The Art of Making Money with Writing Books

Hi Ink Drinkers,

I'm about to alienate all of you with my age.  Ready?  I have been writing novels for 27 years.  'Sleeping Prince' is actually my 28th novel.  So, that means I've been trying to make money with my books for quite a long time.

I got a deal with a traditional publishing company and I was very fortunate in the company I got since they didn't cheat me, but they also made me make changes to my manuscript I wasn't comfortable with.  So, I made their changes and I didn't make much money.

Courting publishing houses is a super nerve-wracking process.  They don't promise to get back to you for like a year and then they don't send you anything to say that they rejected your manuscript.  A lot of books have their best chance at hooking an audience when they are first written.  That means that a lot of the new books that are available in the bookstores are old when they are released... and they feel it.  A site like Booknet has much fresher stuff constantly. 

I have tried being an independent novelist as well and I have made more money doing that, but it still sucks.  So, I really got a grip on the whole 'publishing' thing.  I learned how to design wraparound book covers, how to edit to a professional standard, and how to sell paperback books in person.  If you want to get your book in bookstores, you can hobble around to the different ones and they'll put your book up in their store.  They will take 40% of the price of the book as a commission and so in order to not price your book too high, you end up making like $2 on the sale of each book.  

Book is priced at $20.00

Printing - $8.00

Shipping to you - $2.00

Bookstore commission - $8.00

Your Royalties - $2

That doesn't even figure in costs like what your cover art cost, how much it cost you in transportation fees to hobble around to the bookstores, and other incidentals (perhaps editing).

Then there's selling books online.  I have been really bad at this.  I don't write stuff that sells.  I write romance novels with no erotica and I'll never find my inner steamy goddess that will bring in the big bucks.  

I like to write books, but I've stopped believing that there is a place for me among authors who sell books and make money.  What I write is too weird for that and I want to write what I want.

This is my declaration that I will no longer try to get a commercial account here.  However, ya'll should know that even if I give my stuff away for free, I still own the copyrights for all my work and any infringement will be dealt with in a legal fashion.  I have already dealt with a lot of pirates, so none of that is new to me.

Anywhoo... I gave up on my dream.  I hardly think I can call myself a novelist or a writer now.  I need to come up with a new word.  Does anyone have any ideas?