A New Day
The Work part of being a Working Writer
A (Brief?) Return to the Freelance Trenches
Of Day Jobs & Downsizing
At Your Service
Buy My Books (Please)
YFAFA Returns (Again)
Reminder: ABDUCTED launch NEXT WEEK
A (Brief?) Return to the Freelance Trenches
So, I’m thinking this’ll be a relatively short installment, but it’ll touch on some deeper/weightier topics. Those topics? Employment and sources of revenue.
At the end of last week, my employment at my most recent full-time day job came to an end, thanks to departmental downsizing. I’d worked as a book editor at a non-profit for the last 2.5 years. They reduced our team from 2 editors to 1 (and I was not the 1). That’s just the way it goes sometimes.
I don’t hold any ill will and can say with confidence that the decision was not over my performance or quality of work. I’ve been editing for 19+ years, I’m quite good at what I do, when I do it.
Like I said, sometimes these things happen. (Especially in a house-of-cards economy, but we’ll save any canary-in-the-coal-mine-ing for another time).
And, before anyone gets too worried, please know, I am gonna be okay. I got severance, I’ve got a little money saved, and fresh income coming from freelance work. I also have a partner with a secure job and I can get on her health insurance/benefits. I’ve got a fallback plan; meanwhile too many people in the US do not. I’m extremely lucky in that respect, and I know it.
But this sudden-ish change did and does throw a monkey wrench of uncertainty into the works. As I look for a new full-time day job, I’m doing everything and anything I can to keep money coming in. I want to (need to?) feel as though I’m contributing in some way to not onlu my own well-being and life, but to that of my family as well.
As a result, I’ve taken on more freelance work, both via my editing services website AND from freelance publishing job boards like Reedsy. I’m also continuing to promote both my front and backlist of titles, sharing buy links to my publishers and direct links to my Ko-Fi shop. (I’ve found that each week at least one or two posts has someone commenting that they weren’t aware of book X from my catalog that they weren’t aware of and would like to check out. So the #buymybook posts will continue for the foreseeable future.)
The way I see it: this is a hiccup on the road I’ve been on since late autumn 2018 (when I started to get serious about my pursuit of writing as a viable path). It’ll go away eventually, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth at the moment it emerges.
You ever wonder what it’s like to be a writer, working primarily in the indie/small-press world? Well, strap in.
Of Day Jobs and Downsizing
As some (or maybe all?) of you know, it’s the rare author, especially from the spec fic and/or small-press/indie publishing worlds, who can get by solely on writing and writing-adjacent work. I wish this line of work paid well enough for that to be the case for me, but it’s just not true. I know authors who work in factories, schools, universities, bookstores, and more. I know authors who work as technical writers, marketers, math teachers, booksellers, librarians, etc., etc.
A steady paycheck, benefits, a 401K or pension, these are all compelling parts of the argument for a full-time job to supplement one’s pursuit of writing. In recent years, I’ve enjoyed a well-calibrated work-life-writing balance, especially in the post-COVID world where the notion of “office culture” was backburnered (at least temporarily). Free from pointless meetings and obligatory office time that’s meant to make the investments in corporate real estate seem worthwhile, I could do my day job effectively, while also having time for family and writing.
These last few, very productive, writing years were the direct result of this culture shift. But, with a corporate groupthink move to revert to the previous way of the world (where meetings could be email and emails can just as easily be sent from a home office as an office-office), I started to feel as though the writing was on the wall in terms of downsizing and cost-cutting measures.
At Your Service
Look, I’m aiming to see a silver lining when it comes to this particular employment setback. I’ve started my job search with a focus on 100% remote jobs. I have found it worthwhile for my writing and more importantly it also allows me to be there for my kids (one is AuDHD and the other has regular-flavor ADHD). I like being the dad at home, available to deal with school emergencies, around to maintain upkeep on the house so that various messes don’t get out of control.
While I’m waiting to find this right fit of a remote job (note: I am open to hybrid work, especially in the Twin Cities area), I’ve reupped promo efforts on my editing services. You may likely have already noticed me posting about these more. So far, I’ve had a handful of clients and been able to work on some interesting projects. I’m at the point with my writing career where I feel I have knowledge to share, not only from my decades-long editing/publishing experience, but also from writing.
On a similar note, I’ve really enjoyed the Education+ workshops I’ve run via Elegant Literature. I’ve got one more coming up next month: FRESH TAKES ON GENRE TROPES, MOTIFS, AND CLICHES: NOTHING IS EVER OVER.
More on that one later! I’ll just say, it’s gonna be fun and involve a lot of brainstorming activities to help authors unlock the potential in those initial ideas that seem old-hat at first glance.
I’m hoping to teach more classes like these via EL or somewhere else online or even in-person. If anyone has any ideas for topics they’d like me to cover, drop ‘em in the comments or shoot me an email.
On a similar note, if you know of anyone seeking developmental editing, pitch/proposal/query feedback, or writing mentoring, please do send them my way.
Buy My Books (Please)
So, while I will be okay, it’s important to note that I also enjoy having money. Money to spend on goods and services. If you’re inclined, you can help me by giving me money. Now, I do have a Ko-Fi that you can donate a little something-something to if so inclined. In exchange, you will have the feeling of satisfaction, the warmth of charity. Those are nice.
However, I also have books for sale on Ko-Fi. US residents can order signed copies of most of my books there. I don’t want my international readers to feel left out. So if any non-Americans (lucky bastards) want to get signed copies, DM me. The book prices will be the same, and I will just need to look up what the latest shipping costs are.
Heck, you can also buy my books direct from my publishers or even from Amazon, B&N, etc. You can ask your local bookstore or library to carry my books. Whatever you feel most comfortable doing!
The money will get to me eventually, in whatever amount—depending on method employed, and will be as greatly appreciated tomorrow, as it will be months from now.
I will say: when ordering direct from me, you will receive a little note/joke to go with my John Hancock.
YFAFA Returns (Again)
Okay, okay, enough with the sales pitch. Instead, why don’t we check in with my monthly interview column over at Shortwave Magazine: Your Favorite Author’s Favorite Author.
This time around, I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with writer-friend, fellow Killer VHS author, and my drink-holder in photos where we’re together: Tanya Pell.
Tanya is a delightful and dynamic person and writer. Her novel Her Wicked Roots is out in October from Simon & Schuster. Get that one in your preorders, folks.
Tanya and I chatted about her favorite author, the master of multiple mediums, Christopher Golden. From comics to novels to tie-ins and more, Golden’s got a deep catalog and Tanya does a wonderful job of spotlighting some highlights.
And, it just so happens, that this week marks the on-sale date of The End of the World as We Know It, an anthology of short stories set in the world of Stephen King’s The Stand as edited by Golden and Brian Keene.
Let’s just all pretend that we planned this release for the same time and that I am a master of synergy.
Reminder: Get Abducted Next Week!
The book. I mean the book.
My debut novel Abducted is out on Tuesday August 26th from Dark Matter Ink. A lifetime of writing dreams and the culmination of nearly 7 years of concentrated work at making said dream come true.
I’m so proud of this book, its characters, and this wild story that I get to share with all of you. If you like: The X-Files, Gone Girl, Fargo, The Manchurian Candidate, the art of Möebius, the media interstitials in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, then I think this will be right up your alley.
And, if you’re in the Twin Cities area, come out to Next Chapter Booksellers in Saint Paul at 6 pm Central on the 26th to ring in the release of Abducted with yours truly. I’ll be reading a little from the book, sign some books (they’ll have at least Abducted and Night of the Witch-Hunter for sale), and just be hanging out.
I’d love to see you all there.