Chasing the word …
About living and writing
Why I Write – Part III
Not the money
I probably don’t have enough years left to recoup either the time or my recent investments in writing…and don’t need to. That isn’t an objective. To achieve a small profit some year might be a pleasant byproduct, but I’m not writing for the money.
The efforts to write and the initiatives to improve it exercise the mind in healthy ways, and the inevitable decline in strength and energy of later years won’t affect this form of activity much. Every day brings something new to learn, and the lessons never run out.
The creative process also causes me to interact positively and regularly with a small group engaged in a similar authoring journey. I find myself looking forward to the occasional emails from Elizabeth, Mark, Cara, and Jim with excited anticipation. Messages from them often include a new tip, resource, or discovery to share, and their enthusiasm is contagious.
The number one reason I write, however, is this:
“Your poem about the gymnastic meet made me cry.”
“Tom Burns made me laugh!”
“Your book made me think.”
Now and then, I get notes like these from readers. Some communications come as Amazon or Goodreads reviews from people I’ve never met, or likely ever will, living in different states, or even different countries than me. Not only do the messages make my day, but they provide all the incentive I need to keep writing. I doubt I’m much different from even the most famous authors in this respect. The power to affect someone positively is a worthy accomplishment even if the value can’t be quantified in economic terms. Skilled writers, artists, and musicians achieve the effect regularly with their work, and they provide lofty benchmarks for the rest of us… but not impossible ones.
A song can motivate an audience to clap spontaneously to its beat; a painting may randomly trigger a deep emotion, or lines of prose can cause the eyes to water. Art transcends the value of its medium when it touches a part of our heart or soul, and no formula exists for exactly how to accomplish that. As authors, we know we succeeded when someone tells us — a payment that transcends the importance of a small royalty check from Amazon.
Why I Write (Part II)
Seven decades of living gives me much to “share”
My journey through life hasn’t been a monotonous walk on a fenced path in a public park. It’s been a wild and exciting roller coaster ride fueled by laughter, lubricated by tears, and filled with colorful characters in interesting geography—probably a lot like yours. A few of my more unique experiences might interest a few, but the shared passions, emotions, and anxieties of living resonate with many.
I have loved, so I recognize its power and majesty; I’ve failed, so I understand the associated emotional trauma; I’ve won, so I’m familiar with the highs that accompany success. Loving, failing, and succeeding are common episodes in all lives, and while our individual circumstances relative to each may be distinct, we’re connected by the common sentiments. A long and active life provides an encyclopedia of response and resolution to these great themes, which requires no additional internet research. The elevated view of the surrounding landscape at age 72 is more complete than the one I glimpsed on my climb to this lofty peak.
A lengthy history in life also equips writers with a good inventory of plausible and relatable reactions to an endless array of new fictitious adventures. Someone frightened once by a mysterious bump in the night acquires mental tools to describe the terror of hearing the killer’s footsteps just outside the door. Only a bit of exaggeration is required to translate a dad’s joy in witnessing his child’s first home run to the euphoria of a fictitious crowd when their college team wins the NCAA championship.
While the cast for a story comes entirely from my imagination, readers identify with them when the characters react predictably to their novel’s imagined stimuli. But, unlike in life, I need not leave anything to chance … because an author of fiction has complete control over the narrative. I can exact fairness by punishing villains and rewarding heroes; and, star-crossed lovers can negotiate the most circuitous of paths in order to reunite before The End. This unrestricted power is inebriating—and I openly admit to enjoying it!
Why I Write
The easy (and short) answer is, because I can
I reached the stage of life when schedules aren’t as chaotic with work and family commitments, and my efforts no longer require an income incentive. Writing has always been an enjoyable hobby for me, and I’m sure my mild abilities in this form of communication helped me during my professional career years. However, I never had the time (or financial reason) to do things to become better at it. The writing was a “tool,” not an objective.
My personal environment and daily routine are different now, and I can spend gratifying hours writing without guilt. The free resources for improvement provided by Ms. Google are nearly unlimited, and the craft is one even the most skilled authors never completely master. No goal-line exists! To me, this is invigorating—because I’m coming to the end of so many other things in life.
I’ve wrestled my last match, caught my last fly-ball, and danced my last limbo. I’m married to my last wife, had
my last child, and will never own another cat. I won’t be jumping out of airplanes or riding bulls anymore—note that I have never done either of these, but it is now too late to consider starting. I’m probably living in my last house, own my last truck, and most likely won’t ever apply for another job. In the not-too-distant future, I’ll ski down my last slope, fix my last roof, and view my last sunset from a mountain I just climbed.
The activities becoming extinct due to advancing age are not reasons for melancholy. At this stage of life, the list of “things done” is simply longer than the list of “things to do.” Plenty of enjoyable hours remain for trips to take, friends to see, and memories to make (refer to Rounding Third, in the poems section of this website).
Additionally, writing offers much yet to learn, a fulfilling exercise my energy and strength will allow me to pursue for quite a long time. For this particular hobby, I’m not as close to The End as I am The Beginning.
How I Turned A Beloved Hobby Into A Tax Write-Off
The uncertain future of the printed book
I love to write. Always have. I dreamed of being the next great novelist in high school and went to a small liberal arts college to be an English major. Did I mention small? In my sophomore year, I struggled to attain a “C” average in Early American Literature and decided the professor of that course and I were not a good match. In a small school, we would see too much of each other during the following years for me to compete academically well in the major. So, I switched to economics.
Vietnam interfered with plans for graduate school. As a result, my post-graduate education, courtesy of the United States Navy, qualified me as a pilot. As an officer, my creative writing was initially limited to fitness reports, but then my first Commanding Officer gave me collateral responsibilities as the squadron’s legal officer. That opened up a whole new dimension of writing, providing briefs on the various misconducts of the colorful collection of men and women who served our country at the time.
When the war ended and I had fulfilled my active-duty commitment, I joined an entrepreneurial company building a national dinner cruise fleet. My writing there included occasional advertising copy, but I exercised my creative literary juices at home by composing clever poetry to commemorate family milestones. Finally, after a long and moderately successful professional career, I retired with the time to embrace the hobby I dearly loved.
My publishing career begins
I published a novel in my first year after selling my successful little cafe … proud that it earned five excellent reviews. One of those came from my attorney. Another came from my brother and a third from my sister. A former employee wrote the fourth one, and fifth one was posted by my friend and writing mentor. With few expenses through the self-publishing process, I made a small profit, selling nearly 300 copies.
Emboldened and encouraged, I wrote a second book, this time distributing a hundred free copies in advance
of the release. I hoped the gratis books would lead to favorable critiques posted to Amazon … and it worked! My second novel earned twenty-five positive reviews and a favorable mention from a national writing contest. Book sales were roughly equivalent to the first book, but because of my expense for the copies given away, I posted a small net loss on that novel.
Determined I was getting the hang of the writing part of my new career, I invested in a professional book cover and editing for book #3. I also attracted a publisher. Those changes in strategy have already rewarded me with over sixty positive reviews posted to Amazon and Goodreads, many from readers I don’t know.
The book has also won three writing awards and a five-star review from an internationally recognized literary service. All these accolades haven’t impacted sales much. And with the extra design, editing, and publishing expenses I’m on track to claim a five-figure tax loss on my writing endeavors this year. If I get any better, I’ll need to give the hobby up for financial reasons!
The publishing industry is in turmoil
I’m not complaining, and only jest about forsaking the craft. I’m not naive, though. The dynamics of the rapidly evolving digital economy are changing the way we spend leisure time. If you don’t already know it, I’m sorry to deliver the news—the printed book might be going the way of the dinosaur, the 8-track, and the VCR. As someone finally getting to an age where time is available to devote to writing, the realization pains me. The table below, however, delivers the indisputable facts.
Books Sold Online in 2020
Source: Bookstat
Wow!
In 2020, of the approximately 2.6 million printed books purchased online, only 268 sold over 100,000 copies. That’s about 1 in 10,000.
96% of all book titles produced sold less than 1000 copies!
Hold on to your seats for the next statistic—at the high end, in the most elite class of successful books written,
Only 8 printed books sold over 500,000 copies
Compare this to the top-ten best performing Netflix films in the same year— that saw over 68 million views — in their first month! Staggering, isn’t it? And the magnitude of the number confirms this isn’t a blip but an unstoppable trend. No matter how many of us may dislike the trajectory, we can’t stop it any easier than we can reverse evolution.
Time marches forward
People with my hair color are prone to lament the passing of the “good old days.” But, not me. I grew up in a home with a choice of three tv channels, two of which worked marginally. Today, I can access over 200 channels that appear perfectly… unless the satellite gets lost in a snowstorm.
As a farm boy in Maryland, I used to spend every new dollar earned on a 45 RPM record. Over several years, I accumulated a considerable collection, and I’d haul it around in a box with my clunky phonograph player to play at friends’ houses. After a while, the records would inevitably develop scratches and pops, and the needle on the record player had to be replaced constantly. I now carry an entire archive of music around in my iPhone, downloading just about any song ever recorded for free from my Apple account. I can listen with headphones, on my home system, or, with a few keystrokes, on your home system.
Technology moves us forward productively, generally enhancing our lives.
Talented writers will adjust to the transformation occurring, and the smart ones will exploit the new
opportunities that become available. The Trumps and Bidens of the world will always need somebody to write speeches; HBO and Netflix will continue to experience rising demands for screenplays and scripts; Tom Brady may need a ghostwriter to help him write his memoir. Over time, the laws of supply and demand will eclipse theory and opinion to establish a natural economic balance.
The future for authors?
So, where does that leave older, independent authors like me? The sensible and pragmatic ones will continue writing for the enjoyment of the craft, satisfied by an occasional public review on Amazon or a compliment from a friend. For the lucky ones—a scriptwriter or a major publisher might serendipitously bump into a manuscript that receives unusual critical recognition or many positive customer reviews. Luck, however, favors the prepared and the gifted—so the quest for improvement is endless. That process is exhilarating and, I think, healthy for us older writers.
Digital Advance Reader Copies are available!
My book, The Other Side Of Good, won’t be released to the public by Koehler Books until January 17, but you can read it before that in an ARC, an Advanced Reader Copy. What’s the difference between the ARC version of the book and the final version?
Hopefully, not much. The ARC allows the author and the publisher one last chance for a reader review of the book before its final printing. Sometimes readers pick up typographical errors that were overlooked in the editing process that can be corrected before the final printing.
Perhaps more importantly, the ARC gives early reviewers a chance to critique the book before it’s publication. Obviously, many poor reviews of the advance could impact the author’s and publisher’s decision to publish at all. Good reviews, on the other hand, can follow the book through its official release, providing marketing impetus for strong early sales.
Many authors are selective in providing free digital or printed ARCs. Not me. At least not to my friends and family. If the goal is to sell thousands of books, distributing dozens to the people most likely willing to help with positive word of mouth is inexpensive but important marketing. Send me a request through the contact form found on this website, and I’ll deliver a digital ARC to you.
And … here’s some bonus information for those reading this blog …
Did you know that you can send long PDF documents (like the ARC for a novel) to your Kindle device to read? I didn’t until last week and wished someone would have told me about this earlier. I’ve been dragging a laptop through airports across the country for decades to keep working on-the-go. Most of the things I needed to work on could have been sent to my compact little Kindle to read on the plane (or in my hotel room) at my leisure. Follow this link to learn how to do it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle/email
So, if you want to read an early version of The Other Side Of Good, you don’t have to do it in front of your desktop or from a clunky laptop. You can do it from your Kindle just like any other book you might download from Amazon. Not too bad, huh? And it doesn’t cost you anything. Once the book is released publicly that won’t be the case. The only thing that I respectfully request from the folks who receive a free book is to post a quick review of the book on Amazon😊
Living on the river
This is my view from the back deck. Beautiful, isn’t it? Enjoying it with me on most evenings at happy hour is the woman I have lived with for over fifty years — and played with for almost fifty-three. Mother and extraordinary grandmother, she’s been a partner in all my important adventures. We’re seventy-two now, and life, mostly, is good.
The road to here wasn’t always easy, and nobody who knows us either personally or professionally would question whether we earned this view. We did. Both of us worked extremely demanding corporate jobs, and early in our lives when our kids were young, I flew carrier-based Navy aircraft on nights and weekends in the reserves to augment our household finances. To maintain a reliable income, I moved our family three times to different areas of the country. Neither my wife nor I hit the big-time with extravagant corporate salaries or lucrative stock-option buy-outs—but here we are, ensconced in one of the most beautiful locations on the planet. Neither of us would change a moment of our past if it meant the possibility of not ending up here—where we are, geographically, financially, and emotionally.
I have friends who gained greater wealth and more recognition in their lifetimes. I doubt any of these are more fulfilled—or happier than me. Money can’t buy loyal friends, loving families, or incredible memories. You work hard for these on your own, and if you do—for a long time—you can end up with a view like mine on the banks of the Shenandoah River, entertaining loyal friends, and loving family—and making fresh memories.
New Book – New Website
Family, friends, and followers – Koehler Books Publishing, located in Virginia Beach has scheduled a December 17th release date for The Other Side Of Good. Those who read the first two novels (Full Count and The Road Not Taken) will recognize two important characters in the new book. Ten Ton Jones from Full Count, now a full-fledged police officer, joins the mysterious Lutheran pastor, Tom Burns, from The Road Not Taken, to resolve a serious criminal issue occurring in Cincinnati.
The acquisition editor at Koehler Publishing liked the book, but the company’s founder, John Koehler lectured me to take the writing avocation a little more seriously. He suggested updating my “author” website—to be more attractive and “user-friendly”. Hope you like it! John also strongly recommended that I try to communicate with reader fans more frequently through a blog. I’ll try.
From this website, you can request an early edition of The Other Side Of Good. In the publishing world, these are called ARCs (Advance Reader Copies). Pre-publishing-date copies allow fans to read the novel before anyone else—to (hopefully) provide reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc., when the book is officially released. I’ll provide friends and family who are willing to read the book and post a review copies at my cost. Just complete the form contained on the tab for the book on this website.
Interested readers can subscribe to the blog posts, signup to receive the occasional newsletter, or “like” the E. A. Coe facebook page— but it is just as easy to unsubscribe from any of these! I don’t like being bothered by unwanted emails, newsletters, or facebook posts, and I don’t want friends, family, or fans to be either. I’ll try to keep the messages short and interesting, but you’re still my friend if you unsubscribe. Thanks for your support! This later-in-life adventure with writing is exhilarating and I appreciate friends like you who join me for parts of the journey.
