Selling One Million Books

I think I might have mentioned it lately (perhaps a dozen or more times a week) that I want to pull back on the online writing and write more books.

Changing what kind of writer we are can be scary because we don't know if it will work and bring in the same amount of income as our previous writing does.

And now is not a great financial time for me to mess with my income because I am the only wage earner between me and my husband, Dean, who is busy renovating our house. (Oh the expense of it all!)

Anyway, just when I needed a bit of inspiration and something to let me know that I'm on the right track, I came across an article about an author who writes supernatural thrillers.

His name is Scott Nicholson and over the last 7 years he has written and self published 30 novels and has achieved over one million sales.

I read it and immediately got out my calculator (well, my phone app that works as a calculator) and worked out that if this author earns just $2 per sale, his one million sales means he has averaged an income of over $285,000 a year.

$285-thousand!

Naturally he earned less in the first few years because he had less books published, but still, his sales are amazing. And he publishes his books as ebooks, paperbacks, and audio books (he mixes it up a bit).

What I took from this article is that it is possible to make a really good living as an author, as long as you're a good writer, can write compelling stories and are good at marketing and selling.

And because I've had so many years practise at all this, I'm sure I'll do fine.

Now...back to book writing.

You CAN Have It All

Recently I decided to change the type of writer I'd become.

You see, I had somehow become an online writer, working on my websites, writing articles and selling my own products as well as affiliate products and earning money through advertising.

This meant that I spent my days working on keywords and always checking on what my online competitors were doing.

But I wasn't happy.

So I decided to shut down most of my sites and concentrate more on book writing.

But...then I wondered if it's the right thing to do because mine is the only income and my husband is busy working at home everyday on our house renovations (which is a huge task). So we need enough money to not only live on, but to pay for the renovations too.

So was this a good time to follow my dream of being a full-time book author?

Then a read a really inspiring article written by one of the most prolific writers I know, Mridu Khullar Relph. This woman has one of the most amazing hard work ethics that I've ever seen.

Her article is called Writing Saved Me and in it she talks about how we are told (and we always believe) that we can't have it all. We can have a great life or a great career. Or we can write what we want and be as creative as we like, or write for the majority, but we can't do both if we want to earn money.

She says that none of this is true and that we can have it all.

But...we must own it on our own terms and own it all, the downs as well as the ups.

Where we are in our lives and in our writing careers is through the choices we have made so far, and if we're not happy where we've ended up, then we have the freedom and the control to change things.

But we have to be true to ourselves and forget about societal obligations, because we CAN have it all, if we want it badly enough.

And I do want it badly enough.

I want to write many books and earn money as an author.

And I do believe that if I'm true to myself and work hard, then the money will come.

So here I go...

How about you?

Are you living your dreams?

Someone Stole My Entire Website - And What I Did About It

The best thing about the internet is that whatever you publish online can go viral.

The worst thing about the internet is also that whatever you publish on the internet can go viral.

That’s why it’s important to be an ethical writer, because people won’t always remember the great things you did, but they will ALWAYS remember (and share online) all the lousy or unethical things you did.

I had a great “for instance” about this subject when I recently sold the domain name of my old website, writeaholics.net, along with the rights of the new owner to keep my writing articles (for SEO reasons, they said).

But they not only published my writing articles, but they stole all my website content AND they stole my website design too.

How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything

There are no double standards in life.

That’s why how you do anything is how you do everything.

A person isn’t lazy at home and hard working at their job. They are lazy wherever they are and whatever they’re doing.

Likewise, a person isn’t mean to animals and kind to people. They’re just mean all the time, even if they try and come across differently in different situations.

I remember years ago saying to a friend of mine that a man we both knew was a really nice guy and that I couldn’t understand how he could be married to the woman he lived with becasue she was so nasty and was always upsetting people and causing trouble.

My friend instantly said to me, “He’s not a nice guy. He’s just as bad as she is.”

“How do you know?” I asked, perplexed, because the guy always seemed so smiley and friendly.

Latest Products and Courses for Writers

Not getting any writing done?

Want to do more writing?

Want to write a best selling novel?

Want to write a screenplay?

Looking for more markets for your writing?

Then take a look at these products and courses for writers. There's bound to be something that can help get you started on your next big project.


Write A Breakout Novel This Year Kit at Writer's Digest Shop
Do you want to become the next bestselling literary or commercial author? The key to writing a "breakout" novel has nothing to do with million-dollar publicity budgets, huge advances, or name recognition. It comes from writing the kind of novel that gets people talking and creates a growing wave of excitement and support that carries your work along for the ride. This collection is designed to help you succeed with proven tips on strategies, structures, hooks, characters, dialogue, viewpoints, settings, and techniques to get your novel on the road to publication. Cover all the bases and start writing your breakout novel this year!

Writing the Micro-Budget Film at Screenwriters University
This one-week, intensive workshop will help you develop and plan your micro-budget screenplay. At the end of this course, you will submit the first five pages of your script for critique by the expert instructor and screenwriter, Paul Peditto. There has never been a better time to break into the business. Now all you need is a script that can be shot for a micro-budget price and a producer with full knowledge of fund-raising, budgeting, and scheduling. It might seem like it, but this is not Everest you’re scaling. This can be done!

Master the Craft of Storytelling at Writer's Digest Shop
A good story flows from a solid understanding of writing and structure, along with a confident grasp of character, plot, and dialogue. Every writer who dreams of writing a great story must possess impeccable writing skills and know how to execute the fundamentals of storytelling within a story. Whether writing a traditional novel, a children's picture book, or an experimental book, writers across all genres will find a firm foundation in classic storytelling techniques with this ultimate collection. Get everything you need to start, craft, and complete the structure of your story.

8 Things First-Time Novelists Need to Avoid at Writer's Digest Tutorials
You’ve just finished your first novel and can’t wait to submit it for the possibility of publication. In your excitement, however, you make some newbie mistakes and your manuscript is rejected. This tutorial demystifies the mistakes first-time novelists make. This tutorial will help you avoid being perceived as a “beginner” to the industry professionals who’ve seen it all and stand between your book getting rejected and accepted for publication.

This tutorial is presented by Charlotte Robin Cook, an experienced publisher and story editor, and Jon James Miller, an award-winning screenwriter and debut novelist. Both Charlotte and Jon have tremendous writing experience and know the ins-and-outs of how to edit novels into successful reads. They work with both first-time novelists and industry professionals looking for fresh new literary voices.

Chimpanzee Budgeting & Scheduling Software at Writers Store
Designed for student, low budget or beginner filmmakers, Chimpanzee offers traditional film scheduling & budgeting features at an affordable price. Made by the people who brought you Gorilla, Chimpanzee allows you to create breakdown sheets, budgets, manage cast & crew, generate call sheets, prop lists, shot lists, storyboards and more. Easily import a screenplay and immediately get started attaching scenes to shoot days and scheduling cast and crew. Choose from a variety of budget templates or create your own, and easily link your budget to schedule elements such as cast, crew and props. Chimpanzee comes with over a dozen reports, including breakdown summaries, call sheets, and a budget topsheet. Chimpanzee can also be integrated with the Gorilla Ratebook and Koala Call Sheets for even greater functionality and power.

Writer's Market 2017 at Writer's Digest Shop
Want to get published and paid for your writing? Let Writer's Market 2017 guide you through the process with thousands of publishing opportunities for writers, including listings for book publishers, consumer and trade magazines, contests and awards, and literary agents. These listings feature contact and submission information to help writers get their work published.

Beyond the listings, you'll find all-new material devoted to the business and promotion of writing. Discover the secrets to writing better queries and selling more articles, tips for a great conference experience, and insight into developing an effective author brand. Plus, you'll learn how to write and curate content to grow your audience, connect with book clubs, and make promotions and publicity work for you. This edition includes the ever-popular pay-rate chart and book publisher subject index, too!

Become a Successful Freelance Writer at Writer's Digest Shop
Businesses offer some of the most rewarding, creative and lucrative opportunities available to freelancers today-and breaking in can be easier than you think. Freelance writing is a business like any other - to succeed, you need a mix of skill, hard work, perseverance, and perspective. This collection combines the popular tutorials of bestselling author and sought-after freelancer I.J. Schecter that can help push your freelance career forward!

How to Break into the Screenwriting Business
Upon completion of a few screenplays every writer wonders what he or she must do now. Every one they speak with has an opinion about agents and query letters and networking and many other seemingly mysterious moves the new writer must make. This course has the correct, concise and complete answers to these and many more questions. The teacher, Michele Wallerstein, has spent over 20 years as a literary agent and shares her knowledge of how to get you to the best place possible for your writing career.

Writing Essentials for Novelists with Philip Athans
What separates good authors from the rest? Philip Athans covers all the bases in the Writing Essentials for Novelists Collection. Learn the importance of starting your novel strong, controlling your plot's pace, connecting emotionally with your readers, creating a great antagonist, and so much more. From writing sword and sorcery fantasy to fast-paced action thrillers, these resources will help you keep your readers breathlessly turning pages!

Mastering Advanced Dialogue Techniques at Writers Store
Great dialogue is a crucial factor in making your characters leap off the page and attracting A-list talent. How do some writers craft conversation so authentic, it feels like they've been eavesdropping? What's the secret behind getting characters to talk to each other? How can writers make their dialogue sing? This kit has everything you need to create convincing dialogue in today’s screenwriting world. Craft your subtext, develop strong conversations, and learn what makes your dialogue feel like real drama. Grab this kit today and start making your words jump off the page!

Why You Don’t Write - And It’s Not Procrastination or Writer’s Block

More and more often I come across people who want write but never do. Or they do write, but not as much as they want to.

It happens to most writers. In fact, it happens to every writer.

Sometimes it’s blamed on procrastination.

But what does that really mean?

It means that you’re not writing because you don’t feel like doing it. Which doesn’t really explain anything.

Then there’s writer’s block. This is when you sit down to write, but don’t know where to begin. Or you’re already writing, but the ideas start drying up.

The reason for the former, is because you don't have a task list so you don’t know what to do first. The latter is because you’re tired and need a break. So both of these have a reason that’s easy to fix.

But why is it that most days you just simply don’t feel like writing? You know you really should sit down and start, but the motivation just isn’t there.

I can’t answer this for every individual because there could be many reasons.

But one explanation could be non-writing related.