Hey Lunatics, let’s have a chat.
I have a lot to go over right now, many thoughts, and some heavy feelings. So, let’s start at the very top. Hi, I’m Elle, and I have a neurological autoimmune condition. I currently undergo monthly IVIG treatments to prevent my immune system from literally attacking my nerves. That said, sometimes I wear my disease as a badge. Sometimes, it becomes my entire personality. Why? Because I’m a chronic pain girlie, and sometimes, it consumes all my mental energy. Sometimes, it takes everything in me just to get through the day.
That said, let’s talk.
I had to cancel Violet. I know. I’m not sorry, though. See above. For the last four months, I’ve been struggling even harder than before. I have a diagnosis. And I thought… I thought it would feel good. It doesn’t. It actually feels pretty terrible to know that I was right: something was wrong, and it took the doctors a long time to even listen to me. So that messed me up a bit. Writing has been… a struggle. It’s hard to write when your mind just isn’t in it. So I knew I wouldn’t be able to write it.
And… I only got 20 preorders. Listen… I love writing. I do. But it’s my career. Twenty preorders just won’t cut it. So I’m rebranding the omegaverse series I do have out and putting the rest on hold. I have covers for them, but I’m not sure when they will come out.
March is my author audit month, and if I’m being honest, I feel even more at a loss than I did before I started. Surrender is still my best seller. And that’s amazing; it tells me where MY readership is: shifters. Which is great because I have a shifter book coming out next month. I am currently working on my LAST read-through. And I’m really going hard with the red pen. I’m at the point in my manuscript where I feel like the worst writer ever. So yeah… That’s cool for me.
I planned to write a Van Helsing Trilogy… But I was advised to put it in my back pocket for the future because vampires aren’t selling right now. It’s good advice because… I need the money. I know so many people think authors live this incredible glamorous life, but the truth is we struggle hard. Some months are amazing, and other times I barely make enough to feed my kids. And a lot of you are boycotting Amazon. The worst part? I get it. I do. Amazon is the big bad. AND there is a new lawsuit against Amazon…
Let’s be transparent.
ALL of my books are in Kindle Unlimited. On average, Amazon pays us $0.004 per page read… So, for a book with, say, 500 pages, we get paid $2.00. I set my prices between $2.99 and $4.99, and this depends on word count. If the book is between 60-98k words, I price it at $2.99. If the book is 98k to 120k, I price it at $3.99. Anything over 120k, I price it at $4.99. It isn’t worth it for me to write a book over that because the ratio falls.
The point is, authors aren’t the enemy here. Please stop demonizing us, or all you are going to be left with is AI on KU… And no one wants that BS.
I don’t know what to write. That is where I am at. I know you guys want Ash’s story, but that’s a pet project… and I know it won’t make the money I put into it. Which means my focus will have to be one of two options:
Omegaverse or Shifters.
I still have 2 weeks to decide and one page written. I don’t know where I’m going to land. But I hope like hell it’s a soft landing because I need a break. I need a win.
- Elle