My new book has finally been released! And I love it.
The Brooding Bard , having been in the publishing pipeline for almost a year, finally saw the light of day on January 17th. I have a mixture of emotion about this, surprisingly, but it's something that I think comes to everyone once they've decided to turn their passion into their career.
Just because something is good (and I stand behind my product 100%!) doesn't mean that it will sell. And just because something sells doesn't mean that you'll make any money off it. Until you're well known, it's easy to feel like you're squandering your time and your money and your youth promoting your work.
I, at least, refuse to feel this way.
I am determined to see this through. And even if I have to work 40 hours a week every week for the rest of my life at a job that isn't this, I will continue to write.
I'm working on finding better ways to monetize my product (my books) so that I can effectively turn my passion into my day job/night job/every waking moment job, and get paid liveable wages for doing it. I'm trying out advertising on reddit, YouTube, local tv stations, local restaurants and coffee shops, plastering flyers and posters on billboards and telephone poles around the city, and am writing every newspaper with a submission link on their website. Review sites like Goodreads, mags like Publisher's Warehouse and Booklist; none will be safe from the ink in my pen (or word count in my email, as the case may be).
I guess what I want to say is this: Never stop pursuing your goals. There is an audience for everything, you just have to find it. And if you knock on enough doors and talk to enough people, maybe, just maybe....
You'll find them.
-Ryan
Read the first few chapters of The Brooding Bard for free!