Selling Books (Or Not)

Hello there, Friends!

It has been quite a long while. Sorry to drop off the face of the earth like that. Sometimes you just need a break to rejuvenate. I needed a few months to do that and to work on a few other things, so that’s why I haven’t written anything for a while.

Let’s see, since I last wrote, not a whole lot has changed, and yet, at the same time, a lot has. I’ve been working on a horror series for kids under a pen name, so that’s what’s been occupying most of my time. It’s been pretty fun, but I’m looking forward to once again picking up some of my previous projects that I had to put on hiatus. One of which, namely, is the Samantha Carver Saga.

I’m not going to lie. The Samantha Carver Saga has not been a great success in terms of sales. That’s the honest truth. As a writer, and an ebook publisher, I’ve got to consider this when I think about what I want to put my time towards. My ultimate goal is to make a living from my career as an author, and spending time writing a third book in a series that doesn’t do very well isn’t the smartest decision. However, I’m letting you know right now that I’m not leaving the series unfinished. For the few of you out there who have been waiting (there’s not many of you, but I sooo appreciate the support of those who have been, and I apologize for making you wait!), the third installment will get published sometime in 2013. I’d feel defeated if I didn’t finish the series, and almost more importantly, I feel like I can’t leave my characters in limbo like that. It would just be wrong.

I think it’s good to be honest and not be in denial about books not doing well. I don’t think just because your books don’t sell a lot that it makes you any less of a writer. Failing provides a good learning opportunity, and I’ll be able to take some of the things I’ve learned from this and hopefully turn it into a success.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the nature of success. It’s important not to give up. Way easier said than done. For some reason, you always expect success immediately, and if it doesn’t come that soon, you start feeling like a failure. That’s a stupid feeling to give in to. Sometimes, it takes a little longer for things to work themselves out, and in the meantime, you just have to keep chipping away at it.

That’s what I’m planning to do. Maybe The Samantha Carver Saga won’t ever be a success, but at the very least, it’s a stepping stone to success. I’ve learned a lot from writing this series, and I know I’ve got a lot more books and other series in me.

That’s what I’ve been thinking the past few months. It’s much easier to give up than to continue on, but the ones who are persistent and determined are the ones who get what they want. Besides, I’m doing what I love -- writing books -- so that can’t be wrong, no matter how few books I sell.

So I’ll leave you for the time being on that note. I'll have more information soon about my next series and when it will published (at this point, probably in January). The next post (and I promise to make it soon) I’ll make a cocktail of some kind. It’s been far too long since we’ve had a drink, friends!

--Allison