Another spin around the sun.

The squirrels aren't aware of it, the dogs couldn't care less, and the crows are quite oblivious, but to us humans, today is a big day. Ben Franklin said, “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every year find you a better man.” This New Year, I am going to make an effort to live by those words. Becoming a better you is hard, and in a society where quick and easy is the order of the day, where everyone wants everything like NOW, doing something hard has fallen out of fashion. And while getting what you want when you want it has its own pleasure, that pleasure, like many man-made things, is an illusion.

In my 38 spins around the sun I've learned that if something isn't hard, it is hardly worth doing. Without the chance to rise above challenges, failures, and defeats, life has no meaning. If people always get what they want when they want it, they will never be happy. In the end, the pleasure isn't in the getting, it is in the effort.

I've been writing for a living for nearly a year and a half. Three years ago I would have said you were crazy if you told me that. 2014 has been an amazing year for many indie authors. I have noticed a huge surge of Indies shouldering their way to the top of the rankings. People have begun to realizing that you can make a good living doing this, and in a few cases, a damn good living. The floodgates have opened, and the waters have become quite crowded. As hard as it seems for most authors to get to the top of the heap, the hardest part is staying there.

I believe that in 2015 an even greater surge of independent authors will surge to the top, displacing the publishing industry’s heaviest hitters and solidifying a platform that was once sneered upon as “Vanity Press”. The gatekeepers are a dying breed, and while they will remain in the game, they no longer make the rules. Readers, like all people, are growing tired of being told what to read, what to watch, and what to listen to, and I am honored to be a part of the paradigm shift.

The secret to success has always been staying power, and this will prove true in the world of self-publishing. There have been many changes since the indie revolution began. What worked yesterday will not necessarily work tomorrow.

In 2015, multi-author book bundles will only gain in popularity. The authors of such bundles are already beginning to dominate the top 100 author rankings. I have recently been invited to one such bundle which will include over a dozen great indie authors. I can’t say much about it just yet, other than I am honored by the opportunity, and extremely excited for release day.

More authors than ever will gain fast success, and just as quickly fade away. Being your own boss is hard, and self-publishing is no exception. Not only must you continue to write books that people want to read on a regular basis, but you have to worry about book covers, editing, proofreaders, marketing, social media, promotions, branding, and the dreaded five letter word—taxes. Not to mention getting health insurance cheaper than two mortgages…don’t even get me started. Not everyone is going to be able to keep up. You might be the best writer in the world, but if can’t do all the things mentioned above, and do them well, you won’t last.

In 2012 I published one book, in 2013 I published two, in 2014—my first full year writing full time—I published four. My goal for 2015 is six books. I hope I continue to write books that readers enjoy, because in the end, they decide who stays and who goes.

On an ending note: A big thank you to everyone who supported my books in 2014. I cannot thank you enough. I hope I continue to entertain you for years to come. Have a great spin around the sun!!