Now for a dose of reality.
While 2014 started off with a bang for me, I sold 105 books in January, with 74 copies of Shadows of the Past being purchased, I only earned $39.51 in royalties. My best month was in March when I sold 56 copies but earned nearly a buck a sale, making $50.03 in royalties for the month. For the entire year I had 396 sales, and gave away 15,385 copies via two perma-free short stories and a couple of Select free promos. For all of 2014 I earned $281.78 in royalties.
My collection of short stories, 9 Dark Tales, earned me the most for the year. Running a free promo in March I gave away 255 copies, but sold 16 copies at the full price, earning $35.42 in royalties for that month. for the whole year I sold 64 copies and earned $128.59 in royalties.
For my novel, Shadows of the Past, I ran two promos during the year and gave away 1,225 copies, selling an additional 214 copies for the year, but since it is only priced at $0.99 I only earned $74.68 in royalties for that title.
On the writing front I released two novels, White Walker, and Parasite: Shadows of the Past Part II, as well as part one of my 30,000 word novella Bordertown: Meat Goes to Richmond.
Some things to note though. I have no marketing budget, nor do I have the time to spend a majority of my day online promoting my work. I work a full time job in retail and majority of my money goes towards paying the monthly bills. As I like to tell people, I've developed a few bad habits during my life, such as eating, staying warm and dry, and having a comfortable place to sleep.
Writing for me is most of the time a pleasure. Yeah, there are times when the muse teases me and the words refuse to flow, but all in all I'd keep writing even if I didn't make anything. Yet at the same time I feel a writer should be paid for their work. I'll keep producing and maybe in time I'll make enough to supplement my income, at the current rate I'm not going to be retiring from the daily work force any time soon.
wrote a comment and it's disappeared - guess that's why I'm not a writer...at any rate, those of us that respect your talent, envy your determination, and simply just like you - are thankful you write for your passion and self-gratification, not to feed the pockets of the utility mongrels. Someday I'll be in front of the line cheering and saying "Knew him when"....although it annoys me that some just fall into the pot lucky without having to earn their rewards...just saying. best of luck Richard - love you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary Anna, I really appreciate your support. Aside from celebrity authors a large majority of those who appear to have fallen into the lucky pot have usually toiled in obscurity for years. A little something I've learned from living on this side of the desk. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comments. Will one day make it down your way.
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