Oh heck yea im interested in your series on self publishing! Lets see it
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for the vote! And judging from the number of likes on your comment, I think it's the general sentiment.
@ntp3099
4 ай бұрын
The grim stats are discouraging for the 90% who would eventually drop out anyway. For the rest who persist on, it’s in fact motivating to see how far we’ve gotten. So thanks for taking time to make this video!
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Your totally right. If we just hold on, we're going to make it further and further.
@thattrickydude
3 ай бұрын
Good video, even introverts need a community otherwise isolation leads to depression and an unsatisfying life. Having people to vent to, discuss ideas with and share work with is priceless. Keep it up Ryker.
@JAlanRyker
2 ай бұрын
Yes, absolutely. A good community is so important on many levels. I feel really lucky that I found making videos and then being able to converse further with writers like yourself in the comments. It's made a big difference for me
@jlolson53
4 ай бұрын
I'm interested in seeing further videos exploring your ideas and experience.
@jamesanthony3
4 ай бұрын
I consider myself extremely lucky to have found this channel. Thanks so much for your advice.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
That's a really kind thing of you to say. Very glad to have you here
@gavenace3667
4 ай бұрын
Hey Ryker, I have watched and rewatched all of your videos so far. It’s nice to finally hear some real talk about writing. Also, even though I’m nearly done with my first self-pub experience I would still love to see a series over it. Thank you for all you’ve shared so far, I’m excited for more!
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for the kind words. I will be doing the series, so look out for it!
@hunggarrebel2801
4 ай бұрын
I am absolutely interested in a self-publishing series. This is the best writing channel in YT.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
that's such a kind thing to take the time to comment, thank you. I'm going forward with it! By the way, I'm a massive Monster Hunter fan, just started my first campaign in MH Generations
@Watchingvideo12
4 ай бұрын
Great vid! I use a mantra that gets me through my zero draft. It's usually the main idea/theme that inspired me to write. It keeps me moving forward to never forget the love that brought the pen to the page.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
That's fantastic. That's the mindset that puts someone in the "writer til death" category! I can see the truth of it right there in your username
@ThomasFawkes
4 ай бұрын
Definitely interested in the self-publishing videos! Just discovered your channel, love your perspective. I've written 8 novels (standalones). I've found the querying process to be a nightmare, I have friends who have had more or less success with self-publishing. I've studied a lot about it, and I think my biggest thing is I've seen all the ways it can go wrong (cover artist woes, formatter conflicts, amazon being... amazon). It's really, really hard to have hope in this. After sending out hundreds of queries for various novels, it's gotten disheartening. I'm still writing though!
@PaulRWorthington
4 ай бұрын
If your beta readers have given you a positive response - Get to self-publishing those 8 novels! Don't wait on someone else's approval.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
God the querying process... It's so miserable. I don't even like to think back to it. I didn't realize it at the time, I thought I was shooting myself in the foot, but self-publishing ended up being like querying small press horror (which is pretty much all that's left) as a side effect. From what I'm reading, I think I'll be making the series. It can be smooth if you take control of the process, though a bit more work, but less work than you'd think. And much less miserable than querying, at least.
@chitchatpodcast4889
3 ай бұрын
I'm so glad to come across your videos! I'm working on my 3ed book, first novel, and your insight and knowledge is what I've been missing as a writer. No one I know writes and so it can feel not only lonely but almost pointless to continue when facing such a high bar to jump over that is self publishing. I will be watching and thankful everytime I see a new video from you, thanks for your positive energy and hard work! Great job!
@JAlanRyker
3 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for all the kind words! And congratulations on your books. I'm hearing often about how difficult it can be these days to find a community of serious writers. It's a problem I'm thinking about, but honestly don't know the answer to right now. I'm lucky that I've got you all. There is so much to know about self-publishing, and so much misinformation, especially from self-interested parties. But, once you know the path, it's no longer overwhelming, just a bit of work. I'm currently in the middle of putting out a series of step-by-agonizing-step guides here on youtube, trying to lay out every detail I know. Check it out when you're ready.
@benwahsmotoworld
4 ай бұрын
Love your frankness. Please proceed with the publishing series 🙏
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
It's on!
@anxul779
4 ай бұрын
Wrapping up my fifth novel as I listen to you (fixing commas and stuff before sending it to the editor). Thanks for sharing. I'm also an introvert and enjoy talking to authors.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Very happy to be your background entertainment. Honestly, I think it's a sort of honor. Good job on five novels!
@MatthewChanWrites
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for your wonderful ideas! I’d love a self pub series from you!
@MountainManBooks
21 күн бұрын
I would absolutely love a self-publishing series!
@josearturocastrejonespinos7933
4 ай бұрын
Really appreciate you sharing all of your experience with the community! And the adivce is great, so realistic and level headed. I do agree it makes a huge difference to appreciate writing for itself, as a path to a deeper understing of ourselves and our world rather than just a means to an end. If the self publishing series gets done, I'll be there! If not, I'll still be here.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for the kind comment. I do think I'm going to make the self publishing series, so I'll be glad to have you there!
@TonBil1
13 күн бұрын
Self-publishing an (e) book: yes please. You have this great 'down to earth' quality of talking from experience, still 'reaching for the stars'.
@JAlanRyker
11 күн бұрын
Thank you very much for the kind words! I hope to one day have such a skewed perspective from massive success that my advice is to "let them eat cake", but until that day... 😉 Check this playlist out. Covers both ebooks and trade paperbacks: kzitem.info/door/PL1K0i9PkjnCfOzzMRD9jxDskGVzKjjFYQ
@lawrenceperry957
4 ай бұрын
Thank you for this video. It really inspired me. And I’m very interested in your self publishing series!
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
I'm really glad. Thanks for your comment and vote! I'm planning to record the self-publishing series very soon
@stebbigunn7690
4 ай бұрын
I have found that its the mindset you have to have. Some people are plotters, others just fall into the other catacory. I myself fall into the latter. Each writer has to find what fits them to write, for me, i easally manage 2k words a day, 1k on the days im on my 7-5 job. Befoure I got used to writing, i thought I would never write anything longer than a short story, writing no more than 100 words a day, then as I started improving the total story lenght, wordcount per day increased. I have my own philosophical idea on what could actually help writers brake thoes blocks hindering them from finishing their work, or dragging them past their deadlines. i would really wish to see more authours write, and be more like "the pros" as some people refere to them as.
@michaelomordha
4 ай бұрын
I am interested in the self-pub video idea but will watch any of your videos, I really appreciate your level-headed and straightforward advice.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
thanks so much!
@ekurisona663
4 ай бұрын
more real talk - so glad i found your channel
@andreasboe4509
4 ай бұрын
Great lecture. The revision process for me takes much longer than creating the first draft. It takes non-creative craft rather than imagination, and that's what kills me. I survive it by adding little details and sometimes simple illustrations, and I put a lot of effort into them. I do have a sense of urgency when i work on my stories, but I know to the core of my being that the end result will be better if I let it take the time it takes. The detail I add may take hours to develop and refine, and the reader will probably only pay it a glance, but it's like a spice added to a meal. It's real art, and it keeps me from going nuts when I'm editing.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for this. I think your analysis of the process is spot on.
@zitnic
2 ай бұрын
Yes please a series on selfpublishing. Also some words about how to tidy up the stylesheets for your epub-file, because even when I export from scrivener I get a LOT of styles that I don't ever recall using. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and expertise.
@JAlanRyker
2 ай бұрын
I just uploaded the last of the series a minute ago: kzitem.info/news/bejne/qqprsmSojYp5pXY Though if you're checking out the css file in your epub, you probably don't need my help! I appreciate your dedication to detail with the stylesheets. Honestly, it's an issue I haven't fully come to terms with since they stopped allowing mobi uploads, where though I couldn't see inside the blackbox, there was no reason to think they were changing my few styles. Because the html is split between so many files, I don't plan to manually create epub files like I did with mobi. You're right, there are a ton of unused styles sitting there straight out of scrivener. I think the only harm they're doing is making it hard to see what's really being done by cluttering things up, which is annoying. The only advice I could give on that is to manually cut out the ones you know aren't being used, then keep that stylesheet to apply to your other ebooks. You know you're only going to need a couple of headers, a copyright page, the main body, and whatever other few styles you use. Cutting out the rest will be annoying, but at least you'll only have to do it once.
@vitzbig
4 ай бұрын
fantastic video, once again. Thanks for the tips
@Kurokaiba
4 ай бұрын
I also would be interested in a self publishing help series. You're very generous to offer that even when you don't like doing that sort of video.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for the kind words. I shouldn't complain. I think it's just me being anxious about leaving my wheelhouse
@jadeliu1462
4 ай бұрын
I would love to hear your strategies on technical aspects and self publishing! Thanks for the videos!
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for your vote. Working through the comments, and it looks like people are interested, so they'll be coming your way!
@jenniferlavoie2548
2 ай бұрын
I just discovered your channel and i really like it. Thank you
@ApprehensiveWitch
4 ай бұрын
I really like your style of presentation.
@KarmaSpaz12
4 ай бұрын
I like the format you've got here. So many people on youtube chase trends and look at what's important, don't worry too much about how your channel is changing. It's an unfortunate fact that youtube can and does choose what trends most of the time. If you feel like that's the content you want to do you might as well get it out there. There's a lot of same-samey writing advice on youtube and barely any of it feels like a discussion (even if it's one way), this is good different though.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thank you. I only have patience for certain things. You'll never see me doing wild edits. I just edit out some of the worst pauses from my slow-thinking mind.
@magvad6472
7 күн бұрын
For writing I love your idea in your videos of identifying with the profession not just saying "I'm a writer" but with the contingency that I have to be writing to call myself that, and I have to call myself that so that I continue to write and that by identifying with that I need to find the joy of it or keep finding the joy in it or I'm just not going to be a writer. I think I'm at a point now where my relationship with writing is so positive and enjoyable that I think I will write for the rest of my life, whether I make money? Who gives a shit. I just need to make sure writing stays in my life and I always remember to default to it when I need to fill the void. I used to game and waste so much time consuming garbage...now that time is spent editing a novel manuscript that I finished this year and just need to polish. Will it get published? Who gives a shit. I think I'll just write the trilogy and then work on that, I think you are right that it is best to have multiple books to make a name off more than working your ass off just to have one out and everyone forgets you because they don't have that next hit. Who cares if you don't have a published work, what matters is that you are WRITING...not that you WROTE. I think by just doing a whole trilogy and publishing it at one time I can also make sure that progress I made can be brought back to the previous books. When I write book 3 and it is so much better, I can take those lessons to book 1 on the edit/redraft and have that foresight to build a tighter trilogy. Im not a professional, I'm not getting paid, so I dont have any expectations or deadlines and I should use that luxury while I have it. I think I've stayed far away from the publishing/promotion grind because I just know it could kill the passion. I'm not in a rush, books I make now can be books I publish years from now. Who cares when I get paid they are there. I can keep the lights on without writing but I can't LIVE without writing. It is how I best enjoy my day and I hope that sticks. I don't care if its good I will get better and this is the only way. Do it...or do it. Just recently saw another video where some CEO was saying "sprinting is a waste of time"...sure sprint to get out of the "pack" but once you know where you are don't sprint. You'll just burn out. Dont overwork, don't stress about not being fast enough, just keep running and you'll get to the end. They sprinted to catch a plane and 99% of the time it already left or it was delayed...the sprinting didn't matter and by sprinting they just made their life worse because now they were sweaty. They didn't change anything by punishing themselves with the grind. Either it was going to happen anyway or it wasn't. Happy your channel exists this stuff is gold, and a lot of the other channels are run by younger people who are just puppeting their creative writing degree knowledge (which is helpful too) or obvious grifters who dont have real experience with the things they are preaching. Your channel is real shit, real experienced, useful knowledge that comes from making the mistakes and I super appreciate you for helping everyone else get ahead of that without selling the shovels.
@JAlanRyker
4 күн бұрын
First, thank you for the kind words, but also, wow, lots of good points here I'm probably going to have to steal to make videos about! It sounds like you really have the right mindset to keep pushing forward. I never touched on the advantage of holding onto your first books so that you can go back and improve them. I did just that, though I can't say what I would have done if self-publishing had been available. But once it was, I had books I'd written years prior that I was able to touch up, because I hadn't locked them in time by publishing when I was a beginner. Also, the sprinting analogy is great to bring into this because we already go into the analogy of running by calling writing a marathon. Looking at it from the other side makes just as much sense. Thanks for the great comment, and good luck with your trilogy!
@frederiklund4479
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for another great video. I would love to see a guide to self-publishing!
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
thank you! I posted the intro video to the series, and am editing the first real entry today, so keep an eye out! kzitem.info/news/bejne/qqprsmSojYp5pXY
@frederiklund4479
4 ай бұрын
@@JAlanRyker I just finished your video on cover art. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks again for all the great videos.
@bookworm_of_heaven
4 ай бұрын
100% interested in those self-publishing vids, generally interested in any video you make lmao
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
ha that's so nice, thank you!
@greblaksnew
4 ай бұрын
Thanks. I needed to see this video about this time in my life. I'm at the 06 and heading into the 07.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
I know at that point it can feel even more difficult. But you have learned a lot to get here. If you want to, feel free to drop knowledge in the upcoming self-publishing videos. I'm sure you could teach me a lot about what's changed since I set my processes.
@gfbaker13
26 күн бұрын
Thank you for this video. "My introversion beats your introversion." 😂❤
@JAlanRyker
25 күн бұрын
I think we can almost get into perverse competitions over this, but then I can say, "I spend most evenings playing board games alone, facing a wall," and all there is to respond to that is, "Jeez, I'm sorry, buddy. It'll get better" 😂 Thanks!
@nicoledriscoll1984
2 ай бұрын
For me it’s writing perfect prose, I use scene/sequel structure for each chapter- these things slow me down so much- 3.5 years after starting my book and learning I only have about 5 solid chapters. 😭I hoping soon, now that I got a lot of knowledge I’ll start getting more chapters written quicker. I’ve rewritten all these chapters from omniscient to deep POV limited- 1 pov per chapter. Plot everything else I think I got a good idea till end of the book. Thanks for your video!!
@JAlanRyker
2 ай бұрын
I am a big fan of 1 deep POV per chapter. Get into the character's head, and so much takes care of itself. Just keep pushing through! Fight that urge to rewrite as you go!
@falinost
4 ай бұрын
I would be very interested in your self-publishing series.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thank you. I'm editing the first entry today, so look out for it soon
@schlumbl84
4 ай бұрын
As a natural pantser I always feel like a natural plotter is speaking a different language when they are talking about plotting 😂 Its very weird how different these two methods are. Ideas come to me as well as the writing itself. Honestly its the most fun part to get on the ride and see where your characters want to go. Many times I find myself killing nice characters I thought would stick around for longer. 😂 Or little ideas I had for the story get caceled since the story wants to go somewhere else. Sure, it takes a lot of time to work on that first draft after its done, but hell, its so much fun! 😂 Enjoy your videos and yes, please tell us about self publishing.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Sounds like you've got your method down! If you're having fun, you've already won and the rest is gravy, right?
@schlumbl84
4 ай бұрын
@@JAlanRyker I only follow my natural writer instincts I was born with 😂 In terms of writing you are right. Its fun and therefore its easy. Self publishing on the other hand sounds a bit intimidating to me, although I really want to do that. For someone like me, who always stayed away from big social media platforms (exept for KZitem) this is the hardest part. Opeming accounts and taking care of - yikes! - promotion. 😂 And Id prefer to go that way Thats why I think your advice and stories about that subject matter would be very helpful.
@TonBil1
13 күн бұрын
Staying motivated during revision: I always have 1 up to 3 proofreaders who give me good tips on what to revise. "This doesn't work that way / I don't understand why she does this / I don't feel any conflict" etcetera. They do it for me, because I do the same for them.
@JAlanRyker
11 күн бұрын
Sounds like you've found the ideal situation! That's what I wish for everyone. Do you have any tips on finding that?
@TonBil1
2 күн бұрын
@@JAlanRyker Participating in online groups and fora of writers, proofreaders, etc.; joining a Authors' Group within a national and international society I'm a member of; doing the favor for others.
@WizardKingMinato
14 күн бұрын
Very much interested
@masonsargent745
4 ай бұрын
Yesss part 2! Lets goooo
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
haha I like that enthusiasm!
@Jppen97
4 ай бұрын
Oh I’d absolutely love to see how to self publish in an affordable way. With the length of my books I’m getting quoted at over $10,000 for all of my editing total (if I do dev, line, and copy editing), which I just… don’t have on hand lol. That’s been one of the biggest hurdles for me. I don’t want to bankrupt myself but I also don’t want to add to the stigma of low quality self published books.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
I just typed the longest response and lost it when I somehow accidentally made the page change... So, editing is tough to get around, but I think that if you form a small, serious group of writers who really put in the work to help each other, that you can definitely do without developmental editing, and maybe line editing if you'll really dig in and help each other, and if some of the writers have a good amount of experience. This is a time instead of money thing. I also think it helps you avoid sham editors, because copy editing is a definite: did they catch all your grammar errors? Developmental, did their suggestions definitely make it better? Did they help you edit towards your best book, or their idea of your book? That's harder to say. I'm going to post a video about the benefits of a serious writing community, and ask people to suggest where to find that, because I'm out of the loop. What I have found, despite the fact that I'm constantly talking to serious writers here in the comments, is that they often have trouble finding any other serious writers on forums.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
One thing that I cut from the intro to my self-publishing series because the video was so long was my belief that learning how to do most of the process yourself for cheap-to-free will help keep writers from giving up because they get demoralized from paying a lot of money on a book, or two, or three, and still haven't gotten traction. So yes, don't bankrupt yourself on this!
@PaulRWorthington
4 ай бұрын
Yes, as Andreas noted, and echoing my comment from last week - revision is the key problem, the filter most first timers don't get through, especially pantsers. New writers think they've done the hard work when the first draft is done, and fame and glory await. As they realize the amount of work required to get it to publishable quality, the wind leaves their sails and they are stopped dead in the water.
@PaulRWorthington
4 ай бұрын
And yes, I'm interested in your self-pub videos. I'm planning to publish my book in a few weeks. All DIY.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
That's great. Since you're building your process right now and in the thick of it, you'll probably be able to comment on developments that I might have missed.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
It's pretty embarrassing that I missed this. That's what I get for recording the videos on the same day. No time for feedback (hey, that's cross-applicable...) I'm so anxious, that for me, once the first draft is in front of me, I feel comfortable and calm rather than bored. Though I'll admit that after enough passes, I'll start to get sick of it.
@PaulRWorthington
4 ай бұрын
Same - I enjoy the first round or two, recognizing the good work, happy to make it better. Then round three, then... Ask me what round I'm working on tonight.
@johnparnham5945
4 ай бұрын
I am on my third book and I recognise that I am not the finished article. My first book is not the best and needs to be revised and my second is a big improvement. I also realise that I have to learn to work in a different way. I need to learn to structure my work using an outline. I am a Pantzer and need to be a plotter. It won't be easy but it has to be done. I retire from the day job in December and I am planning to write full time from there. There will still be an element of discovery writing but in a framework and that's what I need. Every writer needs to develop and I am no exception. There are of course times when unexpected characters appear and can become important additions to your story and that can be very positive but there needs to be some control.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
The willingness to experiment and adapt, that's what takes a writer all the way through. Sounds like you've got what it takes. I mentioned Save the Cat. Though it's for screenplays, it's one of the shapes a novel can take (though you'll need to write more than the recommended 9 scenes per quarter). I think it can be a good place to start because we tend to have passively absorbed that structure since it's there in almost every movie, and because so many people have written about it. It helped me move from feeling like outlining was a real struggle to it being a fun part of the process.
@gstokker
4 ай бұрын
The revision element is the part where I really struggle… I’m finishing off my seventh novel at the moment but find I have trouble with the revisions… have changed for my seventh novel in that I have outlined from the start where all the previous novels I’ve done that combo of draft zero/one and found it demotivating that there was just so much rewriting and work needed to turn it around… really want/need to get through the revision on this one… Very interested in your self pub series
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
When you say you're finishing off your 7th, do you mean your first draft or the revisions? I'm interested in if more strict plotting improves your revision experience. Either way, 7 novels in, you're doing something right!
@gstokker
4 ай бұрын
@@JAlanRyker I’m finishing off my first draft… will be good to see if the outline upfront is going to help… I’ve got 10 scenes left to write to finish the draft which will probably be a max of about 20k of writing so hoping to have the draft done before the end of June
@gstokker
4 ай бұрын
I’ve just finished that final scene so have finished my seventh novel’s first draft 😬 Will be going back to revise and edit this one
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
@@gstokker Congrats! If you don't mind, come back here to let me know how it goes (if you keep it in this thread it's easier for me to remember the context). I found that it has helped me, but I am very interested in what it does for other writers.
@ekurisona663
4 ай бұрын
im interested in the 7 part self pub series, but i haven't written a book - im just opening up to the idea
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
I think just seeing the steps laid out of what to do with a finished book makes the actual writing of the book easier
@TakeBackOurCountry-RFKJ24
4 ай бұрын
It's getting from #5 to #6 that I'm stuck at. But I'll keep at it!
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
As long as you keep at it, you'll make it, especially because you've done the hard part. The next step is just intimidating.
@zrienkersh1475
4 ай бұрын
Cool, never heard of the story cards or cubes. Which of your books do you think is your best? I’ll read one.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
So my publisher went bankrupt, which was a big part of my spiral away from writing, and I'm just now getting those books back into print. My most representative work out right now is probably the novella In the Shadows of Children. At some point soon I'm going to be releasing a collection of 3 or 4 novella, because CreateSpace makes it infeasible to sell individual novella for a decent price. I think the book I would most recommend is The Hoard, but I haven't put it out yet (maybe next), so only very expensive collector's editions are out there. I'm bad at selling my own work.
@zrienkersh1475
4 ай бұрын
@@JAlanRyker why infeasible? Do you mean in paperback? I see lots of novellas on sale in ebook for about the same price as regular books. But I know, it’s a lot of work to republish books. That sucks that they went out of business.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
@@zrienkersh1475 I sell my novellas for $3-4 as ebooks, and that makes me $2-2.70 per. I sell my 80 page novellas for $6 to make $1. I don't want to price them higher than that. that's direct from amazon. In expanded distribution, I make nothing, $0. But if I put 3 or 4 together, I can price the collection less than the sum of the novella by far and make a lot more money still. Because of the initial cost per book not scaling to the page count. Some does, but a lot doesn't. Small presses go out of business a lot. Unfortunately, they're in the same boat as us writers, putting in a ton of work out of love to get small returns, so it just takes a little shift and they're in trouble.
@Fyrsiel
4 ай бұрын
I am right smack in the Revision level of the funnel, and that's the one level that wasn't included in the video ohnooooooo lol The thing that I'm struggling the most with is impatience. It's been taking such a long time for me to get a manuscript edited and polished to the level that it could finally be queried (multiple years by this point)... I'm currently about 40% through a very severely needed rewrite of my draft, and then I need to get feedback on it, and the editing continues... I keep reciting the mantra to myself, "Writing is a marathon, not a sprint," but as the months keep rolling by, and I still haven't gotten to the point of sending out even one single query, it's rough on the spirit, man... P.S. Yes, I'd love a series about the How To's for affordable self publishing...!
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Sorry about the lack of advice on this! If you have the time and the headspace, you can try writing another first draft as you revise this one. I do that sometimes. Other times the revision takes too much space in my brain for that, I have to stay in my revised story. I think the difference is if it takes major structural work and the writing of new material or if it's mostly sentence-level changes. Otherwise, I honestly don't know. I might make a video asking for input from others who struggle with it. The series has begun! Check it out if you haven't: kzitem.info/news/bejne/qqprsmSojYp5pXY
@domusavires19
Ай бұрын
Made it through every single filter, except for getting traditionally published. Decided to self-publish, but am definitely wary about trying to get published for another novel. Very disheartening process.
@JAlanRyker
Ай бұрын
Congrats on making it through! I agree that the traditional publishing route is so disheartening. We're really lucky these days to have an alternative. I think that being a hybrid author is great, but I think the mindset to have is to always keep large in your mind that self-publishing is a viable option. That way, even if you decide to submit your next manuscript to a few places, it's just a way to have them out there working for you while you're working on your next, and then you can publish them yourself when they return. The hardest part to me of self-publishing is promotion. Have you found anything that works well for you?
@emmettobrian1874
4 ай бұрын
My biggest issue is promoting my books. I don't have a clue what to do.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
honestly, that's the million dollar question. And there's a huge amount of survivorship bias in most people's answers. How many people tried the same tactic and got no result, but we only hear from the few it worked for. I'm going to try to address promotion in some way, but with a major caveat that I have a few things that worked for me, but they may not be reproduceable and I'm hoping that some people will fill in gaps in the comments. I will beg for comments. One thing that helped me was to find a tight crew of fellow authors and make a group, with a name, and put out a quarterly themed magazine. Did that make sales/money? It got a few sales, but more it put us on the map, made us look legit, and tightened our relationship so that we authentically amplified each other's voices. We didn't spam each others promo, but we could say, this guy's stuff is amazing, he does this this and this better than anyone, and our audiences would each listen to that.
@emmettobrian1874
4 ай бұрын
@@JAlanRyker interesting 🤔. You used what is called the "second voice effect." I've often wondered if it would really be effective, but that's one data point that says it can be. A video about how you set up the group and distributed it would be great
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
@@emmettobrian1874 yes, that's a good idea. I'll probably do a video on it soon.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
@@emmettobrian1874 one outsized factor could be the small nature of the horror fiction community. Westerns, last I checked were the only genre smaller than horror, so everyone knows everyone, and those connections and word of mouth really matter. Still, could be at least partially cross-applicable
@ThomasFawkes
4 ай бұрын
It took me 5 books to start writing "good" books haha
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
You and just about everyone else!
@BooksForever
4 ай бұрын
I would counsel you AGAINST the series of self-publishing practicalities simply because you mentioned two or three different times that your interest/passion does not flow in that direction. Do NOT do it. Do NOT risk burning out your enthusiasm for making these videos as you have thus far been doing exceptionally well. Dance with what brung ya’.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for this. I have had exactly the same thoughts. I think that what I'm going to do is just try one, and to record it while I'm actually doing the work for my own book. If it's more fun than I think it will be, I can push on and do more. If it's okay but not great, I can do one per book, a very slow video series, as I have a lot of books that need republished. If I hate it, well, that hopefully that video about one topic will be useful!
@BooksForever
4 ай бұрын
@@JAlanRyker - that’s a reasonable trial strategy if you detect a nagging urge to try it and reevaluate every step of the way. Your keen self-awareness will be your best friend here. I spent 12 years intensively writing non-fiction. The first seven years were joyous, then progressively less so - until the final two years were such agony that I utterly burned out on writing in general and had developed a basic contempt for sitting at a computer for any task. It took about a decade to recover enough to soldier onward with meaningful headway on a novel that had been percolating for 20 years. So I’ll say again, from experience, do NOT risk burnout, especially not of the self-inflicted sort.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
@@BooksForever I hear you. Once your nervous system decides "no matter of effort seems to relieve the pain/stress", it takes so long to get back to being able to stand something and put effort into it
@YouTubeIsRunByMarxists
4 ай бұрын
Plz...more videos. Need dope on how to actually market my book, The Rooster Rider. It's available through Amazon.
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
Ha well I've got a lot more ideas for videos, so no problem there. But as far as marketing goes, that is honestly my weakest point in this whole process. I'll share what I know, but I'm hoping that some commenters will let ME know how to best market, because I leaned heavily on my publisher, and they went bankrupt so I don't have one now. BTW your book sounds really interesting and has a great cover
@anthonycosentino463
3 ай бұрын
Interested!!!
@randomslytherin2432
4 ай бұрын
You don't know how much hearing this meant to me. Thank you. While writing is a creative process in intself, it's harder for me to root myself to the disciplinary action needed to close the gap from where I am to where I want to be. Seeing the more technical aspect of it being broken down like this really helps me visualize that goal. 🤍
@JAlanRyker
4 ай бұрын
That's great! It's hard to balance the artistic nature of the pursuit with the realities of struggling with something for so long. Keep at it and you'll get there
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