An Update on… stuff

I really don’t have any single points of interest to focus on or talk about. Instead, this is a mini-grab bag of items to share. I’m trying to blog a little more frequently to fill in the blank space and make sure everyone knows I’m still hard at work. So, without further delay, on to the stuff!

First up, Vitalis: Valkyries. It’s ready and waiting on cover art. I thought I’d have something by the end of the month, but we’re not quite there yet. Soon! The story is edited and ready to roll out and I’ve got the blurb written up for when the cover art is ready.

Now current events: I’ve been helping the lovely and talented Dawn Michelle with her Continuum series, which is a deviation from her paranormal romance roots, but a continuation of the world she’s crafted. Here there be dragons, my friends, and all sorts of other wonderful people and monsters. This particular series explores some ancient civilizations that have survived to present day as secret societies working behind the scenes… and as often as not against each other as for each other. The main characters are caught up in all of this and come to discover their own surprising legacies left to them down the generations. That includes a hero who can’t seem to keep his pants on and a heroine who is torn between who she wants and who she needs. Since I’m helping her write this series, I expect everyone to enjoy it just as much as you would any of my books. Not only that, but I’m quite taken with it and enjoying it immensely as we near the end of the third novelette in the series.

Let’s see, what else can I share? I’m a little stiff and sore today, but in a good way. Great workout last night picking up heavy weights for lots of reps. Measured myself at 11.5% bodyfat this morning thanks to the weights too, just in time for a 4^th of July weekend spent getting sunburned and hanging out with friends at a pool.

Hmm, in other news, I just got a promotion at my day job too. Sort of. 95% of it is what I already do, but I get a fancy new title – System Architect – that sounds nice. Not to worry, I don’t expect the new responsibilities to cut into my writing time much, if any.

Speaking of promotions and my lovely wife, Dawn Michelle, she deserves some props in writing as well. After only working at her new job teaching pre-school kids she got a promotion to a lead teacher there. I’m not sure anyone there has ever been bumped up as fast as she was, which is a testament to her dedication, commitment, and professionalism. Her job, however, is cutting into her writing time – but given the downturn in the book sales market it also pays better.

Not sure what else to touch on. Brexit seems popular these days – personally I have no opinion on it other than the hit to the exchange rate is another kick in the pants on top of decreasing book sales. I do like a little chaos and pandemonium, I admit. I think it shakes things up and forces people to innovate and improve. So I guess I’m for it, but only in the most uneducated way possible.

To hit closer to home I could discuss the impending US election… but I’d almost rather become an ex-patriot than be forced to choose between the individuals presented to us this time around. Personally, I think that America should change our voting system to include a no-vote cast, and if that wins, we ditch the chosen candidates and start over. The presiding president would remain a lame duck until another election round occurs with new candidates. Perhaps better the devil we know than the one we don’t.

And how about Michael Phelps? He qualified for his fifth Olympics. That’s pretty freaking amazing. Sure, he’s made some mistakes along the way but haven’t we all? I don’t know what kind of person he is, but athletically speaking, this guy is something special. I wish him the best of luck and hope he can snag a couple more medals this year to round out what has already been an amazing career.

Well, how’s that for a sampling of topics? I promised a grab bag and there it is. Enough randomness, now back to your day for you and my day for me. There’s work to be done and words to be written!

 

To learn more about Jason Halstead visit his website to read about him, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

The Cost of Writing…and other BS

Anybody in the world of writing has probably seen all the hoopla about an article in Salon by some lady who’s name I don’t remember. She went on ad nauseum to discuss how success was only possible because her husband made a substantial income that allowed her to stay at home and write. Everybody else wouldn’t talk about the money or where it came from, it was taboo.

Uh… no. I’ve been talking about it for years. And I’ve been working my tail off too. And not just at writing, I’ve got a day job too. I’ve always had a day job. And I’ve written. And I went to school for three degrees. And I have two young children and a wife I adore.

Since 2009 I’ve been doing all of that and writing professionally. The schooling ended a couple of years ago after I finished my MBA, but nothing else did. This year I have over 30 releases planned, from several full length novels and a few novellas to multiple serials. In 2014 I put out 22, so it’s very realistic.

What about the numbers for 2014? Well, they weren’t nearly as good as 2013, unfortunately. But that doesn’t mean they were dismal or upsetting. I damn near hit $60k with books, after all! What worked best? Science Fiction and some (not all) fantasy. Summer, fall, and winter saw definite plunges in ebook sales. I offset it with a combined exploratory effort into paranormal romance with my wife and that, in turn, led me to a NY Time and USA Today bestseller spot.

Yet I’m still at the day job and struggling to get sales back up to levels I can accept. I’m dabbling in advertising, something I’ve had no success with in the past. It’s helping a little, and between that and a new book that’s doing quite well (Into the Dark, a new science fiction book that will begin my Dark Universe series), things are coming back around. Fantasy, sadly, seems to be dying off for me.

But you want the details nobody else gives you. I’m here to deliver:

Title	Genre	# Books	2014 Royalties
Blades of Leander	Fantasy	3	$5,155
Order of the Dragon	Fantasy	4	$3,998
Serpent’s War	Fantasy	1 (2 more in 2015)	$43
Homeland	Intrigue, Erotica	2	$156
Dark Earth	Urban Fantasy, Paranormal	5	$1,120
The Lost Girls	Sci-fi, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy	5	$5,386
Vitalis	Sci-fi	7	$11,741
Voidhawk	Fantasy, Space Opera	7	$10,454
Wanted	Sci-fi, Post-Apocalyptic	4	$9,568
Fallen Angels	Urban Fantasy, Occult	3	$438
Transcendent	Sci-Fi	1	$105
Claimed by the Beast	Paranormal Romance (shifters)	6	$6,133
Blood Kissed	Paranormal Romance (vamps)	2 (1 more in 2015)	$97

 

You might notice all the links above. That’s my subtle way of inviting you to check them out and see why they are as successful as they’ve been – or not as successful as they should be. And this paragraph? Well, this one is the same thing, except maybe not as subtle!

I’ve been very disappointed with the response to Serpent’s War, for example. After two great fantasy series in the world of Kroth (Blades of Leander and Order of the Dragon), as well as a Voidhawk book (Broken Shards) that visited the world, Serpent’s War is pretty much tanking. I will finish book two (Rise of the Serpent) this week and get it to my editor for a release hopefully in mid to late February), but I’m not expecting much. I wrote it because it needed to be written, as does the third book in the series.

Meanwhile, I’m finishing up touches on a new paranormal romance series about werewolves and a young woman that’s been terrorized by them most of her life. Tooth and Nayelle has five parts that are releasing on a regular cadence through late March / early April. My next project is probably going to be chasing the success of Into the Dark, then I’ll work with my wife, Dawn Michelle, to capture more of the magic she and I make together in the PNR world.

Other projects for 2015? I don’t have them handy, but I’m planning two Voidhawk books, 2 Vitalis books, finishing off the Serpent’s War trilogy, and probably turning my Dark Universe series into at least three books. It’s going to be a busy year, but I’m also going to be working a day job full time because I’ve got bills to pay and a need for medical insurance I can afford.

To those who feel they can only write if they live an otherwise pampered life? Suck it up and get your hands dirty. You might learn something, even if it’s only about yourself.

 

To learn more about Jason Halstead visit his website to read about him, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.