What's New and Exciting

Over the past six months or so I've been offered three publishing deals with android apps that host novels.  

I'd rather not say the names of the apps I rejected, so I'll leave that blank.  The first one I rejected because the contract was so bad, it was unredeemable.  If you do a google search for that android app, one of the first things to pop up is an article titled, "Is ##### a scam?"  After reading their contract, I think it's less a scam than just a really bad deal.  Read the fine print, kids.

The second one I rejected was a huge app but it was unavailable in Canada.  I can't work with someone if I can't see what's happening with my story because I can't install their app.  

The third one was Hinovel.  Their contract was reasonable and I have been wanting to dip my feet into the android app market to see how my novels could do, so I signed with them.  A long time ago, I used to enjoy great success as a serial novelist, who posted one chapter a week.  I can still see myself doing really well at that if there was a platform where the readers were my kind of ink drinkers.  My books haven't been there that long yet, so we'll wait to see what kind of success can be had there.  

I was also nominated for the Whitney Awards for His 16th Face, but when the finalists came out, my name wasn't among them.  I started to wonder if that was a thing worth pursuing.  I could get Hidden Library nominated this year if I wanted to.  If I felt good about it.  I didn't feel very good about my experience from the 2020 awards.  Did I need to be a finalist in order to feel good about it?  I decided that no, I didn't need to be a finalist to feel good about it.  But I did need something, even if it was just a lone number one in a sea of zeroes.  I didn't even get a form letter saying, "Congratulations on your book.  Even though it was not selected as a finalist, our committee enjoyed reading it, and we look forward to seeing more of your work in the future."  They didn't inform me that I didn't get chosen.  There was nothing.  None of the judges reviewed my book on any platform.  Sales didn't spike when it was nominated.  Nothing.  

As an independent novelist, there are a lot of doors slammed in my face.  That's what I'm talking about when I mention the sea of zeroes.  That's the case for most novelists most of the time.  Very few novelists publish more than three books because it becomes very obvious very quickly that there isn't much money to be had selling your books.  It's a better gig to market services to would-be authors who want to be famous.  Ads?  Newsletters?  Need editorial services?  Need cover art?  Need a personal assistant?  It's really easy to spend more on your book than you make.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a pity party.  I became an independent novelist knowing that it wasn't a good gig.  There are a lot of good days that don't have anything to do with whether or not I'm acknowledged for my genius.  I like cutting book trailers.  I like designing covers and doing the graphic design work that goes into making ads.  I like writing.  I like editing.  I'm happy most days.  

And yesterday, I finished the first draft for If I Tie U Down.  That's what's new and exciting!