DIVERSIFICATION

Diversification is a big word in farming.  It's never a good idea to plant all corn or all beans. Not a good idea to raise nothing but cattle or sheep.

I tend to think I'm doing the same thing with writing. I'm what is now being called a hybrid writer.

 In the past year I published with a traditional house and a small press. Along with that, I published books myself.  Some people who don't understand the publishing industry don't get why I'm self-publishing, but in reality my self-published books are supporting me at the moment. That might (or might not) change over a period of years,  once I'm able to factor in traditional pub royalties. Many hybrid writers will tell you it's about cash flow. Traditional publishers might pay an advance two years before a book is released.  Royalties, if there are any, could take another couple of years. 

I like to think that my self-published books are generating readers for my traditionally published titles.  In the past year, several hundred thousand copies of my self-published books have been downloaded (for free). Along with that, I've sold thousands of copies, and I'm sure that most of those sales were due to the fact that I built a name (two names) for myself in traditional publishing.  When you combine those sales with the free books...it's a lot of eyeballs reading my stories. I would like to think that some of those readers will look for my traditionally published titles.  I really do think all of this can work together in a strange and symbiotic way.  I don't think writers necessarily  have to choose one over the other.


And speaking of free...


My short story, The Pale Boy, is always free at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.