Another one bites the dust

You don't have to look far in this business before you find someone who's discouraged. They put hundreds, if not thousands, into launching their indie book business, and it's just sitting there waiting for someone to buy it. Sales are too low. They're not getting their money back.

The problem is, throwing in the towel means giving up on the dream. They had a dream, they might have even gone to school for it, they invested in it, and now they have to admit it didn't catch.

I feel for them, and I know how hard it is to get someone out there in the Amazon sea to notice that you're there. They don't just come to you out of nowhere. Word doesn't catch that you're good, or if it does, it catches very slowly. It's like you have to make 100 good experiences to get one to tell his/her friend that you're good. that's a lot of hustling.

I can share my secret of success. I was lucky to not need the money when I got into it, and I'm still ok without making a whole lot of money. In fact, I make very little money but I make sure the balance sheet is positive every month. No matter how little I make, at least I've made something. And if I put in six or seven hours a day to make only fifty bocks a month, I'm ok with that, at least I'm not draining the household economy.

Now how do I keep my expenses down? Well I do myself everything a publisher would ordinarily do. I hustle. I market. Whatever is out there, I go for it. But by keeping a positive balance sheet I keep my spirits up, as that's absolutely essential. I don't mind losing the time. I'll figure out how to make my time more efficient. I don't mind my wife thinking I'm just wasting my time on some foolish hobby. She rides a horse so she's the one spending the money. I am obsessed, yes, but I'm able to live in my own world and choose how to spend the five or ten bucks I can afford for advertising or whatever, whenever I'm ready. I slowly build up the business so it exists. I freely admit it's not easy and won't come out of nowhere.

I am determined not to be like these people who sink in a thousand or two, and then end up standing there with a pile of books. My system may not work forever but it will at least keep me busy and happy as long as I'm willing to keep it up.