As An Author, You Need To Learn To Double Dip Your Career

One of the questions authors always get (myself included) is where do we find the time to work on things? Not just the writing (though that's obviously part of it), but also the time to do the research we need for our projects, the time to market things, or the time for... well, anything else, really. How are our lives not just sleep and work, with minimal time given to sleep?

Well, first of all, they're not. Most of us just work all the time, every day, trying to keep our heads above water. However, one of the most important skills that I've found as an author is that I have to be able to double dip everything I do. Or, put another way, I need to make sure that whatever I do as an author has multiple applications to either justify my expenses in time, money, and energy, or to make sure that I'm getting double the results whenever possible.

If that sounds confusing, stick with me, I'll give you some examples.

It's simpler than it sounds, I promise!

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! And, of course, check me out on Blue Sky, since that's what we're talking about today!

Double Dipping Your Work (For Fun and Profit!)

Perhaps the clearest, recent example I have of what I'm talking about can be seen in some of my work writing tabletop RPG supplements. Now, for quite some time, I've been wanting to run a game of Hunter: The Vigil (a roleplaying game where players take on the roles of normal people hunting monsters in the dark shadows of the modern day), but I wanted to set it during Prohibition. Now, I knew relatively little about that particular era except what you see in movies. However, I wanted to run a game that felt authentic to the time period, rather than a parody of it, so I knew I was going to have to do a lot of reading and research.

But I couldn't justify just spending hours upon hours at my desk reading and learning history just for this thing I'm doing in my free time. I'm already spending 9-12 hours a day working on things, and I have no blocks of personal time or energy that I could dedicate to reading about organized crime in Chicago, and the social changes sweeping America in the 1920s. So if I was going to dedicate time to this, I needed to find some way to put this knowledge to use in a professional capacity in order to justify the energy I was going to expend.

As such I took the notes I'd made on the time period, and I wrote several unrelated RPG supplements meant to be used with the game Call of Cthulhu (a roleplaying game set in the Cthulhu mythos created by horror author H.P. Lovecraft). These include 100 Gangsters, Gun Molls, and Goons, as well as 100 Books To Find In The Miskatonic Library (That AREN'T In The Restricted Section) and 100 Whispers and Rumors To Hear Around Arkham. Not only that, but because these supplements have short vignettes in them of an ongoing investigation, I also made an audio drama or two to try to get readers hooked into what's going on.

This series appears on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, in case you want to check it out. If so, give us a like and a subscribe while you're there!

So, this is a series of double dips. First, I want to do something in my free time that would take a lot of research for me to do well. So I did that research but I found projects that I could then use that research on other than my own, private game. Not only that, but once those initial projects were done, I used them as a springboard to make an audio drama, which takes a lot less time and energy due to the fact that the "script" is already written, and I just have to read and record. This allows the videos to draw in people who enjoy audio dramas, both making money in ad revenue, but also funneling people to the supplements, which they might buy.

And at the end of the day I still have all this period research I've done for the game I want to run for my friends, and I still used that knowledge to make something to pay my bills.

Is this exhausting? It absolutely is. However, double dipping as an author is a habit that you need to build over time. Like exercising, or portion control. It's a way of looking at things, and finding those helpful little loopholes that make prices lower, or which justify time spent doing one thing instead of something else.

The system runs smoothly, once you understand how it works.

As another example, do I want people to buy copies of my private detective cat novels Marked Territory and Painted Cats? I absolutely do! However, I also leave Amazon affiliate links to those books when I mention them on my blog because that chance to earn some extra money (getting paid my royalties by my publisher, and my affiliate commission from Amazon for selling something through their platform) might be the difference between paying my bills, and needing to dip into savings when the end of the month comes. I love going to conventions, but if I just go as an attendee then I'm out time and money for the experience that goes into a black hole. If I volunteer for panels at the convention, or if I run my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic in the gaming room, then suddenly the gas mileage, food expenses, hotel bill, badge, and any other things I paid for are all tax deductible for me when it's time to settle up with the IRS. I may even get my badge for free, or extra swag from the convention, depending on the event in question.

Hell, even just going out to dinner with someone I'm trying to have on as a guest on my show, or who is working with me on a podcast, counts as a business expense. Which again means that Uncle Sam lets me count those costs against my earnings for the year.

Again, authors are working with paper-thin margins of error, and a lot of the time we cannot justify the expense of something in terms of time, energy, or money if we hold up that thing in a vacuum. So learn to double dip what you do, because it will make a lot of things you thought were impossible quite doable... or at least less painful in the long run.

Just remember to keep your receipts, and don't bite off more than you can chew.

Support The Literary Mercenary

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

- My Facebook

- My Blue Sky

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

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

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.

You Only Have 24 Hours In A Day To Create With (Use Them Wisely)

This is the time of year when artists and writers make their lists of projects and goals they want to achieve in the coming year, but even more than that, it's the time when many of us sit down and mourn how little we got done in the past 12 months. We didn't finish our book, we didn't get our RPG to market, we didn't get as many paintings, or videos, or audio projects completed. Whatever it is, though, all of us ask ourselves the same question...

"Where does the time go?"

And the answer is you have the same 24 hours you always have... but chances are good that either you didn't have as much time to make art, or the art you're making now is taking a lot more time than the art you were making way back when.

These are the only two answers to the question.

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 Else Did You Do This Year?

Let's address the first answer to the question, because this is the one that is honestly a much more common situation.

Review your past year, and ask yourself what else you had to do that stopped you from getting your writing done. Did you have to pick up more hours for work, or get a new job entirely? Did you have a child, or have to take on additional duties at home? Did you start a new fitness routine that ate up an hour or two a day you were previously using to write with? Did you get sick, have to start a commute to work when you were previously a remote employee, or go back to school?

You only have 24 hours in a day, and if something demands more time, then you have less time for your work. It's basic math.

Alternatively... your art might be taking more time now than it used to.

Consider the above video. This is something I made 3 months ago talking about my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic. And while the setup I had for it wasn't bad, precisely, it was pretty basic. Because of this, the editing process for this video only took about 15 minutes, and that's including the watch time to make sure everything I filmed showed up the way I wanted it to.

However, compare that to something I made 3 weeks ago.

This video took me 3 hours to edit. The obvious reason is because there's a lot more going on in it (thanks in large part due to the new editing software I acquired), and the whole point is to give the viewer something to watch to go along with my narration.

However, it's not just that it takes me more time and energy to make these videos. It's also that I now have an additional two hours and forty-five minutes that I would otherwise have used to work on other projects like blog entries, RPG supplements, short stories, novels, etc. And given that I make one of these videos every week, that's a lot of extra hours that get used up when you add them all together... especially because some videos are more complicated and time intensive than this one!

So while I am keeping my video releases on-schedule, that means I'm using time that was previously allocated to other things to make that happen. So whether it's my fiction projects that take a back seat, or a blog entry that doesn't always get done on time, or only getting 1 TTRPG supplement instead of 2 turned in by the end of the month, I didn't lose that time; I allocated it differently because I made a change to something I'm creating.

Chances Are You Aren't Lazy

At the end of the day, both the answers I gave are technically the same. You only have 24 hours in a day, and only so many of those hours are going to be usable for you to get work done. So unless you have the time available, and you also have the energy available, but you choose not to actually create more art you probably shouldn't call yourself lazy.

Now, this might be cold comfort, but it is important to examine your life with a critical eye before you insist that you are solely responsible for what you have (or haven't) accomplished with your days. Because only by taking stock can you understand where your time and energy are going before you make changes. Be kind to yourself, and make sure you have realistic expectations when it comes to your output this year.

Support The Literary Mercenary

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

- My Facebook

- My Blue Sky

- 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 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!

Focus Yourself For Writing With A Slug of Dubby!

Writers, on the whole, have a reputation for consuming all kinds of strange substances while we're in pursuit of our craft. Hard liquor, beer, LSD, absinthe, opium, and even weirder substances have all crossed our desks, even though most of us tend to stick with the caffeinated trio of coffee, tea, and soda.

However, if you're looking for something unique to try to help you focus, and keep writing through the night, I'd recommend that you consider giving Dubby a try!

I'd recommend trying this stack, if you haven't yet!

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!

Energy, Focus, and Word Count

This week's update is a bit of a Word From Our Sponsors, because I am part of the affiliate sales program for Dubby energy. However, I wasn't given a check for this review, nor was I sent any free product... I purchased the sample above, and I'm reporting on it of my own volition. However, after the experience I had, I have every intention of getting more of this to help me along in my own writing endeavors going forward.

And if you want to try some of this stuff for yourself, use the code LITERARYMERCENARY for 10% off of your order!

With that caveat out of the way, though...

So, what is Dubby?

The short version is that it's a powdered energy drink that you scoop out and put into your water, shake up, and drink at your leisure. It's got some vitamins, but mostly it's just a way for you to wake your system up, and focus your mind with some fast energy.

The Good

For the past week or so, I've been testing my 3 pack sample of Dubby. The flavors I got were watermelon guava, pink lemonade, and white peach, all of which were pretty tasty on their own. I did half doses of the packets, rather than the full dose, so I had more of a slow drip for the energy that comes with this product. However, even with a half dose, there was still plenty of energy in what I had. More importantly, though, the focus it provides isn't just a promise on the pouch. If you've got your manuscript in front of you, and it just needs you to put your fingers on the keys, this is definitely a solid jumpstart to your evening.

The energy hit (for me, at least) lasts about two hours or so, during which time I can focus well enough to get quite a lot of progress done on a piece. And, at least during my use of the product, the claim of no crash definitely appeared to be true. There was a point where I wasn't revved anymore, but I went back to my baseline standard, rather than dipping down into the negatives thanks to a crash.

The Bad

While there are a lot of good aspects for this product, there are some drawbacks that are definitely worth mentioning, as well.

First of all, while the taste is good, it was a little weak. At least part of that is likely because I was taking half doses of the product, rather than the full pouch. My way of getting around that was to mix it with a non-caffeinated soda like Squirt or Sprite rather than water, which helped fill in the taste gaps. You do have to take it stirred rather than shaken if you do it that way, though, as no one wants to shake up soda, and deal with the consequences (even if the Dubby shakers do work quite well).

The second drawback of Dubby, as a substance, is that there's always a little bit of powder silt left at the bottom of the glass. As a habitual coffee drinker I'm used to getting to the bottom of my cup and dealing with some of the grounds that snuck in, though, so this is just something that I've come to expect at the end of my caffeination experience.

Overall, Recommended

At the end of the day, Dubby won't make you a better writer, any more than it will make you a better gamer, a faster runner, etc. It's not some kind of miracle health drink, either... it's a mix-it-yourself energy drink. But it delivers on its promise of energy, it keeps you sharp, and it doesn't have a crash. It has a bit of a problem with dregs at the bottom of the cup, but other than that, I'd definitely recommend it.

As to which flavor... well, I'd recommend the Dragonade over the other two I tried, but I'm planning on getting my hands on some of the Dubsludge if I have my way!

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. 

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!