Many come here and don't know how the platform works- or maybe have different expectations. The ones who stay seem to really love it though...
Many come here and don't know how the platform works- or maybe have different expectations. The ones who stay seem to really love it though...
There is a lot of misinformation on YouTube (a lot of it from some of the bot owning witnesses) who make it appear that it is easy to post something of value and hundreds of dollars comes rolling in. Many of the videos there fail to mention that the votes were bought, basically handing the bot owner some money to hand back to you, lol.
I have dabbled with self publishing, making my living almost solely from it last year. Based on the misconceptions I had when I got here, I posted some how to material that could have made me some decent money in residuals over the next few years and was met with crickets. Then I began seeing the bickering between power players, some shilling for EOS and I almost left.
But, in the midst of this confusion I had begun connecting with people and discovering many acts of kindness, such as you do with your freewrite. While I hope to one day build wealth from my activities here, I made up my mind that wasn't the reason to stay so I made peace with the illusion that first brought me here.
I am glad that you made peace with it and that you are still here. What kind of writing are you doing in the wide, wide world out there - and maybe we can entice you to join us in the freewrite to warm up :)
Before I answer, I wanted to thank you for all of the upvotes. I also want you to feel free not to upvote a continuing exchange between us. I know how quickly voting power gets used up and as much as you spread yourself here they must go even quicker than mine (I logged in tonight at almost 100% and am down to 76.3% and could leave more if I don't quit reading blogs, lol).
I started off doing how to books, but after my initial one the rest really didn't do much. In the groups I belonged in, along with blogs I was reading I was convinced to branch into fiction, which I would never have done had I not done the how to books. Not just any fiction, erotica fiction. The stories were shorter, the need for proper mechanics not as crucial as the audience is more forgiving (and I came to determine many of the readers were possibly more ignorant than I regarding English mechanics, lol). I won't claim any of my pen names though publicly. Early last year I was so burnt out from the constant churn I just couldn't write anymore. I was basically writing the same thing again and again, simply changing the lead up.
They were right, there was money in it. Off of royalties I almost hit 20k last hear, and still make a few hundred a month now from them. I am almost ready to write again, although the idea of writing a novel and the outlay for a professional editor, artist for the cover and all the promotion jazz that goes along with it probably helps me dragging my feet on starting it.
I am more of a pantser, although I did experiment with loose plot lines at times I delved a little longer than my norm. Which wasn't often as in erotica I found the longer the story line the worse it sold. But when I get to writing the story, it flows from me. It's almost like I am not writing it, the characters are writing it. I had one series I did, each a novella. It took off pretty good, but then I made a crucial mistake and changed the story line midway through the series and got crucified in the reviews for it. I learned to respect the readers with that blunder.
Sorry for rambling so much, I can jabber jaw along with the best of them. I do plan on participating in the freewrite soon, and appreciate so much that you do this for us.
First, I totally know what you are saying about voting power and I will refrain from voting when my VP is down - but I wanted to 🤓
I so wish I could write erotica! It sells well!! I used to dabble in trying to write Romance and the more explicit ones sold better and are way less work than, for example, a historical romance where you have to get all the facts right :)
And I can see how it gets boring to write the same all over again. I know that many of the romances, for example, are very formulaic. And you are right, the readers do not like it when it changes lol
Do you listen to the podcast with Joanne Penn? I love it and she has lots of tips for the self-publishing crowd.
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/
Looking forward to you joining the freewriters. And if you have time, enter the contest at the @freewritehouse .
I came across Joanne early on, but focused more on romance/erotica groups. If you are on Facebook (I gave mine up) I cant recommend enough a group called 20 books to 50K. It is run by Michael Anderle who is a genius when it comes to self publishing. Many laughed at his presumptuous statements when he first posted on Kboards, and he not only hot his goals, he shattered them.
I pretty much have given up on FaceBook as well. Just go there for specific groups and not very often. but I will keep that in mind when and if my time comes to actually go for a book.
Btw. I just learned something new. If we vote on anything and the total $ on the vote stays under $ 0.03 it gets rounded down to zero. didn't know that and certainly need to adjust my voting habits from here on out. I have wasted a lot of my votes that way.
The posts I have read on this are saying it is if they are below .02. But am sure everyone will be pleased with .03 more than .02, lol. I just did something I was sure I would never do, and used the little SD I had to lease SP to bump me up to .02. Hopefully by the time it expires I will be past .02.
Let's hope so. I have never rented SP either - but I have entered all kinds of contests to win either sbd or delegations.