Current Events > well, I finally did it. Completed the first draft of my new story collection.

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's crazy, really.

I spent a while planning it, and really worked hard for about 6 weeks, mid-April to the end of May. The following day, I should've printed it off, and that should've been it, not having to worry about it for a while, maybe (usually I finish the first draft of something, and then stick it in a drawer for 6 or more months, to give me distance when I read it).

This time, though (sigh), my the other people who use the communal printer in my house insisted I use the free inks that we get allocated by the company every so often. This meant that I had to print the thing off in 4 goes, stretched from late May to mid-July, about another 6 weeks. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you're exhausted yourself writing something, and just wanna forget about it after quickly printing it off, this is really annoying, even upsetting.

It's done, though. A new short story collection of 14 stories, between 10 and 30 pages each, and perhaps it's a very good book. Who knows. It's upstairs in a folder, inside a drawer now, and that's good. I can't believe how cheap people are when it comes to printing, you know?

Writing is hard work.

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Do you have any excerpts you can show us? What genre are the stories?
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No, I never share my stuff, sadly.

It's mostly general reading, with a little sci-fi and fantasy, but not much.

Are you really from Dorset?

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About 12 years, not nearly 20.

And who would I even show my stuff to?

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Congrats dude

Are you still writing PoMo lit or what?
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Nah, not really in a long time. The last time I wrote proper postmoderism was about 2011. Most of my stuff since then has been general reading. Still read it sometimes, though. I have trouble getting it, because I'm poor, though.
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Congrats dude. But you should seriously share it. I'd like to read one of the stories if possible.

I too write and have published a short-story collection with fourteen stories. They're mostly horror with fantasy elements.
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Self-publishing? It seems like every millennial publishing recently has been a self-publishing.
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Sunhawk posted...

Self-publishing? It seems like every millennial publishing recently has been a self-publishing.

Yeah, I self-published through createspace. It's tough to find an agent that will pick you up on a short story collection as your first piece. I just really wanted it out there. Plus, if the novel I'm working on ever gets picked up, they'll see that I already put in some work to establish myself already. Might make them more inclined to work with me, you know.
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How much did it cost? How much have you made so far?
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Sunhawk posted...

Nah, not really in a long time. The last time I wrote proper postmoderism was about 2011. Most of my stuff since then has been general reading. Still read it sometimes, though. I have trouble getting it, because I'm poor, though.

Ah

Have you read Private Citizens btw?
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Never even heard of it. Who wrote it? Is it new? Is it very challenging?
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I finished a 60k word western novel in March after several years of mentally writing it and procrastinating and a couple months of actually writing it. That, along with 5 other stories, one of which is already completed, will be released as an anthology. Will be starting the third story soon and hoping to be done with all of them within the next year.

By the way, if you want a paperback of your own work, I got copies of mine to use for editing and friends family from the website Lulu. Good quality and it's cool to have your own work in your hands like you would find it on the shelf.

Congrats on finishing your work. It is a huge undertaking, I found, and a huge relief when it's out of your head.

60k's a bit short for a novel? Also, an anthology is when there are multiple authors involved, although from the way you phrased your post, the other 5 stories maybe be by another author or authors.

But you're right, it's a big relief when you don't have to think about it anymore.

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60k is short for a novel, but seems to be about the minimum threshold, especially for a first timer.

An anthology is just a collection of work. In my case, they will all be stand alone stories with different characters, all loosely set in the same universe. Like characters from one might pass through the ruins of a town featured prominently in another one.

The 60k one I am very happy with, as I have been thinking about it for so long and finally just bit the bullet. Now I am procrastinating on starting the next one even though I don't see it being nearly as long and it's not as much of a mental burden.

It was free to publish. The costs came from Grammarly (small fee but a godsend of a program), someone to do the digital lay out, cover art and advertising.

All in all I spent around $800 (includes shipping around 150 books to myself to give away and sell), and I've made around $500 or so. Looked great on my taxes though, heh.
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dolomedes posted...

Sunhawk posted...

No, I never share my stuff, sadly.

seriously what is your deal?

nearly twenty years of 'hey guys i write all the time i'm a writer, writing writing writing - oh, no, i never write anything anybody else can read - but i write so much!'

Dude big talk you own fucking spiders
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Sunhawk posted...

Never even heard of it. Who wrote it? Is it new? Is it very challenging?

I urge you to look it up. It's the first book by a new author, but the writing is pretty decent; it's an easy read but still does a good job of engaging you intellectually. It's also hilarious. Came out in 2016.
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Sunhawk posted...

Writing is hard work.

Don't bother. No one on this fucking board believes that.
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DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

Writing is hard work.

Don't bother. No one on this fucking board believes that.

I can't tell if you're supporting or attacking me, DK.

Although given the source, I'd say attacking viciously. Am I right?

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Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

Writing is hard work.

Don't bother. No one on this fucking board believes that.

I can't tell if you're supporting or attacking me, DK.

Although given the source, I'd say attacking viciously. Am I right?

No, I wasn't. I was supporting you as a fellow writer.

But if that's what you want to think, then fuck you too.
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DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

Writing is hard work.

Don't bother. No one on this fucking board believes that.

I can't tell if you're supporting or attacking me, DK.

Although given the source, I'd say attacking viciously. Am I right?

No, I wasn't. I was supporting you as a fellow writer.

But if that's what you want to think, then fuck you too.

You're a writer? What genre? Have you been published? Details?

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Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

Writing is hard work.

Don't bother. No one on this fucking board believes that.

I can't tell if you're supporting or attacking me, DK.

Although given the source, I'd say attacking viciously. Am I right?

No, I wasn't. I was supporting you as a fellow writer.

But if that's what you want to think, then fuck you too.

You're a writer? What genre? Have you been published? Details?

WHy the hell would I give details after you just accused me of attacking you when I tried to lend a hand?
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DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

Writing is hard work.

Don't bother. No one on this fucking board believes that.

I can't tell if you're supporting or attacking me, DK.

Although given the source, I'd say attacking viciously. Am I right?

No, I wasn't. I was supporting you as a fellow writer.

But if that's what you want to think, then fuck you too.

You're a writer? What genre? Have you been published? Details?

WHy the hell would I give details after you just accused me of attacking you when I tried to lend a hand?

Your post was ambigiously phrased. Plus, given our recent history, it was logical to think you were attacking me.

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Good for you. Going to try to publish it, or do nothing with it like the rest?
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Who even knows?

How's the self-publishing scene going, Goggalor? Made much money yet, which is what every millennial writer who goes the self-publishing route seems to care about?

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Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

DK9292 posted...

Sunhawk posted...

Writing is hard work.

Don't bother. No one on this fucking board believes that.

I can't tell if you're supporting or attacking me, DK.

Although given the source, I'd say attacking viciously. Am I right?

No, I wasn't. I was supporting you as a fellow writer.

But if that's what you want to think, then fuck you too.

You're a writer? What genre? Have you been published? Details?

WHy the hell would I give details after you just accused me of attacking you when I tried to lend a hand?

Your post was ambigiously phrased. Plus, given our recent history, it was logical to think you were attacking me.

Our "recent history" involving you provoking me? Like you did now?

I was actually dumb enough to think that maybe we could reach a common ground over writing. But sure, blame me for "being ambiguous". You just want to fucking fight with me no matter what I say.
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Sunhawk posted...

Who even knows?

How's the self-publishing scene going, Goggalor? Made much money yet, which is what every millennial writer who goes the self-publishing route seems to care about?

I don't care about money. I've never been materialistic.
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I don't know. Most millennial writers (such as they are), seem to think of themselves less as writers, and more as businesspeople.

Kinda misses the whole point of writing, doesn't it?

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Sunhawk posted...

I don't know. Most millennial writers (such as they are), seem to think of themselves less as writers, and more as businesspeople.

Kinda misses the whole point of writing, doesn't it?

I would agree that that defeats the purpose. I don't think most sensible people who self publish however are in it for the money. Hell, I've barely made anything and the only thing that bothers me is that means I don't have as large of an audience as I'd like.

The point of something like Createspace, at least to me, is to subvert the "it's who you know" process of typical publishing, which more often than not does not rely on quality for qualification, but instead is based on some type of "in" with a person at the company. I'd rather just have my stuff out there than hope for a miracle basically.
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You could always publish for free on Amazon. That's what I've done before. I make twenty bucks a month now! :D
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_Goggalor_ posted...

Sunhawk posted...

I don't know. Most millennial writers (such as they are), seem to think of themselves less as writers, and more as businesspeople.

Kinda misses the whole point of writing, doesn't it?

I would agree that that defeats the purpose. I don't think most sensible people who self publish however are in it for the money. Hell, I've barely made anything and the only thing that bothers me is that means I don't have as large of an audience as I'd like.

The point of something like Createspace, at least to me, is to subvert the "it's who you know" process of typical publishing, which more often than not does not rely on quality for qualification, but instead is based on some type of "in" with a person at the company. I'd rather just have my stuff out there than hope for a miracle basically.

Is Createspace just a free digital publishing thing, like Amazon? Or is it actual physical publishing that you pay for?
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spanky1 posted...

_Goggalor_ posted...

Sunhawk posted...

I don't know. Most millennial writers (such as they are), seem to think of themselves less as writers, and more as businesspeople.

Kinda misses the whole point of writing, doesn't it?

I would agree that that defeats the purpose. I don't think most sensible people who self publish however are in it for the money. Hell, I've barely made anything and the only thing that bothers me is that means I don't have as large of an audience as I'd like.

The point of something like Createspace, at least to me, is to subvert the "it's who you know" process of typical publishing, which more often than not does not rely on quality for qualification, but instead is based on some type of "in" with a person at the company. I'd rather just have my stuff out there than hope for a miracle basically.

Is Createspace just a free digital publishing thing, like Amazon? Or is it actual physical publishing that you pay for?

It's both physical and digital publishing on Amazon, for free. I have physical copies of all my books on my shelf rn.
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spanky1 posted...

You could always publish for free on Amazon. That's what I've done before. I make twenty bucks a month now! :D

Made me chuckle, I admit. You pleased, spanky? To be, $20 is $20.

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are you afraid that people will hate it? are you afraid that people will love it?
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Pancake posted...

are you afraid that people will hate it? are you afraid that people will love it?

Those are both legitimate concerns.

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Sunhawk posted...

spanky1 posted...

You could always publish for free on Amazon. That's what I've done before. I make twenty bucks a month now! :D

Made me chuckle, I admit. You pleased, spanky? To be, $20 is $20.

Well to be fair when I was still writing and putting stuff up there, I was making like over a hundred bucks a month. And I haven't written anything new in over a year, so that's old stuff making revenue.
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Sunhawk posted...

Pancake posted...

are you afraid that people will hate it? are you afraid that people will love it?

Those are both legitimate concerns.

Look, I'm not trying to be a dick, but when you personally attack someone else's work because you don't agree with their choice to self publish, you can't expect amicability in return.

I want to wish you well, and see your work published, because that's what writers should do: wish for success for one another. But you make it difficult.
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Just out of interest, how many copies have you sold of your most popular book? I remember that topic, maybe a year ago, where you got really upset and said you weren't writing anymore, but I can't remember the figures (if any) you gave.
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Those are both legitimate concerns.

do you not stay happy with your own work?
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Sunhawk posted...

Just out of interest, how many copies have you sold of your most popular book? I remember that topic, maybe a year ago, where you got really upset and said you weren't writing anymore, but I can't remember the figures (if any) you gave.

About 59. Not kidding. I never advertise and I don't try to get money. I just want to get the books out there. Couldn't care less about money. Status and writing stories that interest me are more important.
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o_o

Well. That's still 59 more than I've ever sold.

Perhaps you should try a bit harder and do a regular publishing. Your stuff will be much better distributed, I mean, you'll probably sell more of a certain book in a month, then you would with self-publishing in a year.

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Sunhawk posted...

o_o

Well. That's still 59 more than I've ever sold.

Perhaps you should try a bit harder and do a regular publishing. Your stuff will be much better distributed, I mean, you'll probably sell more of a certain book in a month, then you would with self-publishing in a year.

Some day. My GF and I might move to NY just to live and there are way more agencies there.
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_Goggalor_ posted...

spanky1 posted...

_Goggalor_ posted...

Sunhawk posted...

I don't know. Most millennial writers (such as they are), seem to think of themselves less as writers, and more as businesspeople.

Kinda misses the whole point of writing, doesn't it?

I would agree that that defeats the purpose. I don't think most sensible people who self publish however are in it for the money. Hell, I've barely made anything and the only thing that bothers me is that means I don't have as large of an audience as I'd like.

The point of something like Createspace, at least to me, is to subvert the "it's who you know" process of typical publishing, which more often than not does not rely on quality for qualification, but instead is based on some type of "in" with a person at the company. I'd rather just have my stuff out there than hope for a miracle basically.

Is Createspace just a free digital publishing thing, like Amazon? Or is it actual physical publishing that you pay for?

It's both physical and digital publishing on Amazon, for free. I have physical copies of all my books on my shelf rn.

Printing on demand, I take it? Like someone buys a physical copy from Amazon, they print it at that point and ship it over? How much is a physical copy?
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Oh and also how are covers handled? Is it up to you to provide the entire design yourself? That's one of the reasons I quit amazon publishing.
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I read a non-fiction self-publishing strategy in which the first 5 days are free, second 5 are 50% off, then you charge full price. This allows more people to see your work and you generate quite a few reviews and downloads which should push it to the top of searches and recent releases.

I am going to self-publish in the 3.99 range so I can make higher percentage per copy, but I am good if they don't make much. I already have a career and writing it was much less financially motivated and more to get the ideas out of my head. My next one especially won't really be very accessible from a mainstream audience standpoint, so that's why I think releasing as an anthology will get it more exposure.

spanky1 posted...

_Goggalor_ posted...

spanky1 posted...

_Goggalor_ posted...

Sunhawk posted...

I don't know. Most millennial writers (such as they are), seem to think of themselves less as writers, and more as businesspeople.

Kinda misses the whole point of writing, doesn't it?

I would agree that that defeats the purpose. I don't think most sensible people who self publish however are in it for the money. Hell, I've barely made anything and the only thing that bothers me is that means I don't have as large of an audience as I'd like.

The point of something like Createspace, at least to me, is to subvert the "it's who you know" process of typical publishing, which more often than not does not rely on quality for qualification, but instead is based on some type of "in" with a person at the company. I'd rather just have my stuff out there than hope for a miracle basically.

Is Createspace just a free digital publishing thing, like Amazon? Or is it actual physical publishing that you pay for?

It's both physical and digital publishing on Amazon, for free. I have physical copies of all my books on my shelf rn.

Printing on demand, I take it? Like someone buys a physical copy from Amazon, they print it at that point and ship it over? How much is a physical copy?

Yup, Print on demand. They give you a minimum price you can put based on page count. My cheapest book is $4.99 and my most expensive is $13.99.

spanky1 posted...

Oh and also how are covers handled? Is it up to you to provide the entire design yourself? That's one of the reasons I quit amazon publishing.

You can make your own PDF cover for free, or you can enlist their professional services for $199. I just make my own covers for free.
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