Subject tag: Shameless self-promotion
All in all, 2016 wasn’t a great year. A referendum here in the UK, and the American elections, began to steer he world on a course that I for one wish it wasn’t taking. And the year didn’t start that well for me, having just lost what I thought was a stable job.
However, things improved somewhat for me personally as the year went on; most notably it was the year when, finally, I managed to become a full-time writer.
One of the things that enabled this was Patreon.
I was a little nervous of crowdfunding, not least because, well, I’m shamelessly asking people for money – and for what? However, though I’d resigned myself to not seeing the Hidden Empire novels become audio books, I did have the means to do this for myself, in the form of my husband’s music studio, and some early voice training that left me actually taking pleasure in reading my own work (and, while I’m being immodest, being quite good at it).
I decided to ask Gollancz whether, given they weren’t utilising the audio rights for my books, I might do so myself, in a limited, paid-for format, and my editor there said yes. And so, I launched my Patreon with, as they say, a unique offering – the only chance to hear my stuff in audio format.
Since then, I’ve managed to put out a short story or chapter via Patreon almost every month. Recording and editing a chapter has become part of the rhythm of my life. After 10 years, I’m nearly halfway through the series. I enjoy the process, and I’m proud of the achievement – and, to be honest, the generosity of my patrons helps me get by in a world that hasn’t got any easier than it was in 2016.
So, if you’re not already supporting me and are curious, you can get a ‘the first one’s free’ short story sample here, and my page itself is here.
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