Read Write Edit Play Repeat vol. 16

A Market of One

Apr 27, 2022

A Market of One

The older I get and the more medications they have to put me on to keep me alive, the less confident I get in my own assumptions, beliefs about the world, and the grand total of my own wisdom. I know I’m wiser than I used to be even just to the point of the number of arguments I no longer feel compelled to engage in. But the beginning of that wisdom appears to be knowing just enough about the nature of the universe to realize the vast, crushing enormity of what I do not know.

I’ve managed to build a quality level of success as a full-time writer. My family is fed. I’ve gone from paying most of my bills mostly on time to all my bills all on time like a real adult. I’ve even got a decent credit score again just in time for me not to want a damn thing.

With cognitive issues my ability to navigate the intricacies of promotion, Amazon ads, etc is dropping off. I’ve had to let go of a lot of things that used to work for me. Marketing is a vital part of a writing career (he says in his newsletter as if that isn’t self-evident), but I have less ability, patience, and desire to put energy into it.

I love when people read what I write. It’s at the heart of writing and publishing. It does add meaning to the material being created. My view of the audience I’m writing for is narrowing in my mind though.

When I look ahead at projects I’m trying to finish, my passion is driving me more and more to write the stories, scenes, and characters that appeal to me. I’m trying to bring into the world the things I most want to see even when it goes against market trends, best practices in storytelling, or even what is “best” for the story. The wisest writers I know have been saying something similar for years. I guess I’m just starting to age into that wisdom a bit.

Whether it is wise or not, I’m entering a phase in my writing wherein I’m writing what keeps me interested and exciting. We’ll see if anyone else wants to come along.

Here are some things you might be interested in:

Author’s Note: I saw an article recently discussing trends of younger people leaving TikTok. I mentioned in the article below that young people tend to adopt a platform first, older people follow, and eventually the young flee. I’m not sure that is exactly what’s going on now, but it reminded me of this article about writers and readers on TikTok.