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JL Bryan
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« on: September 02, 2010, 08:54:45 AM » |
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Are these the official unofficial levels of indie writing success? Paying the bills--making enough to cover some of your monthly bills Paying the mortgage--self-explanatory. What comes next after paying the mortgage?  |
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Daniel Arenson
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« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2010, 08:56:03 AM » |
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Last month I earned about $320 from my writing. Enough to pay a few bills. Next goal is to pay the rent.  |
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T.L. Haddix
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« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2010, 08:56:14 AM » |
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Buying the Camaro, the SUV and the vacation home...
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tbrookside
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« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2010, 08:59:00 AM » |
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Do they still make Camaros?
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julieannfelicity
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« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2010, 09:00:42 AM » |
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Aww man, if I could make enough to pay a decent babysitter for my three kids, that'd be WONDERFUL!
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Greenkeeper
Status: Jane Austen
 Offline
Gender: 
Texas
Posts: 309
S.D. Best, author and alleged artist
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« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2010, 09:01:03 AM » |
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Buying your way into political power?  "I made millions writing about elves! Vote for me!" |
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EllenFisher
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« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2010, 09:05:50 AM » |
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Next is "buying the snazzy red Mustang that I so richly deserve so I don't always have to tool around town in an ancient minivan." But alas, I'm still working on "paying the bills." |
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David 'Half-Orc' Dalglish
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« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2010, 09:14:34 AM » |
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After paying Mortgage I think it goes "barely surviving."
That's my target goal.
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Jack Kilborn
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« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2010, 09:23:48 AM » |
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Buying a small island.
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Carolyn Kephart
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« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2010, 09:24:02 AM » |
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Are these the official unofficial levels of indie writing success? Paying the bills--making enough to cover some of your monthly bills Paying the mortgage--self-explanatory. What comes next after paying the mortgage? You don't have to be indie to struggle. I knew a fantasy author who'd trad-pubbed 40 novels, yet still had to hold down a day job to survive. If you're in it for the money, heaven help you. [Edited to note that this statement is meant generally, not personally. Sorry to offend if I did.] CK Who sees royalties as rewards, and uses them for those little pleasures that make life worth the bother |
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« Last Edit: September 02, 2010, 10:19:08 AM by Carolyn Kephart »
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David 'Half-Orc' Dalglish
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« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2010, 09:26:19 AM » |
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Pfft. I'm in it for the groupies. But the money is nice, too.
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JL Bryan
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« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2010, 09:27:57 AM » |
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Buying your way into political power? "I made millions writing about elves! Vote for me!" But would you run as a Republicorc or a Dwarfocrat? Or maybe a Fairytarian? |
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daringnovelist
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« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2010, 09:33:45 AM » |
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Paying some bills
Paying big bills (like mortgage - and the bigger bill: health insurance)
Paying ALL expenses.
Fully funding the IRA.
Emergency fund for when something big changes in the industry (like Amazon radically changes its payment options)
Paying OFF mortgage (and other investments)
Cat toys.
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JL Bryan
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« Reply #15 on: September 02, 2010, 09:54:28 AM » |
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Pfft. I'm in it for the groupies. I suspected it. |
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BTackitt
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« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2010, 10:21:39 AM » |
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Are these the official unofficial levels of indie writing success? Paying the bills--making enough to cover some of your monthly bills Paying the mortgage--self-explanatory. What comes next after paying the mortgage? I would think the next step would be to do it 2 months in a row, then 3... etc... But, that's just my non-writer opinion. |
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Bards and Sages (Julie)
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« Reply #17 on: September 02, 2010, 10:23:43 AM » |
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But would you run as a Republicorc or a Dwarfocrat?
Or maybe a Fairytarian?
I'm thinking Tea Party...complete with Mad Hatter |
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Christine Merrill
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« Reply #18 on: September 02, 2010, 10:24:40 AM » |
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Health insurance. Why, yes. I am boring. Does it show?  |
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David McAfee
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« Reply #20 on: September 02, 2010, 10:29:34 AM » |
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Last month I made a little over $1,100. I won't know the exact amount until they release the August report. If I could make that every month, well, that would more than cover the payment for a new Mustang.  |
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T.L. Haddix
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« Reply #21 on: September 02, 2010, 10:29:53 AM » |
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Camille, When you say "fully funding the IRA", I'm assuming you mean a retirement account and not the Irish Army?  *snickers* at cat toys - yeah, throw that on my list, too. TBrookside - Do they still make the Camaro? Yes, it came out with the first Transformers movie - Bumblebee? Here's the 2011 model (drool)  |
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JimC1946
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« Reply #22 on: September 02, 2010, 10:31:03 AM » |
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Buying a small island.
I have a small one in the back yard after a heavy rain. The price is highly negotiable. |
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Christine Merrill
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« Reply #23 on: September 02, 2010, 11:24:37 AM » |
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If you fully fund the Irish Republican Army, and they win, do they let you claim the island for yourself?
Because that would be a two-fer.
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derekprior
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« Reply #24 on: September 02, 2010, 11:29:23 AM » |
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I've just enough royalties to re-string my guitar and buy a bottle of Chateau neuf du Pape. What more could you want?
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Carolyn Kephart
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« Reply #25 on: September 02, 2010, 11:49:12 AM » |
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I've just enough royalties to re-string my guitar and buy a bottle of Chateau neuf du Pape. What more could you want?
Piper Sonoma and air conditioning, here. I'm more than grateful. CK Who edited her earlier post because of inadvertant snarkiness...sincere apologies to the OP! |
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JL Bryan
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« Reply #26 on: September 02, 2010, 12:01:29 PM » |
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Piper Sonoma and air conditioning, here. I'm more than grateful.
CK
Who edited her earlier post because of inadvertant snarkiness...sincere apologies to the OP!
Awww, we were both being snarky. Let's just accept that we're both snarky people at times |
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Carolyn Kephart
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« Reply #27 on: September 02, 2010, 12:08:05 PM » |
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Awww, we were both being snarky. Let's just accept that we're both snarky people at times If the tone of my posts comes off wrong, I've failed as a writer; hence the edit. CK |
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John Hartness
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« Reply #28 on: September 02, 2010, 01:23:08 PM » |
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I would say "pay my bar tab," but I need Konrath Kash to fully fund my drunkenness. My hopes and dreams sit in this order.
1) Recoup what I paid to have the book formatted.
2) Make back what I paid for the cover art. And use RDP next time to save a bunch of cash!
3) Pay my niece the commission I offered her in exchange for editing services.
4) Pay for the formatting/editing/cover art for the next book.
lather, rinse, repeat
Somewhere down the list when I have a critical mass of backlist published I'd like to be able to contemplate quitting my day job. But for now, enough to cover my investment in my Redneck Retirement Fund (PowerBall tickets) will do just fine.
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tbrookside
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« Reply #30 on: September 02, 2010, 05:34:53 PM » |
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I would say just about everybody gets depressed by their first three days of sales.
Except for Hocking. She busts into the top 25 shouting, "Hey! Kool-Aid!"
You won't really know what you can do for two more months.
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Victorine
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« Reply #32 on: September 02, 2010, 05:57:57 PM » |
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Forget the yacht harbored in St. Tropez. I've lowered my expectations. Right now, I'd like to break even on what I've spent in the way of promotion since this morning: $75.77 for 500 business cards (they are beautiful) and $69.99 for a Kindle Nation Daily spot. That puts me $145.76 (1,520,860 Iranian Rials) in the hole with only nine sales in three days to show for it. This is SOoooo depressing.  Hey, before I read Konrath's blog, my story was just sitting on my hard drive... and so I thought, "Hey, might as well put it up on Lulu as an Ebook." I sold three. In. Six. Months. And two of those were to friends. Okay, so I didn't expect much when I put my book up on Kindle. I sold seven in the first ten days it was up. I was really happy with that! So, the moral of the story... don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. Or... don't sell your ebook on Lulu. Or... never spit in the wind. Wait... I'm going to stop now, I think I need more sleep. Vicki |
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Not What She Seems - A NYT's Bestseller | The Gathering - Free on Smashwords |
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& gone
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« Reply #33 on: September 02, 2010, 06:36:41 PM » |
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Are these the official unofficial levels of indie writing success? Paying the bills--making enough to cover some of your monthly bills Paying the mortgage--self-explanatory. What comes next after paying the mortgage? If you ask my four year old daughter, she says that it's a brown pony with white spots. Dang I wish I could buy that adorable little girl a pony! |
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R. Doug
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« Reply #34 on: September 02, 2010, 06:55:04 PM » |
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So, the moral of the story... don't expect much and you won't be disappointed Well, on the upside, I calculate that I've made 262,280 in just THREE DAYS . . . in Iranian Rials, that is. |
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R. Doug Wicker
Mystery | 
Mystery | The Globe
The Globe is a ship that has everything—
Including a serial killer with a large knife
and a penchant for the rich and beautiful.
Visit me at my Blog and on Facebook |
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