So THE QUEEN OF MAGES is now out there in the cold, unfeeling world, bobbing around the Amazon charts. What's next? Is my mission complete? Was my only goal to publish a novel?
Hell no! For one thing, there's going to be two more books in this series. Amira's story is not yet fully told. I've already got copious notes for book 2 and it should be underway soon.
But for another, I made myself a promise when I started this mad quest: I'd give it ten years, and if I didn't find some reasonable measure of success by then, well... then I'd just keep trying.
Because I love writing. I always have; I believe I always will. I haven't got the marketing muscle to get my work widely seen, so I'm going to have to rely on 1) writing well and 2) chipping away at the public consciousness. And I haven't got the free time to spend assiduously building my brand in addition to the hours spent writing.
What's the worst-case scenario? That I spend decades doing this and never have much to show for it. And even if that happens (think positive thoughts, folks!), I at least had the pleasure of creating something—hopefully many somethings—that might have brought entertainment and delight to at least a handful of people.
Our time is limited; I already waited ten years longer than I should have to begin my life's work. I refuse to find myself on my deathbed, wishing I'd had the courage to take my life in the direction I always knew I wanted it to go.
So hold on to your hats, folks. Sooner or later, THE SILVER WAR is coming.
We'll all be fine. That's what I keep telling myself.
ReplyDeleteOh and try and resist the urge to habitually check your sales and rankings. We both know I have nothing published but I here that constant checking is mind breaking ;)
If I can ever do anything for you in terms of marketing I'd be happy to, what little good it would do haha.
Yeah, I'm already forcing myself to not look at the sales ranks for the book. I knew it was never going to be good right off the bat -- I have no fan base yet, and no marketing budget to create one. So it's going to be a long, slow slog to success. But that's what I expected going into it. :)
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