I have written a post on Facebook about a thousand times and deleted it a thousand times. Not possible? Yeah, I've written it and deleted little pieces and then deleted the whole thing, knowing that I would get burned at the stake for saying something. However, I can't hold it in for much longer. SO please don't give up on me or hate me for what is about to be typed out.
Here's the thing. I'm about to give up. Yep. It's coming down to it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to write. LOVE when I hear you liked my story(ies). I LOVE when I get a review. However, what I don't love at all -
making me feel like $2.99 is too much for a book. Yes, I've actually had a couple messages that have come to me saying they want to read it but it's too much right now. I know how times are. I've been broker than broke before. I once lived off Cup of Noodles for a week, skipping breakfast and eating it for lunch and dinner because I had no money and those bad boys are 0.28. My early 20's sucked.
Sure, right now I am able to stay home with my kids and make real dinners for them and have that big Styrofoam cup on occasion. However, I had made the decision the beginning of this year that I wanted to be a full time writer. I enjoy writing that much that I was willing to put my heart and soul into books. I am finishing up college now (ps waiting until your 30's to finish school is tough with kids homework and yours at the same time), and when I tell everyone that I am going for finance or accounting - you can hear the sarcasm in my voice when I said I'm excited about it. Accounting - it often bores me. I get it and I can do it just fine, but ummm hello? What fun is really in accounting?
Writing, when I released my books I would humbly say I'm an author. Sure. I'm not a big name and nor do I think or tell anyone that I am.
BUT, after realizing my sales at 2.99 are near nothing.... it's so hard. I'm not going to go into how many books I don't sell or do sell. I am going to say that they skyrocketed when I put my books at 0.99. I love when there is a sale! I LOVE when my favorite clothing store has their annual sale and I can get clothes for next season on sale, but if it's worth it - I will pay full price. Now, again I'm not saying I'm a big name and you have to pay full price for it, but let me put some things into perspective...
My editor - I have to pay her. My book cover - I have to pay for. Any sort of money that comes in for my books goes straight toward them. And that's just the beginning... Here is what self published authors roughly make -
At 2.99 and up, self-published authors make 70% of that sale (this is all on amazon.), so I make 2.09 off of that. Not bad, not bad at all. Except when we put the book 1.99 and under (0.99) it's only 35% of that sale. So when I mark it to 0.99 I make a whopping 0.34. Yep I can't even buy a stamp. Sure, I don't HAVE to make my books 0.99, but I do understand the hard times of book lovers and they need to have some sort of break.
I didn't want to come off as a horrible person. I'm not writing JUST for the money, cause lets face it - it's not a lot of money. I am in it for the love of writing, but I have to admit, the extra money is nice. I had hoped that I could do this as a career and it's sort of depressing to be told that my books are too expensive and if I do it less than what I put into it, I make less than someone working at fast food (there is NOTHING wrong with that at all), I 'm just making a simple observation. I make WAY less than minimum wage. It's just hard to hear that it's too much when I'm not making anything.
If this posts upset you and think that I'm a jerkburger, I'm so sorry. By no means did I mean to offend you. I am honored to have you as a reader. I just had to get this off my chest. I wanted to put it into a small post on why I don't respond to you after you tell me that I really want to read your book but it just is too much... I'll wait until it goes on sale. *insert eye twitch here* Sorry, but that was below the belt.
I do love you guys. I do. I'm sorry to have unloaded this huge rant onto you. I just thought I'd enlighten :/ Sorry. xoxox
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