As we all know, even the finest battle plan never survives first contact with the enemy. So while I have written several novels (and they're all available on my Amazon author page), I've had to step away from them over the past couple of years for one very specific reason.
They don't really make me any money.
While that hurts to admit, it is what it is. I've written 4 novels and 2 short story collections, and even though I've taken them to dozens of conventions and made lord only knows how many online campaigns to try to get people to read my books, it rarely amounts to much of anything. In fact, I believe my last royalty payment was somewhere around $6 and change.
Though making this decision was painful for me, I wanted to remind everyone out there that just because you aren't writing the exact thing you want to that doesn't make you less of a writer. The only thing that can do that is giving up, and no longer writing.
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| And I don't want anyone out there giving up. |
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!
What I'm Doing Now
To give my readers a little insight into my daily work schedule, the first few hours of my day are spent on promotion while I sip coffee and wake up. Once I've got all those posts out (or at least once I finish off some of the bigger platforms), I move on to writing blogs or articles, typing up my current TTRPG supplement, and then adding new words to the handwritten rough draft for a (usually) separate TTRPG supplement. In the evenings I typically add 500 words to whatever fiction project I have on my desk, and I'll spend the rest of the evening editing the current video that's going up on the Azukail Games YouTube channel.
The sharp-eyed readers among you have likely noticed that I said "the current fiction project" in that description. Because while I'm not currently writing novels, I am very much still working on fictional projects... they just take a a very different form these days.
Some months I'm working on short stories, like the Leagues of Votann tale Pyramid Scheme, or the most recent addition to the saga of the Imperium's bravest ogryn, Gav and Bob Part VI: The Laughter of a Thirsting God. Other months I've been working on scripts for my upcoming Chronicles of Darkness podcast Windy City Shadows (which, when the first season is done, will be roughly the length of a novel). However, regardless of what the particular project happens to be, I have not given up creating new works of fiction.
I've just changed the format I'm using.
And this is something I wanted to remind folks of today. Because even if you start out doing one thing and have to switch, or you really wish you could make a career creating a different kind of work than you currently are, what matters at the end of the day is that you didn't give up. You didn't stop. You didn't take your fingers off the keys, or your eye off the ball. You're still writing.
It is better to write something, anything, than to write nothing. To go back to my favorite metaphor, it's a lot like going to the gym. Even if you wanted to be a champion power lifter, that might not be feasible at the moment. Maybe you can't afford that kind of diet or time, or maybe you're recovering from an injury that means you don't have that kind of capability right now. It's better to shift over to a different workout that still lets you utilize your strengths, and which keeps you in some kind of shape, than to just give up, go home, and sit on the couch while eating Twinkies.
By all means, be frustrated about it. Be annoyed that you can't do those things you want to do. However, do not ever be ashamed of having to switch gears because of financial needs, creative requirements, or needing to try to find another way to create things. As long as you don't stop creating, and you're still putting work out there, that's what matters.
Support The Literary Mercenary
If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!
- 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 Craft 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.
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!
