This past month I kept my nose to the grindstone and managed to turn out a 400-page history book.
Well, that’s not quite true. The book’s 420 pages in print and 428 pages in eBook format, and you can find both on Amazon.
Besides that I didn’t do a whole lot, although I did manage to pump out 100,456 words. Maybe that’ll be an excuse to keep this post short, huh? Here we go.
Well, that’s not quite true. The book’s 420 pages in print and 428 pages in eBook format, and you can find both on Amazon.
Besides that I didn’t do a whole lot, although I did manage to pump out 100,456 words. Maybe that’ll be an excuse to keep this post short, huh? Here we go.
A Sanders McGee Adventure
I started the month off by releasing Fire on September 6. The book’s the second in the Sanders McGee Adventures and it’s a fun read, longer than the first book.
I need to get going on the third book in the series now, Mud. I’ve already got the box-set cover image finished – one that’ll work on all the retailers and not just Amazon – and now I just need to write the book.
10,000 words shouldn’t take too long and hopefully by the end of the month I’ll have this book out. And when that happens I’ll totally change up my eBook marketing foundation…but that’s for another post.
I need to get going on the third book in the series now, Mud. I’ve already got the box-set cover image finished – one that’ll work on all the retailers and not just Amazon – and now I just need to write the book.
10,000 words shouldn’t take too long and hopefully by the end of the month I’ll have this book out. And when that happens I’ll totally change up my eBook marketing foundation…but that’s for another post.
The Montana Book
For all of September and a good portion of August I worked on Hustlers and Homesteaders, which is now finished and in print and eBook format. It’s 86,000 words or so and more than 400 pages, and I’m just glad to be done with it.
When you finish a book that big and then announce it you just want to let it sit and forget about it, which might not be the best thing. Thankfully I wrote a pretty good post about it yesterday and that should give you an idea of what it’s about.
So when does Book 5 start? With 1930 and I’ll start in on it soon. I won’t make the mistake of writing another Chinese history book between Montana books, that’s for sure. I suppose if everything goes right I might have a new Montana book out in January.
When you finish a book that big and then announce it you just want to let it sit and forget about it, which might not be the best thing. Thankfully I wrote a pretty good post about it yesterday and that should give you an idea of what it’s about.
So when does Book 5 start? With 1930 and I’ll start in on it soon. I won’t make the mistake of writing another Chinese history book between Montana books, that’s for sure. I suppose if everything goes right I might have a new Montana book out in January.
ESL Work
Class of Chinese High School Students Since I put everything on hold to get that Montana book out it meant my long-delayed next installment of my English as a Foreign Language series got held-up. All I really need to do on this book is edit it and get it out the door.
I picked up some poor reviews on two of my ESL books this past month, and I think I might take the one off perma-free – it doesn’t seem to boost sales of any of the other titles. In fact, the damn Italians have been downloading a few copies for months, but not a single sale has come from that country!
Screw ‘em – I’ll put this sucker at $0.99 this month and if you can’t afford that then it probably means you’ll be an ESL teacher for your whole life. What an existence.
I picked up some poor reviews on two of my ESL books this past month, and I think I might take the one off perma-free – it doesn’t seem to boost sales of any of the other titles. In fact, the damn Italians have been downloading a few copies for months, but not a single sale has come from that country!
Screw ‘em – I’ll put this sucker at $0.99 this month and if you can’t afford that then it probably means you’ll be an ESL teacher for your whole life. What an existence.
Writing vs. Politics in Montana
By far the most posts that go up on this site each month have to deal with Montana politics now. What can I say – some of those posts get 150 views in just a day or even a few hours if I’m really lucky.
My writing blog? It still gets more views each month, but a post there will take a week or longer to get that many views, if it ever does.
Writers, who needs ‘em? I certainly don’t – they’re like barnacles on a ship. Like many self-published author sites, I get a lot of them as hangers-on, although here none of them comment. I don’t write much for them anymore as…well, what’s the point?
They don’t buy anything, they don’t comment, and frankly…I’m tired of writing about writing. That’s what people that are starting out do. You can read all that old shit in the archives if you want, but mainly I just do my own thing now.
Folks, I’m not reliant on this site for income or advertising or anything. Maybe it sells my books – I don’t know and there aren’t that many sales anyways. So that gives me a lot of freedom to do what I want, and in this case I want to tell writers to go.
$10 says I’ll have twice as many in a few months.
My writing blog? It still gets more views each month, but a post there will take a week or longer to get that many views, if it ever does.
Writers, who needs ‘em? I certainly don’t – they’re like barnacles on a ship. Like many self-published author sites, I get a lot of them as hangers-on, although here none of them comment. I don’t write much for them anymore as…well, what’s the point?
They don’t buy anything, they don’t comment, and frankly…I’m tired of writing about writing. That’s what people that are starting out do. You can read all that old shit in the archives if you want, but mainly I just do my own thing now.
Folks, I’m not reliant on this site for income or advertising or anything. Maybe it sells my books – I don’t know and there aren’t that many sales anyways. So that gives me a lot of freedom to do what I want, and in this case I want to tell writers to go.
$10 says I’ll have twice as many in a few months.
Some Paid Work
I had a few jobs this month, but not a whole lot. I really got out of the habit of writing Adventures in SEO, mainly because no one was really that interested in them.
So besides that, about all I worked on this month was some content for a truck stop services website and something for a website services site in Switzerland. I did some novel editing and…that’s about it – it was a damn slow month. Normally that’d have me racing for the exits and thinking of joining the rat race again, but thankfully I got the final check in the mail for a big job of a few months ago.
So the bread lines can be put off for another month. Honestly, why would you want a job where you’re not a step away from the poorhouse? If you didn’t you’d be fat and lazy and listening to others tell you what to do.
Oh…sorry.
So besides that, about all I worked on this month was some content for a truck stop services website and something for a website services site in Switzerland. I did some novel editing and…that’s about it – it was a damn slow month. Normally that’d have me racing for the exits and thinking of joining the rat race again, but thankfully I got the final check in the mail for a big job of a few months ago.
So the bread lines can be put off for another month. Honestly, why would you want a job where you’re not a step away from the poorhouse? If you didn’t you’d be fat and lazy and listening to others tell you what to do.
Oh…sorry.
New eBook Covers
New Cover image for Trouble in Jonguria I’m getting new covers for The Jongurian Trilogy. I’m doing this through an artist I found on Deviant Art, one of the ones I wrote about in my post on Deviant Art Artists for eBook Covers.
It’s not cheap, but the images are good and will allow me to do something different with these books. And finally, 4 years after writing these novels and nearly 2 years after self-publishing them, they’ll have covers that actually fit scenes in the story.
That’s worth a lot, and maybe that’ll get these books the attention they deserve. But then those poor reviews on Book 1 might stop that. Another thing that might stop that is me not giving it to stupid asshole fuck-heads for free. Just sayin’.
Until then, enjoy that new image for Trouble in Jonguria.
It’s not cheap, but the images are good and will allow me to do something different with these books. And finally, 4 years after writing these novels and nearly 2 years after self-publishing them, they’ll have covers that actually fit scenes in the story.
That’s worth a lot, and maybe that’ll get these books the attention they deserve. But then those poor reviews on Book 1 might stop that. Another thing that might stop that is me not giving it to stupid asshole fuck-heads for free. Just sayin’.
Until then, enjoy that new image for Trouble in Jonguria.
The Coming Month
So what do I need to do this month? Probably write a lot and make some money – it ain’t rocket science.
I’m sorry if you don’t like my tone, but I don’t report to anyone but myself, and in case you haven’t noticed, I get some pretty damn good results from that. Or did you know someone else that wrote a 428-page history book in a month?
I don’t apologize because I’m sick of hearing others apologize. If you want an apology it’s right up there in the upper-left-hand corner…the ‘back’ button. I suggest you use it, because I say what I want on this site, and hopefully it won’t get me sued like Dear Author.
But I probably will, either by a Republican or a Democrat in this state running for office. And just like with Ellora’s Cave, that candidate will suffer the Streisand Effect and look like a complete idiot and lose their election.
Then everyone will write about them pouting and they’ll always hate me and every time they see me they’ll do something stupid and that’s that – their political career is over.
You can blame me or you can blame the internet – I don’t think either’s going to produce the results you want. You can put your head in the sand and hope it goes away – but that’s not working very well right now.
So don’t blame me for your problems, I’m just writing about them. And I’ll continue to write about them this month.
There’s 5 weeks to the election and just 30 days until NaNoWriMo starts. Time to start your engines.
I’m sorry if you don’t like my tone, but I don’t report to anyone but myself, and in case you haven’t noticed, I get some pretty damn good results from that. Or did you know someone else that wrote a 428-page history book in a month?
I don’t apologize because I’m sick of hearing others apologize. If you want an apology it’s right up there in the upper-left-hand corner…the ‘back’ button. I suggest you use it, because I say what I want on this site, and hopefully it won’t get me sued like Dear Author.
But I probably will, either by a Republican or a Democrat in this state running for office. And just like with Ellora’s Cave, that candidate will suffer the Streisand Effect and look like a complete idiot and lose their election.
Then everyone will write about them pouting and they’ll always hate me and every time they see me they’ll do something stupid and that’s that – their political career is over.
You can blame me or you can blame the internet – I don’t think either’s going to produce the results you want. You can put your head in the sand and hope it goes away – but that’s not working very well right now.
So don’t blame me for your problems, I’m just writing about them. And I’ll continue to write about them this month.
There’s 5 weeks to the election and just 30 days until NaNoWriMo starts. Time to start your engines.
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