Writing Books for Fun and Profit.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

If your thinking of writing a book to make a lot of money, you're in the wrong business. Writing a book is a lot of work, and the pay at the beginning is terrible. For every Steven King, there are a hundred Haruki Murakami's who you have never heard about.

But if you really want to walk down the path I am on, let me show you what your in for.

1. You're final draft isn't going to look anything like your first draft. Night and day would best way to explain it. Your going to write, then re-write, then re-write again, and then again. I had to completely rewrite my whole book twice before I was satisfied, and then I still had to edit it again.

2. You're going to need help. Writing the book is a solo effort, but making a book requires at least two people; one to write, and one to edit. There are a lot of professional editing services out there, get to know them. If you can't afford one of those, get some friends to look it over. When it comes time to get the book out the door, get your friends and family to pass it around.

3. You've got to leave your ego behind. Your writing may be great in your eyes, but you don't write a book just for you. Until your a household name, be ready to remove or change stuff that the powers that be need changed. If someone tells you it needs to be dropped, drop it unless you have an ironclad reason to keep it.

4. You're job isn't done when the book is done. Expect to spend a lot of time shamelessly self-promoting yourself and the book, spamming social networking sites, sending emails, and visiting coffee shops/bookstores. So warn your friends about that (and if any of my friends/family are reading this, you've been warned).

5. Don't expect to make a living on this. I am a travel agent. Unless I am fortunate enough to make a ton of money, I am going to stay a travel agent. Don't quit your day job until your making more money by writing then working.

If all this sounds good to you, then welcome to the club. But if you prefer something less stressful, may I suggest a life of crime? I hear drug dealers make a lot of money.

Just let me give another shout out here, Writer's Market contains the answer to Life, Universe, and Everything (book related). Check it out!

If you want to laugh your ass off, check out Cracked.com. It's not book related, but if your aren't laughing within thirty minutes your doing it wrong.

Why write a book?

Welcome, friends and fans, to Rhetorical Lunacy! This is my second blog, as the first didn't go too well (charges are still pending, but my lawyer thinks I can avoid jail time).

I just finished the seventh edit of my book, The Hidden War (title may not be final), and started this blog as a means to get in contact with my fans, give them updates on whats going on with me, and answer any questions they may have about my work.

You're probably asking, Why write a book? The answer is I have always wanted to write one. My friends have heard me say that many times over the years. Heck, I once had a good friend named Kevin Smith (not that one, though he was a chunky guy with beard) draw me up some character designs for the Protagonist. As I turn my head left and look at those same designs, I realize my dream has always been to do this.

I did what any budding author would do and researched the project online. After several hours of depressing statistics and warnings to try a less difficult job (like bomb disposal specialist or air traffic controller), I sat down and typed it out. I won't say what a roller coaster ride it has been since then (in this post), but I will say that it is a rewarding and fulfilling task. I enjoyed it so much, I decided become an author full time. And on the day that happens, I will sprinkle salt over all the places hell just froze over.

But this blog won't only be about my book. I'll toss in mentions of things I enjoy, politics, video games, and other things that cross my mind. Also, if you have any questions feel free to post them in the comments and I will answer them in due course.


I just want to give a shout out to someone who deserves it:

Sherri Cook Woosley at Coffee House Fiction. This is the lady who managed to take the jumbled mess I wrote and edit it into a roughly readable form without going completely insane or shooting me when I asked dumb questions. Truly a saint among us feeble mortals for that reason alone. (See? I went a whole post without using an ellipsis!)

So, welcome friends! Take a good look around, explore the links on your right, and leave a message if you like.