Writing life

It's official, I'm completely shallow and obsessed with my sales. I check Fictionwise before I check my bank balance. Sad. But I'm number twenty one on the erotica best sellers list! Yes, yes I understand this is small potatoes and that most of the mass market titles don't do especially well as e-books. But still. It means people are buying and presumably reading Dangerous Surrender and that's a huge thrill.

Having honest-to-god readers enjoy my stories is the dream. More than getting paid for writing, more than any award, more than the sales numbers. Those other things are just sign posts that people are reading the book.

Once in awhile someone asks me about how to get published (it's a common dream folks). I'm honored but I feel inadequate to answer their questions. There are agent and industry blogs that have lots of worthwhile advice. However, I suspect no two writers tread the same path to publication. I spent time thinking about what result I wanted from my writing and what I was willing to invest (in terms of time and money) to achieve that result.

The goal I finally articulated is both wildly ambitious and modest. I want to write stories that touch people. I want to entertain and empower and enlighten along the way because I think that is how to achieve that lofty end result.

In a week I'm going cold turkey--giving up the Internet for eleven days. Maybe I'll get a grip on reality and be well-behaved after the break with the cyber world. More likely I'll transfer my obsessive behavior to something else.