For some people Wednesday is the middle of the week, the “hump” you get over until Friday. For me, the middle doesn’t come until Saturday. At this university campus bookstore, my fellow temps and I will be working every day, including Saturday and Sunday, until the end of next week.
Today is only Day 3 of our 14-day forced march. Half the month of August is shot as far as much of my new writing goes. Gotta make bank, though. My son is starting his senior year in high school and we have clothes to purchase, and athletic and lab fees to pay.
Fortunately, I pulled the “late” shift of 10:30 a.m. until closing at 6 p.m., which means I can get up at the normal waking time for most people (6:30, 7 a.m.) and knock out some things before I drive in. I always feel better going into work after having written something, anything. Knocking out a few promotional tweets for my books, as I did this morning, feels like an accomplishment.
I stand around my fellow temp workers, and it doesn’t matter that I’m a successful horror author in Germany. The German translation of Bleeding Kansas—as of the last time I looked this morning— is in the top 100 Kindle horror books, and top 100 overall for horror.
It’s not something I can share with my fellow temps, most of whom are struggling worse than I am and “don’t have time to read.” Of course, many people still equate the writing and publication of a book with financial success, so how good could I be if I have to work crowd control for ten bucks an hour? Best to keep my mouth shut, and play the role of the Charming Older Fella helping the young ‘uns find their required physics textbooks.
Newsflash for all aspiring authors: you don’t really make money writing books unless you can sell the movie rights. The best you can hope to come close is to write a lot of books, and keep them all selling at once. I’ve got two books out there, with one in translation in a foreign market, and obviously I’m still trying to get a grip on this marketing thing.
Part of marketing is blogging, and this is the best I can do. For now. Here are the obligatory links to my books. These are the Kindle links; you can get the app free for your phone, PC, or Mac. Look on the linked pages for the links to the paperback versions if you’re so inclined:
Saga of the Dead Silencer, Book 1, BLEEDING KANSAS.
Saga of the Dead Silencer, Book 2, GRACE AMONG THE DEAD.
I’ll got to finish this up, shower, and see what I can do to get Chapter 2 or Book 3 sketched out. Then off to the “slave,” as the old jazz musicians called their day jobs.
Here’s hoping my books provide you with sufficient distraction from your own worries for a while. If you work customer service, you might enjoy the vicarious pleasures of slashing, clubbing, and shooting the formerly living. God help me, I have. Still do.
Today is only Day 3 of our 14-day forced march. Half the month of August is shot as far as much of my new writing goes. Gotta make bank, though. My son is starting his senior year in high school and we have clothes to purchase, and athletic and lab fees to pay.
Fortunately, I pulled the “late” shift of 10:30 a.m. until closing at 6 p.m., which means I can get up at the normal waking time for most people (6:30, 7 a.m.) and knock out some things before I drive in. I always feel better going into work after having written something, anything. Knocking out a few promotional tweets for my books, as I did this morning, feels like an accomplishment.
I stand around my fellow temp workers, and it doesn’t matter that I’m a successful horror author in Germany. The German translation of Bleeding Kansas—as of the last time I looked this morning— is in the top 100 Kindle horror books, and top 100 overall for horror.
It’s not something I can share with my fellow temps, most of whom are struggling worse than I am and “don’t have time to read.” Of course, many people still equate the writing and publication of a book with financial success, so how good could I be if I have to work crowd control for ten bucks an hour? Best to keep my mouth shut, and play the role of the Charming Older Fella helping the young ‘uns find their required physics textbooks.
Newsflash for all aspiring authors: you don’t really make money writing books unless you can sell the movie rights. The best you can hope to come close is to write a lot of books, and keep them all selling at once. I’ve got two books out there, with one in translation in a foreign market, and obviously I’m still trying to get a grip on this marketing thing.
Part of marketing is blogging, and this is the best I can do. For now. Here are the obligatory links to my books. These are the Kindle links; you can get the app free for your phone, PC, or Mac. Look on the linked pages for the links to the paperback versions if you’re so inclined:
Saga of the Dead Silencer, Book 1, BLEEDING KANSAS.
Saga of the Dead Silencer, Book 2, GRACE AMONG THE DEAD.
I’ll got to finish this up, shower, and see what I can do to get Chapter 2 or Book 3 sketched out. Then off to the “slave,” as the old jazz musicians called their day jobs.
Here’s hoping my books provide you with sufficient distraction from your own worries for a while. If you work customer service, you might enjoy the vicarious pleasures of slashing, clubbing, and shooting the formerly living. God help me, I have. Still do.
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| Okay, get ready to open the doors. It’s time. |
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