Let’s talk about writing and releases.
If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you’re probably quite aware that last year, my production sharply declined. That’s if you’re only counting the number of stories I finished and released. (Six.) Compared to 2013’s 19 titles, it was a sharp slump. (And if you’re really curious, 2012 saw 16 new titles – so 2013 is the year to beat, for now).
However, that doesn’t take into count the fact that the last book, The Branded Rose Prophecy, was a monster 250,000 words, which is more than three “average” books strung together.
But still, sitting around waiting for the next book in your favourite series isn’t much fun if the books are years apart. I know that because I do the same impatient waiting with my favourite authors.
This year, 2015, I decided that it was time to get the word machine rolling again. The Branded Rose Prophecy was a book that I had wanted to write for a very long time, and now that I had got it done, it was time to take care of all my current series.
So far this year, I’m managing to stay more or less on target. It’s May, and I’ve put out a title a month, making five for the year to date. I got a bit sneaky at the end of this month, as I put out another one, making it six titles in five months.
I’d like to write faster than that. There’s too many stories piling up – I had a doozy idea for a novel this morning that I have no idea when I’ll write it. It goes onto the pile, somewhere down the bottom, alas.
So for a while, I’m going to be very disciplined about getting my writing done each day. If I write every day when I schedule the time, then I’m pretty sure I can get 16 books done this year. And that will make this a stellar year. 2012, with 16 titles, had a lot of re-issues and collection. In some respects, re-issues take almost as much work as new titles. Everything except the actual writing of the first draft has to be done all over again. As the writing of the first draft is probably the smallest chunk of time involved in producing a book, re-issues can’t be dismissed as zero time investments.
However, 16 brand new, never-been-released titles in one year, starting with scratched notes on a napkin, or no idea at all, will make this year an absolute vintage for new words written.
Figure you can live with that?