# 12 months, 29,000 books. What I did right, and what I did wrong.



## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

I showed up on Kboards almost exactly 12 months ago, the arrogant new kid spouting off wisdom even though my only book was still on the Hot New Releases list. Yeah, that definitely makes me cringe. Thankfully I've learned a lot since then, and I'd like to share some lessons for those who are sitting where I was last October.

Over the last year I've been extremely fortunate. I've sold just shy of 30,000 books (if you count the pre-orders for Vampires Don't Sparkle). I realize that's small potatoes compared to some here, but this post is aimed at the legion of lurkers. If you're a person wanting to break four figures a month, then I hope this post will help you do that.

To begin with here are my sales numbers for the first 50 weeks. As you can see Amazon makes up just over 50%, but that number falls daily. I didn't start selling at ACX until December, and didn't start selling at Apple until May.










On to the lessons I learned!

*1- Production Trumps Everything.*

This comes up often, and has created endless debates. All you have to do is look at my signature to see where I come down on the issue of writing fast =p

If you want to be successful you need to publish often. I published six books and an app this year. I also wrote another novel that I chose to hold back, all while having a 60 hour a week day job for a San Francisco startup.

I realize that sounds unattainable to many people reading this. Just finishing one book is a monumental undertaking. How the hell do you reach a book a month? That's a different post, but l will say this on the topic. Writing fast and writing well go hand in hand, and the more you do the first, the more you'll do the second.

If you want to be successful as an indie you need to write daily, and you need to finish what you write. Period. Maybe that's one book every year right now. If you keep at it your pace will increase. Trust me on this. A year ago I didn't believe I could do more than a book a year either.

In the next year I'll be putting out 12. Writing is a skill, just like any other. Practice and you'll reach levels that currently seem impossible.

Most people advocate writing in series, and that's advice I follow. I think it gives you the best chance of success. Whether you choose to or not, getting books to market quickly is still the cornerstone of your author business.

*2- Publishing Costs Money*

If you want to start a business you need capital. I don't care if you want to open a computer store, a bakery, or become a plumber. Every business requires up front costs to get rolling. Publishing is no different.

Success requires great covers. It requires great editing. Both cost money. My books did well, because the covers grabbed people's attention. The blurbs hooked them. The first several chapters were engaging.

If you are unwilling to spend the money on editing and covers, it's unlikely your book will do well. The sad reality is that people will scroll right by your wonderful novel. They'll click on the best cover, never realizing that they may have missed a great book they would have enjoyed.

I see many indies put out the best book they can afford. Unfortunately, that often means poor editing, or a mediocre cover, simply because they lack the money to obtain better. They try tweaking keywords, or running Facebook ads, or whatever the tactic of the month is. All to no avail.

The sad reality is that nothing will work until the cover, title, blurb, and editing are addressed. What if you can't afford those things? Find a way. Take a risk. Invest your tax return. Get a 2nd job. Do whatever it takes to make the best book you can. There is no other option if you want to be successful at this.

You're competing against people who do all those things, who invest money for a top dollar product. If you want readers, you've got to be on the same level.

*#3- Experiment*

I ran all sorts of experiments this year. I participated in a multi-author box set, which flopped. I stayed in KU for six months, then chose to go wide. I tried all sorts of advertising, from Goodreads (terrible), to Facebook (awesome).

About 75% of the things I tried failed. Miserably. But you know what? The other 25% succeeded, which is why I sold so many books. More importantly, I learned a ton along the way. We tend to learn far more from our failures than we do successes, which is why you can't be afraid to try new things.

When those new things fail don't get discouraged. Try something else. Keep trying. Edison failed nearly a thousand times before he invented the light bulb.

Remember that you're in this for the long haul. Also remember that what works for other people will not necessarily work for you. Many people say stay in KU. Others say go wide. Only you can determine which will work better for you, and the only way to do that is to try both.

In my case I spent my first six months in KU. It worked amazingly well, but then my book began to fall in the rankings. I decided to go wide, largely because Apple agreed to promote my books. That worked extremely well for another few months, but then I began losing ranking again.

So I decided to try permafree. It gave my sales a shot in the arm, but I expect that too will eventually see diminishing returns.

I diversified into non-fiction, which has done extremely well for me. I also decided to launch another series, which comes out in December. Per the advice of many veteran authors here I'll be releasing three novels in three months, in a series of course.

Maybe that will work for me, maybe it won't. Either way I'll keep writing, and keep experimenting. The longer I do that the more of a backlist I build, which means I can devote more time to promotion and less to publishing.

*#4- Network*

Make friends in the author community, and for God's sake remember that this community is small. Don't be an ass. Don't be mean spirited. People have long memories, and word travels quickly. Also remember that the people on these boards are authors, just like you. Some are further ahead, some are way behind.

We're all in this together. If you treat these people like you want to be treated, then they'll help you in ways you'd never expect. I learned about so many great opportunities because I've made friends and tried to help others. Give back, and people will reciprocate.

I've landed guest spots on large podcasts, met the wonderful folks at Apple, and befriended some of my childhood heroes all because of people I've met here.

More recently, I published 5,000 Words Per Hour and Lifelong Writing Habit (which launches today, yay!) at the urging of writers I met here on Kboards. 5K has sold thousands of copies, all because I listened to those friends.

Your peers will pick you up when you fall down. They'll give you timely advice, and introduce you to editors and cover artists. You're part of an amazing community. Never forget it =D

*#5- The Little Stuff Doesn't Matter*

When I first published No Such Thing As Werewolves I refreshed my sales dashboard at least a hundred times a day. That's natural, because my entire body of work was one book. Everything felt urgent, and I fretted endlessly about trends in sales, changes in KU, formatting issues, typos, and a hundred other meaningless things.

I know that many of you are in the same boat, but fast forward five years. You have ten books out. How much does anything that's going on with your first book today matter? In short, it doesn't. Keep producing. Keep learning. The urgency will fade, and as you gain experience you'll write better books and make better money.

Letting go is hard, but soooooo worth it. Take a long view, and this whole publishing thing will be a lot more fun.

*#6- Failure Isn't Permanent*

Maybe your first book bombed. Maybe your entire series is a flop. That sucks, but you can recover. It could mean writing a new series, or it could mean re-branding your existing one.

One of the lurkers on the board here is an awesome guy by the name of Todd Hodges. He wrote a wonderful book called The Never Hero. It didn't sell many copies at launch. Then Todd rebranded, and his book soared into the top #1000 on Amazon.

His Audiobook moved thousands upon thousands of copies, and last I checked was rated at 4.3 stars with over 1,100 reviews. If Todd had given up after launch he'd never have discovered that success.

If you fall on your face, get back up and try something else. If it gets unbearable, then take a break. Writing will still be here when you get back.

*#6- This Isn't A Competition*

Not everyone will sell like Amanda, Hugh, or A.G. Riddle. It can be tempting to compare yourself to others, but every author has their own set of circumstances. We write in different genres, with different levels of skill, and at varying lengths.

The only person you're competing with is yourself. Get better at your craft. Produce more professional books. Learn more about marketing. As long as you're improving, that's all that matters.

*#7- Build A Platform*

I left this one for last, because it is the most important. By now most people here are familiar with Andy Weir. He's told his story on many of the podcasts we listen to, and the lesson is painfully clear. It is echoed by everyone from Nick Stephenson to Mark Dawson.

You must build a platform if you wish to survive. What does that mean exactly?

In Andy's case he had over 10,000 people reading his serialized fiction when he put The Martian on Amazon for 99 cents. He did it because people were demanding an ebook version, and he only charged for it because he couldn't set the price to free.

Andy notified his 10,000 followers, and the book shot to the top of the charts when they all rushed out and bought it. The rest is history.

My own mailing list is much smaller, though it is in the four digits. I'm already seeing the power that holds. Each launch is larger than the last, and every book debuts higher in the charts.

Remember that your platform is more than a mailing list. It's your website. It's podcast appearances, or book store signings, or any other way you reach your fans. In Amanda's case it's dominating the HNR list every time she releases anything.

Regardless of your approach here, your long term survival is predicated on building a large, loyal audience. If you can do that, then everything you release will be successful.

That means that poor sales are okay on your first book, as long as the few people who DO read it become fans. For most of us building a platform is a long, slow process. That's totally okay, because the longer you persevere, the stronger your brand becomes.

*Conclusions*

My first year was amazing. I made more money than I could have dreamed, and I learned an immense amount about this business. The most important thing I learned was how little I actually know.

Publishing will continue to evolve. It will continue to get more competitive. But if you stick with it, there's a living to be made selling the stories you tell. Don't give up. Don't get discouraged. You will make it, eventually.

As for me? Year two is going to be even stronger than year one. My Project Solaris series has the potential to explode, and if it doesn't than either Relic Hunter or Shattered Gods will. I'm releasing twelve books in twelve months, and I plan to have a blast doing it.

Here's to Kboards, which made that journey possible. Thanks to listening to me ramble =D


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## suliabryon (May 18, 2009)

Great post! Thanks for sharing what you did and how it worked (or didn't) for you. I am taking a lot of advice and others' experiences to heart from these boards, and hopefully that will make for a strong launch when I do publish (which I'm not doing until I have the first three books done and ready to go.) Good luck in the future. I'm sure the next year will be even more successful.


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## Genre Hoarder (Oct 4, 2014)

This is great! Congrats to you, Chris! Posts like this inspire me to do better, think harder and work smarter.


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## celadon (Sep 12, 2015)

This is a great post. You are so encouraging. Thank you!


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## C. George (Apr 2, 2015)

Amazing write up Chris. Very inspirational!


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

Good stuff! Having only just published my first book, I'm going to read this over several times! (And then a few times more) Well done on all your success.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

Excellent post Chris.

"Two enthusiastic thumbs up!"

Side note: thanks for not putting it into a podcast or video.


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## FlowerShift (May 25, 2015)

A very positive post, just what I need to hear today. Congrats on your success so far, and thanks for sharing, Chris!

Now I'm logging off Kboard and getting back to work


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## Adair Hart (Jun 12, 2015)

Great Stuff Chris! Congratulations on your success! As a fellow software dev with similar hours, I am impressed at six novels in a year, and 12 next year, yikes   I had planned on three for next year.  I need to up my game! Bookmarking


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## Janeal Falor (Oct 25, 2014)

Congratulations on the success, Chris! That's awesome! Thanks for sharing what you've learned!


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## KL_Phelps (Nov 7, 2013)

thanks brother, and congrats on the success


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## Deke (May 18, 2013)

I think the best lesson here is write "HOW TO" books.  Stats show that the most popular sellers on Amazon are How-To books.


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## JLCarver (Sep 13, 2015)

Thank you for the great post! I'm definitely bookmarking this one!


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Deke said:


> I think the best lesson here is write "HOW TO" books. Stats show that the most popular sellers on Amazon are How-To books.


My ACX sales are exclusively fiction, and I've only sold 50 ish copies of 5K on iTunes. Every other sale there is fiction.

That said, non-fiction is easier to write. If you can solve a problem and provide value, then I absolutely recommend writing non-fiction. You can make money with it, especially as non-fiction books tend to be shorter. You will only make money with it if you have a platform, though. Competition is fierce.


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## PearlEarringLady (Feb 28, 2014)

Great post, Chris, and congrats on all those sales! Your progress is inspiring.


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## Anya Monroe (Dec 3, 2014)

Congratulations Chris! You have been working your butt off and it shows from this post! Can't wait to see where you are a year from now!


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## sela (Nov 2, 2014)

Fabulous post Chris! It's been great fun watching your progress and benefitting from your knowledge -- I have your app and book and think both are great! Your advice in this post is spot-on. I'll check out your new book and look forward to more updates in the future.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

Congrats, Chris!  That number blows away my first year so much that it's almost ludicrous.  

Well earned, sir!


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## TessOliver (Dec 2, 2010)

Terrific post, Chris. Just bought your 5000 words book and can't wait to read it.


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

Chris Fox said:


> My ACX sales are exclusively fiction, and I've only sold 50 ish copies of 5K on iTunes. Every other sale there is fiction.
> 
> That said, non-fiction is easier to write. If you can solve a problem and provide value, then I absolutely recommend writing non-fiction. You can make money with it, especially as non-fiction books tend to be shorter. You will only make money with it if you have a platform, though. Competition is fierce.


I plan to do some non-fiction, too. Though not 'How To' guides, or anything to do with writing. I already have a little, growing, platform to do with Doctor Who, so I'm planning on trying to leverage that...


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## RBK (Nov 28, 2014)

Great job, Chris.

Damn. I need to get my backside in gear and get stuff on to ACX.


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## Clare W (Aug 13, 2015)

Great post! Lots and lots of really actionable and motivating advice.

Thanks for posting!

Clare


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## Annette_g (Nov 27, 2012)

Some good advice there, Chris. Good luck with the rest of the year


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## Rue Hirsch (May 4, 2014)

Thank you, Chris! Bookmarked this thread for future reference. I read "5,000 WPH" and it was very inspiring. Keep up the amazing work!


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## A Woman&#039;s Place Is In The Rebellion (Apr 28, 2011)

Thanks for posting, Chris. As always, it's great advice.


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## Cheryl Douglas (Dec 7, 2011)

Wait a minute, you've only been here for a year? I feel like I've been reading and enjoying your posts a lot longer than that! Congrats on a strong first year and since you've 'planned for success' in your second year, I have no doubt it will be even better. Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom in this post. I think you nailed it on every point!


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> The sad reality is that nothing will work until the cover, title, blurb, and editing are addressed. [&#8230;] Find a way. [&#8230;] You're competing against people who do all those things, who invest money for a top dollar product. If you want readers, you've got to be on the same level.


THIS is where the business of being a publisher begins. Right there (whether you choose to believe it or not).


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## AngelaQuarles (Jun 22, 2014)

Congrats Chris! Inspiring post!


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> &#8230;non-fiction is easier to write.


Uh, NO!



SOME non-fiction is shorter, true, but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier to get those words down.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Word Fan said:


> Uh, NO!
> 
> 
> 
> SOME non-fiction is shorter, true, but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier to get those words down.


Easier for me to write, I should have said =p. I can produce a non-fiction book in the fraction of the time it takes to write a novel.

Thank you so much for the warm wishes, everyone. It's been a great year, thanks largely to all of you. I've learned a ton from people like Rick and RKC, and it's nice being able to give back a little.


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## Gone Girl (Mar 7, 2015)

We miss you, Harvey Chute.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2015)

Chris, this is the best of this type that I've seen so far.  

You're not pontificating or acting like you're the shepherd that just stepped off the mountain to his flock of sheep.  Instead, you've talked about your past, your present, your failures, and your successes in a way that encourages rather than admonishes.

Thank you.


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## RBC (Feb 24, 2013)

Congratulations and keep up building of the momentum!


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## Gentleman Zombie (May 30, 2011)

Chris Fox said:


> *2- Publishing Costs Money*
> 
> If you want to start a business you need capital. I don't care if you want to open a computer store, a bakery, or become a plumber. Every business requires up front costs to get rolling. Publishing is no different.
> 
> ...


I agree with you totally and congrats on your success. But I would add this.. don't let a lack of money stop you. There are successful writers on this very board who were on foodstamps with $0 in the bank less than a year ago or so. Get creative. Take a Photoshop and an English class at your local community college. Group together with other writers and beta-read one others work. Go to Lynda.com and use your local library card to take their absolutely free Facebook Advertising class. Reinvest your dollars earned back into your business.

There are creative solutions that can make up for a lack of capital in the beginning. You might build up a little more slowly than someone with money to burn.. but you can get there.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Vicky Foxx said:


> I agree with you totally and congrats on your success. But I would add this.. don't let a lack of money stop you. There are successful writers on this very board who were on foodstamps with $0 in the bank less than a year ago or so. Get creative. Take a Photoshop and an English class at your local community college. Group together with other writers and beta-read one others work. Go to Lynda.com and use your local library card to take their absolutely free Facebook Advertising class. Reinvest your dollars earned back into your business.
> 
> There are creative solutions that can make up for a lack of capital in the beginning. You might build up a little more slowly than someone with money to burn.. but you can get there.


This is excellent advice, Vicky. There's always a way.


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## YudronWangmo (Jul 8, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> This is excellent advice, Vicky. There's always a way.


Chris-
It was easy for me to find a good copy editor, but it feels scary to waork with a structural editor. I have unique quirky books that appeal to a niche. Any advice for finding someone both skilled and compatible? I've got the money.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

I went through several editors before I found a set that clicked. My content editor / writing coach is Alida Winternheimer. I met her through Simon Whistler, and while she's expensive she is worth every penny and then some. I've learned a ton from her, and will continue to going forward. I'm happy to introduce you if you PM me an email.

You might also consider looking at the top books in your genre, then reaching out to the authors with the same question. I've found that most people are very helpful.


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## BeachB (Sep 3, 2013)

Outstanding post!  Thanks.


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## romanticauthor (Apr 17, 2014)

Thanks for sharing. I loved reading the reflection.


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## Michael Marnier (Sep 25, 2015)

Congratulations on a successful year, Chris. Motivational and inspirational. Thanks for sharing. 

Back to the writing desk.


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

Fantastic advice, Chris, thanks for sharing


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## Jennifer Joy (Sep 23, 2014)

Thank you for sharing what you've learned thus far, as well as some always appreciated motivation! Well done, Chris!


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## Susanne123 (Jan 9, 2014)

Hi Chris,

I've always found your posts to be genuine and kind. I'm so glad that you've had success with all your hard work.

Best wishes for your upcoming books and many sales.


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## Christine_C (Jun 29, 2014)

This is awesome Chris, and congrats on your latest release!


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## xandy3 (Jun 13, 2010)

Well said, Chris. Very sound advice.

I also would like to mention that I bought your book _5,000 Words Per Hour_ and it has really helped me to increase my productivity.


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## Maia Sepp Ross (May 10, 2013)

Great post - and congrats on your well-deserved success.


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## Tricia O&#039; (Feb 19, 2013)

Congrats!

I think #6 - Failure isn't permanent - is particularly important for people to remember. I have several friends that have given up after their first novel didn't take off.


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## AllyR (Oct 21, 2014)

Thank you so much for writing this! It is very inspiring.


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## Jennifer Lewis (Dec 12, 2013)

Congrats on turning your focus and determination into success. 

I just downloaded your 5K WPH book. I've published thirty books now and I'm getting slower all the time so I can use a refresher course in writing faster!


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## Weirdling (Jun 25, 2011)

Great post, and thanks for sharing! A few comments below.



Chris Fox said:


> I realize that sounds unattainable to many people reading this. Just finishing one book is a monumental undertaking. How the hell do you reach a book a month? That's a different post, but l will say this on the topic.


I haven't read any of the replies to this thread yet, but I just want to say I'm looking forward to that information.



Chris Fox said:


> Get a 2nd job. Do whatever it takes to make the best book you can. There is no other option if you want to be successful at this.


This is the only part of your post that gets in my craw, no offense. In this day and age where I live (and I don't mean just my town or county or state), getting a first job is damn hard. Getting a second? I just think that advice may fit better the last century than this one or at least better than this decade.



Chris Fox said:


> About 75% of the things I tried failed. Miserably. But you know what? The other 25% succeeded, which is why I sold so many books. More importantly, I learned a ton along the way. We tend to learn far more from our failures than we do successes, which is why you can't be afraid to try new things.


Great advice here too.

Thanks again for sharing. I saved for later reference!


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## YudronWangmo (Jul 8, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> I went through several editors before I found a set that clicked. My content editor / writing coach is Alida Winternheimer. I met her through Simon Whistler, and while she's expensive she is worth every penny and then some. I've learned a ton from her, and will continue to going forward. I'm happy to introduce you if you PM me an email.
> 
> You might also consider looking at the top books in your genre, then reaching out to the authors with the same question. I've found that most people are very helpful.


Thank you for the tips. I know good writers who have wasted a lot of time with incompatible or bad editors.

Problem is, I'm starting a new genre. Buddhist coming of age YA fiction. There are very few books that can be called that, and I can't they were edited. There are a number of adult Buddhist themed novels out there, e.g. the Dalai Lama's Cat (enormously popular), and I am currently reading them so I can email the authors knowing what they do. I'll google Alida. The first book in my series is being released in the next few day. Spent a long time with crit groups and readers.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Jolie du Pre said:


> Chris, this is the best of this type that I've seen so far.
> 
> You're not pontificating or acting like you're the shepherd that just stepped off the mountain to his flock of sheep. Instead, you've talked about your past, your present, your failures, and your successes in a way that encourages rather than admonishes.
> 
> Thank you.


And he did it without rubbing everyone's face into the dollar figures he's made. Great post, Chris, and thanks so much for the information. One question--you mention:



> Maybe that will work for me, maybe it won't. Either way I'll keep writing, and keep experimenting. The longer I do that the more of a backlist I build, which means I can devote more time to promotion and less to publishing.


Not clear on your last statement there--is your goal to write and publish X number of products and then stop writing and focus on promoting that backlist? Or are you looking to adjust the percentages among writing, publishing, and promoting?


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Not clear on your last statement there--is your goal to write and publish X number of products and then stop writing and focus on promoting that backlist? Or are you looking to adjust the percentages among writing, publishing, and promoting?


I think you want to produce, produce, produce, and when you have plenty of books out there, you should be able to devote a little less to putting new stuff out, and a little more to growing the audiences for the work you have. Your long term plan to sell well can't just be to put out 20 books a year, and having a strong backlist makes other options possible.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2015)

Good post. Thanks (even though I'll never be able to emulate you).


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Great post   And next year with 12 books releasing, you should rocket up.

Be nice if people could recognize that without taking digs at other Kboards members though. Geez.  And we wonder why people don't want to share numbers?  I know I certainly won't ever bother with another results and ideas post here...


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## scottmarlowe (Apr 22, 2010)

Well done, sir. Best wishes with Year 2.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

That's a great post, and congrats! 

But what's with the couple folks taking knocks at people who've shared numbers along with their best tips for success? Don't you WANT people to share their tips? 

Yes, Chris shared numbers. He didn't say how much he'd earned, but geez, we can all do the math. I'm not sure why we can't just congratulate him without putting somebody else down.


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## anniejocoby (Aug 11, 2013)

Rosalind James said:


> That's a great post, and congrats!
> 
> But what's with the couple folks taking knocks at people who've shared numbers along with their best tips for success? Don't you WANT people to share their tips?
> 
> Yes, Chris shared numbers. He didn't say how much he'd earned, but geez, we can all do the math. I'm not sure why we can't just congratulate him without putting somebody else down.


Amen! Well said!

Chris, congrats to you! You've been one of the most helpful members of the board since you got here. When you were off chasing bears or whatever, your presence was missed.  Keep on keeping on, brother.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> And he did it without rubbing everyone's face into the dollar figures he's made. Great post, Chris, and thanks so much for the information. One question--you mention:
> 
> Not clear on your last statement there--is your goal to write and publish X number of products and then stop writing and focus on promoting that backlist? Or are you looking to adjust the percentages among writing, publishing, and promoting?


My personal goal is to start making enough money that I only write what I want to write, when I want to write it. That would still mean producing 4-6 novels a year, plus any non-fiction I feel like writing. To get there I feel like I need to create several series first, both to impove my craft, and to build readership.

So next year I'll work harder than ever, then the following year I'll reap the benefits and slow down a little. It helps that I love writing, and it's amazing fun cranking out book after book =)



Weirdling said:


> This is the only part of your post that gets in my craw, no offense. In this day and age where I live (and I don't mean just my town or county or state), getting a first job is damn hard. Getting a second? I just think that advice may fit better the last century than this one or at least better than this decade.


No offense taken, and sorry if that part of my post seemed flippant. It's a tough economy all over the world, and a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. I realize that. My point is that rather than accept that you're putting out a mediocre product, strive to find a way to make a better one. Maybe that's trading skills with a graphic artist. That can even mean learning yourself. Or launching a kickstarter. Creativity can carry you a long way!



Annie B said:


> Great post  And next year with 12 books releasing, you should rocket up.


Thank you so much, No Cat (you'll always be No Cat to me). Same for you Ros and Annie. You've all been inspirational during my time here, so thank you for all the advice and encouragement.

To everyone else, you rock. This community is amazing.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

One quick comment I'd make about quantity--not everybody gets faster with time. I started out taking about 6 weeks to write a book, and after 16 books, it still takes me about 6 weeks to write a book. (90-110K, mostly). I've never gotten faster, and that's because (a) I edit heavily as I go--my first draft is very, very close to the final version, and editing takes me only a week or two; and (b) I need lots of "fallow time" as I'm writing to let the book settle. I sell a lot of every book, but I only put out 4+ a year. And that's OK. 

I do think people tend to write at the speed they write, and that it's not related in either way to quality, as long as the person is taking care to polish their work. 

I do agree that it is much, much easier to succeed as an indie if you put out at least 3 long books (or the equivalent) a year. If I wrote 50K books, I could put out 8 a year--BUT...I probably wouldn't sell nearly as many, because they wouldn't be "my kind" of book.

I'd say, re process--work in the way that works for YOU. 

I hope that isn't a hijack, just an observation and perhaps a counterpoint. Again, congratulations on your success!


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## AmberDa1 (Jul 23, 2012)

Great post, Chris & congrats!


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Rosalind James said:


> One quick comment I'd make about quantity--not everybody gets faster with time. I started out taking about 6 weeks to write a book, and after 16 books, it still takes me about 6 weeks to write a book. (90-110K, mostly). I've never gotten faster, and that's because (a) I edit heavily as I go--my first draft is very, very close to the final version, and editing takes me only a week or two; and (b) I need lots of "fallow time" as I'm writing to let the book settle. I sell a lot of every book, but I only put out 4+ a year. And that's OK.
> 
> I do think people tend to write at the speed they write, and that it's not related in either way to quality, as long as the person is taking care to polish their work.
> 
> ...


You're right that everyone is different, but almost every writer I know started off glacially slow and grew from there. I consider you an outlier in that your day job involved writing for quite a number of years =)

My first novel took four years. The first one I published took two more. Every successive novel has taken less time. Eventually I'll reach a point where I top out, but I haven't hit yet. Part of that is using the system I teach. I don't allow myself to edit heavily while writing, which dramatically speeds up my writing.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Chris Fox said:


> You're right that everyone is different, but almost every writer I know started off glacially slow and grew from there. I consider you an outlier in that your day job involved writing for quite a number of years =)
> 
> My first novel took four years. The first one I published took two more. Every successive novel has taken less time. Eventually I'll reach a point where I top out, but I haven't hit yet. Part of that is using the system I teach. I don't allow myself to edit heavily while writing, which dramatically speeds up my writing.


I'm an outlier too, I guess  My first novel (101k words) took 19 days. Second (89k words) took 10 days. Third (74k words) took 24 days. I'm on number 15 now and these days they take three to seven weeks of steady writing. I got slower, heh, even as my books got shorter. I think it just depends. I edit as I go now, which definitely slows down the writing process for me but makes it so my first draft is basically ready for copy edits and release, so it clears off editing time after the fact, I suppose. It's a trade-off.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

Chris Fox said:


> You're right that everyone is different, but almost every writer I know started off glacially slow and grew from there. I consider you an outlier in that your day job involved writing for quite a number of years =)
> 
> My first novel took four years. The first one I published took two more. Every successive novel has taken less time. Eventually I'll reach a point where I top out, but I haven't hit yet. Part of that is using the system I teach. I don't allow myself to edit heavily while writing, which dramatically speeds up my writing.


That's interesting. I was having lunch with two authors a few days ago, and we were comparing that. Two of us HAVE to edit heavily as we go, and one HAS to not. Her edits take much longer, however. For me, because I very much write character-driven books, the people HAVE to be exactly right, to be saying exactly the right things, to be interacting in the way that is right, for the story to move forward. That's the best way I can describe it. Editing the previous day's work also gets me back into the book each day.

I physically can't write if I haven't gotten what I've already done correct. I have an outline in my head, but the outline is based on what the characters do, not what is "supposed to happen." It's not about the action. It's generally in the editing and the thinking that the important stuff comes out.

I bring this up just to say--processes are different, and it could depend on the kind of books one writes? Or perhaps just personality/style, or whatever.

Oh, and I see Annie cross-posted with me! Fist bump! As usual, she said the same thing in about a third of the space. Which could be why she does great with books half the length of mine.


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## Marilyn Peake (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks for such a wonderfully informative and inspiring post. And congratulations on all your success!


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

I couldn't agree more about everyone having a different process, Ros. That's one of the things I love about this craft, we all have our own methods =)

Annie, yes, you are an outlier too if your first novel took that little time =p


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> My personal goal is to start making enough money that I only write what I want to write, when I want to write it. That would still mean producing 4-6 novels a year, plus any non-fiction I feel like writing. To get there I feel like I need to create several series first, both to impove my craft, and to build readership.
> 
> So next year I'll work harder than ever, then the following year I'll reap the benefits and slow down a little. It helps that I love writing, and it's amazing fun cranking out book after book =)


Regarding your non-fiction, I just bought _Lifelong Writing Habit_. (Almost forgot about that one.) I enjoyed 5K, so I'm sure I'll enjoy this one, as well.

I've been participating in that Facebook author event that's going on today. Bought three books from that event. Your book makes four. Looking forward to diving into my TBR pile.


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## sela (Nov 2, 2014)

Annie B said:


> Be nice if people could recognize that without taking digs at other Kboards members though. Geez. And we wonder why people don't want to share numbers? I know I certainly won't ever bother with another results and ideas post here...


Yeah, I guess me as well.

When I posted numbers and dollars it was because I remembered reading Konrath's numbers before I ever published and it gave me the courage to try the self-publishing route instead of waiting for some agent to deign to offer representation. I _never_ published my data and dollars to rub anyone's nose in anything, but to provide some information, some data points, so that people can make an informed decision about self-publishing and what is possible. Is it possible for everyone? No. But it is possible and probably more possible now than ever before. If people take any of my posts as rubbing their noses in anything, that is on them and that is due to their own insecurities, because I never intended to make anyone feel lesser or bad about themselves.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Chris Fox said:


> My personal goal is to start making enough money that I only write what I want to write, when I want to write it. That would still mean producing 4-6 novels a year, plus any non-fiction I feel like writing. To get there I feel like I need to create several series first, both to impove my craft, and to build readership.
> 
> So next year I'll work harder than ever, then the following year I'll reap the benefits and slow down a little. It helps that I love writing, and it's amazing fun cranking out book after book =)


That's awesome, Chris! Thanks so much for the insights. I think it's great you're finding a balance of fiction and non-fiction that works for you. I hadn't really thought about writing non-fiction before reading this thread and you've given me something new to consider.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Sela said:


> Yeah, I guess me as well.
> 
> When I posted numbers and dollars it was because I remembered reading Konrath's numbers before I ever published and it gave me the courage to try the self-publishing route instead of waiting for some agent to deign to offer representation. I _never_ published my data and dollars to rub anyone's nose in anything, but to provide some information, some data points, so that people can make an informed decision about self-publishing and what is possible. Is it possible for everyone? No. But it is possible and probably more possible now than ever before. If people take any of my posts as rubbing their noses in anything, that is on them and that is due to their own insecurities, because I never intended to make anyone feel lesser or bad about themselves.


I'd like to say thank you to those who post your earnings. I find it inspiring, and I know you sometimes catch flak for doing it. It takes courage, but it shows people like me what is really possible if we work hard.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Chris Fox said:


> I couldn't agree more about everyone having a different process, Ros. That's one of the things I love about this craft, we all have our own methods =)
> 
> Annie, yes, you are an outlier too if your first novel took that little time =p


Well, someone bet me 20 bucks I couldn't write a readable novel during NaNoWriMo. And I hate to lose bets


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## [email protected] (Mar 8, 2015)

Thanks so much for sharing, Chris. Very inspirational and, as someone else said, actionable info. I have your 5K book (no app, though, as I have an Android phone) and have found it helpful.



Jim Johnson said:


> And he did it without rubbing everyone's face into the dollar figures he's made.


Really like your posts too, Jim, but I think this quote is unfortunate. I appreciate it when the board's more successful authors share their knowledge, experience, and, yes, dollar figures. I consider it quite generous of them, and I think it benefits the rest of us more than it benefits them. Personally, I'd hate them to feel inhibited or unappreciated and stop sharing.


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## Bbates024 (Nov 3, 2014)

What a great read.


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## JTriptych (Aug 23, 2015)

Really inspiring stuff, thank you.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Sela said:


> Yeah, I guess me as well.
> 
> When I posted numbers and dollars it was because I remembered reading Konrath's numbers before I ever published and it gave me the courage to try the self-publishing route instead of waiting for some agent to deign to offer representation. I _never_ published my data and dollars to rub anyone's nose in anything, but to provide some information, some data points, so that people can make an informed decision about self-publishing and what is possible. Is it possible for everyone? No. But it is possible and probably more possible now than ever before. If people take any of my posts as rubbing their noses in anything, that is on them and that is due to their own insecurities, because I never intended to make anyone feel lesser or bad about themselves.


Ditto, Sela. I shared ideas and numbers because I value real information backed up with real data, so I figured others might as well.


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## TimWLong (Dec 3, 2013)

Thanks for sharing the info. I'm in agreement on posting sales figures not to rub it in other's faces but to help me gauge how I'm doing. Plus I love reading success stories and hoping I can hit some of those big figures in the future. I just downloaded the 5K app and I'm giving it a try. This is my first week as a full time writer and I'm trying to focus on freaking writing. It's so easy to just sit around, stare at KDP, and watch crap on Netflix. 

Okay, off to try a 30 minute writing sprint on the new book.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Really like your posts too, Jim, but I think this quote is unfortunate. I appreciate it when the board's more successful authors share their knowledge, experience, and, yes, dollar figures. I consider it quite generous of them, and I think it benefits the rest of us more than it benefits them. Personally, I'd hate them to feel inhibited or unappreciated and stop sharing.


Thanks, Jackie. I freely admit it's a quirk of mine. I was brought up that speaking of one's earnings or salary was usually inappropriate conversation. Like asking someone what they make or bragging about what you yourself make.

Some folks here do share their figures and are really helpful and useful and don't come across as braggy. And some do. The ones who do talk figures and are, I dunno, humble and forthright about it work way better for me. To each their own, I guess.

Apologies for the tangent, Chris.


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## harker.roland (Sep 13, 2014)

Congrats on the success Chris, and thanks for the post. Just snagged a copy of your 5k book now.


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> Thanks, Jackie. I freely admit it's a quirk of mine. I was brought up that speaking of one's earnings or salary was usually inappropriate conversation. Like asking someone what they make or bragging about what you yourself make.
> 
> Some folks here do share their figures and are really helpful and useful and don't come across as braggy. And some do. The ones who do talk figures and are, I dunno, humble and forthright about it work way better for me. To each their own, I guess.
> 
> Apologies for the tangent, Chris.


Good. Maybe they'll get off your case, now. If you lived close to me, I'd invite you and your wife over for a drink. But of course, you've got that sweet new baby take care of. 

Have a good weekend, Jim.

~~~

Chris, I'll leave a review for your new book sometime this week.


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## SidK (Jul 7, 2015)

Congratulations on selling so many books in your first year!



Chris Fox said:


> I also wrote another novel that I chose to hold back, all while having a 60 hour a week day job for a San Francisco startup.


This intrigued me. How do you manage your time with a 60 hour a week job? I have a 40 hour a week job and I do manage to find time to write but it gets tricky and every activity has to be scheduled to the T.

What is your time management strategy?


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## AllyR (Oct 21, 2014)

Annie B said:


> Great post  And next year with 12 books releasing, you should rocket up.
> 
> Be nice if people could recognize that without taking digs at other Kboards members though. Geez. And we wonder why people don't want to share numbers? I know I certainly won't ever bother with another results and ideas post here...


I really hope you will continue to post your results and ideas. I found it very informative and inspirational. Thank you for posting.


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## A Woman&#039;s Place Is In The Rebellion (Apr 28, 2011)

Let's not be hasty with talk of no longer sharing numbers. Some of us love numbers! Some of us *might* even include said numbers on a bulletin board with the title 'goals.'


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## SugarBear57 (Aug 28, 2014)

Thanks for sharing, Chris. I really enjoyed 5k wph, and I want to buy Lifelong Writing Habit. I can only see it on Amazon, and I tend to try to buy books on iBooks if possible (definitely one of those 50 customers of 5k on iBooks). Is it in review and on its way, or should I just pick it up on Amazon?


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## IreneP (Jun 19, 2012)

Thanks, Chris.

It's always inspirational for me to read posts like this.  I'm so happy for your success!


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## Chrisbwritin (Jan 28, 2014)

Sela said:


> Yeah, I guess me as well.
> 
> When I posted numbers and dollars it was because I remembered reading Konrath's numbers before I ever published and it gave me the courage to try the self-publishing route instead of waiting for some agent to deign to offer representation. I _never_ published my data and dollars to rub anyone's nose in anything, but to provide some information, some data points, so that people can make an informed decision about self-publishing and what is possible. Is it possible for everyone? No. But it is possible and probably more possible now than ever before. If people take any of my posts as rubbing their noses in anything, that is on them and that is due to their own insecurities, because I never intended to make anyone feel lesser or bad about themselves.


This. It was like a raft in the storm when I was trying to figure out if I could make up my pub income through self-pubbing. In what seemed like an endless sea of people saying the only way it could happen was if I got lucky, or caught lightning in a bottle, there were people posting stats and figures, and actionable plans that made me feel like there was hope when it seemed like there was none. And let's face it, the old ways of gatekeepers encouraging authors not to talk money or contracts etc. is over. That was strictly to benefit them, because they know that knowledge is power. Better to make everyone feel like talking money is gauche or crass. Which is outrageous to me that we, as business owners, are made to feel that way. The information I've gathered and shared with other authors absolutely informs the decisions I make in my business, and unless you're writing for the sake of it (which is a fine and noble path if that's your choice) then you'd be silly not to talk turkey with others and soak up their experience, ESPECIALLY that of authors who are succeeding in a way you're hoping to. To that end, I truly appreciate Chris putting his copies sold out there, and all the other authors who have risked bashings by putting out their #'s and/or $'s for people to see.


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Great post. 
Publishing often is key. 

Eons ago, I used to share my ENT, Bookbub, and other marketing results here, but after a slate of 1* stars on whatever book I happened to be running free at the time, I stopped. I shared at the start of every run, before I knew if it would be successful or not, hoping it would help others to not waste their marketing dollars.

Congratulations on having a great first year.



Th


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

A fantastic year! It's hard to imagine what year 2 or year 3 may bring your way.


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## sela (Nov 2, 2014)

Annie B said:


> Ditto, Sela. I shared ideas and numbers because I value real information backed up with real data, so I figured others might as well.


Historically, it was difficult if not impossible for the lone author who got a book contract to know if it was a good deal or bad deal because everything was so hush hush and discouraged / prevented from talking turkey / talking dollars. Because of that, many authors had no idea how poorly or well they were doing. Knowledge is power and by keeping authors mum about their contracts and sales, etc. publishers kept the power in their corner.

Now, we're indies. We are beholden to no one. We can be as open as we want about numbers and dollars and what works and what doesn't. That shifts the whole power balance from publishers to.... US! I like that. 

When I publish my numbers and dollars, it is to cock a snook at the trad publisher stranglehold on knowledge about author earnings and treatment of mildlist and other authors who are often operating blindly.

I mean, it gets me so mad to think of how the old system kept so many authors working second jobs to make ends meet while the agents and editors and publishers laughed together over cocktails at Manhattan brasseries before returning to their fifth avenue office buildings...


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## britrocker (May 16, 2011)

great post.


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## Maggie Dana (Oct 26, 2011)

Rosalind James said:


> That's interesting. I was having lunch with two authors a few days ago, and we were comparing that. Two of us HAVE to edit heavily as we go, and one HAS to not. Her edits take much longer, however. For me, because I very much write character-driven books, the people HAVE to be exactly right, to be saying exactly the right things, to be interacting in the way that is right, for the story to move forward. That's the best way I can describe it. Editing the previous day's work also gets me back into the book each day.
> 
> I physically can't write if I haven't gotten what I've already done correct. I have an outline in my head, but the outline is based on what the characters do, not what is "supposed to happen." It's not about the action. It's generally in the editing and the thinking that the important stuff comes out.


Thank you, Ros, for describing the way I write but have never quite been able to put into words. And Chris ... mega congrats and thanks for such a useful, inspiring, and warm-hearted post. I seem to remember a few people, way back when you first started, criticizing your PR/marketing decisions.

You were right, they were dead wrong!


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## sela (Nov 2, 2014)

Chrisbwritin said:


> And let's face it, the old ways of gatekeepers encouraging authors not to talk money or contracts etc. is over. That was strictly to benefit them, because they know that knowledge is power. Better to make everyone feel like talking money is gauche or crass. Which is outrageous to me that we, as business owners, are made to feel that way. The information I've gathered and shared with other authors absolutely informs the decisions I make in my business, and unless you're writing for the sake of it (which is a fine and noble path if that's your choice) then you'd be silly not to talk turkey with others and soak up their experience, ESPECIALLY that of authors who are succeeding in a way you're hoping to. To that end, I truly appreciate Chris putting his copies sold out there, and all the other authors who have risked bashings by putting out their #'s and/or $'s for people to see.


THIS.

I am so thankful to the authors who are sharing their info and numbers and strategies. I have learned so much as a result and have implemented so many tips and have made money as a result! People like Mark Dawson, Joe Konrath, Hugh Howey, Bella Andre, Holly Ward and Chris!


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Great post Chris! 

As you can imagine I am pressed for time but since getting your book I have bought the latest dragon speech software and have about 6 chapters of the book I always wanted to write down on paper. Just have to make it a steady routine to write and eventually it will be done.


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## Ceara (Jun 11, 2015)

Hi, Chris, 

I haven't read the entire thread yet, but thanks for sharing everything that you have done so far and your results. Your mistakes and your strategies and all your information is pure gold and very inspiring.

I still haven't published my novels, just a short story, but reading the information on these boards is extremely helpful. 

All best to you!


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

It's not just trad publishing vs. indie publishing, it's a cultural thing. There are many places in the world were talking about how much money you make is incredibly gauche, whether you're a writer, teacher or plumber. It's just not done.


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## gorvnice (Dec 29, 2010)

Whether in poor taste or no, when people like Konrath posted publicly about their indie sales numbers, it broke the spell over many of us that traditional publishing held.

And for that I'm eternally grateful.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

If you're specifically talking about "how to sell books," it's helpful to know whether somebody giving advice has actually sold books, and which paths led to selling more books and which didn't. That's the point of sharing numbers. If you're trying to get started in real estate, you can bet you want to know who's actually selling houses, and studying the techniques that have helped them do it. And the more they're willing to share those, the luckier you are. If they say, "I was struggling, but I eventually got X number of mid-six-figure listings by doing Y," that's a lot more powerful than them just saying, "I do Y," and leaving you not knowing whether Y led to more sales or not. 

That's coming from somebody who grew up being taught that talking about money was gauche, who's living someplace where even talking about what you do for a living is gauche (New Zealand). This isn't a social setting, though. It's meant to be an exchange of professional ideas by people who want to succeed in the profession. 

The X factor here, of course, being the books. It's not all marketing techniques or speed of production or anything else. It's also the books. You can't make somebody like or recommend a book.


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## G. G. Rebimik (Sep 4, 2015)

Chris, I would say you did great for year one.  Nice going!

On ACX, what option did you end up going with?


best,

g.g.


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## RinG (Mar 12, 2013)

An awesome post with some down to earth, actionable advice. Very inspiring. Thanks.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

I like this sort of clean post with actual data.

I share my numbers in an annual blog post (which will be coming up once all the September figures are in). While I don't make all that much, I sell a heck of a lot more than a lot of people who read these posts and who are still on the fence about trad vs SP, and I'm intensely aware of the bragging and rubbing it in factor. That's why I only do it once a year. If you (general you) continuously talk about how much you make I suspect you're setting yourself up for nasty attacks. Cora is right. There are many places in the world where this is just not done.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

There are places in the world where a woman driving a car just isn't done. I don't live in those places. And I certainly wouldn't blame the victim instead of the person doing the attacking...

If you don't feel comfortable sharing numbers, don't. But don't jump on people who do. They are doing us all a favor by being so open with their data.  As Ros said, this is a business, not a garden party.


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## L.B (Apr 15, 2015)

Annie B said:


> There are places in the world where a woman driving a car just isn't done. I don't live in those places. And I certainly wouldn't blame the victim instead of the person doing the attacking...
> 
> If you don't feel comfortable sharing numbers, don't. But don't jump on people who do. They are doing us all a favor by being so open with their data. As Ros said, this is a business, not a garden party.


Exactly. Posts like this are the most inspirational and encouraging for those of us that just starting out.

This is business advice, and business advice without numbers is meaningless.

Thanks Chris.


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## Weirdling (Jun 25, 2011)

Chris Fox said:


> No offense taken, and sorry if that part of my post seemed flippant. It's a tough economy all over the world, and a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. I realize that. My point is that rather than accept that you're putting out a mediocre product, strive to find a way to make a better one. Maybe that's trading skills with a graphic artist. That can even mean learning yourself. Or launching a kickstarter. Creativity can carry you a long way!


And thanks for taking my comment well. I didn't mention it, but I agree with idea behind it, to find ways to put more money into the business (or as you said, find ways to pick up the skills yourself).

Again, thanks for the post! Very informative.


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## fionaw (Oct 10, 2015)

Great Post! As someone just starting out, this post has been so useful and very inspiring. I just purchased and read your 5000 Words book this morning, and in one day have noticed a huge difference in my writing.  Thank you


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

When I'm around folks talking about politics, I politely excuse myself and leave. No hard feelings. No offense taken. Some people like talking about that stuff. Some, like me, would rather do other things.

It's the same with discussing money, income and book sales.

Different strokes for different folks. The key is that it's voluntary. There are lots of other threads to read, right?


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## IreneP (Jun 19, 2012)

Patty Jansen said:


> I like this sort of clean post with actual data.
> 
> I share my numbers in an annual blog post (which will be coming up once all the September figures are in). While I don't make all that much, I sell a heck of a lot more than a lot of people who read these posts and who are still on the fence about trad vs SP, and I'm intensely aware of the bragging and rubbing it in factor. That's why I only do it once a year. If you (general you) continuously talk about how much you make I suspect you're setting yourself up for nasty attacks. Cora is right. There are many places in the world where this is just not done.


Well, I don't talk about my numbers or my income socially - not for any of my businesses. I'm one of those people for whom this is "just not done." In fact, for everything except my writing, you would have to pry that information out of me even if we were very close friends.

However, I've been very open about my numbers as an author in select places. For my first book, especially, this was incredibly embarrassing. So why did I do it? Because for so long this information was VERY hard to come by. What's possible? Just as importantly, what's _normal_? What are people doing to move from the "normal" category to the "possible" category?

I've seen a lot of writers get VERY discouraged because they weren't instantly making Konrath numbers. It's important to see those numbers to know that, yes, they are possible. But it's just as important to know that the vast majority of writers, especially starting out, are making way less. I find the authors that not only post their numbers, but what they are doing to get those numbers, incredibly brave and generous. For those of us still finding our footing, these posts are incredibly helpful.


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## mojomikey (Apr 9, 2014)

Best advice ever! Great stuff. I'm going to share this with my writing group.


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## TElleryHodges (Jan 9, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> *#6- Failure Isn't Permanent*
> Maybe your first book bombed. Maybe your entire series is a flop. That sucks, but you can recover. It could mean writing a new series, or it could mean re-branding your existing one.
> One of the lurkers on the board here is an awesome guy by the name of Todd Hodges. He wrote a wonderful book called The Never Hero. It didn't sell many copies at launch. Then Todd rebranded, and his book soared into the top #1000 on Amazon.
> His Audiobook moved thousands upon thousands of copies, and last I checked was rated at 4.3 stars with over 1,100 reviews. If Todd had given up after launch he'd never have discovered that success.
> If you fall on your face, get back up and try something else. If it gets unbearable, then take a break. Writing will still be here when you get back.


Hi Chris,

I think it might be important point out that expectations/perspective played a role here. When I first launched I had no real expectation that the book would sell very immediately. I expected my family and friends to buy a copy, and was happy when a few more sales showed up organically. I pictured a hard and grueling uphill battle to find an audience. Even before I hit the publish button, I knew I needed marketing experience and there was no way to get it (outside of the purely theoretical) without having an actual product to play around with. Laughably, I didn't even know there was a hot new releases category until well after mine expired.

I guess the point I am getting at is that the thought "this has been a failure" never entered my head. Admittedly, part of this was because I believed in the story I had written. The idea had been in my head for 6 years before I started typing. It would have taken a lot of harsh feedback for me to start questioning my faith in it. The rest was always, and still is, a work in progress. The idea of failure might have taken root if I had tried everything I could imagine to move copies (or like I said earlier, perhaps if the books review average dropped so low it became unsalvageable). After a few months as an indie, I realized that there would never be a time that I had tried everything. Marketing ideas start coming to you 10 times a day once your head is in the game.

So in a way, failure became an impossibility


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2015)

Anarchist said:


> When I'm around folks talking about politics, I politely excuse myself and leave. No hard feelings. No offense taken. Some people like talking about that stuff. Some, like me, would rather do other things.
> 
> It's the same with discussing money, income and book sales.
> 
> Different strokes for different folks. The key is that it's voluntary. There are lots of other threads to read, right?


True.

I'm not big on political correctness. I am big on freedom of speech. (Say what you want. If I want to tune you out, I'll tune you out.) As far as *my* speech, the moderators can decide what's allowed and what's not. At my age, I don't kiss butt.


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## Rick D Hesperus (Sep 15, 2015)

This post is amazing. Very good advice.
I am a poser who dreams of writing a modern fantasy novel. 
I'll get my act together and when I do I'll surely be rereading this post. Also im going to check out 5k words per hour.

And I agree about kboards.I love the community here. It is by far the best writer's forum I have ever seen.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

TElleryHodges said:


> I guess the point I am getting at is that the thought "this has been a failure" never entered my head. Admittedly, part of this was because I believed in the story I had written. The idea had been in my head for 6 years before I started typing. It would have taken a lot of harsh feedback for me to start questioning my faith in it. The rest was always, and still is, a work in progress. The idea of failure might have taken root if I had tried everything I could imagine to move copies (or like I said earlier, perhaps if the books review average dropped so low it became unsalvageable). After a few months as an indie, I realized that there would never be a time that I had tried everything. Marketing ideas start coming to you 10 times a day once your head is in the game.
> 
> So in a way, failure became an impossibility


Great comments. I'm right there with you. Way back when I first started writing short stories and submitting them to markets, I didn't consider it a failure if they were rejected. Just part of the business, and I knew in the back of my head that I was more 'successful' than the writers who said they were going to write and submit but didn't. I'm taking the same attitude with my indie publishing. Starting with modest expectations and building my career one book at a time. If the first book makes a few sales, great! I'm working on the second and third and another series and so forth. Ever forward, and every new publication a success. With a work ethic and discipline, there's no failure to be had (for me). YMMV naturally.


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## Rues_Corner (Feb 5, 2015)

Thanks for the great info. You are so right about the constantly changing landscape of publishing! I am always grateful when a successful author takes time to throw out a few breadcrumbs  

I'm still not sure about KU, though. I think the rules of that game keep changing to benefit Amazon. I know wide might not work for everyone, but I feel like sticking with KU really just makes Amazon my employer and KENP (or whatever the flippin acronym is) a token one cent an hour raise.

All the best with the 12 in 12 plan!


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## Sophrosyne (Mar 27, 2011)

Great post, Chris, and I love the pie chart. I just ordered the new book.

As to the other debate on here, when many of us started, we posted our numbers -- income and all -- to encourage other new writers that it could be done, to show them how slow starts were the norm for everyone and not to get discouraged, to give people who were on the fence between trad and indie some hard data so they could make an informed decision, to share how well (or poorly) different promo sites were working and to break open the stranglehold the trad pub had on the industry, contractually forbidding their writers from sharing any kind of numbers. So, we all talked openly and as a new writer, it was amazing to see the evolution of other writers and series and it was inspiring.

Unfortunately, it also gave rise to writers who would slam any book doing well with one-star reviews and writers who resent the number sharing because they see as bragging and rubbing their noses in it, or because it's just not seemly.

I stopped publishing my numbers a long time ago, when I saw how many writers were getting slammed with one-stars whenever they shared numbers. I think it's a sad commentary on the industry in general, that there are people who behave that way, lashing out by trying to tank people's books. And for people who resent the numbers or feel they're in poor taste -- I'm sure that eventually, the current crop of number-sharers will get burned and stop sharing their numbers too. So all you have to do is wait it out.

And for the people who are at the beginning of the journey, who feel like they could really use some hard data so they can plan their own promos or feel inspired or whatever, I apologize. That data is much harder to come by now and will probably become increasingly more difficult as time goes on.

And to Chris, I have to say, you found a genius way of sharing numbers. In fact, I may borrow that method next time I share numbers in a class I'm teaching.


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## Alex Rogers (Jan 7, 2014)

Such a great post! Just the boost I needed! =)


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## E.M. Cooper (Feb 27, 2015)

Thanks, Chris. I bought your book and it's made me work a lot harder this week.


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

Well done, and thanks for sharing! What a wonderful start to your writing career.


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2015)

Sophrosyne said:


> And for the people who are at the beginning of the journey, who feel like they could really use some hard data so they can plan their own promos or feel inspired or whatever, I apologize. That data is much harder to come by now and will probably become increasingly more difficult as time goes on.


That would be true if Kboards were the only place to find the information, and that would be true if the successful authors who post at Kboards were the only successful authors out there. (Most of the successful self-published authors I've never even seen at Kboards.)

I get information from Kboards, but I also get it from books, blog posts, videos, podcasts, Facebook groups, and courses. Authors who actually take the time to look can find the information they need from a variety of resources.


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## ChrisWard (Mar 10, 2012)

Brilliant post dude, very inspiring, particularly as you did it all while working a day job. One of the things I'm always looking for is a way to speed up production.


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## YudronWangmo (Jul 8, 2015)

CoraBuhlert said:


> It's not just trad publishing vs. indie publishing, it's a cultural thing. There are many places in the world were talking about how much money you make is incredibly gauche, whether you're a writer, teacher or plumber. It's just not done.


I agree with you about talking about it. Writing on a site for small business people about numbers of units moved is critical if we are going to help each other.

Although I am a message-driven author, not a profit-driven one, I would actually like to see more numbers in these kind of posts. Specifically, what was invested in the books and their marketing to give us a real idea of the overall roi. After all, if you sell 20,000 books in a year that is pretty good, but if you spent $50,000 marketing it then it paints a different picture.


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## Overrated (Mar 20, 2015)

Sophrosyne said:


> Great post, Chris, and I love the pie chart. I just ordered the new book.
> 
> As to the other debate on here, when many of us started, we posted our numbers -- income and all -- to encourage other new writers that it could be done, to show them how slow starts were the norm for everyone and not to get discouraged, to give people who were on the fence between trad and indie some hard data so they could make an informed decision, to share how well (or poorly) different promo sites were working and to break open the stranglehold the trad pub had on the industry, contractually forbidding their writers from sharing any kind of numbers. So, we all talked openly and as a new writer, it was amazing to see the evolution of other writers and series and it was inspiring.
> 
> ...


First, Chris, thank you so much for sharing your numbers. I am one of the people who LOVE to see the numbers - for the reason that Rosalind mentioned previously. I like to see what those who are selling are doing. If you say, 'Hey, you should try....because it helped me get to XYZ in sales' - that's helpful to read.

I think it's very sad that people can't share. I know it's considered not done to talk money, and sales/numbers - but I am very glad that the indie world does this. I notice this when I talk with those who are trad published - they are very vague with the numbers, outside of advances. I agree with the PP who said that talking numbers was discouraged by those who paid out the money - for their benefit. Not for the benefit of the authors.

So keep on with the numbers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. I love seeing that people can screw up, make mistakes, and still end up making a living at their writing. To me, indies are still a new aspect of the industry. It helps to learn from others what's worked, and what's not. There are so many factors that are down on self-publishing, I think it's important that we share information, so that we know it's possible. So that others on the fence know it's possible.

Congratulations, Chris! I'm so pleased for you! Eat something utterly decadent in celebration this weekend. Or an overpriced bottle of champagne.


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## H. S. St. Ours (Mar 24, 2012)

Good luck this year, Chris. And thanks for the good advice. Believe in yourself, improve your craft and build your platform. And write! It got me to nearly 20k d/ls on Kindle and 250k reads on Wattpad, and the current series is only half released. Mine is only one small story in a sea of great authors here. Go team K-Boards!


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

I'm finally getting around to replying. Wow, this thread blew up! Thank you to everyone for their encouragement, and I'm glad to hear that the post helped some people. As a community I think we're going to have an amazing 2016.

Several people asked me how I manage to stay so productive with a 60 hour a week job. I'll throw up another post this week about the nuts and bolts of writing efficiently when real life is kicking your butt. Most of us have day jobs, many of us have families, but it's still very possible to crank out multiple books a year.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

Chris, you are truly an inspiration.  Thank you for sharing.


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## 75845 (Jan 1, 1970)

Chris Fox said:


> *2- Publishing Costs Money*
> If you want to start a business you need capital. I don't care if you want to open a computer store, a bakery, or become a plumber. Every business requires up front costs to get rolling. Publishing is no different.


Congratulations on what is in relative terms a stellar first year's results and for not succumbing to what so many successful people do (I'm not thinking of kboards here) and denying that many others struggle for discoverability. I do take issue with publishing being no different to the businesses you cite. Those businesses all have heavy overheads, publishing can be done on a shoestring. Of course doing stuff on a shoestring reduces your chance of success, but it is possible and there are plenty of self-editing, self-cover-artisting self-publishing successes on this board to prove it.

I agree that non-fiction is quicker to write, but then I'm an academic in an alternate universe so unlike fiction writing I'm a trained professional in the non-fiction world. You might be able to charge more for shorter texts, but it is not the case that all non-fiction is short. Thomas Aquinas' *introductory *text on theology is 700,000 words long. But like you I find the time taken to write and edit it is much shorter.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Mercia McMahon said:


> I do take issue with publishing being no different to the businesses you cite. Those businesses all have heavy overheads, publishing can be done on a shoestring. Of course doing stuff on a shoestring reduces your chance of success, but it is possible and there are plenty of self-editing, self-cover-artisting self-publishing successes on this board to prove it.
> 
> I agree that non-fiction is quicker to write, but then I'm an academic in an alternate universe so unlike fiction writing I'm a trained professional in the non-fiction world. You might be able to charge more for shorter texts, but it is not the case that all non-fiction is short. Thomas Aquinas' *introductory *text on theology is 700,000 words long. But like you I find the time taken to write and edit it is much shorter.


If you have a crappy cover and bad editing, then your book is highly unlikely to find success. That's my point. If you can get a great pre-made cover created on a shoestring budget, that's wonderful. I do see people on this board doing exactly that, while others have become great cover designers in their own right. I applaud those people, and have commented on that earlier in the thread. I don't care how much it costs you, or how you make it happen. Get a great cover, and you dramatically increase your odds of success.

Regarding non-fiction, I'm talking about what sells on Amazon. Most of the top-selling books in my genre are under 25,000 words. That doesn't preclude longer non-fiction being successful, but I don't understand how your point about a 700,000 word book is relevant to the people reading this. If they want to write longer non-fiction they can, but it isn't required if they want to write a book that will sell. It only needs to be long enough to solve the problem.


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## egcamby (Aug 20, 2014)

I've been using the 5k WPH and I LOVE it.  Totally revolutionized my productivity.  Thanks for that and for all the great advice.  All the best to you.


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## 75845 (Jan 1, 1970)

Chris Fox said:


> I don't understand how your point about a 700,000 word book is relevant to the people reading this.


I guess you don't do irony then. Maybe I should write a how-to seeing as how I'm from Belfast, capital of Norn Irony.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Mercia McMahon said:


> I guess you don't do irony then. Maybe I should write a how-to seeing as how I'm from Belfast, capital of Norn Irony.


I would totally buy that book.


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## HN Wake (Feb 24, 2015)

Can I get a whoop whoop?  This is a great post--thanks Chris! and congrats!--and a very informative thread.  Bookmarking.


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## Katherine Stark (Jul 30, 2015)

Hey Chris,

I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing this, and for the personal touches you add to 5KWPH and Daily Writing Habit (both of which I devoured and loved). The bit on finger painting REALLY struck home for me. I struggle with it daily, and so wish someone, even just one person I trusted, would have told me as a child, "Yeah, you're good, but you'd be SO much better if you actually TRIED." Making up for it now


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## Mjcaan (Aug 22, 2013)

Thank you for that amazing post Chris!  IT's just the kick in the backside I needed when I was starting to wonder how I was going to up my production and still continue my (very) full time day job.  Keep up the great work.
MJ


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

I'm so glad to hear people are liking Lifelong Writing Habit. I had no idea how it was going to be received!

I still plan to put up a separate post about writing with a day job. It's so hard for so many of us to break out when we have busy lives, but it is possible for anyone to do it =D


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## egcamby (Aug 20, 2014)

Chris Fox said:


> I'm so glad to hear people are liking Lifelong Writing Habit. I had no idea how it was going to be received!
> 
> I still plan to put up a separate post about writing with a day job. It's so hard for so many of us to break out when we have busy lives, but it is possible for anyone to do it =D


I would LOVE that post. I'm a lawyer in "real life" and I commute 2 hours a day. Thanks to the 5kWPH app, I have been writing 1,000 per day (up from maybe 300), but I'd like to do more.


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Done! I kept it high level. The full system is explained in the books. I'm also happy to answer specific questions about motivation, discipline or methodology.


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## egcamby (Aug 20, 2014)

Chris Fox said:


> Done! I kept it high level. The full system is explained in the books. I'm also happy to answer specific questions about motivation, discipline or methodology.


Awesome, I'll check it out now. Thanks!


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## RBK (Nov 28, 2014)

Lifelong Writing Habit is very good, Chris. I'm one of the ones who's had this writing thing nailed down as a habit for years now, and even I learned a hell of a lot of new stuff from it.

Great companion to your first book. I'll be reading it again. And again. Keep it up.


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## EliciaHyder (Oct 13, 2015)

So encouraging! Thank you, Chris!


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## Lara Reznik23 (Feb 6, 2015)

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience as a successful indie author.  A reality check of what it takes.


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## EG Michaels (Oct 15, 2013)

Great post Chris. Thank you for sharing your "in the trenches" advice.

Some authors get bent out of shape when another author shares any of their sales figures.

I'm not one of them.

Maybe it's because I've been self-employed for as long as I have. Maybe it's because I've worked a lot of years in marketing. But I like to have an idea of how successful the person offering me business advice has been... before I view their advice as credible. Especially if I'm not already familiar with their advice. There are a lot of "gurus" out there (and the fiction book business has them too) offering up advice who aren't qualified to give it.

So thank you for your post. I hope the next 12 months of sales are even better for you.


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## Jane Killick (Aug 29, 2014)

I'm a great believer in "flow". It's such a creative place to be. If you read Rachel Aaron's 2 to 10k book (I think that's sort of the title) she writes how she was flying on air when she got to that stage. Sometimes getting to the "flow can be the hard part. I definitely _do not_ recommend moving offices in the day job or taking up cycling 

I enjoyed your 5,000 an hour book (I've read it twice!) and will pick up your new one.


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## CaraMunro (Dec 16, 2014)

To echo someone else, I'm surprised that it has only been a year for you. I feel like I've been lurking here forever and have always seen you around, giving clear, concise and useful advice.

Thank you for such an informative post and good luck for your next 12 months, and the next, and the next...! 

To others who are thinking about posting stuff like this: Please do! I bookmark posts like this to revisit regularly for motivational purposes.


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## Chrisbwritin (Jan 28, 2014)

CoraBuhlert said:


> It's not just trad publishing vs. indie publishing, it's a cultural thing. There are many places in the world were talking about how much money you make is incredibly gauche, whether you're a writer, teacher or plumber. It's just not done.


Right, yes, I totally get that in the sense of not walking up to someone at a party and being like "I made XXX$ last year writing. So. You know..." That's random AND crass. But in a group of your peers and colleagues to discuss sales and money in order to gain knowledge about your industry? Not only is that not crass, it's IMPERATIVE. I can see that, here, it might be frowned upon by some as bragging or gauche, but I think that's really unfortunate. These are discussions many of us have in smaller groups and on private boards multiple times a day. Posts like "X Pub just offered me the following deal. x$, x years, x clauses. Anyone have experience with them in this genre? Good deal or bad deal? Did you earn out? Did they secure foreign rights deals for you or do they ask for those rights and never exercise them?" or "Pre-orders: Good or bad? Normally, I sell x copies release week, but wanted to try pre-orders. For those who have done it, what were your results." or "At what level of income did your accountant say it's a good idea to look at incorporating?" etc etc etc. I just can't imagine a world where that's not valuable information to share with other serious business people.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Chrisbwritin said:


> Right, yes, I totally get that in the sense of not walking up to someone at a party and being like "I made XXX$ last year writing. So. You know..." That's random AND crass. But in a group of your peers and colleagues to discuss sales and money in order to gain knowledge about your industry? Not only is that not crass, it's IMPERATIVE. I can see that, here, it might be frowned upon by some as bragging or gauche, but I think that's really unfortunate. These are discussions many of us have in smaller groups and on private boards multiple times a day. Posts like "X Pub just offered me the following deal. x$, x years, x clauses. Anyone have experience with them in this genre? Good deal or bad deal? Did you earn out? Did they secure foreign rights deals for you or do they ask for those rights and never exercise them?" or "Pre-orders: Good or bad? Normally, I sell x copies release week, but wanted to try pre-orders. For those who have done it, what were your results." or "At what level of income did your accountant say it's a good idea to look at incorporating?" etc etc etc. I just can't imagine a world where that's not valuable information to share with other serious business people.


See, presented like that I'm totally cool and the gang with it. It's the comments like "oh, I stumbled into a bookbub and without doing much more than sneezing out of my left nostril six figures dropped out of my butt and why aren't you having the same level of success?" that don't work for me.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Jim Johnson said:


> See, presented like that I'm totally cool and the gang with it. It's the comments like "oh, I stumbled into a bookbub and without doing much more than sneezing out of my left nostril six figures dropped out of my butt and why aren't you having the same level of success?" that don't work for me.


Huh, never seen a post on here like that... most people who share numbers are pretty specific about what worked and didn't work for them. Though Bookbub is often among the things that worked, but it's almost never the first or even third step.


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## Sophrosyne (Mar 27, 2011)

Ditto. Although I'd love to see that post. If someone sneezes and money starts dropping out of their bum, I'd like to know how they managed to fart out six figures. What kind of witchcraft spell are they working? And where do I get the supplies?


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## Covervault (Mark) (Sep 29, 2015)

Wow Chris, that's impressive. And great info. I'm not a writer myself but my wife is in the closet for sure. I'll send her this post. Thanks!


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## H. S. St. Ours (Mar 24, 2012)

Sophrosyne said:


> Ditto. Although I'd love to see that post. If someone sneezes and money starts dropping out of their bum, I'd like to know how they managed to fart out six figures. What kind of witchcraft spell are they working? And where do I get the supplies?


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## BGArcher (Jun 14, 2014)

Just echoing what everyone else has said. Great post and congrats Chris! Also, I love your app and use it all the time for when I'm writing!


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## SamuelStokes (Oct 11, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> *#7- Build A Platform*
> 
> I left this one for last, because it is the most important. By now most people here are familiar with Andy Weir. He's told his story on many of the podcasts we listen to, and the lesson is painfully clear. It is echoed by everyone from Nick Stephenson to Mark Dawson.
> 
> ...


It seems like you have kissed a lot of toads to find your handsome prince. What have been your best means of platform production and maintenance?


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

Being genuine and outspoken has worked the best for me. For example, I posted a link to a fan-made Predator movie on my site. My readers love that sort of thing just as much as I do, and they passed the word. Their friends watched the video, and quite a few also explored my site. They found my books, though that wasn't my intention when I posted the video.

Just keep writing books, blog posts, forum posts like this one, and being yourself. People will begin to notice, and your following will grow =)


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## santande (May 10, 2015)

This is a very inspiring post. Thanks, Chris.


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## ehill111 (Jan 29, 2011)

Thanks, Chris! I really appreciate you sharing with us. One of the things I love about the indie book community is that people are incredibly transparent and helpful. You're awesome, dude!

Eric


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## allazar (Apr 2, 2014)

Thanks for the encouragement and sharing your insights! Best wishes on going FullTime!


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## C. Rysalis (Feb 26, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> *2- Publishing Costs Money*
> 
> If you want to start a business you need capital. I don't care if you want to open a computer store, a bakery, or become a plumber. Every business requires up front costs to get rolling. Publishing is no different.
> 
> ...


You, sir, are my hero today. I see so many self publishers lament their lack of funds for editing, and it makes me sad. Don't they believe in their stories? It might take years (it did for me), but I firmly believe that anyone can save up for an editor and a premade cover.


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## Marilyn Peake (Aug 8, 2011)

Thank you so much for sharing that uplifting post! I bookmarked it. I've learned so much here at KBoards, and your post clearly illuminated the importance of a supportive writing community and what it takes to sell books.


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## ChristieStenzel (Dec 11, 2015)

Congratulations on your success and thanks for the info!  Best of luck in 2016!


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## Howtoguru (Dec 12, 2015)

Thank you for taking the time to write this post. I read through it all and found some great nuggets of wisdom in it. Also - congratulations on your success thus far. I'm newly published - wonder where I'll be in a year...but it is great to see where a person can get to who keeps working at it.

Best wishes, 
-Dan Grijzenhout


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## Chris Fox (Oct 3, 2014)

allazar said:


> Thanks for the encouragement and sharing your insights! Best wishes on going FullTime!


Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D

I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


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## Marilyn Peake (Aug 8, 2011)

Chris Fox said:


> Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D
> 
> I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


Wow, that's awesome that you'll be writing full-time! Congratulations!


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## Jade Jez (May 11, 2013)

Thanks Chris for taking the time writing all this up! My fingers want to get typing now lol


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## blancheking (Oct 15, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> Your peers will pick you up when you fall down. They'll give you timely advice, and introduce you to editors and cover artists. You're part of an amazing community. Never forget it =D


+1 to this. Peers are like maps. Without them, we'd be driving in the wrong direction


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## Jennifer Joy (Sep 23, 2014)

Chris Fox said:


> Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D
> 
> I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


Wow! Congratulations, Chris!
Thank you for sharing what you've learned and experienced in your process. Knowledge is power! I look forward to your upcoming post!


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Chris Fox said:


> Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D
> 
> I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


Congrats, Chris! Looking forward to even more of your books on my Kindle.


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## AJTipton (Feb 28, 2015)

Wow this is some REALLY useful information. Thank you so much for sharing!


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## Tommy Muncie (Dec 8, 2014)

Chris Fox said:


> Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D
> 
> I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


Thanks for this post! I missed it back in October, but loads of good advice here. I'm launching my next book in March, so I'm open to any launch advice. I've a small following and a platform that gets some notice, so it's nice to know that's a good start!


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## Andrei Cherascu (Sep 17, 2014)

Thank you for the post, brother! I'm actually going through a rough period, where I'm a bit down about my writing and my career in general, so posts like yours help immensely. I also picked up your 5000 words/hour book. One of my major issues is writing speed, so I'm looking into anything that can help me fix that. I'd be happy just to get to 5000 words/day, that way I could reach the 3 books a year goal I've set for next year. Congrats on your success and have a great 2016!


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## J. M. Clearwater (Dec 11, 2015)

Congrats on your success, and thanks so much for this! Very inspiring and enlightening. Makes me excited to keep crackin' in 2016.


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## Bbates024 (Nov 3, 2014)

Chris Fox said:


> Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D
> 
> I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


This is something that I will be looking forward too.


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## GP Hudson (Sep 16, 2013)

Chris Fox said:


> Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D
> 
> I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


Congratulations on going full time. I'm looking forward to reading your post.


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## Simplehistory (Dec 9, 2014)

C. Rysalis said:


> You, sir, are my hero today. I see so many self publishers lament their lack of funds for editing, and it makes me sad. Don't they believe in their stories? It might take years (it did for me), but I firmly believe that anyone can save up for an editor and a premade cover.


The worst thing someone can do is start pocketing the money from the get go, that profit should be invested back into the business


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## Mxz (Jan 17, 2015)

Congrats to the full time!


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## 87552 (Nov 4, 2015)

It is really an encouraging post. Thanks.

I spent almost a year's salary for my book covers and editing and I am about to launch them (February and so forth). Living in Turkey makes some things difficult (ie: my post about Amazon payments) and I am terrified. Really terrified. In the music business, I am a pro. Did everything, signed everything but this, this is so new for me and these kind of posts are golden.

Thanks again for sharing!


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## Salvador Mercer (Jan 1, 2015)

Chris Fox said:


> Thanks for the warm wishes everyone! Full time will be a reality starting February 1st =D
> 
> I'll be making a post later this week that I'm hoping people here find valuable. I'm covering the launch of my new series with a step by step guide to everything I'm doing and why.


Definitely following sir, do post away!


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