As disappointing as this may be to friends, family, and the few fans I may have, I am forced to make some changes to my priorities. Believe me, no one could be more disappointed than I am, but the reality is that my dreams of earning a living as a novelist are just that, pipe dreams. In all the years and thousands of hours I’ve put into my writing, the money that has returned from my efforts has not been enough to cover even the minimal expenses that have been required to self-publish. So, like any business that continually operates in the red, eventually, you just have to cut your losses and let it go. That’s the difficult decision I’ve been forced to come to here, at the end of 2023.

Looking back over the year, I’m six months behind schedule in completing Patriarch and nearly that much for The Rift. In addition, the entire Gray Empire series must be revamped. The Practician has to be broken down into two books and I’m still not happy with the quality of The Oubliette. Looking ahead, I couldn’t tell you how many months of work remain to be done on these novels, or on the series they are each a part of.  In the meantime, life is calling for more of my time. I’m tired of the pressure I put on myself to meet deadlines, and I’m also tired of the frustration that ensues when I fail to meet those deadlines. That said, and considering the monetary losses, I have decided that I will no longer self-publish my books. If my work is not good enough for traditional publishing, then it’s not good enough for self-publishing either.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not quitting. Writing is an art, as much as any other and it requires practice. I’m not going to quit writing. I love the art, but I am going to change my focus. For the foreseeable future, I will be honing my skills as a writer, trying to become the very best writer I can be, and, if I succeed, that will be enough for me. My benchmark author is John Galsworthy and when I can pen a novel as beautifully as he, then I might consider the traditional publishing route. I might even reconsider self-publishing if that’s the Lord’s plan, but for now, I’m releasing myself from that commitment, and from the pressure and frustration that attends it. I apologize to one and all for any disappointment this may bring. I think that 2024 is going to be challenging enough for all of us without making the mistake of adding challenges that bring no rewards. That said, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and the very best in the New Year.