Taking a Step Back

August 8, 2024 by Harvey

In today’s Journal

* Correction
* Taking a Step Back
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Correction

A minor correction, considering only one person wrote to tell me about it. (grin)

In one passage in yesterday’s TNDJ, I typed a URL wrong for a link. Links don’t like that. Here’s the passage again but with the correct link:

I also offer a free template for a reverse outline, the value of which I’ve talked about elsewhere in this Journal. Visit the Journal website and key “Reverse Outline” into the search box to find those posts.

And now…

Taking a Step Back

I’ve decided it’s time to take a step back from publishing TNDJ every day.

Not a major thing. I’m only announcing this so I can offer some preemptive answers to any questions you might have—assuming you find TNDJ of some value in developing your craft as a fiction writer.

First, this isn’t a sudden decision. It’s been coming for months. And nobody’s sick or dying or any of that.

TNDJ is NOT going away.

For those few who look forward to receiving and reading the Journal every day, I apologize.

I’m also very aware that some of you will find this message a relief. (You’re welcome.)

For those of you who read the Journal only now and then or play catch-up once a week or whatever, you probably won’t notice a big difference.

The Writing

For the past several months my fiction writing has suffered. The quality remains, but the quantity, not so much. And for me personally, that’s a problem.

It isn’t a matter of critical voice or anything like that. It’s a matter of time.

I’m spending more and more time coming up with and writing articles for the Journal.

As a result, I’m spending less and less time conveying the stories of my characters. And I’m a writer above everything else. So I have to correct that trend.

The only way I can think of to do that is to post a little less often.

As I’ve illustrated almost every day over the past almost 11 years, I love passing along what I know to other writers.

That fact coupled with the utter lack of anyone else to teach confidence in yourself as a writer while pushing back against the myths would make it very difficult for me to quit altogether.

I mean, other than Dean Wesley Smith—whose blog these days is almost always about self-promotion and marketing and very seldom about the craft of writing—what other prolific professional fiction writer do you know (or know of) who writes a daily or even a weekly or monthly blog for other writers?

I’m guessing the number is zero.

If I’m wrong—and if the writer you have in mind does NOT constantly spout the “benefits” of outlining, revising, rewriting and other fiction-writing myths—please let me know.

Marketing

And then there’s marketing. Again, this boils down to time.

I currently spend almost no time marketing my fiction. Which is ridiculous.

With well over 100 novels and novellas and over 240 short stories, and factoring-in potential stage, film, and television series adaptations and sales (licenses), I’m sitting on a multi-million dollar inventory of fiction.

Now, if I could find someone who was willing to do the necessary marketing and be paid strictly based on the results of their successful efforts, I would gladly sign that contract in a heartbeat.

If that’s you—especially if you’re great at marketing and advertising but not devoted to putting new words on the page—contact me and we’ll talk.

But frankly, and unfortunately for me, I suspect that person doesn’t exist outside of a mirror that casts my own reflection.

Aside from actual writers, I don’t think many people today want to earn their living based strictly on how well they do their job. Even professional copywriters are paid the same salary whether they turn out great stuff or sheer dreck.

So if I want to increase the readership of my stories—meaning my book sales and possibilities for licensing—I have to spend some time on the business side of things: namely, marketing and advertising.

Some Answers in a Nutshell

I will continue to

• write and publish TNDJ, but less frequently

• answer emails as they come in (or as I see them),

• conduct the two mentorships and one apprenticeship in which I’m involved,

• conduct critiques for those who ask, and

• conduct copyedits for those who ask and whose manuscripts I accept.

The Future of TNDJ

The Journal will still pop into your inbox at least every Monday to publish the results of the Bradbury Challenge along with a compelling topic. Those posts will go to all subscribers.

I’ll also still publish compelling topics on craft on other days, but those will be sporadic. A lot of those will only go to paid or comped subscribers, some to free subscribers.

A few times a year, I’ll probably talk about my critique and editing services. For details, visit the Journal website and click the appropriate menu tab.

Now and again, I’ll probably mention one or more of my nonfiction books on the craft of fiction writing or announce a sale or a new nonfiction release.

Occasionally, if it occurs to me and feels timely, I will also bring forward a “big” topic, updated, from a much-earlier edition of the Journal.

I will certainly never resort to an all-promotion-all-the-time format just to keep TNDJ going. I’d rather stop publishing the Journal altogether than do that.

And for the record, I’m not chucking rocks at my long-ago mentor, Dean Wesley Smith. Not at all. This is simply a case of different strokes.

Finally, TNDJ posts will never lack in quality or value.

If you want to learn to write fiction or if you want help cutting the learning curve of improving your craft in fiction writing, TNDJ will continue to be your go-to source.

If you still have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com.

And if I haven’t said so recently, thanks for being there.

Talk with you again soon, Monday at the latest.

Of Interest

What You Can Do About Piracy A seriously good article. If you publish (or want to publish) ebooks, read this.

Episode 957: Income Streams!

The Numbers

The Journal……………………………… 1050

Writing of Blackwell Ops 27: Sam Gentry

Day 1…… 3004 words. To date…… 3004
Day 2…… 2111 words. To date…… 5115
Day 3…… 1726 words. To date…… 6841
Day 4…… 2092 words. To date…… 8933

Fiction for August…………………….….… 8933
Fiction for 2024…………………………. 486266
Fiction since October 1………………… 740983
Nonfiction for August……………………… 8910
Nonfiction for 2024……………………… 255920
2024 consumable words………………… 693946

2024 Novels to Date……………………… 11
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 4
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)……………… 93
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 241
Short story collections…………………… 29

Disclaimer: I am a prolific professional fiction writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Unreasoning fear and the myths of writing are lies, and they will slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.

If you find this blog of value, please support it with a paid subscription. You may click the Subscribe button below, or you may click Donate Here and set up a recurring donation of $5 per month OR make a one-time (annual) donation of $60 via PayPal. Thank you!

Visit StoneThreadPublishing.com for all your fiction and nonfiction needs. Buy Direct!