Land of Szornyek Update

Happy January! We are mid house buying/selling so I have been less than productive, as far as work goes. Though, I suppose you could argue that I’ve been ridiculously productive as far as doing paperwork and cleaning the house goes. It’s all in how you frame it.

Anyway, because of our rather erratic schedule, I’ve pulled forward a project that has no deadlines or rules—a new update on my Land of Szornyek series.

The TLDR; version is that I am making a monster manual! It will be full of illustrations and fun facts about the monsters in the Land of Szornyek series. I’ve had lots of requests for this, so hopefully it will be a fun little edition to the world. I’ll also be doing new cover designs for the main series, and releasing at least one (maybe more) short story set in Land of Szornyek universe.

You can learn more in my vlog! And if you don’t mind, hit that follow button lol

That’s all for today but stay tuned for more updates!

Writing Tips (Sometimes): Royalties Aren't All That

Most writers want to make money off their writing. If not enough to pay their bills, then enough to pay for the writing itself—new notebooks, conferences, workshops, publishing expenses, the like. Maybe you want to start or grow a retirement fund, pay for your annual vacation, or send your kid to college.

However, the unfortunate truth about royalties is that very few authors make enough money from them to live. I could point you to dozens of surveys that show the actual numbers shared by authors (Check out Jane Friedman’s HotSheet, the Author’s Guild, and Written Word Media), but the one that sticks with me the most is that in Alli’s survey last year, they found that the median revenue for self-published authors who spend more than half their time writing and publishing was $12,749 per year, and for traditionally published authors, it was $8,600 per year. And the average income? Over $80k. For those of you who aren’t great at math, this means that the average is extremely skewed by people making a lot of money. While over half of authors sit under $15k annually.

Regardless, $8k - $15k is not even close to enough to live on, at least not in the United States.

Of course, with enough hustle, hard work, financial and time investment, and luck, you may absolutely be able to achieve those financial goals.

But if you are unable to achieve those financial targets, it doesn’t mean your work is bad or not worth publishing. Rather, it simply means that publishing is a difficult business.

Royalties, in my opinion, are actually a pretty terrible way to measure the quality of a book. There are so many other metrics. Like:

• Did you enjoy writing it?

• Did it impact a single reader’s life in a positive way?

• Did you learn anything from the process?

• Did you achieve other goals during the process of writing?

• Did it make your life better in some way?

Think of all the books on the bestseller list that you hated but seemed like everyone else loved them. See? Money doesn’t mean a book is good. There is so much subjectivity and luck that goes into entertainment and the enjoyment of literature.

But money is important. We do live under capitalism, whether we like it or not.

And if you would like to make some income to at least enable you to continue to publish, I have a tip for you. It’s called: alternative revenue streams.

Alternative revenue streams are simply other ways of making money. Having multiple ways of income generation can offer a more stable income, as well as allow you to adjust and adapt as the market and your life changes.

Here is a (incomplete) list of alternative revenue streams other authors use, that might also work for you.

1. Have a full- or part-time job. Tons of authors write evenings, weekends, and vacation days. It’s okay. It doesn’t mean you are a failure as a writer if you can’t immediately quit your job. It just means that publishing is a difficult business.

2. Have a partner with a full- or part-time job. Many writers (including myself) have a partner who pays most or all of the bills while they pursue their career. This also doesn’t mean you are a failure as a writer. It just means that publishing is a difficult business.

3. Do freelance work. This is also quite a common method of earning money. I do editing, teaching, and consulting and teaching to help pay for my business costs when royalties are low. Freelance can look like a lot of different things. Maybe it means babysitting your neighbor’s kids. Or drafting content for online companies. Or ghostwriting. You get to choose. And if you do these things to help supplement your business income, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure as a writer. It just means this is a difficult business.

4. Find passive income streams. Passive income streams are great, though, a bit of a misnomer. A passive income stream is something that you (supposedly) set up once, and then do minimal maintenance on, but it keeps generating income. Rental income is often passive. Or getting paid out dividends on an investment. Setting up Google ads on your website might be considered passive, though if you want to make more money on them, you have to drive more website traffic, which is not really all that passive, imo. I make about $5/month in Google ads, in case you were wondering, with about 2k visits to my website per month. There are lots of potentially passive income streams. And if these options help? It doesn’t mean you’re a failure as a writer. It just means this is a difficult business.

5. Create online courses. What would you teach about? Great question. Whatever you want. Writing, maybe. Marketing, I guess. What are you good at? What do you know a lot about? Many writers get stuck on teaching about writing, but I bet you know other stuff too. Parenting? Whatever you do/did for a day job? What your degree is in? Your hobbies? Time management? Gardening? Contracting? Throwing birthday parties? And if teaching helps pay the bills, that's great! It doesn’t mean you’re a failure as a writer. It just means this is a difficult business.

There are a lot of other ways to get money. Honestly, I could probably make more money working a part-time hourly job in retail or fast food than I make writing books, and I’ve seriously considered it on occasion, just to make our lives a little bit easier. I might still opt to do that at some point. We shall see.

Royalties aren’t all that. They’re nice, sure. But if you’re not making bank, it’s not necessarily you. It’s not necessarily your books. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure as a writer.

It just means this is a difficult business.

And you’re not alone in that.

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The World Grows Small: A Poem

This year I’ve decided to share some poems. If you look wayyyyyyyyyy back in my blog post history, you can find some VERY old ones I posted. I find poetry an interesting creative medium. It’s not one that’s really resonated with me very strongly, like it does for some people. But I am interested in rhetorical devices, and I do occasionally delve into poetry to express a feeling or idea, or as a creative exercise.

I do not think of myself as a poet, and I do not take my poetry particularly seriously nor do I expect anyone else to. but do feel free to compliment me if you want lol

This poem is about wearing glasses. I’ve worn them since I was about 8; nearly everyone in my immediate and extended family wears them. And recently, my eyesight has begun to grow worse, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I have a long-standing, low-level fear of completely losing my eyesight. Hopefully that won’t happen, but you never know.

At any rate, thinking about my eyesight produced this poem.

The World Grows Small

When I take off my glasses the world grows small
Smaller and smaller and smaller and small.
I can’t see the sky or the moon or the stars.
I can’t see the reddish glow of Mars.
I can’t see the hawk that lives in the trees.
I can’t see the wind that tickles the leaves.
I can’t see the dandelions bright in the lawn.
I can’t see the cat’s teeth when she yawns.
I can’t see the paintings hung on the walls.
I can’t see the way my handwriting scrawls.
All I see is a haze, a fuzz,
like the whole world’s shifted to a visual buzz.
But if I bring it close to my face,
sometimes I can read the words on the page.
When I take off my glasses, the world grows small,
Smaller and smaller and smaller and small.

Writers On The MOON

In 2021 I was offered the opportunity to send my books to the MOON.

Yep.

Last night was the launch of the rocket and it was a success (so far). It’s all very exciting. Which is why I made a vlog about it. Sorry about the sound quality. I’m not in my normal pace

Swampy salutations! Today, I want to share an extraordinary experience that has left me in awe and excitement. Last night, a rocket called Peregrine Mission One was launched into space, carrying a payload of books and creative works from writers all over the world.

And guess what!

My books are on that rocket, headed to the moon! I

In the video, I explain in depth how I became a part of the Writers on the Moon project and why it's such a remarkable endeavor, but here’s a high-level overview.

In 2020, a company called Astrobotics opened up the opportunity for people to purchase a payload on their rocket. Susan K. Quinn, an author, seized this chance and bought a payload to send her own books. She quickly learned she had more than enough space to involve more writers, and slowly opened up the opportunity to more and more authors.

Including me! We each had a specific amount of space to fill with our work. I gathered my books, some artwork, and even invited others to contribute their creations.

If these files survive, they could serve as a time capsule, a message from our present to future generations, so also wrote a letter introducing myself, sharing fun facts, and explaining the themes of my books. I also included artwork and submissions from others, showcasing the power of community and connection.

Last night, I watched the rocket launch with wonder and emotion. I’d been waiting three years! And the moment had finally come.

The realization that my books were on their way to the moon was simply mind-blowing.

The rocket will orbit the Earth and the moon before landing, and if everything goes according to plan, I will watch the landing on February 23rd as well. Even if something goes wrong, I'll always cherish the fact that my books were part of this incredible journey.

The Writers on the Moon project is a testament to the power of collaboration and human ingenuity. It's not just about sending books to the moon; it's about the countless hours of work, the scientific advancements, and the interconnectedness of our world. The launch drew thousands of viewers, and it made me realize how space exploration captivates our collective imagination. Being a part of the Writers on the Moon project has been an exhilarating experience. It has reminded me of the importance of connections, both with our loved ones and with the wider world.

Space truly is a realm of endless possibilities, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

So, keep an eye on the Writers on the Moon website and join me in celebrating this incredible project.