Dear O'Abby: My Writing Career is Going Nowhere. Should I Quit?

Dear O'Abby,

I'm a published author with three novels out and over twenty novellas and pieces of short fiction published in anthologies and literary journals.  Yet my last royalty cheque from my publisher was for $16.  My total earnings across all these publications is less than $400.

Now, I never thought I'd earn a living writing fiction, but I've spent way more than that $400 on publicity and marketing, copies of my own books to give to libraries, advertising and just paying the electricity bill so I can keep writing.  At what point should a writer give up this gig as a bad investment?  I'd probably make more baking cupcakes and selling them on the street.

Do you have any advice?  Should I quit and find something else to do with my spare time?  

Yours,

Disheartened.

Dear Disheartened,

I hear you.  I can be discouraging when you spend all those years polishing your words until they shine and then it seems like no one reads them.

At the end of the day, it really has to come down to why you write.  If you're writing to make a living, then the return you're getting isn't working for you.  But that's the case for most writers, even ones that seem wildly successful.  There are very few writers out there who are supporting themselves on their writing income alone.  And certainly not those with families to support.

If you write because you have something to say, stories burning to get out of your head and onto the page, that's different.  Not all writing has to be for publication.  Sometimes it's fun to write something just for yourself without the pressure of thinking about your audience.

I write because it's the way I make sense of the world.   It's how I explore different facets of humanity and the different ways people react to events and emotions.  If that writing turns into something I can publish, then so be it.  But it's not the reason I sit down to write.

Whether or not you quit is up to you.  Yes, there are other ways to spend your spare time.  But would those other things be as rewarding to you?  Would they give you the same sense of achievement?

Maybe try it out.  I love to bake and often feel as much joy when completing a batch of cinnamon buns or cupcakes as I do when I type 'the end' on a manuscript.  Maybe your spare time would be better spent with confectioners sugar and a piping bag.  Maybe that will make you happier (and potentially richer).

But you're not going to know until you try.

Best,

O'Abby

We Interrupt This Writing Session to Bring You.....CAKE!!!

All right, I must confess.....I'm am fairly burned out on all things writing related at the moment :-) I've been on a non-stop roller coaster since last year and while it has been an amazing ride, I'm very ready for a nice break. (I'm also aware this will last approximately a day and a half before I start itching to write something again, but with a book due tomorrow and another releasing next month, right now all I want is a nap lol)

Anyhow, I thought I'd share a few pics of something else I like to do. Decorating cakes :D I don't get to do this very often - my husband doesn't like cake (I know, he's totally weird) so I pretty much only make them twice a year for my kids' birthdays. But here are a few I've made.

My son's 6th birthday:

Son's 9th birthday

Son's 5th birthday 

Son's 8th birthday

Stepson's girlfriend's birthday :)

Kids' Spring Parties at school

 Daughter's 8th birthday (and the nail polish bottles in the background are marshmallow and tootsie rolls) :D

Daughter's friend's 10th birthday

And now, back into the writing cave I go :-) Tomorrow, I'll send this baby to my editor and then...I think I might make a celebratory cake :-D

Wonder Light Is on the Loose!

My hardcover debut, Wonder Light: Unicorns of the Mist, has officially released!
I had my launch party last week at the Garfield Book Company at PLU, and I felt so loved by friends and family. We packed the house and sold lots of books. My judo teammates brought friends and neighbors. So did friends from church.

My brother, Steven and my sister-in-law, Jen flew up from California just for the event. They brought me a fluffy unicorn because, "After everyone reads Wonder Light, there won't be any more fluffy unicorns."

My friend Karyn baked 75 gourmet cupcakes, 50 cookies, and a beautiful cake topped with a white chocolate unicorn. They were all promptly devoured! Late-comers got a few bits of garnish and a handful of chocolate rocks!

    

Kyla Paterno and her staff at the bookstore did a fabulous job helping the event run smoothly. My husband worked through the night before the party so he could be there to help. My parents and friends helped me get everything ready, and acted as bouncers at the cupcake table. (Those cupcakes were seriously delicious!)
I got to stand up in front of all those people and share my story and tell them how much they mean to me.

I got to meet some young readers and see them smile when I handed their signed copies of Wonder Light back to them, and that ranked right up there next to Karyn's coconut cupcakes!


If you missed the party, you can still order a personalized, signed copy from the Garfield Book Company. I'll sign it, and they'll ship it to you if you don't live in the area. Or, if you're in the Seattle area, I'm doing a reading and signing at the Northgate Barnes and Noble on May 16.
More info about Wonder Light and where you can buy it is here.