THE GHOST YEAR

     Well it's a new year, a year that many people influenced by a calendar many thousands of years old, thought would never happen. My second book, THE MONSTER IN THE BASEMENT, came out in September last year, with little fanfare, little marketing and well, little sales. But that's ok, because when you self publish with a giant corporation going up against seven million other contenders, you have little expectations.

     I was telling someone today who asked how the books were going, how hard it is to market children's fiction when you go it all alone. This is for two reasons. One: kids aren't out trolling for new books to read. Most likely if they find a book, it's an impulse buy or they are following a series. Secondly, they aren't reading your marketing materials (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc, etc)because they can't find them and they aren't bloody well looking for the comments of a 39 year old man trying to make it in the writing biz. They just aren't. Disheartening isn't it?

     I think the two books I have written are good, solid reads of a proposed series, but to be honest, I'm at a cross roads. Do I continue with these books? Do I write something else, maybe for adults? I think about this all the time lately and yes it does stop me from writing, although I have started a new prequel book. Writing a book takes a lot of effort. It's not digging ditches or building houses or even doing night shift driving a truck,but you do have to make a solid commitment that  Time to come up with a plan to crack the big boys of publishing. 2013, the ghost year. The year that anything is possible. Enjoy.

Music: Ladyhawke

Books: Doctor Who and the Daleks

Comics: Conan by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan