On success

Pictured above is a shot of me at my very first author signing event, at a Half Price Books store in Austin, TX, around 2018 or 2019. I had a moderately impressive setup; I spent the money on a table runner and one of those vertical banner stand-up displays. I had an iPad running a slideshow on a constant loop and I was able to swipe credit cards with a Square device plugged into my laptop. I had freebies - bookmarks, business cards, some magnets, and a Rubbermaid container filled with individually-wrapped Wint-O-Green LifeSavers.

I'd spent the better part of a month advertising the event, including digital billboards that showed up all around town, and at least one blurb on a local TV show.

The women you see in the picture with me are my aunt and my grandmother - and they were the only people I sold books to that day. Technically my grandmother was the only one to buy books.

It crushed me. This has kind of how I've always operated - I create something I have lots of faith and passion for... I put it out there, I go beyond what might be realistic, and at least in this case, spending beyond my means to put it out there... for very little return.

Did I learn anything from that experience? Sure - don't go into debt trying to market yourself. Yes, there are those that have been able to do so and become an overnight success. But like they say in the fine print of any diet commercial you've ever seen, "Results not typical."

I have been depressed countless times in the year since I first put the rebooted Bloodbound on the market. I'm spending nothing beyond what I have to pay the artist for the updated cover and Gav, the fantastic voice artist who recorded the audiobook. I put billboards out for a few days... then decided to stop. I will not go into hock trying to advertise. I have to rely on word-of-mouth for these books' sales. It just has to be this way.

Do I think I am a successful writer? In terms of sales, certainly not. Weeks go by, sometimes months, without a royalty notification. But I've done more than most people do. I've self-published; many people don't even dare put the words out there publicly.

And that does put me a step ahead of most.