Andrewbach

Magic is mystery and as soon as you explain away all the questions then it’s not magic anymore.

Don’t buy the course. Don’t go on the retreat. (Unless you can easily afford it). These things probably won’t change your life!

Sick of the “too many books” argument. Has anyone actually been so flooded by low quality books that they couldn’t find something decent to read? Is “the infinite flood of content” an actual issue or just another way of denigrating indie pub?

You have to build a brand. But mostly you just read and write books. Do you just write about writing? Or maybe write about reading? But you’re not a book reviewer. You’re an author. How do you generate content that isn’t just “buy my course” slop?

I don’t want to write about writing! I don’t want to talk about marketing! I don’t want to accumulate a list of other writers! I want to find readers!!

I wonder how many people are quietly making a living self publishing books. Like my author name isn’t huge, but I’ve been in the top100 overall a bunch. I doubt most people would recognize my name, but I have an audience. I feel like there are way more authors like that right now.

Nope

I swear every mafia romance starts at a funeral. Why are we doing that?????

I can’t remember the last time I wanted to quit a book at like 100 pages, forced myself to finish it, and felt good about that choice. Basically never happens! If the first act/20% isn’t for me, the rest almost definitely won’t be.

ALSO, just because I DNF a book does NOT mean I think it’s a “bad book.” I just think it’s not working for me, and maybe I can say why and have decent points, but who cares? My 5 star is your DNF. Books, man.

I can feel myself on the edge of quitting another book. The sweet relief of accepting this book is not for me… and putting it down. Nothing better. DNF life forever.

It’s honestly amazing to me that poetry presses/magazines/etc survive at all. But I feel like the writing world in general is full of stuff like book prize scams—little ways aspiring authors are used to subsidize the industry.

I totally agree. I think “accessible” is a good goal and doesn’t have to mean one particular form of narrative poetry. It’s more people are intimidated, like you said. As if poetry was “too hard” and can’t actually be fun (which it definitely is).

The incentives in the poetry world are like, write poems to impress this tiny cohort of editors and other writers. Hope someone reads your work maybe! I’m honestly sad that poetry doesn’t leak into my world more often. Because it basically never does! I have to actively seek it out (and still do).

I have an MFA in poetry. Writing poetry was a huge part of my life and all the internet journals and publishers felt so important. Now I’ve been out of the poetry world for over a decade… and it’s like all of that disappeared. It faded away. Poetry is just buried. It’s gone. It’s so small!

Getting into the flow of a first person shooter feels a lot like the flow of a 5,000 word day deep into the first hour of typing or the flow of rep 5/8 in a tough speed workout and that’s maybe why I like all of those things (but don’t game anymore).

Dear Diary, should I write some romantasy??

KDP and indie pub is such a good deal for everyone. Authors have new ways to publish and to make an actual living. Trad can swoop in and sign the super successful outliers. Amazon gets endless cheap content. Readers get more books they’d otherwise never see.

There is so much good stuff out there. Why struggle through something you don’t like? That whole “I HAVE to finish” thing is odd

Nothing better than quitting a book. Hit 50% last night and tossed one aside. Best feeling in the world!

Working on becoming an anti hustle influencer. Look at my very average day! Awake at a normal time, regular exercise, a couple good hours of writing. Strive for just enough!

How much harder do I need to work? How much more rank do I need before it’s good enough? What’s the point of writing books if all I’m doing is worrying about KU rates and read through percentages?

Excavating layers of old photos and outdated reminders from the kitchen cork board like discovering lost civilizations

I don’t think AI is going to replace writers, but I do think AI is going to make it more important for writers to be semi-public, if only to prove their humanity.

This basically means: no matter how good your book is, if you're not marketing it in a way that makes readers want to check it out, then nobody will bother opening it. Your cover gets them in. Your book makes them fans.

When I started indie publishing, I found a forum thread that got me started. The first post included one of the most important lessons any indie can learn: YOUR COVER IS AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR BOOK.

Other people’s TVs are the most complicated things in the world. I’d rather do some obscene physics trash than have to turn your TV on and find the cable box. No thanks

Consistency is more important than almost anything else in a writing career. That doesn’t mean writing every day—but it does mean learning how you can create books and stories readers enjoy on a regular basis.

It’d be cool if Amazon told us this stuff. Imagine knowing 17% of readers quit reading after a specific chapter!!!

Authors have guessed forever that reviews play a part in algo ranks. They probably don’t! But maybe indirectly if good reviews = higher read through and sell through rates. You know Amazon has this data!

I’d give this theory a 40% confidence rating but it’s always good to write good books!