Fan Art, Sponsorships, And Other Goals I Didn't Expect To Have When I Became An Author

For folks who aren't regular readers, I've wanted to be a professional writer basically since I was in 8th grade. It was the first time I wrote a short story that really affected someone (it was a found-journal style short about a giant crocodile in the Amazon where the author suggested the thing stalking them was more than just an animal, which was inspired by Robert R. McCammon's story Lizard Man), and the feeling was intoxicating. I decided I was going to try to recreate that, and so I started writing more short stories, as well as several novel attempts, and I took every creative writing class or assignment I could get my hands on.

Now, over a quarter of a century later, I've at least figured out how to reliably craft a good story. However, the older I've gotten, the more my personal goals for my career have changed. It's sort of caught me off-guard, as well, so I figured I'd take a moment and talk about it this week, since I feel like professional goals are something a lot of us don't really consider beyond, "Get my book published."

I wouldn't say no, but things like this have become less important to me over the years.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!

When You Realize Your Goals Aren't Realistic

I'll admit, when I was young and had yet to even finish my first novel, I had dreams of becoming one of those Big Name (TM) authors. I wanted to be one of those people who made millions of dollars, whose name topped the bestseller lists, and who would have my work turned into hit movies and TV shows. In my mid-20s I expanded that out into having a shelf of awards in my house, showing off my brilliance.

Over time, most of these have sort of fallen by the wayside. Though I would still love to win a Stoker or an Ennie, those are more in the, "Well, it would be nice," category, rather than something I legitimately expect to happen.

Seriously, look at how goddamn NEAT this thing is!

The reason I've given up on so many of these goals I was once striving for is that the longer I've been an author, the more I recognize both how rare these kinds of successes are, and often how little they have to do with the things you're actually writing. I've said repeatedly on this very blog that making sales is a marketing success, and that in the end it's often divorced from the artistic quality of your book. And with every awards scandal that comes across my feed (I'm looking at you, Sad Puppies) the more it feels like awards winding up in the hands of truly deserving, talented creators is a fluke rather than the process working how it's supposed to.

In short, both the idea of becoming a Rich And Famous author, and a multi-award-winning author felt like I was standing out in a field and waving around a lightning rod. Yes, it's certainly possible that I'll catch lightning in a bottle, but it's also possible for me to win the lottery just by buying a single scratch ticket. In the end it sort of felt like striving to make those things happen was just setting myself up for disappointment, and not focusing on what I should be doing; writing the best books I could.

As a lot of folks out there know, nature abhors a vacuum. So while I didn't consciously choose new goals to replace the ones that I felt were too unrealistic, they showed up anyway. And while some of these still feel like long shots, I'm of the opinion they're more achievable than what I had before.

So What New Goals Made It Onto The List?

While I've more or less given up on the life of fame and fortune (it would be nice, but I'm trying to be realistic here), I do have a couple of goals that I think I could manage. Hopefully in the next 5-10 years, but if they take longer, well, it's not like I was going to stop writing, or something.

Let's not get ridiculous... I've been at this since I was 13. You don't put down a habit like that short of anything but the reaper.

Goal #1: Fan Creations

This is a goal I've technically achieved in a few small ways, but it's something I'd like to be able to do more of. The idea that something I made affected a reader of mine so strongly that they wanted to add their own creativity to what I've made, either through the form of writing their own stories, drawing art, or even painting minis styled after a character I made, is one of the sincerest forms of flattery I've ever received.

Perhaps the most notable thing I've seen folks be that excited about is, ironically, some of my own fan stories titled Waking Dogs and Broken Chains, which are about the trials of a renegade space marine in the Warhammer 40K setting. There are even audio versions of these tales, which still give me a chill to listen to, and I highly recommend checking them out (along with more of my work) on the YouTube channel A Vox in The Void.

Goal #2: Be A Convention Guest Of Honor

I've been to my share of conventions over the years, and while I still enjoy them, they're a lot different when you're there for work than when you're there to play around. And if I'm there I'm usually on panels, running games, holding down a table in the dealer's hall, and sometimes all of these things in a single day. However, it would be a feather in my cap to be invited to a convention as a guest of honor. Additionally, it would just be nice to be recognized for my achievements in that way, whether I'm there as an author, a gaming guest of honor, etc.

Of course, it would also be nice getting the perks that come along with such a position. Realistically, I expect I'll be able to manage this for a smaller, regional convention, but it would still be nice for it to happen at a bigger event if and when the opportunity arises.

 

Goal #3: Become An Institution

In the past I thought about essentially being a stand-alone writer who sold enough books that I could pay all my bills, buy a house, and just sort of live that celebrity lifestyle. However, like I said, I know exactly how rare that kind of success is for most people in my profession. But what I would like to do is to create projects that help keep me afloat financially, but which allow me to give work to other creative people in my circles.

This, for example.

I've had a few, smaller examples of this already. Sales of Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic, as well as any supplements that use Anonymous Katsodon's art ensure that part of the royalty payment goes right to her. Additionally, Isiah Burt has written two novellas for my fantasy RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age. Legacy of Flames is a story about a hulking lizardfold warrior, and his unusual mission in the Dragonsbreath Mountains, and Blight Bane's Gambit follows an orc mercenary company as they attempt to solve the riddles of a tricksy dragon in the woods beyond Hoardreach, the City of Wyrms.

Honestly, what I'd love to do is for something to get so large in terms of popularity and earnings potential that it allows me to start hiring people on as staff, or giving them positions are regular contributors, so that we can all share in the bounty. I'm not saying that I essentially want to get successful enough where I can form an LLC and give regular, reliable jobs to all my friends so we can work on our projects together while shielding each other from the roving wolves of capitalism... but yeah, I'd love to be able to do that.

On that note, I feel like the next project with that level of potential might be my Chronicles of Darkness audio drama, Windy City Shadows. If you haven't heard about it yet, check out the elevator pitch at Windy City Shadows, A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast Proposal, and take a look at the Ask Me Anything I put together for it a while back!

Goal #4: Get Sponsorship (And Maybe A Gift Or Two)

This is probably my shallowest, most selfish goal, but we've all got to have one or two of those. However, the idea that things I'm creating are so popular that a company decides that they need to butter me up in order to reach my audience by sending me a free trial of their service, and perhaps a cool present for me to keep in the background of my videos, is something that would be pretty nice, not going to lie.

Whether it's game books, a portable dice tower, an unusual display shelf, filming accessories (I'd love to have a green screen I could break down and store in my closet, as an example), or even something as seemingly random as a cool mini fridge (I like having drinks on hand for when I'm recording), it would just be a mark of pride for me that I was considered well-known, popular, or influential enough to make that happen.

The issue here, of course, is that sponsorship tends to come with a wide reach and a big audience. I don't really command one of those, but every little bit helps. So consider subscribing to the Azukail Games YouTube channel if you haven't yet, and help me keep climbing up that ladder so I can get myself noticed!

Support The Literary Mercenary

If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel, as well as my Rumble channel listed above!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

The Screen Writers Strike is Showing That None of Us Are Getting Paid

Right now, everyone has their eyes on the screen writers and actors guild strikes that are going on. As with many such strikes, the participants are laying bare the greed of their employers, the shady things tactics being used to try to prevent paying them (attempting to bodyscan actors to use CG versions of them indefinitely, using chat bots to try to write scripts, full-on canceling films and series from being available so they don't have to pay residuals to the people who made those movies and TV shows, etc.), and most importantly how little creative professionals actually make.

Because I've been saying this for years, but I feel like this strike is dramatically opening people's eyes to the fact that creators of all stripes have been getting screwed by production houses, publishers, etc., to the point where most of us simply cannot make a living doing what we do. Even if we are experienced professionals with a long history behind us, the powers-that-be basically expect us to work for pennies, and then when we complain they make public statements about starving us out.

I am not a screenwriter, in the sense that I don't write for television or film. Nor am I a member of either of the two unions currently on strike. However, as someone who's been making my living for years as an author, I want to weigh in and point out that these stories people are hearing about actors getting ripped off for chump change, getting screwed over by contract technicalities, or being told to take pennies and be grateful for it? Yeah... that really is the norm. Not just for actors, but across all creative professions.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!

Most of Us Aren't Big Earners

If you've been paying attention to what's happening, then you've likely seen a lot of actors sharing their stories about how dramatically underpaid they are, even for iconic roles that still echo in pop culture to this day. Whether it was David Fielding who only made $150 as the face of Zordon in Power Rangers, Mara Wilson stating that she makes so little as an adult actor that she doesn't even qualify for health insurance through the guild, or any of a dozen other stories that have surfaced during the strikes, the public has been reeling from the numbers.

Because, generally speaking, we only see the top earners, and we just assume that even if you're not at the top, then surely you still make enough to survive? Surely you do... but no. No we don't. Regardless of our field or specialty, a large majority of us barely make anything.

At all, really.

It doesn't matter what part of the creative industries you're talking about here, either. Because whether we're talking about the movie stars like Dwayne Johnson and Brad Pitt, top billing musicians like Dolly Parton or Taylor Swift, or authors like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, etc., most people only hear about those who are at the top of the heap. You hear about them because they're newsworthy, but for people outside your industry, they become the perspective through which you see all those creatives. After all, if a handful of people at the very top are making millions and millions of dollars, then surely even the folks on the lower end are making enough to comfortably pay rent, and maybe save up for a house. Just like how football and basketball superstars may get $25 million contracts, but even the bench warmers are still pulling down 6 figures just for being there, right?

The strike has put an end to that belief by bringing the receipts... and it's my hope that it causes things to change. Not just in the sense that big studios, publishers, labels, etc., should pay the talent more, but also that the public should side with the artists, and do their part to help us keep making things. Because the unfortunate truth is that as things stand, we all basically depend on our fan base to help us survive. Whether that's helping us market our books, contributing to our Patreon accounts and Kickstarter projects, or just helping us keep our views/reads up so that we can attract sponsorships, the audience is what makes or breaks us.

Because without you all doing your part, none of us make anything. Pure and simple.

How You Can Help

If you want to help the folks currently on the picket lines, here's what you need to do. First and foremost, pay attention to what the guild is asking from the public. At time of writing, there has been no call for a boycott of anything, so by all means go see movies, stream shows you like, etc. This helps make the case that studios need actors, writers, etc., and it can still stimulate residuals for some people (even if those numbers are a joke in a lot of cases, as we've seen from the checks).

Also, consider donating to the Emergency Financial Assistance and Disaster Relief Fund for SAG-AFTRA. This is the fund that's helping people pay their bills while they're on the picket lines, helping them hold out against stonewalling from the corporations. And since some of the suits have come out and said they literally plan on starving out those who are protesting, you can do your part by making those CEOs eat those words.

Support The Literary Mercenary

For folks who just want to do their part to help keep me making more content, please subscribe/follow me in these locations:

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

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 sci fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects! You can also check out my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary for free audio dramas!

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!

Addressing The "Do You Expect To Make A Living Doing This?" Crowd

"Why aren't you just giving this away for free? Do you expect to make a living doing this?"

This is a paraphrased version of a comment I received earlier this week, ironically while I was sharing a link to an RPG supplement that a colleague of mine wrote rather than a piece of my own work. An RPG supplement which, I would note, cost less than $2 for anyone who wanted to buy a copy (100 Problems To Encounter at a Starport by Adrian Kennelly, for those who are curious). While this isn't the first time I've had this comment lobbed at me (and it isn't even the first time it's been lobbed at me while I was trying to signal boost someone else's project), it is something I wanted to address this week.

Because I keep hearing this, and I keep wondering why people are still saying it in the capitalist hellscape that is 2022.

Yeah, there's going to be some theory in this week's update.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Labors of Love Are Still Labors

Think of something you enjoy doing. Maybe it's painting, or making audio dramas, or being a Game Master for a tabletop session. Perhaps you love writing stories, or you enjoy training people to help reach their fitness goals. Maybe you really like sex. Even when you're just doing it for yourself, it still takes effort. You're putting in your time, your resources, your thoughts, your energy, and your expertise to make something, or to do something.

This is what folks in the economic sector refer to as labor, as it's the actions taken to produce a good or service. Yes, labor is more complicated than that, but I'm boiling things down here, so this is the definition I'm using.

Yeah, yeah, don't get ahead of me.

Now, imagine someone has seen your work, and they think it's really good. They want you to either perform similar work for them (likely to their specifications), or they want you to just give them the result of all your hard work. Not someone you know like a friend or a family member, but some random person off the street who just happened to be walking by. Would you do this job for them, or give them the thing you made, just because they asked you to?

Probably not, right?

Yet that seems to be exactly what people are asking every day. Not only that, but if you as a creator announce you are selling something you made, there will be a steady line of folks all too happy to berate you just because you aren't giving it away for free. No matter how many hours you took to make something, regardless of the skill of its execution, and no matter how affordable the price, they seem affronted that you're charging for your work.

"Do you expect to make a living doing this?" they ask.

A better question I would ask, though, is, "Do you barge into shops and demand free stuff off the shelf? Then why the hell are you doing that here?"

Why Are You Mad About It?

There is a unique thing that I feel a lot of creative people deal with, and it's that a lot of people want what we do or make, but a majority of them are affronted that we expect to be paid for it. You want $10 a head to run a 6-hour RPG module? "Ugh, what the hell, I do this for my friends for free!" You charge $12 for a copy of your novel? "Psh, I could read thousands of books online for free, why should I pay you for this one?" You quote your price for the particular fetish they want satisfied? "What do you mean you want me to pay you to satisfy my kink for the next few hours? Other people would do this just for the fun of it!"

It all blends together, after a while.

Why does this happen? Well, the main issue from my trench seems to be entitlement.

If you've been an author, or know an author, you've got stories about this. People who demand free copies of your book because, "You should be glad that somebody like me even wants to read this." If you have digital publications you can also throw in a side of, "It's just a digital copy, it's not like it costs you anything!" A lot of people out there do not put themselves in the creator's shoes. They're thinking only about themselves, and what they can get. And given that a lot of art is faceless, has been stolen, or is genuinely available for free online, there is often a rather vitriolic reaction to being told, "No, you can't just walk out with that. You need to pay for it."

The best way to combat this, from what I've seen, is to try to garner a sense of empathy in people, and to explain to them what's going on behind the curtain. Telling them that it took you nearly a year to write this novel, and that even if you only make a few dollars from every sale, you still have bills to pay. You might break down the numbers that it takes for creators to actually make anything resembling a notable wage (like I did in Talking About Numbers Again) to show them precisely what you need to hit in order to keep making things just to drive the point home.

This isn't a guarantee, of course. Some people are just going to rant and rave because you aren't giving them free stuff. Some people are going to realize just how much effort you put into your work, though, and they may choose to compensate you accordingly. Sometimes they may even give you a tip, just to help you keep the wheels greased.

If You Don't Like The Price, You Don't Have To Buy

Would we all like to be able to give our work away for free? Well, a lot of us probably would if we knew that we didn't have to worry about rent, food, gas, and utilities. But we are all stuck living under capitalism, which means that every month we have fees charged to our bank accounts just so we can stay alive.

Which means we need to get paid so that we can pay the other people who give us the staples we require.

If you think someone's work isn't worth what they're charging, you don't have to buy it. If you don't want to support them, no one is forcing you to. But if you want to see a creator keep producing work, they can't do that if they aren't making enough to pay their bills. Whether it's an author writing a fantasy noir series, a movie reviewer doing horror movie break downs, or someone who welds bizarre sculptures out of scrap steel, we all need a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, and the money to buy materials so we can make more things.

But if you absolutely refuse to pay for something a creator made, I want you to understand this if nothing else. We don't care. We would just really like you to step aside so that someone who is willing to buy a copy can step up to our booth. Because at the end of the day if you aren't helping us keep our heads above water, we don't have time to worry about catering to you.

And even if you don't have money, but still want to support the creators you love, consider what I said in A Lot of My Content is Free (But I Could Still Use Your Support).

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 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!

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!

And if you want to follow all of my followables, make sure you check out my Linktree!

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!

What I Find So Motivating About Royalties

Have you ever wondered why you hate your job? Well there's a lot of psychology and research behind it, but one of the major factors that's gone into both psychology and philosophy is the idea of being separated from the effect your work has. That feeling you get when you're just a cog in the machine, answering a call here, or checking an order form there, but you can't really see how your job affects anyone or anything so it all feels sort of like pointless make-work? That's what this feeling references.

At the same time, there's also the knowledge that you aren't getting the full value of your labor. Now this may stray into hammer-and-sickle territory for some readers, but the idea is pretty sound. Whether you're making pizzas, sitting at a security desk, or delivering truckloads of goods to stores, you know in your mind that your boss is paying you the absolute least amount they can for the labor you're providing. Which means the difference between the cost to do the job/produce the product added to what you've been paid, subtracted from what the client paid, is the total value your employer puts in their pocket. This means that you know, no matter how good a job you do, the only person who's making more money from that effort at the end of the day is your boss.

Ain't capitalism grand?

Being an author, though, hourly wage isn't something I've earned for many years now. And while I still get a per-word rate on a lot of my work, I find that the most personally motivating thing I can be offered is a cut of the profits generated by something I either created, or helped create.

While that sort of structure might not be full-on socialism, it's certainly edging a lot closer to a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship than any hourly job I've ever had. It still doesn't pay as well as I'd like, though, so if you want to help out consider becoming a Patreon patron to help keep a little wind in my sails it would be much appreciated!

Getting My Piece of The Pie

For those not familiar, a royalty is when the publisher splits earnings with the author to compensate them for their part of a book, article, or other piece of work they helped create. So if you went and bought a digital copy of my noir mystery cat novel Marked Territory, my cut of those earnings would be a few dollars. If you bought a physical copy I'd earn a few dollars more, because it's a higher price, and therefore my percentage comes out to a larger amount than the digital copy did.

My sensitivity editor wants to know why you haven't gotten your copy yet!

There are, of course, practical, business-oriented reasons that so many publishers focus on royalties instead of just buying books, short stories, articles, etc. straight from authors... primarily because it's so difficult to judge the market that you never know what will explode and what won't, so you hedge your bets by keeping costs as low as possible. However, the side effect of this is that when you're a writer you've basically signed onto a pirate crew; you get your share of the bounty, whatever it is. And if there's no action (meaning your book didn't make any sales), then your percentage of nothing is still nothing.

And that does something to my brain chemistry that addresses the two factors I mentioned in the introduction. Because when I write something, whether it's an article like 5 Things You Can Do To Be A Better Ambassador To Your Hobby, a novel like my recent sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or even an RPG supplement like my most recent splat Gods of Sundara, I have no disconnect from it. From my fingers to the sales page, there's a direct line I can see when it comes to my work that lets me keep a clear image of how my effort impacts things. Not only that, but if something I wrote does well (generates thousands of reads, gets a few hundred sales, etc.), then I get a part of that action. This motivates me to actually share my work, get interviewed about it, boost the signal, run marketing campaigns (as best I can), and to make sure my work gets seen by people.

Do you know what I do when I just get a flat fee for a piece of work? Even if it's a piece of work I enjoyed, or that I think is really worth people's time? Absolutely nothing. I take my check, I cash it, and I immediately get to work on the next thing, because I don't have the time or the energy to spend bigging-up a signal that isn't going to pull me along in its wake. I've got bills to pay, and making more money for a client who isn't sharing any of those profits with me means that I've actively stopped treading water while diverting my energies to them instead.

I'd like everyone reading this to take a moment, and ask how'd they'd feel if their job actually gave them a portion of the day's take while they were on-shift helping make all that profit. What if cashiers received a portion of the profit generated based on how much they checked out? Or perhaps they were paid a bonus that went up based on how much product they cleared? What if waitstaff, instead of relying on tips, were given a portion of the earnings generated by their tables (meaning big tables suddenly become big bonuses)?

Think about what that kind of cooperation would do for morale, as well as earnings? Because if everyone got back a portion of what their work helped generate, I bet you'd see a lot of stuff start to change in a big damn hurry.

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!

What a $1,200 Check Means For Me as an Author

We have all been watching our mailboxes pretty hard since the current relief package was announced, and though not all of us who qualify have received our stimulus checks so far, a lot of us have. I got mine in the middle of last month, and it's currently sitting in my savings account just accruing interest until I need to call on it.

The time is coming when Jackson will need to be deployed.

It's generally considered taboo to talk about one's earnings (doubly so if you're bragging, and triply so if you're broke), but my hope is that this $1,200 stimulus check will give everybody a solid frame of reference for this conversation. After all, that's roughly a month's earnings at the federal minimum wage, working a 40-hour week. And while I'm generally told that I'm "making it" as a creator, most months my creative projects don't land anywhere near that particular mark on their own.

So, What is $1,200 To Me?

First things first, $1,200 is more than I have ever received for any single writing project in my life. Full-stop, hands down. I've written for magazines and newspapers, blogs, books, and RPG companies, and I have never received a check that large for anything. Ever.

Another factor to consider is that as a full-time creator, I don't have hourly wages. I have no regular paycheck that I cash every two weeks, thus allowing me to measure my monthly and yearly income in a reliable manner. So I have to put this $1,200 into different terms so it will make sense.

Let's break these numbers down, shall we?

Let's start with book sales. When I sell a copy of my novel Crier's Knife, or my short story collection The Rejects, I net about $3 off that sale online (or about $4 if it's an in-person sale at a convention or similar event after shipping and other costs). So that would mean I would have to sell roughly 400 copies of my book online (or about 300 copies of it in-person) to make that much cash.

There are some authors who can do that. I know a few authors personally who make those kind of numbers every month, spending every weekend at one show or another hawking their books (or who did that before the pandemic hit, at least). But if you want some behind-the-scenes numbers, the largest number of books I've ever off-loaded at an in-person event is about 15 as of time of writing. My biggest month was on an anticipated release when I sold 50 books through Amazon. Now, to be fair, I do not have the budget to get a table at big events, or to keep a few hundred books on-hand for sales purposes, but even if I managed to do that every month (which I certainly do not) that would mean that $1,200 would be roughly a season's earnings for me.

Let's check a few other metrics.

I write a lot of articles for Vocal, and I'm a member of the Vocal+ program. That means that I make $6 per 1,000 reads my Vocal archive articles receive. That's pretty good, as far as compensation goes. However, the numbers aren't on my side there either.

$1,200 breaks down to roughly 200,000 reads per month. Now, that's totally doable. There are even a few noted contributors on the site who've managed to do it. For me, though? Well at time of writing I have 162 articles in my archive, and they tend to get between 420 and 480 on an average day (I have occasional spikes, of course, but that's the average). Still, let's round it up and say that I was just a tad more popular, so I managed 500 reads per day on average. That's 15,000 reads a month... which comes out to about $90 or so. So an entire year's worth of reads at that level would come out to just over $1,000... that's not nothing, of course, but it gives you an idea of what I'm working with here.

What about those RPGs I spend so much time working on?

Well, that's going to vary based on the particular project. Some of them pay me .20 per sale, others pay me as much as .60 per sale. But in terms of combined affiliate earnings and royalties that I earn from RPG sales, that comes out to roughly $100 to $150 a month (though I am seeing some serious spikes thanks to everyone being home and deciding to expand their RPG collections and play time). Even if we add in the $100 or so I often make in a per-word payment per month, that's still about 6 months worth of earnings in a single check.

Again, This is Just Me

The above breakdown is highly personal to my work, my earnings, and my audience... but any way you slice it, that $1,200 is the equivalent of a few months of my creative earnings (at best). Now, I live in a city in Indiana where rent isn't sky high, I'm healthy enough that I don't have a lot of medical concerns (at time of writing, at least), and I don't have credit card or student loan debt collectors breathing down my neck. I'm extremely fortunate in all of those areas.

There are other authors who make a lot more than I do. There are also authors who have far bigger expenses than I do thanks to student loans, medical needs, childcare costs, living in major cities, and other expenses. But the number of people who write for a living who make $1,200 a month (or more) from their creative works is nowhere near as large as a lot of folks seem to think... and as we've established, that $1,200 is barely enough to cover rent in some parts of the country.

The same stimulus doesn't have the same impact on all of us.

So if you're stuck at home, and you want to make a difference in an author's day, you can. You can buy a book, share a link, leave a review, or read an article. If you have a little cash to spare, you could even become a Patreon patron (perhaps even at The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, if you were so inclined).

Because at the end of the day we depend on readers just like you. We depend on you to read our books, share your opinions, leave your reviews, and boost our signal. If we are successful, it's due to your efforts as our readers. Even if you're stuck at home and you feel powerless, know that you are the ones who decide whether or not we are successful.

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 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!

"You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It" Tells An Uncomfortable Truth

For those of you who haven't come across the article A Dirty Secret: You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It by Lynn Steger Strong, go read it. Now. Because this glimpse into the uncomfortable truth about what it means to be a jobbing pen monkey in the world we live in is the barrel of the gun that more aspiring writers will need to stare down before making the decision about whether or not to pursue this career.

Can you get wealthy as a writer? Absolutely. Will you? The odds don't look good. Worse, if you don't already have the money you need to buy the time, space, publicity, and access, then you're often trying to place in a time trial with a broken leg.

Because much as we might wish otherwise, there ain't no magic spell for a bestseller.

Strong Tells It Like It Is

If you haven't read the article, let me sum it up for you. Exploring your talent and refining your process takes time, energy, and room to grow. Those things all require dedication, and money to pay your bills while you perfect your craft. And most of the time the people who have those resources already are either born into privileged lives, or they already have an iron in the fire that's covering their day-to-day expenses that lets them write.

As author and retired Marine Corps Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee said on a panel we were both on recently, "I just put in my time at this easy gig called the U.S. Marine Corps, and when I retired decided to write books in my spare time. It's so easy, I don't know why everybody doesn't do it!"

Once I get out of here, I'm gonna start writing books. See if I don't.

While his statement was clearly a joke, Brazee hits at the core of the issue; if you don't have some way to keep the lights on and food in the pantry, writing a novel is a piss poor way to plan for your future. And he's far from the only person I've met through the convention circuit who tells that story. I've met authors with several series who still depend on a spouse's job for income or insurance. Some authors still live with their parents, or have union jobs during the week to help make sure their books are the potatoes instead of their meat. And so on, and so forth.

All of my income has been from writing in one shape or form for the past decade or so, but I'm not shy about pointing out that were my own situation different there's no way I would be doing what I do now.

My Story

When it comes to jobbing writers, my income puts me squarely in the "successful" category when compared to a lot of my fellows, though it's still low enough to qualify me for most government aid programs. And though I've worn out my share of keyboards to earn that bread, I never would have even had the chance if not for a whole slew of advantages I got out of the gate.

The first was coming from a family well-off enough that they didn't tell me to give up and get a real job.

For example, my family had enough money to get me into good schools, no matter where we had to live (given that my father was in the military while I was a child, so moving around a lot came with the territory). And when I slipped academically, they could afford to get me tutors and extra help, ensuring that I understood the material I was being taught. Books were plentiful when I was younger, and I was allowed to devour whatever sort of material I could get my hands on. When I wrote stories for fun, or for school, they were treated seriously and I was never discouraged from pursuing that path.

As I grew older, and my desire to be an author grew from a childish fancy into an actionable plan, I had a lot of other advantages rise up to support me. I got scholarships that helped me pay for school, and when I needed to go back after dropping out the first time (not a great plan if you can avoid it, for all those considering this course of action), my family could afford to pay out of pocket for me to finish my degree. And as a post-graduate birthday present, my parents even paid the remaining student loan I'd been paying on that was still outstanding.

Because I could go to school without worrying about covering my expenses (I had several part-time jobs, but I didn't pay rent, my parents fed me, and often gave me extra gas money and helped me with car repairs), I had the flexibility to start writing professionally before I'd even graduated. That low-pressure start with places like local newspapers and magazines, as well as online write-for-hire work, meant that once I had my degree in-hand I'd basically reached the point I could work from home without needing to apply for traditional jobs. More importantly, my family kept providing me a place to stay and an environment that helped me stretch as a writer as long as I needed it.

I got my own place a little under a year after graduating, but that extra added time to build my CV, make connections, and pay off debts (owning my own car, improving my credit score, etc.) was a serious boon when I went out on my own.

Hustle Every Day

End of the day, it beat the hell out of robbing banks.

Now, none of that is to say this has been an easy road to walk by any stretch of the imagination. I've had to downsize my living situation more than once when clients changed their rates, or when sales took a tumble. I've got a stack of rejection letters that I could paper my apartment with if I printed them out and dedicated a weekend to the task. Several holiday wish lists have had the rather embarrassing, "Well, I was sort of hoping to get a new work laptop, since my current one is trying to eat any manuscript I open on it," entry on them. I've persevered, built up my client list, and refused to give up.

With that said, I can also attest that it's a lot easier not to give up when I was allowed to build up my savings, when I started out with no debts weighing me down, and when I know that, deep down, I have a safety net that will catch me if something truly terrible happens and I need a place to go. And, as Strong points out, very little of what I earn at the end of the year is from book sales. In fact, running the numbers from last year, they didn't even make up 10 percent of my total, pre-tax earnings (though that number does go up if we include profits from RPG adventures and supplements as well as books).

That's something that often gets lost in the shuffle. For a lot of writers out there, your royalties are going to be the icing, not the cake. And if you're planning on subsisting just off the icing, you are in for a very uncomfortable experience... if you even have the support necessary to reach the starting line. It's not pretty, and it's not fair, but it's often the truth of the situation. And it really is one reason that so many writers have similar voices... because they had to come from similar backgrounds just to be able to afford to do what they do.

That Said, You Should Totally Do It Anyway!

Now, with all of that doom and gloom out of the way, and even acknowledging the position I'm in, I tell you this with all my heart. Write anyway.

Seriously. Because we have more tools available to us now than ever before. We have greater abilities to find our audience, and to make our mark, than previous generations could ever fathom. And while finding time for your craft is hard, especially if you have to do it after class or between shifts, there are resources out there to help you. It won't be easy... but it is something you can do if you're willing to pick up the knife.

And even if you miss, what do you gain by not taking a stab?

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 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!