I always imagined writing a novel would be the most difficult step to becoming an author--published or not. That isn't the case, though. Selling the finished product to a reading public is proving to be even harder than the arduous task of creating it.

Getting published is simple in this era of online publishers. But making a book-buying public aware of your work is such an odyssey--a thankless one at that. It's out there, among the millions of other novels clamoring for attention. Having a PR person chasing down reviews and interviews would be a wonderful blessing--which a starving artist can scarcely afford.

The dream of being a full-time writer has all but collapsed. I've seen those slick ads for this method of sales or that shiny new idea, each touting promised customers--in theory. But in reality, these are designed to separate the author from his/her hard-earned money--with little or no return on the investment.

Frustrating as it is at times, I'm still a published author. If it doesn't pan out, well, at least I can pull out my book and say, "I made it this far." I want more, though. I want an audience who reads my work and lets me know that they enjoy it or they despise it. It's here, this story called Jazz Baby. It's available worldwide at tinyurl.com/bbj4my7 among other sites.

But if my voice isn't getting heard, well, I'm just talking to myself. I'm extremely grateful for places like Goodreads, Koobug.com, and Twitter. These have helped me move a few more copies than I would have otherwise.

I know I'm ranting. But sometimes we all need to do that. Now, I'll reset myself and try again in this new year. Here's to writing! Cheers!