I hate talking about money. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I firmly believe that if you see value in something (like stories), you should support them.
There are many ways to do this. One cheap and easy way is to talk about a writer’s work. If you like it tell people. Encourage them to sample that writer’s wares.
Another is to use the donate button whenever available and throw a buck or two in the pot. I have a couple stories out there right now that depend on this model. One is GalaxyBillies (found on podiobooks.com) and the other is Stolen Immortality found at Sorcerous Signals (http://www.sorceroussignals.com/StolenImmortality.html).
Yet another great way is to buy the author’s work. In the case of my short stories Apprentice and Brains are for More than Eating, they are available at the respective ePublisher sites.
So what is my point?
Well, I suppose if I have a point it is, please support what I and many writers like me do (if you like our work, that is). I received my first royalty from podiobooks.com earlier this week and it felt great. It meant that someone enjoyed my story enough to put value on it. That alone was worth more than the amount.
I’ve got a couple books coming out in the next few months. I would love it if you spread the word. I would love it just as much if you purchased a copy (or five). Should you be interested in a signed copy, let me know in advance and I will ensure I have enough copies to fit the demand.
Don’t worry, I will be posting more information about the books as I get closer to the release dates.
In the meantime, have a look at what I already have available. GalaxyBillies is in desperate need of iTune and Podiobook reviews. If you are unable to do any more than provide that, you will have done me a great favor.
As you should know by now, asking for support isn’t something I (or many other writers) normally do. Still, I want you to know that your support (both financial and promotional) is very important to me. Please take a few moments and decide if my work is something you want to help out. If you do, thank you. If not, I can appreciate that too.
Thank you for listening.
Maybe we should ask for support more often?
Yes, I think we should. I just don’t want to do it so often that people tune out. What should the ratio be?
I had a great discussion about this with Nathan Lowell about a week ago, about donations and what makes people want to donate. I still don’t know that I have it nailed down, but when I do I will let you know.
Fantastic! I would love to to hear more about that.
Congrats on the royalties! For me, I donate out of guilt and a sense of appreciation. If I listen to a free audiobook and feel like it was something I would have paid for, I make a donation.
That’s a fair way to go. Don’t give unless you feel that there was value. Keep in mind that reviews and feedback are valuable to a podcaster/writer too. 🙂
After having to face the hard realization that word of mouth is everything in marketing, I make an effort to post reviews and tell my friends (online and in person) about stories and authors that I appreciate. Books are meant to be read, stories to be listened to. Same for podcasts ^_^