One year ago today, my first published novel hit the shelves.

Yes, the occasion does warrant a “Hurrah!” or two, but it’s also time for some personal reflection. That will be the focus of this edition of My (Mostly) Monthly Author Newsletter. We will save the New Year for news on what’s next for those of you eager for the follow-up to Bane of All Things.

The past 12 months have been a wild ride for my entire family: dramatic new twists in my cancer journey; mental health challenges and medical misdiagnoses for my autistic son that we continue to sort out; my wife starting a new job and trying to hold us all together. 

But here we still are – soldiering on

Having achieved that one big life goal – publishing a novel – did provide a much-needed sanity anchor over the past year. On the other hand, it’s fair to say that I also experienced the “post-partem depression” that many debut authors face. It can be a bit anti-climactic: “The book is out, now what?”

Part of the “now what” is the hustle of trying to get your novel noticed. The data doesn’t lie – most novels have done well if they sell even a few thousand copies before they go out of print. A friend of mine who is an author and former book publisher sums it up with a sports analogy: For each one of those millionaire pro athletes, there are hundreds of other players making far less in the minor leagues.

In other words, for every Stephen King, or Brandon Sanderson, or Diana Gabaldon, there are a legion of other authors for whom their book royalties may help pay for the family vacation, but they are certainly not a substitute for a day job. 

This isn’t about the money … it’s about the writing

Those of us afflicted with the itch to craft stories can’t ignore a blank page for long without feeling diminished, restless, incomplete. It’s this passion that drives us to spend hours in seclusion with figments of our imaginations. 

Sure, being able to live comfortably as a full-time author would be awesome. It’s what I aim for. But the odds of a big monetary payoff for most authors are so slim, you may as well bank your retirement on winning the lottery. 

That’s why it always has to be about the art of writing first and the business of being published, second. Focus on what you love to do because it’s the only thing you can control. 

And yet, the business of being a published author does demand a commitment to marketing and self-promotion, regardless of how you are published. Solid book sales, after all, is what makes a publisher want to publish your next one, and builds that fanbase of readers who will rate, review, and recommend. As an author, you have to invest time and effort in this process, even though you can’t control the outcome and you would much rather be writing.

Here is my honest truth

The art versus the business of being an author has been a hard juggle for me. Cancer recovery and my concerns about the well-being of my wife and son made 2022 a tough year to focus on the art, and too easy to stress about what I couldn’t control about the business. Turning that around is my goal for the New Year.

You have no doubt had your own struggles over the past year to find balance and peace. Here’s hoping for a brighter and more satisfying 2023 for us both.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

P.S.: Here is the video of my “unboxing” a year ago, when I set eyes on physical copies of Bane of All Things for the first time. This was just two months after brain surgery, and I was still feeling (and showing) the effects of radiation therapy and high-dose steroids.