To some degree, this is a post I never, ever wanted to write, but I think, overall, it’s for the best that I write it.
The world is getting darker lately. I was fortunate enough to get through my surgery, back to a state where I’m largely functional, and that’s great. But at the same time, enshittification is always on the rise. It’s getting harder and harder to be a writer who cares about their craft while it gets easier for people to make bank pumping out shlock on TikTok.
Seriously, if this is your first time hearing it, we artists are losing.
We always have been comparatively (we’re not called ‘starving artists’ because our industries and cultures give us so much grace and support), but as the years roll on, it just gets worse and worse.
The old adage for me was, “If one of my books was made into a movie, the lead actor would make more money playing my protagonist than I would for creating them.” The new adage is, “I’d like to not be homeless.”
So I’m now in a position where I have to ask myself, “What do I do?”
I can split that question into two distinct facets:
- What do I want to do?
- What do I have to do?
To answer the first question: I want to write. Not just my novels, but here, on this site. I’d like to put my ideas out there for better or worse, but more than ever, I want to put my experience and writing resources out there in case it helps any other writer. It just feels too important now to be a voice of support for other artists who might be struggling.
To answer the second question: I have to figure out some way to make money doing this. I refuse to pay-wall anything on this site–especially the writing resources I want to share–with membership fees and I don’t want to cover the blog with ads (if I can even help that–again, enshittification). That said, I do think I have to start a Patreon or some other service like Patreon. I personally just hate asking for help period (a hang-up I’ve had since I was a kid), so I’ve always been vehemently against starting a Patreon and asking for donations on this site. But, unfortunately, the choice is now ‘ask for donations in a constructive way’ or ‘become homeless probably.’ As much as I don’t want to engage with the system as it is–as much as I’d love to hold out for that pie-in-the-sky publishing deal that saves me–it’s just not realistic. I have gotten a few things published without a huge platform to support me. That’s going to have to be enough for my ego.
I’ll look for other ways to survive as well. With any luck, I can figure out a monetization system that actually helps/entertains people and isn’t just ebegging, but whatever I figure out will be a few months off. Still, I wanted to give all of you a heads-up.
Regardless of a possible Patreon, I do have other plans for the site. In order of operation, those are:
- I will be posting a text-only version of “A Facet of That Faceless Death” here on the site, to read for free. When I do publish it, I’ll post a notification so everyone’s aware. If you aren’t subscribed to this blog, consider subscribing so you don’t miss it.
- I’m planning to redesign the site, so if you visit one day and it looks wildly different, don’t be alarmed–it’ll still be me. The redesign is going to come with a sorely needed rebranding; I’ve been aware that “House of Error” is an objectively awful name for a really long time, and I’m finally going to correct that.
I guess the last thing I can say here is whether or not I’m excited for these changes.
I have no idea.
I know for sure that I’m excited to put free writing resources out there. I’m also hopeful that whatever crowdfunding service I find will actually help me financially.
It just feels strange to accept that the dream of that aforementioned, pie-in-the-sky, life-saving publishing deal is dead. Or, rather, it was never really alive for most of us in the first place, since so many fairy tale headlines about ‘Homeless Author Persevered by Writing Novel on Discarded Newspaper Scraps Found in Dumpster They Lived In!’ or whatever turned out to actually be ‘Author Living in Nice Apartment with Random-House-Editor-Roommate Wrote Novel with Help from Random-House-Editor-Roommate.’
I guess if I can say anything positive at the end here, maybe it’s this: the dream is dead, yes. But we aren’t. This isn’t the end for us or our art. We just have to find another way to get it out there and survive doing so.
And, in that sense, maybe that means the death of the dream is a good thing. Maybe it’s better that we stop holding out hope and become more active in our own salvation. No one’s going to deliver us from poverty, but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost the skills to deliver ourselves. All we have to do is accept that we’re in control of our talents; that we have to find new ways to get our work out there, and whether or not that seems like the hard part doesn’t matter.
Because we’re writers; we’ve been doing the hard part our entire fucking lives.
Alright. I think I’ve talked myself into it.
Yes. I’m excited for these changes. And if this made you realize you have to change your own relationship with the publishing dream, I hope you’re excited for that change as well.
Coming up…
Post-wise, I want to talk about the writing projects I’m working on and lay out an extremely loose, working schedule for them. But be advised: that’s definitely coming after “A Facet of That Faceless Death” is posted. And also probably after the site is redesigned.
If you’d like to check out some of my fiction…
“Aixa the Hexcaster” was published at Mirror Dance Fantasy in 2016: http://www.mirrordancefantasy.com/2016/09/aixa-hexcaster.html
“A Facet of That Faceless Death” was performed on the NoSleep Podcast earlier this year (be advised, my story is one of the two on the pay-walled, members-only section of the episode; to hear it, you would have to get a $5 membership to NoSleep): https://www.thenosleeppodcast.com/episodes/s21/21×11
Until next time, take care, and don’t give up.
Inktrap 
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