I'm beginning to think writing isn't worth it

[Solomoriah]

As most of you who are regulars probably noticed, I put all my ebooks on a $0.99 sale yesterday (though One Night in Slateholm didn't get on the bandwagon until this morning).

Total sales since I did that: 0. Zero. Zip. Nada. Zilch.

I did sell one copy of Triad just before the sale started, and one copy of One Night in Slateholm a few weeks ago. No sales at all for two months before that.

I'm beginning to think I'm not as good a writer as I thought (to be clear, I thought I was fair to middlin', nowhere near "good" much less "great"). I'm working on two stories now, Symmetry (an odd little modern science fantasy story) and The Unchosen One (a story that tears apart everything I've ever hated about the way fantasy is written). I had my wife read the first six chapters of Symmetry, and she said she didn't like the main character and found the story hard to understand (due to scientific terms used by the main character).

Maybe I need to just quit messing with fiction and try to focus on RPGs.

[SmootRK]

I have never endeavored (yet) to write anything much, but my observations of others make me conclude that the successful writers owe a lot to sheer luck or otherwise just being in the right place at the right time with the right sort of material. Then once the door was opened with something with some success, continued success was much easier.

Point being, not to give up, but rather to continue to plug away until that magic convergence of events leads to the eventual success.

[ArtemisEntreri]

Hi!

I'll be pretty rude: do you wanna write? Write!

That's really it. I'm tryin' to complete a single novel since I was 18... And I'll go on tryin' until I'll have finished a draft. After that, I'll start another one.

Am I a good writer? Yes and no, it depends. Lots of nowadays bloggers (especially in fantasy) tend to be cinic and sarcastic. Yeah, there are obviously "rules" in writing, but in the end, lots of writers (mostly successful ones) tend to do what they think is best for their work.

Neil Gaiman has a completely weird style.. and it's Gaiman.
Justin Cronin makes any possible mistake (by the rules)... and he created one of the most compelling novels in the last decade.
Flynn Gillian had an insane approach in managing characters viewpoints in "Gone Girl"... but it's a psychothriller masterpiece.

So, unless you're totally incapable of creating solid stories or characters, just go on writing. Even successful writers have sales troubles. That's part of the deal.

I'm a musician. I'm 35. And still trying to figure out a way to get a bit of the music business cake. I won't stop, never.

The only advice is: don't try to be a "super writer" nor a rockstar: just write, improve your storytelling skills by reading a lot of different stuff (I don't agree with the "don't read if writing" approach) and try once more.

In the end, you would have set into stone your dreams and that's an achievement itself.

Or pretend you're dead, change identity and see what happens lol

[Solomoriah]

Thanks guys. Guess I'm just feeling a little annoyed that I can't get any traction in the fiction arena, but have a modestly successful series of RPG books.

Anyone interested in looking at the beginning of Symmetry? I'd like a second opinion (besides my wife) from someone who likes science enough not to be put off by words like "brane."

[quozl]

Is one of your fiction books free? You got to get people hooked before they buy.

[chiisu81]

Have you made an announcement about this sale on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Reddit, Dragonsfoot, etc. etc.? For work I've been grudgingly working more and more with others about using social media (as I use none of it personally) to reach more people, because that's where the people are.

We work with computers; we're used to people coming to us. For sales, you gotta go to the people (which is why I'm not in sales hah).

And I know even when working on BFRPG you dealt with plenty of criticism from many, whether valid or not. So for your fiction, whether it's something said by your wife or a cranky online personality, you'll know which to actually consider and which can be (nicely) dismissed.

[Solomoriah]

Is one of your fiction books free? You got to get people hooked before they buy.

Not this time around. Gah. Maybe next quarter I can do that... can't do countdown deals as often as I'd like.

[Solomoriah]

Have you made an announcement about this sale on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Reddit, Dragonsfoot, etc. etc.? For work I've been grudgingly working more and more with others about using social media (as I use none of it personally) to reach more people, because that's where the people are.

Yes on FB and G+, no on Twitter, Reddit, DF. I don't use Reddit at all, don't know the etiquette. Don't like to promote on DF much these days... feels like a place I used to live where the houses all look the same but the people are all different.

Should post on Twitter though.

We work with computers; we're used to people coming to us. For sales, you gotta go to the people (which is why I'm not in sales hah).

Indeed.

And I know even when working on BFRPG you dealt with plenty of criticism from many, whether valid or not. So for your fiction, whether it's something said by your wife or a cranky online personality, you'll know which to actually consider and which can be (nicely) dismissed.

My wife is about the only person I can get feedback from, actually. She likes most of my stuff. I wrote one I've not released entitled First Light that she didn't care for (and honestly I feel like the ending is weak) but she seems to like most of my work.

Getting feedback from anyone else is a challenge.

[ArtemisEntreri]

One of the modern promotion principle is: let the people know you a lot before you actually did anything special.

It may seem dumb, but it's part of the deal. Social networking and marketing is all about hypes, spam and constant updates.

Cure your own writer profile more than anything else. Let the people read previews and print promotional stuf at your own risk. Let readers know you and criticise you this way. Let people download some free tales in epub and let the news flow on your page.

Make contests, invite readers to take an active role in your creative process (like "art contest for the new cover" i.e.).

You'll not get immediate benefits, but in the end it will pay. Let the hype grow and, in the meanwhile, try to write decent stuff obviously lol
Take into account the fact that people do not read a lot nowaday (baad thing) so it's kinda difficult to jump into the market... Same for me about music. People are lazy. 1000 clicks, 40 listens. xD

Just don't give up and cure your artist profile on any possible social platform.

[PendragonTX]

Get into a writers' circle, ftf or on line. Even people with other interests can offer valuable critiques.