The Calm Before The Stor... er, Book 3
I've been asked how long it'll be before I'm ready to start Book 3. I didn't figure I'd make this announcement until I had the Book 2 compilation available for sale, but I've found myself stuck at the library by an unexpected rain... time on my hands and no chance to edit the book, so... here goes.
The fact is that I intend to take a little break from the "extreme writing" exercises that have ruled my life for the past several years and turn my attention to writing a novel--a proper novel, not like what I've been doing--for which I've been developing ideas.
How long will this little project take me? I estimate about four weeks... no more than six... to have the first draft done, at which point I'll pick up MU again. It's not a very big novel, and I'm not a very slow writer. If it takes any longer than that and I'll shelve the project while I resume MU and resume it after book 3.
What will I do when it's finished? Probably offer it for sale alongside my MU books. I don't regard its prospects for publication as particularly good. That's not false modesty... or any kind of modesty, for that matter. It isn't a matter of quality, any more than it is when I say Tales of MU is not a proper novel.
It's just not going to be the sort of story that a "first time" author can easily sell.
As I've said in response to "why aren't you published?" queries in the past, I intend to keep doing things in my own way until I achieve self-supporting levels of success as an internet author or the age of 35 (note: I am currently 27), at which point I'll attempt conventional sort of success by engaging representation and shopping manuscripts around.
Naturally, I'm saving my most widely marketable ideas for that eventuality... which means any thing that I write here and now is something I really want to write for myself.
HOWEVER...
I'm going to be flexible here. I'm willing to start book 3 early... as early as Monday, August 27th... if the readers show me that they want it.
How? By doing a donation drive.
See, there's a big flaw in my plan to be successful at writing online. I'm good at writing. I'm good at updating in a timely fashion. I'm not good at asking for things, money most of all.
I only added a donation link to the Tales of MU website after multiple requests, and since then, I haven't really called attention to it. I had to return the first two donations that were made because of problems with my bank that prevented me from verifying my account PayPal without faxing them stuff, and I just couldn't be bothered. The money didn't seem important.
It still doesn't, in an abstract way, but I know in my heart I can't do things this way forever.
So, if you guys collectively donate $300, I'll start book 3 immediately (well, first weekday following the goal, and no earlier than the 27th.) That's 60 people donating $5, or 300 people donating $1, or any combination thereof.
Can't donate? Or just don't feel like internet entertainment is worth paying for? Hey, that is no problem... if I wanted for only people who felt it was worth paying money to read my stories, I'd sell subscriptions and be done with it.
But you can still help!
The REAL key to making money as an online artist/entertainer is building an audience. Right now, there's between three and five thousand people reading this thing. It's hard to tell exactly, looking at the stats, and not knowing how many people read on a daily vs. weekly basis... but regardless, if I just keep the same few thousand readers... well, no matter how generous some of you guys are, I'm not going to get very far.
Got a blog? Frequent a message board? Haunt a chat room? Belong to a community? Have some of those... what's the word? "Friends"?
J.K. Rowling laid down her quill, Anne Rice found Jesus behind the sofa... I know there's people out there hungry for something to read. Let folks now I'm out here. The more people reading, the more books and t-shirts and buttons will be sold and the more donations can come in. Remember, talk is cheap but advertising is expensive... I'm not asking anybody to spam or shill for me, but if you know people who enjoy the same things you do, do them a favor as well as me by spreading the love.
So, to sum up... if MU readers donate a total of $300 then I start Book 3 early (the unrelated novel is not abandoned, merely put back on the shelf)... if not, it'll start six weeks from Monday the 20th (when I start said novel) or when the draft of the novel is finished, whichever comes first.
EDIT:
And, since there seems to be some confusion on this point, let me just say, clearly and unequivocably: I would be thrilled if the goal which I set is actually reached. I would not count it as a personal tragedy or a crushing blow or a stumbling block on my path to success. I thought that could probably go without saying... but... evidently not...
The fact is that I intend to take a little break from the "extreme writing" exercises that have ruled my life for the past several years and turn my attention to writing a novel--a proper novel, not like what I've been doing--for which I've been developing ideas.
How long will this little project take me? I estimate about four weeks... no more than six... to have the first draft done, at which point I'll pick up MU again. It's not a very big novel, and I'm not a very slow writer. If it takes any longer than that and I'll shelve the project while I resume MU and resume it after book 3.
What will I do when it's finished? Probably offer it for sale alongside my MU books. I don't regard its prospects for publication as particularly good. That's not false modesty... or any kind of modesty, for that matter. It isn't a matter of quality, any more than it is when I say Tales of MU is not a proper novel.
It's just not going to be the sort of story that a "first time" author can easily sell.
As I've said in response to "why aren't you published?" queries in the past, I intend to keep doing things in my own way until I achieve self-supporting levels of success as an internet author or the age of 35 (note: I am currently 27), at which point I'll attempt conventional sort of success by engaging representation and shopping manuscripts around.
Naturally, I'm saving my most widely marketable ideas for that eventuality... which means any thing that I write here and now is something I really want to write for myself.
HOWEVER...
I'm going to be flexible here. I'm willing to start book 3 early... as early as Monday, August 27th... if the readers show me that they want it.
How? By doing a donation drive.
See, there's a big flaw in my plan to be successful at writing online. I'm good at writing. I'm good at updating in a timely fashion. I'm not good at asking for things, money most of all.
I only added a donation link to the Tales of MU website after multiple requests, and since then, I haven't really called attention to it. I had to return the first two donations that were made because of problems with my bank that prevented me from verifying my account PayPal without faxing them stuff, and I just couldn't be bothered. The money didn't seem important.
It still doesn't, in an abstract way, but I know in my heart I can't do things this way forever.
So, if you guys collectively donate $300, I'll start book 3 immediately (well, first weekday following the goal, and no earlier than the 27th.) That's 60 people donating $5, or 300 people donating $1, or any combination thereof.
Can't donate? Or just don't feel like internet entertainment is worth paying for? Hey, that is no problem... if I wanted for only people who felt it was worth paying money to read my stories, I'd sell subscriptions and be done with it.
But you can still help!
The REAL key to making money as an online artist/entertainer is building an audience. Right now, there's between three and five thousand people reading this thing. It's hard to tell exactly, looking at the stats, and not knowing how many people read on a daily vs. weekly basis... but regardless, if I just keep the same few thousand readers... well, no matter how generous some of you guys are, I'm not going to get very far.
Got a blog? Frequent a message board? Haunt a chat room? Belong to a community? Have some of those... what's the word? "Friends"?
J.K. Rowling laid down her quill, Anne Rice found Jesus behind the sofa... I know there's people out there hungry for something to read. Let folks now I'm out here. The more people reading, the more books and t-shirts and buttons will be sold and the more donations can come in. Remember, talk is cheap but advertising is expensive... I'm not asking anybody to spam or shill for me, but if you know people who enjoy the same things you do, do them a favor as well as me by spreading the love.
So, to sum up... if MU readers donate a total of $300 then I start Book 3 early (the unrelated novel is not abandoned, merely put back on the shelf)... if not, it'll start six weeks from Monday the 20th (when I start said novel) or when the draft of the novel is finished, whichever comes first.
EDIT:
And, since there seems to be some confusion on this point, let me just say, clearly and unequivocably: I would be thrilled if the goal which I set is actually reached. I would not count it as a personal tragedy or a crushing blow or a stumbling block on my path to success. I thought that could probably go without saying... but... evidently not...