January was a good month for me.
I managed to write 107,848 words, which I consider to be a good start for the year.
I also put up 41 blog posts.
For the most part, however, I worked for others and worked a bit on my own stuff.
Let’s discuss
I managed to write 107,848 words, which I consider to be a good start for the year.
I also put up 41 blog posts.
For the most part, however, I worked for others and worked a bit on my own stuff.
Let’s discuss
Paid Work
I was very lucky to get some work this month.
You might remember that I was worried about starting January, getting the rent paid.
Well, that’s been paid. Mainly, I saved most of my money and therefore had enough to pay the rent.
Yeah, work was scarce. I only had two major projects – one editing job and the other a monster bibliography project.
Anyways, they kept me afloat.
I hope I get more work this month.
You might remember that I was worried about starting January, getting the rent paid.
Well, that’s been paid. Mainly, I saved most of my money and therefore had enough to pay the rent.
Yeah, work was scarce. I only had two major projects – one editing job and the other a monster bibliography project.
Anyways, they kept me afloat.
I hope I get more work this month.
Tribes 2nd Edition
In case you haven’t heard, I updated Tribes and Trappers to a 2nd Edition.
What does this mean?
It pretty much means I added a bunch of pages.
Yeah, that’s kind of it – when you hear 2nd edition…yep, new pages.
Sometimes you don’t even get new pages, just a new introduction.
Sometimes it’s not even a new intro, just a couple new sentences or paragraph pasted onto the front or back (occasionally both) of the old intro.
You won’t get any of that fancy-pants shit with me.
Nope, when I put out a 2nd edition, that puppy has some girth to it.
In this case, we’re talkin’ 150 new pages.
Wow!
I know, I know – you’re thinking, shit, how much more’s that book cost now?
It’s not any more.
Get the fuck out of town! Who is this guy?!?
It’s true – the book is the exact same price…for the eBook. I had to raise the price of the print book by a dollar or two because it went from 172 pages to 320.
So it costs more to print and send.
It’ll also cost you ignorance.
No longer will you be ignorant of Montana in the 1810s, 1820s, and 1830s!
There’s a shit-ton more than that in the book though, and I encourage you to take a gander at the ‘Look Inside’ on Amazon.
What does this mean?
It pretty much means I added a bunch of pages.
Yeah, that’s kind of it – when you hear 2nd edition…yep, new pages.
Sometimes you don’t even get new pages, just a new introduction.
Sometimes it’s not even a new intro, just a couple new sentences or paragraph pasted onto the front or back (occasionally both) of the old intro.
You won’t get any of that fancy-pants shit with me.
Nope, when I put out a 2nd edition, that puppy has some girth to it.
In this case, we’re talkin’ 150 new pages.
Wow!
I know, I know – you’re thinking, shit, how much more’s that book cost now?
It’s not any more.
Get the fuck out of town! Who is this guy?!?
It’s true – the book is the exact same price…for the eBook. I had to raise the price of the print book by a dollar or two because it went from 172 pages to 320.
So it costs more to print and send.
It’ll also cost you ignorance.
No longer will you be ignorant of Montana in the 1810s, 1820s, and 1830s!
There’s a shit-ton more than that in the book though, and I encourage you to take a gander at the ‘Look Inside’ on Amazon.
Fiction and Nonfiction Progress
At this point I’m just working on the Colter novels, at least when it comes to fiction.
It’s easy to see why – my four Colter novels sold more than 120 copies this month. Interestingly, 40% of those sales came from the UK.
So if it sells, I keep writing it.
That’s why I’ll be finishing up Book 5 this month. After that I’ll just get right into Book 6, which is the last of ‘em.
Let me clarify that – it’s the last book with Colter. I’m already developing the characters that will take us into and through the War of 1812.
Yes, the Mountain Man Series will be a dozen books at least, probably twenty or more.
I’ll discuss that, and this new Colter book, in a Montana blog post this week.
It’s easy to see why – my four Colter novels sold more than 120 copies this month. Interestingly, 40% of those sales came from the UK.
So if it sells, I keep writing it.
That’s why I’ll be finishing up Book 5 this month. After that I’ll just get right into Book 6, which is the last of ‘em.
Let me clarify that – it’s the last book with Colter. I’m already developing the characters that will take us into and through the War of 1812.
Yes, the Mountain Man Series will be a dozen books at least, probably twenty or more.
I’ll discuss that, and this new Colter book, in a Montana blog post this week.
Cover Image: Lake McDonald by C.M. Russell, 1901
When it comes to nonfiction, the big one this month was Book 6 of my Montana history series.
This goes from 1960 to 1990 and I did a lot of work on it.
For the most part, this focused on the following topics:
On that last one, we’re talking stuff that happened in the 1930s.
That’s a big problem of mine – I come across interesting sources that I hadn’t known about, and long after I wrote a book about the subject.
So I’m not sure what I’ll do with that liquor stuff, or some of the Chinese stuff I have.
Maybe just blog posts.
Anyways, that’s about it. There’s a bit more, but that’s what I worked on this month.
The nice thing about this new Montana history book is that no one will read it.
I know that because only 4 people bothered to buy the last book.
That gives me a lot of freedom in what I can do in this book.
And what does that mean? I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.
(Since I know you don’t care, I’m mainly talking to myself at this point).
This goes from 1960 to 1990 and I did a lot of work on it.
For the most part, this focused on the following topics:
- Montana politicians;
- 1970s tourism;
- Montana oil and coal;
- Vietnam;
- Mansfield and Kennedy;
- Liquor legalization.
On that last one, we’re talking stuff that happened in the 1930s.
That’s a big problem of mine – I come across interesting sources that I hadn’t known about, and long after I wrote a book about the subject.
So I’m not sure what I’ll do with that liquor stuff, or some of the Chinese stuff I have.
Maybe just blog posts.
Anyways, that’s about it. There’s a bit more, but that’s what I worked on this month.
The nice thing about this new Montana history book is that no one will read it.
I know that because only 4 people bothered to buy the last book.
That gives me a lot of freedom in what I can do in this book.
And what does that mean? I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.
(Since I know you don’t care, I’m mainly talking to myself at this point).
Charitable Giving
I’d like to talk about giving money to charity this year.
I decided to start doing this, as I feel pretty lucky to do a job I like each day. Giving to charity is a small way to give back.
Besides, it saves me a few bucks on my taxes.
On top of it, giving to charity keeps me from giving to politicians.
Yeah, there will be no donations to politicians from my pocketbook this year.
Instead I’ll give to charity. And I’ll write about giving to charity. Maybe that’ll ‘shame’ you into giving a bit too.
After all, I’m sure you’re making a bit more than me each year.
So here’s how my charitable giving broke down for this month:
If you have a favorite charity, feel free to mention it in the comments – I’ll check ‘em out for next month.
Until then, why not give $10 of your own? It’ll make you feel good.
I decided to start doing this, as I feel pretty lucky to do a job I like each day. Giving to charity is a small way to give back.
Besides, it saves me a few bucks on my taxes.
On top of it, giving to charity keeps me from giving to politicians.
Yeah, there will be no donations to politicians from my pocketbook this year.
Instead I’ll give to charity. And I’ll write about giving to charity. Maybe that’ll ‘shame’ you into giving a bit too.
After all, I’m sure you’re making a bit more than me each year.
So here’s how my charitable giving broke down for this month:
- Special Olympics Montana: $10
- Children’s Hunger Relief Fund: $10
- Boy’s Town: $10
- OxFam America: $10
If you have a favorite charity, feel free to mention it in the comments – I’ll check ‘em out for next month.
Until then, why not give $10 of your own? It’ll make you feel good.
Looking Forward to February
For February I have the following on the calendar:
On that last one I figure I could finish the book…but it probably won’t be published.
I don’t have a cover!
More, I don’t have any money to get a cover right now.
Oh well – tax returns are coming soon so that could pay for it.
Yeah, I get a tax return.
That’s because I’m a writer that lives in poverty for much of the year.
If that bothers you, well…think of all the shiny stuff you have and that wonderful and high-paying job that allows you to have it.
On top of it, you get to pay taxes.
Wow, isn’t that great? Make a lot of money to buy a lot of shit and then Uncle Sam comes in and puts out his hand.
I’m sorry, but that rat-race life sucks.
I’m so thankful I can get up each morning – eagerly, I might add – and get right down to doing what I like to do.
Hell, I do it in the evenings as well, weekends too.
So that’s my job.
Thanks for keeping my accountable in my job – thanks for reading the monthly report.
- Dulce Base is $0.99 today and $2.99 through Feb 3
- I’ll have a new Missoulian letter up on Feb 6 or so
- Colter’s Revenge will come out sometime this month
- Paranormal Montana might get done
On that last one I figure I could finish the book…but it probably won’t be published.
I don’t have a cover!
More, I don’t have any money to get a cover right now.
Oh well – tax returns are coming soon so that could pay for it.
Yeah, I get a tax return.
That’s because I’m a writer that lives in poverty for much of the year.
If that bothers you, well…think of all the shiny stuff you have and that wonderful and high-paying job that allows you to have it.
On top of it, you get to pay taxes.
Wow, isn’t that great? Make a lot of money to buy a lot of shit and then Uncle Sam comes in and puts out his hand.
I’m sorry, but that rat-race life sucks.
I’m so thankful I can get up each morning – eagerly, I might add – and get right down to doing what I like to do.
Hell, I do it in the evenings as well, weekends too.
So that’s my job.
Thanks for keeping my accountable in my job – thanks for reading the monthly report.
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