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Wednesday, June 3, 2015

IWSG for June 2015

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.

The fantastic co-hosts this month are: M. Pax, Tracy Jo, Patricia Lynne, Rachna Chhabria, Feather Stone, and Randi Lee!

I received my first quarterly check from my publisher a few weeks ago. I held the envelope in my hands and did a happy jig. Then, like Wolverine, I tore it open and froze.

No, no. That can't be right. I had a dream. My dream told me I'd earn $4700. My subconscious clearly does not know where to place decimal points. I didn't even make triple digits.

The weight of the let-down flopped me into a chair. I could barely breathe. That lasted ten seconds until the panic of wondering whether taking the risk with this series was worth it had me madly pacing the room. This isn't my usual genre. Did I ruin myself by publishing these stories? Do readers think I'm crazy? Why oh why didn't I use a pen name?

ACK!

All that self doubt and anxiety crashed down on me. There wasn't enough ice cream in the world to help this one. Time to hide in a hole. Please ignore this silly geek over here.

Now that I've had some time to let things settle down, I'm okay with the fact I did take the risk. Even if I don't sell well, I've learned a lot from this experience. And I still do believe that the stories are great fun.

We all need to hide in a hole with a barrel bucket of ice cream now and then. The real challenge is to come out and keep pushing forward. Take risks and never give up.

31 comments:

  1. If you hadn't taken a risk you would never know what might have happened and you would have regretted it. I think you have the right attitude, treat it as a learning experience Nobody knows what the future holds, you just got to keep on trying and having fun with your writing.

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  2. You would've regretted not taking that chance. Besides, it was the opportunity to do something different and expand your readership. And now you are in that coveted place of being a hybrid author. That's cool!
    Don't give up on your series. Sometimes it's just a slow build to big sales. Trust me on that one.

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  3. It is just the beginning not the end. Keep promoting and writing and it has to lead somewhere. :-)

    Anna from Elements of Writing

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  4. I totally understand how you're feeling. I think we've all wondered when we take a risk, not just in writing, but in life. But if you didn't take the risk, you'd be kicking yourself. The series is still in its infancy. Give it time. And keep writing the stories you believe in.

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  5. Don't get upset with that first paycheck. In the romance field, it often takes having a number of books out there to gather your audience. You may have heard me mention it before. I didn't have a bestseller until my 8th romance book. Then your back list sells too. 12 books in and that very first book from 8 years ago still sells 5-10 books per month.

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  6. Taking a risk is the best thing anyone can do for their career. You'll never know what you'll capable of if you don't take risks and you'll reach your high-expectation dreams.

    Don't even get me started about MY quarterly paycheck. Pitiful. Sad. Itty-bitty. Just enough to buy a tank of gas. LOL!

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  7. So inspirational and just what I need to hear right now. Thank you for sharing! You are courageous and you never know how your efforts positively affect another writer.

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  8. The sad fact is most books don't sell, no matter how good or how bad they are. The fact you got a paycheck means your books are selling, even though it's not as much as you'd hoped. They're fun, geeky, and very sexy. :)

    And I hate those dreams where you sell a lot and then wake up to find out it's not true.

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  9. I remember how depressing my first sales report was! Now I've been publishing a while, I try not to panic when I have bad sales months. At least the manuscripts aren't languishing in a drawer, and some readers enjoyed the books! :)

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  10. Taking risks helps you to grow. I had to chuckle because I did the same thing when I received my first royalty statement!!! I don't think authors roll in the dough unless your book makes it to the big screen...but it would be nice if book sales at least let us live without having two jobs...

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  11. Hi Christine, our cheques never match up to our expectations. Glad you took the chance with the stories else you would be regretting it for ever. We writers learn the hard way that we need a day job to sustain us.

    Rachna Chhabria
    Co-host IWSG
    Rachna's Scriptorium

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  12. Amen to the picture at the end of the post. I'm sorry your sales weren't what you had hoped but they may get there still - the series is so new and you never know when it might catch on and the sales will take off.

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  13. You have a brilliant attitude. You are just amazing. I'm not published yet, but maybe it will just take a little longer for your new series or books to get the attention they need and hopefully get you great sales. Don't give up.

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  14. At least you got a paycheck, however paltry! I haven't sold anything since November, and my sales were extremely embarrassing and almost nonexistent before then as well. I didn't even write off any of my expenses for taxes, since I took such a huge loss. At least there's the thought that you could sell many more books once you've built more of a reputation and been out there for awhile in that new genre.

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  15. Maybe it didn't succeed on the level you hoped for, but it will help you. Every effort we make helps us on our way. I think you're major awesome.

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  16. You're a published author. I know it's hard to see little come back in the paycheck, but you are putting yourself out there and you are successful. It sucks, but I'm so proud that you are doing this. :)

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  17. Ice cream... Anyone who believes writing will pay the bills is either delusional or has spent over a decade making it happen. Don't be discouraged. Every work published is a work published. Every book out there has the potential to bring in revenue. You are awesome, even if sales aren't what they should be.

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  18. Crystal's right, buy ice cream. I'm sure that's was she means. ;)

    You write what comes out, no much can be done about that, and you never know what the future holds.

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  19. You're doing better than some, definitely better than I do. You should still do that happy dance. And the best is yet to come, I'm sure, as long as you continue taking risks. Keep going!

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  20. Taking risks is tough, especially when the initial "revenue" from them just seems way too small for the giant leap, but you're an amazing writer. Keep writing one day after another!

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  21. Gotta take that leap of faith. Can't put a price tag on experience, learning, and moving forward in this journey. Hey, at least you got a check!

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  22. Aw, I'm sorry. I can easily see how something like this would get you down. *hugs* No writer has ever progressed by avoiding risks, though, so this was still a chance worth taking, I think, even if it didn't pan out the way you had hoped...

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  23. If you hadn't taken the risk, then you would have regretted it. Things don't always live up to expectations, but at least you tried and the book is still out there. You have plenty of chances to keep selling it and rocking it.

    ~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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  24. That feeling you felt, I totally understand where you're coming from. But even though I haven't received some super payout, I know I would regret not trying, so here's to trying, trying and trying some more.

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  25. What incredible responses from everyone. Thank you so much. You are why I love the IWSG. Ice cream for everyone! :)

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  26. I'm so sorry! I think it's good you took a risk. Your next book will be better for it. Keep risking. When you think about books that do well, it's not the ones that played it safe, it's the ones that took a risk and tried something new.

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  27. You've got to do what's right for you, and yes, you would have regretted not doing it. Nothing great would happen if we just stayed doing the same things. Keep going with your series and be proud of everything you're doing!

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  28. That is the beauty of being a glass-half-empty girl. I get the disappointment over with, and then can look at the bright side :) I'm glad you decided taking the risk was the right thing, no matter the outcome. And, it could still get better. The more your name gets published in the genre, the more readers you will acquire. Slow steps is still steps forward.

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  29. Man, that's rough. But good news is, you did get a paycheck so that means you did sell some books. I think you're an amazing author. Keep on writing, even the stuff outside your usual genre!

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  30. Sorry for your let down, Christine, BUT, at least you tried and that is just this check... Perhaps, this collection needs more time and nurturing. We ALL take risks with our writing. Hay, wasn't taking the first step setting the words on "paper" for our first time writing a major risk?

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  31. Those royalties are grounding, aren't they? Of course it was worth it - pushing out of our comfort zones keep us excited for life. Otherwise we'd stagnate.

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