# Shooting for mediocrity - How I went from dirt-poor to lower-middle class income



## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

_*Edit: 2017 update on page 6, reply #141*_

_*Edit: 2016 update on page 5*_

I know, dead sexy title, isn't it?
Let me preface this by saying that I love every single thread on here about people who shoot for the stars and make it. It's some of the most inspiring you can read when you're standing on the lower rungs of the ladder yourself - to look up at those that climbed ahead and are sharing their invaluable advice so that the rest of us might find our own way up there one day.

That said, there's also always been a small pang of despair in me when I've read most of these supremely helpful threads. Why? Because every single superstar has two pieces of unwavering advice in common.

1) Write until your fingers bleed. If you want to make it, you have to pump out those words at max speed.

2) It costs money to make money. The amount depends on who you're asking, but at the very minimum, you need to spring for kick-a*se cover art (or get Photoshop and have a creative flair) and editing. Hundreds of dollars, and that's just for the first book. Unfortunately, most books don't take off until there are more books in the series, so you have to do this at the very least three times.​
The problem with those two statements is that they're 100% true.
My issue? I was, as the subject line for this post suggests, really, unsexily, literally-2-weeks-from-foodbanks poor. No fancy covers and no editing for me. It just wasn't possible, and forget about promos!

My other issue: I can't publish as often as is needed. I just can't.
I know most successful people say that they gritted their teeth and forced those words out of every available time they could fit in, and it's a matter of how much you want it.
It's unfortunately not like that for me. And, I suspect, quite a few others among us. I'm working on getting there, but it's a very long, very slow process.

And here's where I (finally) get to the point of this post:
If you want the best chance at the fastest road to success, you need to follow in the footsteps of people who've already done just that.

But if, for some reason, you can't do that - then there's another, slower, path. And I wish we as a community spent just a little more time outlining it, for those among us who aren't capable of reaching for the stars just yet.

Right, so onward to what you're probably more interested in: What, exactly, are my results, and how did I get there?

I write paranormal erom, in serialized format. I published my first book in April 2014. It was 16k words long and ended on a cliffhanger. I now have 9 books published on that pen (and 5 on a gay erotica name I've long since given up), the longest of which is about 30k words long. My first month I made about $30. Now I'm slowly settling in at around about $5k/month. In 2015 I'm on track to make somewhere around $38-$40K. Not yacht-money, but a decent amount more than what I would have made if I'd landed a prime graduate position in my field and area. All without pants and a soul-crushing day job.

And I know what y'all are gonna say now: "Well, sure you can make a living in paranormal erom, Huldra! It's like shooting fish in a barrel!"
Funny story! You know what successful - and semi-succesful - authors tend to have in common in PNR? Crazy publishing speed and laser-targeted sub-genres!
Know who publishes a novella every, oh, 3 months and has yet to even sneeze in the direction of a were-bear? This gal!
Does it help to publish in a popular genre? _Abse-freaking-lutely._ Do you shoot yourself in the foot by entering a market clamoring for sexy lumber jacks and giving it, oh, I dunno, broody ghosts? Yes! Yes you do!

Anyway, my point being - you don't have to write the latest trend. You just have to write in a genre that sells - and then write fantastic books. Bonus points for hitting trends, though.

The hardest part of making it on a shoestring budget is getting started. I invested a grand total of $10 my first half a year of publishing, for one month's subscription to dollarphotosclub, and then I had 2 amazingly helpful friends who agreed to beta read and correct grammar for me at no cost.
My cover was mediocre, my text was more error free than when I finished the first draft but in no way perfect. I then had to download Sigil and learn how to code an ebook, because my dying notebook only had the test-version of word installed.

Sales were underwhelming, but I persevered with book two - and acquired another fabulous beta reader/editor/friend by networking on kboards. I made $130-ish the month I published book 2.

Things turned around when I finally published book 3, and put the first one permafree. I made more than $1000 dollars that month! And also the next month. For every successive book in that series, my income level increased. Sure, it dipped in between my slooow releases, but every book bounced me back a little higher. I eventually got to a stage where I could funnel a bit of money into advertisement, editing, Scrivener (Hallelujah!) and new covers. Every investment has helped increase my income, sometimes significantly, but I've only ever funneled money earned by my books into my business.

*My What to do guide*​
Tired of my long-a*sed rambling? Me too! Here are some bullet points!


Write amazing books. If you can't do the churn and cost it takes to make mediocre books fly, your books have to hit every trope in your genre and leave the reader aching for more 
Write in a series/serial. Permafree book 1 when book 3's published. Or do KU. Or both. I do both, though I may move all my upcoming longer stuff into KU, for the page reads, and price the first novel in a series at $0.99
When you can afford to, invest back into your business. That you start on a shoestring budget doesn't mean you have to stay there. I spent around $1500 last month on business expenses. Granted, it was a bit of an extraordinary expense-month, but it's paying off.
Do the very best you possibly can. Can you afford Photoshop, but not a cover artist? Excellent! Do that. Can you afford a proofreader, but not an editor? Great! Do that!
Lean on the friends who are willing and able to help. I know I was really lucky I had two friends volunteer for me, so I could skip editing and not get slaughtered in the reviews. One friend I now make covers for, because she also wants to publish, and the other I've helped in other ways in the past. My new beta-buddy, I beta her stuff in return.
Don't be discouraged by others' success. Be empowered. You're not there yet, but one day, you might be. Do the best that _you_ can do, and you'll keep improving until you get there.


*My "Most Helpful, Get it When You Can"-List*​
[list type=decimal]
[*]A Mailchimp Account. It's free. Get it NOW. It's the main thing that helped me get started properly.
[*]Good Cover Art. The list goes Cover Artist>Photoshop>Gimp
[*]Editor. It'll help improve your writing long-term, and just give your book a nice, polished feel.
[*]Scrivener[/list] Scr*w hand-coding. Long live button-pushing!

Promos. Start small, work you way up. When you can afford to, get...
Mark Dawson's Facebook Course. It won't save a bad book/badly packaged book/weird niche genre, but otherwise, it's a damn miracle wrapped in a hefty-but-worth-it price tag.
Facebook ads. Minus Bookbub, I think FB ads can be more important than other promos, but it runs up really quickly, even at just $5/day. In the beginning, it's probably better to save up a bit of cash and schedule regular promos. Do your homework, though, some are more worth it than others.

All right, I think it's time to wrap this post up. I'm clearly not some indie superstar - _yet_  - but I do hope that it might give hope to anyone who, like me, has ever felt a bit discouraged by their own lack of writerly superpowers and limited budget.

If you have any questions or comments, I'm happy to answer as best I can, but I won't divulge my pen name. My sales are nowhere strong enough to withstand a potential one-star brigade.


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## Joseph J Bailey (Jun 28, 2013)

Great title and good advice!

Keep sharing your progress.


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## Erratic (May 17, 2014)

Thanks for posting! Congrats to you and your success. I love hearing from people who make it, especially around Christmas when the day job is harder, people are grumpier, and often the words just aren't coming. Thanks for sharing your success with us.


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## Ola Lay (Dec 10, 2015)

Very detailed post--good work. Seems you found out what worked early enough; that's the hardest part for any newbie. You didn't mention anything about KU2, were you KU independent?


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

Jeff Lay said:


> Very detailed post--good work. Seems you found out what worked early enough; that's the hardest part for any newbie. You didn't mention anything about KU2, were you KU independent?


Oh god, KU. I keep missing the boat on this one. I was wide when KU1 hit, and only caved and went in the month before KU2 launched.
I panicked at initial low page reads and left, only to go back in late October (this time with a boxed set as well). I made ok money wide, but the ranking drop on amazon was killing my overall income.

As for getting things right from the start - that was largely thanks to people like Viola Rivard posting pure gold for serial authors at the same time as I published. I still miss her here. She was/is a stellar girl.


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## RubyMadden (Jun 11, 2014)

Loved reading this, very inspiring.  
Congrats on your success!! May 2016 be even more successful for you.


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## Lucian (Jun 8, 2014)

What an inspirational story. The presentation was very generous of you. Thank you very much. Hope the next year is even better.


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## TheLemontree (Sep 12, 2015)

Thank you. Great post.


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## PermaStudent (Apr 21, 2015)

Bookmarked, and interested to see where you go in the future.  From one shoe-stringer to another, good luck!


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## Bbates024 (Nov 3, 2014)

Loved the read. That's exactly what I would love to accomplish this year going from about 1500 now to 4k. If I could just get back to my day job income and then grow from there life would perfect.

Thanks for sharing your story with us. I think sometimes people get caught in the I need to get the one hit so I can be a millionaire next year mindset and forget for a lot of us just getting to do what we love is pretty darn good. I'd love to reach that 4k a month club, and then maybe more but if next year I can get to where 3k or more  a month is coming in I will call it win, if I can make the same jump in 2017 then life is good.

I just can't say how much I enjoyed your thread.


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## Lisa Blackwood (Feb 1, 2015)

I love threads like this. Thank you for sharing.


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

Thank you, Huldra, and congrats to you.  Your post is very inspiring.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

I agree with everything you've said. I started with a slightly higher investment: $15 and did everything you say here. I also couldn't publish as regularly as the superstars here; time is a big issue for me for reasons out of my control.

I am now at a middle class income, and it is, amazingly, a steady income.

The only thing I did differently is that I got my Facebook knowledge from a book I borrowed from the local library and augmented it with author specific tips here.


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## Walter Spence (Nov 22, 2014)

Very inspiring post. Adding my thanks to everyone else's. May the good news just keep on coming.


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## geronl (May 7, 2015)

mediocre would be a huge step up for me.


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## Matt Ryan (Nov 16, 2012)

I love these kinds of posts and thanks for sharing and putting together such an epic post. It's great to hear someone with some success that doesn't write a book a month.


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## P.C. (Peter) Anders (Feb 6, 2013)

I love the title of your post, and also your honesty.

Good for you! 

All best.


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## James R Wells (May 21, 2015)

Wow, no way that set of accomplishments is anything like "mediocre". What a great post both for inspiration and practical ideas to growing one step at a time.


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## Melody Simmons (Jul 8, 2012)

Thank you for sharing your inspiring path. I have actually written three books too but between my full-time job (graphic designer) and kids had to abandon them for now...if you ever want to browse for premade covers please visit my website, I design quite a lot of PNR covers:

http://ebookindiecovers.com/premade-ebook-covers-fantasy/

There may be something you can use in the erotica section too.


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

Inspiring post, Huldra. It seems to be a trope in some writing corners that you can't do it without spending money, writing ridiculously fast and writing romance, but it's not true. There are many paths to success as an indie, and not all of them lead to being an outlier. Nothing wrong with being middle class, either.

I started with nothing, and no friends or family to help with covers, or proofreading. Nobody would even look at my stuff. ("Oh, you're writing? That's nice." Clue glazed look.) I was lucky in that I had knowledge of the craft of writing, had been writing basically all my life (and even got paid to do it a couple of times) and the incentive to work a lot harder and learn even more stuff so I could finally become a writer. I'm not getting any younger, and I was tired of waiting. The last few years have knocked me down over and over, so I'm not where I'd planned to be at this point -- that five year plan ran away screaming and sobbing -- but I'm adapting and persevering. It's getting better, and 2016 is going to be my year.


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## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

Wonderful post! Thank you for taking the time to write it. (I feel better now   )


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## Jacob Stanley (May 25, 2015)

Thanks for this post! This is exactly the sort of advice I need at the moment,


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## PearlEarringLady (Feb 28, 2014)

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Not all of us can write at the speed of light or write in the most popular markets, so it's reassuring to see a success story that's taken a somewhat different trajectory.


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## spellscribe (Nov 5, 2015)

Adding my voice to the chorus of appreciation. I'm not published yet- I'm on a tight budget and I was so anxious about pushing books out faster than I'm able. This gives me so much hope!

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

A great post, Huldra - only $5k a month is better than what I am making as a cubicle dust monkey - even after you figure in the pension and medical plan and such - so right now mediocre sounds awfully tempting to me.


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## IreneP (Jun 19, 2012)

James R Wells said:


> Wow, no way that set of accomplishments is anything like "mediocre". What a great post both for inspiration and practical ideas to growing one step at a time.


Seconded. Thanks so much for posting your story!


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## Bree Roberts (Dec 1, 2012)

I think your idea of mediocre is my idea of making it big!  

Currently, with the cost of book covers (and great cheap prices at that), I'm making negative dollars.  Thank goodness for hubby's job!  Then again, I just published my first full-length novel so it can only get better from here. Right?  RIGHT  

Thank you so much for sharing, love these types of threads!!


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2015)

Huldra,

Thanks for this post. It was both helpful and inspirational. I was getting pretty bummed by my inability to write as fast as was recommended on Kboards, and I was hoping for advice for us slower writers.

Thanks again.


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Brilliant post. Thanks for taking the time to write it, it is so spot on from my own experience too of what is helpful to learn and dl, it was posts like these that got me started


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## joyceharmon (May 21, 2012)

Bree Roberts said:


> I think your idea of mediocre is my idea of making it big!


Same here! So few writers, even those with long publishing histories, can say they make a living wage from their writing alone, that I don't consider that mediocrity at all.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Awesome post!


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

Thank you so much for your encouraging comments, everyone. I really appreciate it.

Melody, I actually have your site bookmarked! I love your work, it's very spot-on for the genre, but I currently have a really good working relationship with another designer for custom artwork. You're definitely on my short-list if I need to change style one day.

Evenstar and C. Gockel, you two have been some of my biggest sources of inspiration on here from pretty much the start. 

And I just realized I'm making it sound like 5k/month is nothing. It's a fortune to me - I've never made this much money in my life. I'm just used to people making "here's my road map" threads to be several steps above me on the food chain!


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## Violet Haze (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks for this. I made $2k less this year than last, partly due to being in the adult dungeon on Amazon for roughly 9 months and not knowing it, so I'm still recovering from the long-term damage it caused. I would love to hit even a steady 1k a month for first time in my life, 5k would be a fortune to me! Lol.


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## geronl (May 7, 2015)

joyceharmon said:


> Same here! So few writers, even those with long publishing histories, can say they make a living wage from their writing alone, that I don't consider that mediocrity at all.


I have read that there are fewer than 2,000 full-time writers in the country. Which is kind of a demotivating thought.


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## Queen Mab (Sep 9, 2011)

Thanks for the thread and congrats  this motivates me to get MailChimp!


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## James R Wells (May 21, 2015)

Steve Vernon said:


> A great post, Huldra - only $5k a month is better than what I am making as a cubicle dust monkey - even after you figure in the pension and medical plan and such - so right now mediocre sounds awfully tempting to me.


This proves you can learn something new every day on KBoards. All these years I have never known the true name of my occupation at my day job: Cubicle Dust Monkey. Even at a home office these days, it's not technically a cubicle, but the concept is the same.


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## GhostGirlWriter (Jul 14, 2015)

Congratulations! This doesn't sound mediocre to me at all. Thanks for the very inspirational post.


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## Rachel E. Rice (Jan 4, 2014)

Thanks Huldra, and to all the courageous authors on this board who have given us insight and inspiration to keep writing. I was making very little, and most of my work had disappeared into Amazon's dungeon, and they are still there. 
However, I discovered a thread about writing erotica, which I had been writing all along, but didn't realize it. But it was that 7 day challenge where I increased my writing speed and I started making four figures. Moreover, the four figure income didn't last long with the changes from KU1 to KU2.
Nevertheless, with all those books I wrote, and then published them on other vendors, I will soon reach my short term goal. Thanks for sharing.


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## missypyxi (Jan 23, 2015)

It's easy to get caught up in the success of others here on the boards (congrats to them, seriously!) and feel like what ever you're doing doesn't measure up.  Sometimes, as much as I know the authors here are trying to help, I leave the boards feeling discouraged.  Then I remind myself that I've written and published two novels (130k + words each) and a short story in less than a year, and that counts for something. 

Thank you for reminding us that we can work at our own pace and still be successful. 

I'd like to add my own bit of advice: Write what you love and give yourself credit for what you've accomplished. Do what's best for you.  If you're having a miserable time and feeling down on yourself, it'll come through in your writing. 

Write and be happy.


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## Elliott Webber (Sep 24, 2015)

As a fellow member of the shoestring brigade, I always find these kind of threads inspirational and I appreciate anyone who takes the time and effort to share their experiences and stories on these boards. I've spent so many hours devouring the wealth of knowledge on here and hope to one day be able to share my own two cents. 

Thanks for the details, and I hope you continue to see increased success.


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## David Crosby (Nov 12, 2015)

What a terrific post!  Congratulations on your success, and thanks for sharing your process.


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## angela65 (Oct 8, 2014)

Thanks so much for the detailed post. I love these types of threads. And congratulations! $5000 a month is fantastic.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Great post, Huldra. Thanks for sharing!


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## tvnopenope (Sep 14, 2015)

Congrats! Thanks for posting this.


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## S.R. Booth (Oct 6, 2013)

Congratulations! I'm really happy for you. Thanks for sharing.


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## celadon (Sep 12, 2015)

So inspiring! Thank you so much for this thread, and my wishes for your continued "mediocrity"! I could do with some of that kind of mediocrity in my life!


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## RN_Wright (Jan 7, 2014)

You are doing very well! Thanks for sharing.


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## anicolle (Dec 13, 2014)

Thanks for an inspirational post! It's good to know what can be achieved when you're starting with a shoestring budget.

Re Mailchimp: how soon would you suggest starting a list? Is it worthwhile even if you've only got a few short stories out there, or better to wait closer to completing the first novel? I'd expect a list might grow 'stale' without any updates for months.


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## pwtucker (Feb 12, 2011)

Great post, Huldra, congrats!


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

anicolle said:


> Thanks for an inspirational post! It's good to know what can be achieved when you're starting with a shoestring budget.
> 
> Re Mailchimp: how soon would you suggest starting a list? Is it worthwhile even if you've only got a few short stories out there, or better to wait closer to completing the first novel? I'd expect a list might grow 'stale' without any updates for months.


Even if some early subscribers lose interest, there's no reason not to collect them, IMO.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

> Evenstar and C. Gockel, you two have been some of my biggest sources of inspiration on here from pretty much the start.


Oh, thank you! I really need to write another "Not quite a prawn, but definitely not a whale" post sometime soon.


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

Fantastic post. Congratulations on your success, and thank you for posting this. Your story is truly inspiring.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

geronl said:


> I have read that there are fewer than 2,000 full-time writers in the country. Which is kind of a demotivating thought.


Dollars to donuts this is no longer the case and there are 2,000 full-time writers in this forum.

Thanks to Amazon KDP.


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## joyceharmon (May 21, 2012)

Cherise Kelley said:


> Dollars to donuts this is no longer the case and there are 2,000 full-time writers in this forum.
> 
> Thanks to Amazon KDP.


Really! That's so awesome, but I'm not surprised.

Not sure I'd count as a 'full-time writer', though I don't have any other job than writing, it's not my sole support, thanks to my military pension. But the writing income certainly helps!


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## geronl (May 7, 2015)

I think it means people who support themselves by writing alone. (not counting journalists and stuff I guess)


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## Andrei Cherascu (Sep 17, 2014)

Huldra, it's early morning where I live and I was already having a bad day. Your post was exactly what I needed to cheer me up a bit. Been really down lately, terribly unhappy with my writing and the way my career is going. It's just like you said: sometimes, you get the impression that all these "success stories" (for lack of a better term) fit into a very specific pattern and if you can't follow it, you're doomed to fail. It's good to see a more unorthodox approach working out. (Incidentally, I live in a place where making  $38-$50K/year would mean roughly 8 times what I used to make at my old job - with a decent salary).

It would be very difficult for me to write at the pace the market seems to dictate. I write long scifi novels with unusual plots (in the sense that I have a great number of narrative threads that need to intertwine perfectly, which takes a while to set up) and I'm not a native speaker, so I always have to quadruple-check everything to make sure I don't sound like Gloria Pritchett in Modern Family. Even as a full-time writer it took me more than a year to finish Mindguard. I've managed to reduce the time to seven months for The Vintages and am aiming at about 3 months for the next one. I can now afford a professional proofreader, which should help improve my publishing speed but even so I suspect I won't be able to keep up with what seems to be the norm. That can become a bit discouraging. It's good to see others who don't fit the mould being succesful. Thank you for sharing your story


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## geronl (May 7, 2015)

*"Hail Huldra!"*

someone had to say it.

(or not)


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## Andrei Cherascu (Sep 17, 2014)

geronl said:


> *"Hail Huldra!"*
> 
> someone had to say it.
> 
> (or not)


This cracked me up!


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## UnicornEmily (Jul 2, 2011)

Thank you, Huldra!  This is very helpful.  I know what you mean about just not being able to write twelve books a year.  I'm hoping to release two in 2016!


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## Shelley K (Sep 19, 2011)

geronl said:


> I have read that there are fewer than 2,000 full-time writers in the country. Which is kind of a demotivating thought.


Which country? In 2010, there were almost 150,000 people in the US who reported writing as their primary job and source of income. Five years later, I suspect that number has jumped. I don't know about other countries, but I'd guess the percentages would hold.


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## Jeff Hughes (May 4, 2012)

Violet Haze said:


> Thanks for this. I made $2k less this year than last, partly due to being in the adult dungeon on Amazon for roughly 9 months and not knowing it, so I'm still recovering from the long-term damage it caused. I would love to hit even a steady 1k a month for first time in my life, 5k would be a fortune to me! Lol.


So, uhm, what is the 'adult dungeon' that Amazon can put you in? Newbie author here and would love to avoid that!

Huldra, thanks for a lovely, inspiring post!


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## Abderian (Apr 5, 2012)

Andrei Cherascu said:


> Huldra, it's early morning where I live and I was already having a bad day. Your post was exactly what I needed to cheer me up a bit. Been really down lately, terribly unhappy with my writing and the way my career is going. It's just like you said: sometimes, you get the impression that all these "success stories" (for lack of a better term) fit into a very specific pattern and if you can't follow it, you're doomed to fail. It's good to see a more unorthodox approach working out. (Incidentally, I live in a place where making $38-$50K/year would mean roughly 8 times what I used to make at my old job - with a decent salary).
> 
> It would be very difficult for me to write at the pace the market seems to dictate. I write long scifi novels with unusual plots (in the sense that I have a great number of narrative threads that need to intertwine perfectly, which takes a while to set up) and I'm not a native speaker, so I always have to quadruple-check everything to make sure I don't sound like Gloria Pritchett in Modern Family. Even as a full-time writer it took me more than a year to finish Mindguard. I've managed to reduce the time to seven months for The Vintages and am aiming at about 3 months for the next one. I can now afford a professional proofreader, which should help improve my publishing speed but even so I suspect I won't be able to keep up with what seems to be the norm. That can become a bit discouraging. It's good to see others who don't fit the mould being succesful. Thank you for sharing your story


FWIW there are plenty of native English speakers who couldn't have expressed themselves so well or error-free as you have done here.


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## Maestro (Nov 24, 2015)

Congrats on your success! $40,000 is an amount that most (new) writers would dream of making in their first few years.


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## SmartQuant (Mar 4, 2014)

Nicely done, Huldra!

Best wishes for your continued success.


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

@ Jeff Hughes:  the adult dungeon applies to erotica (possibly catches some other stories as well on occasion). If there are issues with the cover, title or blurb, and sometimes with the content, going over the "line" Amazon as vaguely set, it will be dungeoned and basically wiped off the search lists. You'll know you're on it if sales suddenly stop dead after going well.

You can check any of your books at Sales Rank Express. It's free and easy to do. You can get out by fixing whatever you've done wrong -- and it's hard sometimes to know exactly what got you there -- and send an email to ask to be removed (I believe the address for that is something like title @ amazon . com -- without the spaces, of course). That's a subject for another forum, as we aren't allowed to link to nor really discuss erotica here. A web search should turn up answers, though.


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## xoxo (Sep 6, 2013)

Thank you, Huldra! That was so inspiring. You're my heroine <3


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

> "Hail Huldra!"
> 
> someone had to say it.
> 
> (or not)


You Sir, have one the internet today.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Abderian said:


> FWIW there are plenty of native English speakers who couldn't have expressed themselves so well or error-free as you have done here.


Quoted for truth! And I'm professionally trained in recognizing the problems non-native writers of English tend to have. You don't have any of them, Andrei. I would never have known you weren't a native speaker if you hadn't said so.


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## bang on the drum (Nov 2, 2015)

I haven't read your books, but the writing in your post is excellent.

If you ever want to write nonfiction, I think you'd do great.


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## Violet Haze (Jan 9, 2014)

It's where Amazon marks your book 'adult' and may even put them in erotica, due to something 'questionable' in your cover, blurb, keywords, etc. None of my books belonged in erotica, but for one example, I didn't know at the time "hand bras" weren't allowed without the woman wearing a shirt. My cover had the woman completely covered, she was standing sideways, but they said they could see the underside of her breast under the barely see-through strip where I put my name.

And they don't tell you they put you there. Which is why I had no idea for a long time. Salesrankexpress.com is the place to go to see, you'll see "Safe" or "ADULT" by each of your titles.



Jeff Hughes said:


> So, uhm, what is the 'adult dungeon' that Amazon can put you in? Newbie author here and would love to avoid that!
> 
> Huldra, thanks for a lovely, inspiring post!


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## writerbee (May 10, 2013)

James R Wells said:


> Wow, no way that set of accomplishments is anything like "mediocre". What a great post both for inspiration and practical ideas to growing one step at a time.


What he said :-D 
Not mediocre at all, really inspiring! I know those super-star, super-prolific authors can be almost too impressive...makes me feel like, how can I ever match their success Well, of course, I don't have to! I just have to get my own success!

I've only got one, serialized novel published -- so far. So to me, your many books in just a couple of years is amazing! :-D

I didn't invest anything except (way too much) time. My day job is/was editing, and even though it's always better to have someone else edit your work, I couldn't afford it. I was lucky enough to have a friend/author/colleague familiar with my genre who was willing to slog through my first draft to provide critique. (I do the same for her, much more polished, "first" drafts ;-p)) But I did my own editing.

My gorgeous cover is via Cover Your Dreams, which is very reasonable.

And I've only done one paid promo so far, a $5.50 Fiverr gig a couple of months ago, in the September doldrums.

I figured a new book by an unknown author would never get any visibility if so I put it in KU. And renewed it in KU, because at least 75% of my royalties come from borrows/pages read.

Since I published at end of March thru June, I've earned enough to pay my rent some months. Other months only enough to pay cable + phone bills. ;-p But overall enough to encourage me to switch my priorities -- now editing gigs take a back seat to writing the sequel. :-D

I'm bookmarking this thread, so I can keep up with everyone's progress.

Congratulations!

DMac
w/a Victoria Hodge


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## ufwriter (Jan 12, 2015)

This was such a lovely post. Thank you for sharing and congrats on your success!


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## ScottCarlson (Jul 23, 2015)

Awesome! I got mailchimp now for my site


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Love this post--thanks so much for the encouragement and wise words


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2015)

Huldra said:


> Anyway, my point being - you don't have to write the latest trend.


If what I want to write doesn't do well in 2016, I'll write in one of the latest trends, under a new pen name, and I'll do it without shame. You have to give readers what they want, and if that's what they want, then so be it.


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## Jade Jez (May 11, 2013)

Really awesome to read, Huldra! Most inspiring.


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## devalong (Aug 28, 2014)

Thank you for posting this! As one slow writer to another (I'm much slower than you though ) it's great to affirm the slow path to adequate income to keep writing is still here after the gold rush . 

Melody's are awesome and totally worth it. Also Satyr Designs. 

Good luck, the terrapin wins sometimes .


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## Claire Frank (Jul 28, 2014)

Adding my enthusiastic thanks for sharing! I appreciate it very much!


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## mwiings (Jul 24, 2015)

Another chime in the chorus of gratitude! Thank you.

I need to redefine what mediocrity means to me because at $5k a month I'd be a little more than doubling my current day job salary a month where I live.

The slow and steady build of good work with engaging stories seems more attainable for me although I suffer from bouts of how good is good enough, which can be a little crippling but I shall keep plodding along.


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## Stephanie Marks (Feb 16, 2015)

I love this post! It's absolutely what I needed to hear today. Sometimes you need to hear the stories that seem a little more achievable to your current situation, just as much as you need to hear the impossible billionaire stories.


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## Andrei Cherascu (Sep 17, 2014)

Abderian said:


> FWIW there are plenty of native English speakers who couldn't have expressed themselves so well or error-free as you have done here.





Becca Mills said:


> Quoted for truth! And I'm professionally trained in recognizing the problems non-native writers of English tend to have. You don't have any of them, Andrei. I would never have known you weren't a native speaker if you hadn't said so.


You guys are incredibly sweet. You have no idea how encouraging this is! I've been speaking English pretty much all of my life and have studied the language at every level of education. Since I'm a stay-home writer (who doesn't go out very often), I spend most of my day thinking/writing/reading in English, browsing the web or watching English-language TV. Technically, I'm exposed to this language far more than my native Romanian, but even after all these years I'm afraid there will be some telltale sign in my writing that will make the reader go: "I don't want to read a book by Ivan Drago!"

I always obsessively check the manuscripts and that's very time-consuming, so getting an editor should help me significantly cut down on the obsessive - and ultimately pointless - proofreading (the six hundredth draft will probably not reveal a lot more than the five hundred ninety-ninth).

Your comments really made my day. Thank you!


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2015)

I must say that I was pleased that you didn't thumb you nose at the advice of successful indies. All too often you see a best selling indie explain what it takes to make the sales and money that will put a writer into a top tier category, only to ridiculed and shouted down. Few want to admit that what they are doing is getting them nowhere. They would rather be consoled and told that it's all about luck.
In my opinion, that you have managed to build your brand enough to do $5,000 per month with short stories is not mediocrity. Not too many short writers manage that. I can only think of a few. And that you have applied the lessons taught by top selling indies to your own methodology shows intelligence. Your scale is set within a smaller budget, but you essentially say to do the same thing that I tell people.
If you were to expand your model I think you would soon find yourself reminiscing about the days when you only made $5,000 per month. 
Good Luck


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## chalice (Jan 5, 2013)

*Bless you and thank you for sharing your journey with us Huldra.
I appreciate seeing there is more than just one path to being on this self-publishing journey.

Best Regards,
Shana Jahsinta Walters.*


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2015)

Huldra said:


> Which is why I continued with "bonus points for writing on trend, though." It'll likely give you a leg up (and who doesn't want that in this business?), but it's not a prerequisite for making a living with your writing.


Well, your tips are spot on, don't get me wrong.  I'm just prepared to go all in if I have to. Don't want to, but I'll do it if I have to.

I am, however, gaining interest in my vampire novellas. So with time, it should all be good.  Patience and persistence are key.

Thanks for your tips!


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## LectorsBooks (Apr 30, 2013)

Inspiring post, thanks for sharing!


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2015)

Huldra said:


> You have no idea how happy that makes me  I have a vampire series I'm dying to write, but my next project is shifters. I figured, after 2 serials completely off-trend, I owe it to myself to see what a trilogy on-trend can do for me. I mean, I was going to write it at some point anyway, so I might as well do it while it's still hot.


Shifters are hot right now. So you should do just fine fairly quickly. Make sure you put an attractive bare male chest on the cover. This is what readers want with this hot trend. So give it to them.


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## Marnie (Sep 10, 2014)

Huldra said:


> I know, dead sexy title, isn't it?
> Let me preface this by saying that I love every single thread on here about people who shoot for the stars and make it. It's some of the most inspiring you can read when you're standing on the lower rungs of the ladder yourself - to look up at those that climbed ahead and are sharing their invaluable advice so that the rest of us might find our own way up there one day.
> 
> That said, there's also always been a small pang of despair in me when I've read most of these supremely helpful threads. Why? Because every single superstar has two pieces of unwavering advice in common.
> ...


Huldra this is amazing. Thanks for sharing.


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## BeMyBookBaby (Apr 18, 2016)

Hey Huldra!

Was just browsing my bookmarks, where you are featured. As this is one year later, how about an update on your journey?


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## P.T. Phronk (Jun 6, 2014)

Ellie Keating said:


> Hey Huldra!
> 
> Was just browsing my bookmarks, where you are featured. As this is one year later, how about an update on your journey?


Seconded! I read this post without looking at the date, but when I did, it was like a twist ending leading to a cliffhanger. Would love to know where the story went next.


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## barryjhutchison (Feb 21, 2016)

Yes, would love to hear more!


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## martyns (May 8, 2014)

I completely agree. I think you have to move at your own speed and use the resources available to you.

Quality is king, flogging a few books is great, but you really want fans, readers who are hungry for your material and desperate to buy your next title the moment it comes out. If you can build a strong readership then you'll get there eventually. As long as you keep throwing the net out and putting out quality titles. 

I like the sentiment, it's all very well dishing out advice about what to do. However if that what to do list involves using resources you simply don't have, it's worth nothing.


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## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

Ellie Keating said:


> Hey Huldra!
> 
> Was just browsing my bookmarks, where you are featured. As this is one year later, how about an update on your journey?


Would love an update--if Huldra is so inclined.


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## Eric T Knight (Feb 23, 2015)

> Seconded! I read this post without looking at the date, but when I did, it was like a twist ending leading to a cliffhanger. Would love to know where the story went next.


I would too. I didn't realize this was an old thread. I'm bookmarking it for inspiration later on.


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## Pizzazz (Dec 14, 2016)

Would love an update!


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2016)

This is an awesome and inspring thread. (I realize it's an old one, but it's new to me!) Thanks for sharing your insight. I hope you have many years of continued success.


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## writerc (Apr 15, 2016)

Eric T Knight said:


> I would too. I didn't realize this was an old thread. I'm bookmarking it for inspiration later on.


Me too!
Thanks for the interesting read and advice. Inspiring!


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

Wow, I'm very flattered there's an interest in an update. So sure, let's do this!

*2016 - a Year of Many Mistakes*​Or: _Oh my God, Amazon why 2016_​
Let me preface this by saying that 2016 _Did Not Go As Planned._
A lot of it was down to Amazon changing algorithms and KU stuff, and me not adjusting swiftly enough. Another major problem was that I failed at listening to my own advice, and I tried to model part of my process after people who publish frequently and right to market. More on this later.

*The numbers*​
In 2016 I'm on track to make $43,000
In 2015 I made just shy of $39,000

So while it's certainly not been $5k/month throughout the year, it's still an increase. I'm not devastated and I'm still holding on to my lower-middle class income, but it's not where I wanted to be--or what I was on track for--last year.

*What I did*​

In 2016, I published 4 books. One of them was a long novella, the other three novels.
The last novel was written to market more so than my usual style, and it was part of a collaboration project with other authors.
Focused on building my mailing list
Did a lot of Newsletter swaps with other authors
Launched at $0.99
In KU
Strayed from my brand
 Did FB ads 

I'm fortunate enough to be part of a couple of communities, where major earning authors also hang out. They share their tips and tricks often, which boils down to: 1) Write books similar to what's in the top 100 _right now_, 2) treat your books like a product and 3) maximize those sweet, sweet KU pages.
I know I said in my first post that that wasn't the path for me--I couldn't write fast enough, and I wasn't writing the on-market books needed for this approach.
Well, I was dumb and figured "Hey, I've got a solid base now! I can totally do the same as they do, even if it's slower, and get the same results!"
Turns out, I can't. And in attempting to follow in their footsteps, I lost a lot of what makes me and my books special. I got a gut-wrenching review the other day, that basically reads: "Dear author, what happened to you? Please come back to us."
They're not bad books, but they're not as intricate and _*my brand*_ as my first. They're not what made readers stick with me, even though I'm not as fast a writer as the top-tiers.
So basically, in trying to change myself and my path to something I'm not, I haven't reached a particularly large new segment of readers, and I've not reached the readers who look for my brand of book, either.

Another tough-but-valuable lesson I've learned is that while cross-promotion is great, I have to pick really carefully who- and how often. As part of the group project I wrote my last book for we featured each others' books every week, and my ML open-and click rate absolutely _tanked._

I also learned that $0.99 launches kill my release month-income dead. I might sell more books, but not enough to make up for the income-loss vs. launching at full price.

And finally, I learned that KU is not the place for me. I wish I'd learned that earlier, but hey--better late than never. I don't know how the recent changes have affected all of you? For me, it was the last straw. Early February, I saw my income cut by ~33% overnight thanks to a change in how Amazon calculated pages, but I figured I was still making more money _in_ KU than I would out of it, simply because how Amazon punishes non-KU rankings.
Since ~August, that's very much not been the case, and from November I've started taking my books out and releasing them wide. Won't have everything out until the end of Jan, though.

*What I've learned*​

_Stay. On. Brand._
I have to do me--I can't be a rank-and-trend chaser, I just don't have the skills required for that. I do have the skills to obtain a loyal following of people who love Paranormal Romance with lotsa steam and intricate plots. And these people will pay full price for a novel and ask for more.
Don't get lured back into KU. Even if it might make better money for a few months, they then have the power to kill your income dead in the water with no warning. And they _will_ do so.
Only cross-promo with authors who are in the same boat as me. I don't want a KU-authors' $0.99-or-free audience. I want an audience of readers who love the type of book I love to write and who'll pay full price for it. And I've learned to respect that readers sign up to _my_ newsletter to hear about _my_ books. I'm not MRR.
I won't forget the joy of writing again. Most of 2016 has been spent stressing about release dates and trying to force myself to write on books my heart wasn't in. I know some people can write a book they're not in love with and make it great, and they're fine just treating it as work. I can't do that, and I nearly made myself sick trying to. I'm in this gig because I love creating a world with characters I can get lost with. No more strict deadlines, no more forcing myself to write something I don't love.
Going forward, I'l have rough-plotted 2-3 novels I'm in love with at the time, and spend my writing time writing on whichever one I'm itching to dig into that day. Only when I'm nearing the end will I set a deadline and start pushing for it.

*2017 Goals & Plans*​
I want to write 5-6 novels in 2017, and I'm pretty sure I can do it if I follow my heart and write what I'm dying to write at any given day. We're finishing up my office this month, so I'll have a nice, dedicated space to work in rather than the living room. I'm sure that'll help, too.
I also want to focus more on cultivating friendships with people who are taking the same path as me. I'm clearly easy to influence (sigh) so spending more time with people who have the same business goals as myself is probably going to be healthier for me and my work.
Income-wise, I'm hoping to hit $50k. It's going to be tough, re-starting my wide platform from scratch, but I have a bigger catalog now than I did last year, and I believe it's totally possible. I guess we'll see next year if I'm right!
Finally, I want to undo some of the damage I've done to my Mailing List and continue building it big and strong. I plan on doing some free bonus chapters for my most popular series, some fun quizzes - and only email them once a month. But every month.

*Final Tips from 2016*​

https://www.brain.fm/ I don't know why it works, but it just does.
Nearing your 2K limit on Mailchimp? Consider Mailerlite. It's much cheaper, and very, very good. I actually prefer it to Mailchimp for ease of use.
Regardless of your provider, set up an automated onboarding workflow that guides your new subscribers to find more of your books. One of the best pieces of advice I got in 2016 was "Never assume your subscribers have read all your books." Take them by the hand and help them discover the awesomeness that is your back catalog.
Bookfunnel. If you're at the point of investing into your business, I highly recommend Bookfunnel. it's severely cut down the amount of "I can't download my free book??" emails I get.
Booklinker.
Fb ads. The competition is a lot steeper these days, but with some trial and error you can still get good CPC and conversion.
Free bonus chapter and/or next-in-series as mailing list bait.
Make sure any and all advice you take is suited for your individual path and your specific goals. We're in a funny industry; sure, to some extent, books are interchangeable widgets. But they're also highly individual pieces of art. Treat them as both.

I hope this wasn't a too depressing read! 2016 has been a weird year, but I believe both I and my business will come out of it stronger and more laser-focused. How's it looking for you?


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## Fel Beasley (Apr 1, 2014)

Thanks so much for the update! Just a wealth of information. Hope your 2017 exceeds your expectations


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## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Thank you for the update!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Talbot (Jul 14, 2015)

Thank you! You're my role model.


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## JaclynDolamore (Nov 5, 2015)

Great update! My writing is quirky, and I am sometimes tempted by the more conventional advice to write on-trend. It's always good to be reminded that is not always wise.


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## Elizabeth Barone (May 6, 2013)

Not a depressing read at all! It was nice to see what you've been up to in the last year. I read your original post last year and found it super inspiring; I've been struggling financially for the past couple years and I've had to do similar things to get my business up and running. There's absolutely no shame!

I can't do the whole "write what's hot right _now_" thing, either. My heart has to be completely into whatever it is I'm writing. I can write fast but I've got arthritis so probably shouldn't, haha. I've found Chris Fox's advice in _Write to Market_ super helpful, as it's the perfect solution for me. It's basically just doing market research and finding a well-loved but underserved subgenre to write for -- that fits into your already-existing writing interests. You should definitely check it out and see if it speaks to you. It might be the intersection of your brand and what you tried this past year.

Hang in there, love, and be gentle with yourself. You've accomplished so much! You should be proud. <3


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## R M Rowan (Jul 13, 2011)

Thank you for this! I missed the original post the first time around, but reading them both together is like a magical fast-forward. A lot of good tips and info (some of which I've already investigated and marked for imminent use   ).  Here's to a fantastic 2017 for all of us!!!
Ralee


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## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

Huldra, thanks for the update. Not a bad 2016 for you at all! We all work in an every-changing environment and have to try new things to see if they work for us, so kudos to you for walking up that steep learning curve and coming out on top.

Wishing you every good fortune in the year ahead!


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## Ariel Eaves (Oct 24, 2016)

This is all super encouraging to read, and your findings about KU are very interesting. It seems if you're not writing directly to market, you're going to make less off page reads than sales, and so going wide makes more sense.


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## smw (Mar 9, 2015)

Huldra said:


> Regardless of your provider, set up an automated onboarding workflow that guides your new subscribers to find more of your books.


If it's not too much trouble, could you provide an example of what you mean by "automated on-boarding workflow" in this context? Do you mean something more complex than (just for example) making sure there's a link to your author page on Amazon (or on your personal author website?)


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## D A Bale (Oct 20, 2016)

Thanks for sharing this information!  I haven't seen anyone talk about this, though I've only been here for a few months.  One question - is Bookfunnel kinda like Instafreebie?


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## geronl (May 7, 2015)

"lower middle-class" would be awesome


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## Pizzazz (Dec 14, 2016)

Thanks for the update.


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## smw (Mar 9, 2015)

Huldra said:


> Yes.
> As an example, I'm running a FB advert atm which gives away two books in a 4-book series I have.
> So once the reader signs up for my newsletter, she immediately gets a "welcome aboard' email from me, with the link where she can download the first book of the series. (from Bookfunnel) I also tell her that in 3 days, I will send her another email with book 2, so "stay tuned!"
> 3 days later she gets an email asking her how she liked book one, and here's book 2, which is filled with sexy fun times and lots of suspense! Yay!
> ...


That's really interesting. It surprises me a little bit that so many emails in that short of time doesn't result in people unsubscribing in large numbers, but I also learned long ago that what I feel as a consumer is not necessarily what most consumers want or respond to.

A hearty holiday thanks to you for this info!


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## writerc (Apr 15, 2016)

Thanks for the awesome update  

Gives me hope!


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## MiriamRosenbaum (Nov 30, 2016)

Inspirational thread. Keep up the good work!


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I love seeing stories where success is not restricted to getting super-rich. Sure rich would be nice, but like the OP I'm pretty damn happy with paying the bills every month and being reasonably comfortable.


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## D A Bale (Oct 20, 2016)

I would love to get to lower-middle-class with my writing too.  Let's see what 2017 has in store.


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

Thank you for posting updates, Huldra. Information like this is greatly appreciated.

Any idea what the algo changes were on Amazon that hurt you so much?


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## smw (Mar 9, 2015)

Huldra said:


> I actually want them to unsubscribe. If they're not interested in my books, then I don't want them on my newsletter, and I prefer if they unsubscribe themselves rather than making me do it further down the line.


Hm, yes, I see. Good point.


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

Ah, OK. I wasn't sure if it was the KU issues that have been discussed here or what. That makes perfect sense.


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## Scout (Jun 2, 2014)

Very informative. You rock! Happy holidays.


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## N. D. Iverson (Feb 1, 2016)

Huldra,

This has been a very helpful post, thank you for sharing! It's nice to hear a success story (and I consider making lower-middle income from your writing a success) that isn't all "flowers and rainbows." It's honest posts like this that show writers what to really expect. Not everyone is going to be making six figures in 3 months, and that's okay -- which is the message I took away from your thread. Just keep at it and I look forward to seeing your update post next year or perhaps six months from now this time


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## meganmeave (Dec 15, 2016)

Super new here, but I loved your post.

I published a few books, then I was out of commission for 3 years only to come back to an all new Amazon with page reads and KU and a whole bunch of new stuff to learn. And I was just starting to figure stuff out before! And there are Facebook ads now! I feel like I'm a thousand when I read all this stuff.

Okay. So first, congratulations! Truly! I hope to one day work up to your level. For me you are far from mediocre. You _are_ the dream. 

Second, I do have a question. I toyed a little bit with the boosted promotions on FB just to see how they worked. I did some cursory searching online - nothing too in depth - and a lot of people talk about FB ads being a bust. I really felt that I just needed to figure them out to get them to work. So I was wondering - I read in your earlier post you offer free books. Do you just do a Facebook post, then boost it? Or do you design a little ad, image and all, to control the look of it?

I'm guessing you boost to targeted audiences to reach new readers. It's my understanding you can boost to fans of your page as well, but since I have none, sad trombone music.

Finally, thank you for all the helpful information.


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

Huldra,

Way back, at your very first post in this thread, you said something that has meant more to me than all the rest of what has been said:

_Do the very best you possibly can, and don't be discouraged by the success of others. Be empowered by it_.


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## TheLemontree (Sep 12, 2015)

Thanks for the update! I love hearing ongoing plan adjustments, they're great information.

I'm pretty sure that 2016 - WTF?! is pretty much everyone's mantra, in multiple countries and multiple industries.


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## FFJ (Feb 8, 2016)

Thanks so much Huldra! Your update, just as your first post, has inspired me.


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## Gentleman Zombie (May 30, 2011)

I bookmarked this thread and read all of it!!! It's very inspiring and encouraging!!!! 

2017 goal ---- Lower middle class income!!!


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## PearlEarringLady (Feb 28, 2014)

Thanks so much for the detailed update. Some excellent advice in there.

I'm another one who's not cut out for the whole write-to-market thing, and therefore am also mired in lower-middle-class income (which is no bad thing, but a little more would be nice). I also got hit by the February revisions of KENPC (my books dropped by 11% overall, but the pages read mysteriously dropped by 30%+, for no obvious reason). So far, I haven't been badly affected by the more recent KU problems, as far as I can tell, but I've followed the saga with avid interest, because it could be me next. Or any of us, really.

I hope 2017 is kinder to you, and also more profitable. Happy writing!


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2016)

I think the best thing you have done is surround yourself with writers that are further along than you. It's far more educational. And prevents commiseration when things don't go well. It's too easy to seek out sympathy among those who are also struggling or are not as far along in their career. It becomes counterproductive and keeps you from moving forward. Good call.


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## Pizzazz (Dec 14, 2016)

This_Way_Down said:


> I think the best thing you have done is surround yourself with writers that are further along than you. It's far more educational. And prevents commiseration when things don't go well. It's too easy to seek out sympathy among those who are also struggling or are not as far along in their career. It becomes counterproductive and keeps you from moving forward. Good call.


Regarding KDP Select, Amanda M. Lee, one of the most successful authors who pops up here at Kboards, is an author I keep my eye on, and she's still in KDP Select. (And there are others.) There will continue to be debates about being in KDP Select or not being in KDP Select, but I will continue to watch successful authors who have been in the program and who haven't left it.


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## P.T. Phronk (Jun 6, 2014)

Another "thanks for the update" post, incoming:

Thanks for the update! It really is inspiring. I know it's all relative, but mistakes and all, it seems like a successful year to me.


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## meganmeave (Dec 15, 2016)

Huldra said:


> No, I always do a full-on ad. Boosted posts don't have a whole lot of value afaik, unless your goal is to get likes and shares. (which it shouldn't be)
> You would typically target it to fans of authors who write like you, but do look up Mark Dawson. FB ads are a whole science in itself, and he offers I think 3 free videos that'll guide you through the very basics of it


Oooh! Okay, thanks. You've cleared up my confusion. I saw the mention of Mark Dawson, and hadn't had a chance to look him up. I will definitely do so now.

Thanks again!


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## Eric T Knight (Feb 23, 2015)

Just adding to the chorus of thank yous! I copied and pasted a bunch of things into a file for later advice.


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## Dominique Mondesir (Dec 15, 2015)

Love the post. Thanks for your insight, was helpful.


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

*2017 - a Year of Deep Valleys & Peaks of Hope*
Or: _I need to start taking my own advice 2017_​
2017 has been a tumultuous year, both for the industry as a whole and my personal writing business.

*The Numbers*​
In 2016 I made just over $43,000
In 2017 I'm on track for ~$38,000

_However_... I've spent very little on advertising all year, so net profits are looking very similar.
So, yeah. Not $50,000 like I'd optimistically projected, but I'm still pretty pleased with it, and this is why:

*What I Did*​

Released 3 novellas and 1 novel (with one more already written novella to go after Christmas)l
Launched at full price ($2.99/$4.99)
Wide
Played around with $0.99/free series starters
Included bonus chapters for mailing list signups
Spent 6 months on one novel, hating every step of the way
Set up writing dates online with a group of other authors for accountability
Stayed on brand
Stopped Fb ads
Found my way
Ventured into Audio

2017 has been a bit of a weird one. I've had a lot of mental health issues triggered by internal + outside stress, I've had my lowest month in a long while ($1600, yikes) followed by my first 5-figure month (hooray!)
On paper, it doesn't look like much has moved, but internally, it feels like everything has shifted absolute miles. I've gotten most of my ducks in a row, and I'm launching into 2018 from a pretty solid position.

*What I've learned
*​

Wide fits me like a glove. But it takes work. I know it's such a cliche at this point, but if you're going wide you have to work out what makes every vendor tick. It's a long process, but very rewarding. I wouldn't have had my 5-figure month if I'd stayed in KU
I finally remembered my business classes and the #1 lesson we got told over and over again: There's a difference between strategy and tactics. You cannot build your business on tactics. I've defined my strategy, still polishing it off, but it's taking shape. It helps me not stress out as much when the latest tactic (FB ads, newsletter promos, KU, etc) fails 
Top class cover art means the world for word-of-mouth and social media engagement
Some of the old classics still hold a lot of bite. First-in-series free might not be as hot as it was back in the gold rush days, but it still works just fine
Jumping from project to project doesn't work. Forcing myself to write something I'm not really into sucks all the joy out of me and slows me waaay down. Delving deep into a story, heart and soul, so I live and breathe my characters... _that_ works
 Big Name narrators are 'spensive as hell, but will draw in more listeners than a good no-name narrator. The trick is to figure out which projects can carry the cost of the big name vs. will be better off with a lower production cost and smaller initial burst

*2018 Goals & Plans*​

Write more. I think I'm at a stage in my career where, if I want to climb any higher, I have to figure out how to get more words down. I have some challenges in that department that other full-timers might not, but I _have_ unlocked how to get more words down/day. The trick will then be to manage a higher word count expectation and not burn out.
Stockpile books to allow for 'The Full Release Treatment' without stressing about hitting deadlines.
Do 'The Full Release Treatment' on all novels (and at least some for novellas) At the moment that's: Fab but expensive covers, pre-orders, giveaways, ARCs, Cover Reveals, Review Tours, FB ads.
Keep building my platform one book at a time. 2018 will be a _builder_-year more than a _reach-for-the-stars_-year. I'm in this for the long haul, so while _money-right-now_ would be delightful, I have to keep thinking about the long game.
*Stay. On. Brand.*
Interact with my fans more. I'm setting up a reader's group and luring my readers in with gifts and giveaways.
Get good at creating smoking hot teaser graphics etc.
Write a prequel novella to every series shortly before book 1, to optimize marketing possibilities for book 1 and 2. (I only set a permafree/discounted first in series after book 3 has dropped, which limits sales for a while)


*Final tips from 2017*​
Don't spend your money on FB courses. I know I recommended Mark Dawson's in the beginning, but the market was an entirely different beast then. I don't see the high price tag being worth the cost anymore.

Figure out your strategy. What is your goal and how are you going to get there? Do not get distracted form this plan by shiny new tactics that may work now-and-here, but might also damage your chances at following your strategy long-term. For me, a good/terrible example of this is newsletter swapping without a serious curation process. Sure, it got me some instant sales, but it also did long-term damage to my relationship with some readers. It's been more than a year and I'm still in recovery mode.

Don't use Mailerlite. Another change to last year's recommendation. I had terrible issues with so many of my emails going into spam filters, and when I contacted them they were all "just write better subject lines." Changed back to MailChimp, and even though the price tag makes me cry, more people seem to actually get my mails now.

Write a bonus epilogue for your first-in-series. For every series. (Or whichever books you plan on promoting the shish-kebab out of) It'll give you a long-term source of subscribers, and while they may not be certified organic, they'll damn sure be grass-fed and warmed up to seeing what else you have to offer.

Invest in covers. Invest in covers. Invest in covers. And make sure the damn things are exactly on point.

Get as many pairs of eyes on your blurb as you can, until it's absolutely razor sharp.

Decide who you want to be (ties into figuring out your strategy) and remember to account for your own abilities in the process. I want to be Amanda Lee so bad, but I don't have her production skills or her discipline, and I don't write in her genre. That means I can't use her strategy to get me where I want to be. I have to find someone whose books and publishing speed are similar to what I like to do, and who is where I want to be, and figure out exactly what they're doing. Find as many people like this as you can and try to build your strategy and platform with their image in mind.

If you're wide, why the hell are you using Amazon's top 100 as your only genre-research? Get thyself to iBooks. Notice the difference in covers, blurbs, story-style. This is what you want to do.

Release at full price. Who was it that said "They get it early, or they get it cheap. Never both."? It's so true. Caveat of course if you're still in the very early days of finding your first readers.

Treat your readers well.

Take care of yourself. You're the star employee of your publishing company - and you don't want to lose your star employee to burn-out, because you didn't manage them well, do you?

And on that note: Remember to have fun. It's not a race, it's not a competition. It's just you, working toward making your dreams come true. How awesome is that?


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## Gareth K Pengelly (Aug 25, 2012)

Needed to read that today.

You're very inspiring, thanks for putting all your thoughts and experiences to paper, erm, or screen as the case may be.

Whereabouts in the UK are you from, if you don't mind me asking? Seems there's loads of us Brits on these boards!


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## DonovanJeremiah (Oct 14, 2017)

Today was the day I planned to sit down and plan my 2018 strategy. This came at the perfect time.

Thank you.


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## 91831 (Jul 18, 2016)

I love this thread so much, I just want to hug it and squeeze it and never let it go!

Last week I was ready to chuck it all in after a disaster of a week (hell more like a month!) outside of writing--day job, family life, etc.  Yup, I was ready to walk and then I got a hail Mary pass (I think that's the correct term-I'm not American) that lifted me back up and made me think, I CAN FREAKING DO THIS!  I got my first Bookbub!  I fist pumped, I cheered, I danced around the room a little bit because I figured I can do this! One little thing put the fighting spirit back in me and reminded me how much I want this.

My overall aim for writing is to replace the day job.  After that I'll reevaluate, but that's the goal I'm sticking too. I'm hoping that 2018 will see me getting half way there and 2019 I'll nail it, but we'll see.  I'm like you, I'm taking small steps, I have very little play with cash, but I'll get there...

Thanks for updating the thread -- especially as I didn't see it the first time! -- often it's things like this that keep me going.


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## AliceS (Dec 28, 2014)

Just saw this for the first time. Thank you. It's good to hear from someone who isn't one of the rocket-to-the-top outliers.


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## writerc (Apr 15, 2016)

Really inspiring, thanks for sharing


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## ejdean (Nov 29, 2017)

Just read through your posts and plan to give them another read through soon. Great advice for someone just starting out, like myself. 

Thank you!


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## Rose Andrews (Jun 1, 2017)

evdarcy said:


> I love this thread so much, I just want to hug it and squeeze it and never let it go!
> 
> Last week I was ready to chuck it all in after a disaster of a week (hell more like a month!) outside of writing--day job, family life, etc. Yup, I was ready to walk and then I got a hail Mary pass (I think that's the correct term-I'm not American) that lifted me back up and made me think, I CAN FREAKING DO THIS! I got my first Bookbub! I fist pumped, I cheered, I danced around the room a little bit because I figured I can do this! One little thing put the fighting spirit back in me and reminded me how much I want this.
> 
> ...


YEA RIGHT ON! How exciting!  Congratulations!

OP: I'm still in love with this thread and having my coffee with your update. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. I wish you continued success.


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## Longtime Lurker (Sep 14, 2016)

Thank you for the update, it showed up at the perfect time. Now off to read this thread from the beginning!


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

This post is a gem. Thank you!


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

Thanks for the update. I guess what we can take from this thread is that it's great to look at all the advice, but we have to take what will work for us and keep on. Not everyone is cut out to be a book a month, on trend, overnight success. Most people aren't, and that's okay. It's hard to remember sometimes. I know I get all starry-eyed thinking about making loads of money, but in the end, I've come to accept it's not in the cards for me. But middle class is a fine place to be, it beats the heck out of poverty, for sure.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Your first bullet point is what I totally believe...and have for a while  Write great books and they will come, with a little coaching  
Your others points I'm learning...


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## Lina Vine (Oct 22, 2016)

I greatly appreciate your taking the time to share your insight into what has worked for you in marketing/promos/etc. The tip about Mark Dawson's course is particularly valuable for me right now. I've been debating whether to sign up for his online "FB ads for self-published authors" course or not, as it's pricey - 395 pounds. Now I know.


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## I&#039;m a Little Teapot (Apr 10, 2014)

I love these more low-key success stories. They're really inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing, and good luck in 2018.


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## 91831 (Jul 18, 2016)

Huldra said:


> Thanks all <3
> 
> @Gareth I'm up in the NW of England, but not natively a brit.
> 
> @Evdarcy - FYeah! Huge congrats on the Bookbub! I've yet to land one, so sending the best kind of envy your way, lol


I gotta ask, as another NW England gal, are you anywhere near me?


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## RN_Wright (Jan 7, 2014)

How pleasant to see you show up in my replies again! Congratulations on your continued success.


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## Vale (Jul 19, 2017)

Thank you for the update. This is my first time seeing the post, so I read it through from the beginning. You mentioned saying goodbye to Facebook ads: are you using Amazon ads or other types of ads? 

EDIT: Oh! You mentioned the alternate epilogue for all of your first-in-series books. Could you talk in a little more detail about that? Is it an expanded epilogue? Is the same material covered in the second book in the series? What's an example of what someone might include in the second epilogue?


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

Okay - so this post REALLY inspired me!

Go Huldra.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

Just bumping this post because I think it is so important.

I started out with a $15 investment in stock photo and my first editors were free. Most of my covers after that were $60 or less, until I got to the point where I could afford a Damonza rebranding.

I don't make $100,000, but I am doing okay. Especially considering that in 2016 I only released one book.


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## 91831 (Jul 18, 2016)

Huldra said:


> Prooobably? Depends how far north in Cheshire you are. (I'm in Merseyside)


Okay, we are probably preeeetty close!!! I'm just over the bridge!


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## geronl (May 7, 2015)

Steve Vernon said:


> Okay - so this post REALLY inspired me!
> 
> Go Huldra.


It's HAIL HULDRA!


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

I'm adoring the annual update thing. Please _please _make sure you do the same again next December


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## VirginiaMcClain (Sep 24, 2014)

Thank you for this! This was my first time reading this post, but I found it truly inspiring. Thank you!


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## kemobullock (Aug 18, 2015)

Thank you for this update. I needed to hear it.


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## Nancy_G (Jun 22, 2015)

Wow, thanks for sharing! This year has been a challenge in the way of leaving my marriage in February and not doing much writing in my beloved series. I'm ready to get back in the game and you're very inspiring, so thanks!


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## Maia Sepp Ross (May 10, 2013)

Awesome thread - and congrats on your success!!


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## RomanceAuthor (Aug 18, 2014)

Loved the update!
I just have one comment, regarding facebook ads. If you keep promoting the same product, in your case the boxset, you will get diminishing returns over time, especially if you don't have "big" releases which would give your backlist a boost. I'm using facebook ads as much as I used them before, and they work, but for much better for new titles than old ones.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

RomanceAuthor said:


> Loved the update!
> I just have one comment, regarding facebook ads. If you keep promoting the same product, in your case the boxset, you will get diminishing returns over time, especially if you don't have "big" releases which would give your backlist a boost. I'm using facebook ads as much as I used them before, and they work, but for much better for new titles than old ones.


Something I found was that turning off my ads for an old title for six months, and then restarting them, gave me nearly the same results as before. I think ad fatigue is a "thing." Also, introducing a new ad and copy can help a lot, too.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

This thread needed resurrected.


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## D. A. J. F. (Mar 29, 2019)

Huldra said:


> *Final tips from 2017*​
> Don't spend your money on FB courses. I know I recommended Mark Dawson's in the beginning, but the market was an entirely different beast then. I don't see the high price tag being worth the cost anymore.


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