Chad Halcom
Everything's just OK. So now what?9/16/2023 Fall of 2023 is here and I'm taking stock. Most of the book fairs and comic cons are break-even or only slightly profitable events. Occasionally one show is a real banger, but then another gig in the same season proves to be near-catastrophic. It mostly balances out. Karen Sunchaser is now three books in and doing well, but maybe not matching the initial success of the werewolf books. The only property of mine that is struggling is Daddy's Disappointing Bedtime Stories, but there is a chance to do better with that next year after I collect a couple more volumes into a hardcover omnibus edition. I've had illustrator gigs this past year too -- but only a couple. Sometimes this is even more maddening than failure. That at least would send me a clearer message. I was really hoping by now for some clear guidance on where to focus my efforts. For those of you who know me, I consistently have the polar opposite of writer's block. Many creative ideas bounce around my head competing for my attention, and no one series or concept stands out from the pack. I was hoping the audience would help sort that out for me, but it seems like I'm struggling with overall brand visibility. That isn't really my fault, many algorithms and marketing strategies are limiting me -- but I know it isn't helping that I'm spread out in several directions. Right now I've got an historical fiction/fantasy project in development, about elves in the human world on a search for a magical sanctuary. But this would be yet another new direction, and part of me wonders if that's spreading myself even thinner. What would really be great is one reader who enjoys multiple genres and is willing to delve through them all and consult with me on where I'm excelling. Any volunteers? On the other hand, I am doing what I love. On every project. Can't help it, I suppose, if my creative brain loves too many things to commit to one relationship and stay faithful in it. The rest of me is far more monogamous than my maker brain. Maybe I can work on that part of myself. Or, seeing as Christmas isn't far off, I could ask for a shiny new attention span. In the meantime, here's a few more book illustrations to check out below.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorThoughts and progress reports from speculative fiction author Chad Halcom Archives
February 2023
Categories |