Ah yes. Just today I was at a coffee house coaching yet another person who declared that they were going to write a (business) book. My stock answer is, "why whatever for?" Many people imagine it will become a best seller and lead to massive amounts of invitations to speak for big dollar fees and or lucrative consulting contracts. I gently let them know that the only way to write a best-seller is to have already written a best-seller. Then I do my best to talk them off the ledge without disillusioning them. Typically I fail at both.
I've written 6.5 books and had 6 of them published. The first and last were credibility pieces ("of course I know what I'm consulting about...I've written a book!" To which the usual reply is, "ooh! You wrote a book! Thanks for the free copy!" which they then place on their bookshelf unread. I'm okay with that!) One of the other ones I received a middling amount of royalties for, three others I co-ghost wrote for very nice fees, and the last one I received an advance which we promptly spent on research and illustrations for the book, resulting in a profit of exactly zip.
I'm proud of all of these books yet would hate to calculate the hourly rate when all is tallied. I would have been better off working as a barista at today's coffee house.
Last week, I received my quarterly payment from Audible.com for the two issues of my audio lit magazine I loaded onto the platform in 2005: $2.31. Still more than I've seen for my novel since publication. I got a good advance for it though and a decent marketing budget. I can't imagine a first-time no-namer pulling that in for a civil war book these days.
Indeed. The one type of writing I hope to be able to continue - for a dollar - is interviewing someone or multiple people then writing an article, usually for a non-profit in an Annual Report or such. That type of content can't come from AI.
But the tide of AI is rising every day, for sure, and writers are paying the price. I guess even cautionary articles about AI may someday be written by AI.
Side note - do you have any photos of Record Exchange in Williamsville? I'd love to see a pic of that record store - or any other you worked for - especially if you're in the pic.
I don't have a pic of the Record Exchange. I do have a terrible one of the Record Mine in Kenmore. I worked a few shifts there, but the owner of that store was Dave Olka, who was wildly formative in my views of Rock and Roll. He worked at Record Exchange with me before opening his own place and was the best kind of vinyl junkie. I can't post pics in the comments--I send it to you direct.
Ah yes. Just today I was at a coffee house coaching yet another person who declared that they were going to write a (business) book. My stock answer is, "why whatever for?" Many people imagine it will become a best seller and lead to massive amounts of invitations to speak for big dollar fees and or lucrative consulting contracts. I gently let them know that the only way to write a best-seller is to have already written a best-seller. Then I do my best to talk them off the ledge without disillusioning them. Typically I fail at both.
I've written 6.5 books and had 6 of them published. The first and last were credibility pieces ("of course I know what I'm consulting about...I've written a book!" To which the usual reply is, "ooh! You wrote a book! Thanks for the free copy!" which they then place on their bookshelf unread. I'm okay with that!) One of the other ones I received a middling amount of royalties for, three others I co-ghost wrote for very nice fees, and the last one I received an advance which we promptly spent on research and illustrations for the book, resulting in a profit of exactly zip.
I'm proud of all of these books yet would hate to calculate the hourly rate when all is tallied. I would have been better off working as a barista at today's coffee house.
Last week, I received my quarterly payment from Audible.com for the two issues of my audio lit magazine I loaded onto the platform in 2005: $2.31. Still more than I've seen for my novel since publication. I got a good advance for it though and a decent marketing budget. I can't imagine a first-time no-namer pulling that in for a civil war book these days.
Keep writing, Daren! Your stories are each a tasty tendie!
Bravo on 125 subscribers! We love to read your writing.
Indeed. The one type of writing I hope to be able to continue - for a dollar - is interviewing someone or multiple people then writing an article, usually for a non-profit in an Annual Report or such. That type of content can't come from AI.
But the tide of AI is rising every day, for sure, and writers are paying the price. I guess even cautionary articles about AI may someday be written by AI.
Side note - do you have any photos of Record Exchange in Williamsville? I'd love to see a pic of that record store - or any other you worked for - especially if you're in the pic.
I don't have a pic of the Record Exchange. I do have a terrible one of the Record Mine in Kenmore. I worked a few shifts there, but the owner of that store was Dave Olka, who was wildly formative in my views of Rock and Roll. He worked at Record Exchange with me before opening his own place and was the best kind of vinyl junkie. I can't post pics in the comments--I send it to you direct.
Excellent. My motive is that I'm always seeking record-store-related content for my li'l Instagram, www.instagram.com/record_stores_fan_atlanta/
Writers. The blacksmiths of the 21st century. 😢
And the first side of Tres Hombres!
ZZ Top and J Geils shared the same trajectory--fun, liviely blues bands that are now only known for 80s synth-pop videos