Writing is hard- make not bones about that. There’s the long hours, the editing, the rejections.. it’s not something that is for the faint of heart. Yet it can also be tremendously rewarding. Then those are those moments which shine.
Today I had one of those moments. It came when I opened an email from my editor at Ace. It is the cover for Geist coming out with Ace in October/November this year.
To say I was happy was an understatement. Not only has the artist Jason Chan done a wonderful job. Here is Sorcha just as I imagined her – and the little details are perfectly correct- right down to her eye colour.
And there is the Rossin (who is so much more than a big ole pussy cat) the right size and shape. Also the description and the font are just wonderful.
Covers are always a dice roll, because rarely do authors get to have any input. I have heard some horror stories, but the folks at Ace have done me and Geist proud.
If you would like to pre-order Geist then the link is available under Store on this site. It is an affliate link, so gives me a few extra pennies when you purchase.
As I have intimated; from May this year writing and voicework will be my sole means of income. That may seem somewhat crazy, but it has reached the point where I need to concentrate on writing and marketing- making the most of the opportunities that have been given to me.
Sometimes there is a moment when a little bird has to find out if she really can fly – and this year is that moment for me.
I’m considering a number of options on how to put some wind beneath my wings so to speak. And yes, shock horror! Some of these involve earning money from what I create. I haven’t come to any decisions on what to do, but some of options would give me a revenue stream that I could rely on and do more of what I love do, create worlds.
One of these is sponsorship for podcasting.
Another is charging for podcasting. This would not include Digital Magic, but could be a possibility for Erotica a la Carte and a future steampunk erotica novel that I have about half done.
Since the announcement JC Hutchins made about 7th Son not being picked up for the final two books by St Martins everyone in the podcast novel community, listeners and creators, has been in a bit of a tumult. I think there is a place for free, and I will always have a component of that nature my work, but increasingly people are becoming aware that if they want all their content for free they could be driving people away from the medium.
I would hate to see all the wonderful creators I have enjoyed in podcasting move onto other projects- but I understand for some people this is what they want to do for a living.
So here’s the question for you dear reader- are you prepared to pay? Would you be bothered by sponsorship in any of my podcasts? (Keeping in mind there would always be something free but not everything) What’s the solution? What’s the way forward?
I don’t know, but I’m going to ask you. Fill in this survey. I’ll leave it up for a month and then let you know the results
Can’t see the survey? Click here
