This is correct, and I wish that Freddie hadn’t written it. It’s damn useful if it’s less well known. That is: damn useful, to me. The fewer people who know about the Hustle, the better.
And, no: I got two books out, and I ain’t making any money, either. Hence the need for the Hustle. I say that without heat.
(Via @EsotericCD)
Whatever you do, be weird. As a consumer of writing, please, for me, be weird. Whatever this profession needs, it does not need more hall monitors or commissars and it does not need more writers who seem to have nothing to offer beyond looking down their glasses at the world in shrill derision. That territory is covered. That corner has been taken. The whole point of writing, the only reason to have an alphabet, is to say what no one else is saying. To be singular. What is the value of replicating words that have already appeared in the same order? You can’t choose to be good and you can’t choose to be successful. But you can choose to be your own.
Since ‘keep X weird’ is a byword of woke for residents of the People’s Republic of Austin, and Portlandia, and other Commie Enclaves, I will agree to nothing that coopts their cant.
Perhaps “unique” would have been a better term for us. The guy is still hoping to sell books in Austin and the Portlands, if they still let him after that blatant appeal to “The Market.”
“You can call the blog part something fancy but the URL is your name.”
Yup.
I have an issue with this:
“Here’s who makes money writing books now:
a. People who were already famous
b. Robin Diangelo
c. Those writers whose books have titles like “You Don’t Give a Fuck, Because You’re a Badass Self-Confident Woman Who Manifests Divine Bitch Energy: A Glow Up””
I would add a d: Those writers with a solid backlist who are still writing – even midlist unknowns. This comes from Larry Correia. Over half of Baen is solid, productive writers who have stuff for new readers to go back and pour through. I think Moe is doing a good job working through that.
Also, Travis Corcoran – who wrote a *very* good libertarian-minded Moon colony series (2 so far with 2 more promised) only recently determined he’s earned $20/hr (so far) writing those books. It only took a decade or so to get to that point; but he’s poised to make a bundle more once the last two are published, just from word of mouth (and winning awards). All indy, too, BTW.
Freddie isn’t mostly talking about fiction writers here.
Jeff,
That’s one of the best financial benefits of writing (and recording music too, although their contracts with publishers are borderline theft) – the income generated from a catalog. The income per hour rate will only ever increase, since people can still be buying it decades later with no additional work from you.
Just adapt the old adage about planting a tree:
The best time to write a book was thirty years ago, the next best time is today.