but there's nothing like having a dozen, or a hundred, people with blogs tell the world at large that your latest release is not to be missed, and that they should go get a copy right away.

Also, speaking of shout-outs, you should all check out Ben Reeder's Amazon author page. He does good work, and you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping in to check out this week's Business of Writing post. Hopefully it taught you a valuable lesson regarding sharing, and not looking at your readers as a finite resource that must be controlled at all costs. As always, if you'd like to help support this blog so I can keep the lights on and my coffee cup filled, just stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to toss a tip or two in my jar. Lastly, if you haven't done so yet, please follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter if you'd like to keep up with all my latest posts.