How To Make An Old Year New Again: Part 2

In part one of this post I looked back on my independent author experience up to now.

My journey is not influenced by the ringing in of a so-called new year.

Just as with the old year, in the new year I will be celebrating a growth and not a rebirth.

I am aware my growing pains will be difficult at times.

I am prepared to weather the storm.

Many authors are aware that there will be hard times. They calculate that into their businesses.

They don’t rely on a single supplier to distribute their books.

Over the past months many authors who are exclusive with Amazon, and their Kindle Unlimited club, have suffered.

There is something wrong with the system, many who have had a consistent income are receiving nothing.

I’m not sure why this is. Many are blaming Amazon.

I think partly the problem lies with the sheer amount of books to choose from. There are heaps of people flooding the market with crap. This is not good for writers nor for readers.

Authors who have been at it longer seem to be able to ride the wave because they are already established.

New ones like myself still have to build up solid foundations. We have to find a way to rise out of the online slush pile.

It is no easy task, yet I believe it is simply a case of sticking at it.

The one-offs and less than serious will hopefully sink in the sludge.

The whole publishing industry is going through a re-structure. Even traditional publishers have woken up and are looking at how the indies are doing it.

Unfortunately, that brings us more into direct competition with them.

As an independent I have to remember I can do it different. In order to survive I have to.

Part of that involves pooling our efforts. In the past month more and more author groups have sprung up. The independent author community is turning away from looking to outside sources for help and looking inward.

It’s a question of strength in numbers and a willingness to share.

Most independent authors are very good at this.

I am really interested to see what the coming year brings.

For me this new year is not new, I am only halfway through it. My new year as a publisher and author will begin in July 2017.

It helps to make that adjustment.

It’s important to take stock of where you really are, no matter what you’re doing, and not follow everyone else’s time scheme.

Even though half my time is spent in a fictional world as I create stories, I must constantly remind myself that business is grounded on fact.

You have to wear two hats as an independent author. It’s a difficult balance to achieve, but not impossible.

You have to practice trial-and-error.

You have decide if what you are doing is helping or hindering. You have to keep your wits about you.

There is plenty of advice out there but I feel a lot of it doesn’t help.

You have to find your own way of doing it.

What bothers me most is the number of charlatans who have sprung up to offer authors the trick which will bring them success.

There is no trick. Their trick won’t work for you.

It may work for them, but as an author you have your own audience. Only you know what they want.

You have to be honest and true to them. They trust you to provide them with good quality entertainment.

As long as you keep doing that people will endorse you.

Your readers will lift you up and take you to the next level. Because of them you will improve, not only in your writing, but also they will help by telling others about it.

It all takes time. This is frustrating. Concentrating on the future helps.

Looking forward I can’t yet see the point when it will all begin to pay off. However, I can see it growing.

I suppose that is the real reason for celebrating the beginning of 2017, but let’s not call it old and new.

Let’s celebrate a continuation.

Look at what has grown, and what you’ve achieved. Keep watering it.

Give this year your best and watch it blossom.