As 2018 steams ahead and 2017 evaporates in the rearview like dust off a truck it seems like a good point to assess where I’m at, as a writer and us as a publisher. Personally, 2017 was one of the best for a long time by a long shot. I gave up my old life, travelled, wrote more books and bit off more than I could chew by starting a book imprint. It’s been fun to see several new novels and short stories appear under my fiction pseudonym and see our imprint cough and splutter into life. It’s early days and although the private helicopters, penthouses and slush funds are all tiny glints in this author/publisher’s eye, it’ll all come to pass, I’ve no doubt.
Progress so far. We put up a simple website for our parent imprint, Bonafide Media Publishing. One thriller fiction book under the Dark Paradigm imprint was released in January and another is close to the editing stage. I’m also working on a new non-fiction book and keen to expand that part of our catalogue. Four previously published titles are now in the pipe for the book trade market through Ingram Spark.
These are the early years of building a back-list of work. Each book, story or product (yes, they’re products) is an asset and unique story that hopefully matures as new readers discover them in the years ahead.
There are many indie authors really smashing it with a quick turn around schedule. Some are publishing novels on a bi-monthly or monthly basis that brings on nothing but palpitations in this ‘slow ass’ writer. I did actually consider stopping my ritual of listening to all the inspiring success stories on podcasts for a while. They were almost having the opposite effect and making me feel worthless for my steady eddy word count and general lack of progress. Then, I realised every writer must tune into their own rhythm and avoid being swayed by how others can possibly nail four, five, ten thousand words a day.
It doesn’t matter. That’s how they prefer their bread to be buttered and I salute them. I also, still have ambitions to join them in those head swirling word counts because I want my cake with ice-cream on top.
That’s the point. There’s no huge rush. Much as I would love success to kick in ASAP (if only to pay for the actual running costs) I know this is a long, long marathon to the best restaurant in town, not a quick sprint to McDonald’s. Part of this has all stemmed from Amazon’s algorithm that rewards authors (via rank) who publish quickly and regularly. Let me be clear, I’m not complaining in any sense, just delving into what is making me tick.
So, with those thoughts screaming in my ears, I stagger onwards into 2018 with twitching fingers. And through blurry eyes from all the screen time, I look around for a cafe, realising my food metaphors are directly linked to being ‘Hank Marvin’ (starvin’) and it’s time for lunch.
