How Many Hours Do You Write?

Too many! Typically, I’m working 24/7. I usually focus on my blog in the mornings and my novels in the afternoons and evenings, but that varies with my mood. I even consider my dreams to be a part of my work as they most often relate to a concept I’m developing.

You might ask why I put in so many hours. I do it for two basic reasons: I love to write and I want my books to be read. I don’t do it for the money… I do it for the legacy. Sure, maybe someday I’ll make it onto the bestseller’s list or get a movie deal, but that’s really just a pipedream. My books are just small needles in a massive haystack of published works.

Don’t worry, I do take breaks – lunch and dinner with the family, the occasional movie or night out, reading a good book before bedtime, and even the rare getaways. Most days, I relieve the tension for a few hours by playing video games or watching YouTube videos.

For the record, I DO NOT suggest you follow my example. Many successful authors have made it by putting in just a few hours a day. I, however, have found it to be very difficult as a self-published author. Without the backing of a major publishing house, I have to do it all myself and it is a LOT of work!

Writing books is the easy part; it’s the rest of it that takes up the majority of my time. For example, designing and running a blog is not easy. Then, there is the massive time-consuming process of editing my books, designing the covers, publishing them in the marketplace, and getting the word out. In all honesty, I would say no more than 25% of my time is spent on writing; the rest is spent on everything else self-publishing entails.

A good question here would be: Why the hell do you do it?

To answer the implied question, NO, I am not getting rich! As I said before, my goal is to be read. Unlike some of the other self-published authors out there, I will be completely transparent about my income from writing. I make about $2.00 off of hardcover sales and 70% royalties on eBooks. Unless you are selling hundreds of thousands of books, that doesn’t amount to much.

So, why do I do it if it’s not for the money? I do it because I can envision someone who has had a rough day after a tough month turning to one of my books for escape. During the few hours of reading, all of their problems disappear as they allow their minds to explore new worlds and live the experiences of my protagonists. That, to me, is the real point of writing.

Of course, I hope the money will come and, as long as I have books out there, the potential exists. Still, if I never make a dime (which I’ve made a few to be honest), I am happy knowing that somewhere, someday, someone might find a bit of escape through my prose. Once published, your works last forever!

As always, thanks for reading, and see you soon. Please subscribe to receive the monthly newsletter and post alerts.