3 ms·
And why is this a problem? I write niche books on topics that really interest me, and if I write a book that a few thousand people buy [1], and perhaps fifty re
by mark_l_watson 6y ago
And why is this a problem? I write niche books on topics that really interest me, and if I write a book that a few thousand people buy [1], and perhaps fifty readers engage with me via email, social media, or a phone call, then I am totally satisfied.
[1] I recently made all of my recent books free downloads at my personal web site https://markwatson.com https://markwatson.com so the situation is now even better: a huge number of downloads, and increased engagement with readers.
- amelius 6y agoI think most writers want an income they can live off.
- panzagl 6y agoI am a big fan of 'C++ Power Paradigms', although it does make me kind of insufferable when talking to people who bring up 'recent advances in AI'. Thanks for writing it all those years ago, it opened my eyes to there being more to programming than reversing linked lists and figuring out widget layout errors.
- mark_l_watson 6y agoCool, thanks!
- T-A 6y agoThe article's focus is fiction. Writing a good novel (not pulp) can easily take years. Royalties on a few thousand copies sold are not reasonable or sustainable compensation for that kind of effort.