“Wow, that's a lot.”

“I worked really hard to get here and this is the only thing I've ever wanted to do. My readers allow me to do my dream job for a living.”

“I really appreciate you telling me all of this,” I say. “I had no idea that this industry even existed. I mean, I knew about the Kindle, I knew that some people were self-publishing, but I had no idea that people were doing so well.”

“Some people are making thirty thousand dollars per year. Others are making a six-figure salary. Then there are those that are making six figures a month, and some are making in the high six figures a month.”

I shake my head and think about my salary of thirty-five thousand dollars a year.

“This sounds like a gold rush,” I say.

“It's not. Actually, the gold rush is over. Back in 2011 and 2012, authors were putting their books up on Kindle and doing no advertising at all, with crappy covers and they were still clearing six figures or more. Many of them got traditional publishing deals and the majority of those said that they're not really worth it. There's just a lot more money to be made in independent publishing if you write books that the audience wants, that fit the stories that you want to tell, and if you publish those books consistently. Learning how to do Facebook advertising as well as Amazon and pop-up advertising isn't going to hurt. In fact, that’s pretty much required.”

“So, is that what you meant by you being an author in addition to being a writer?”

He nods and says, “When I was first starting out, the field was pretty robust and competitive, but I didn't have any money to pay a cover designer. What I would do is watch YouTube videos and figure out how to use Photoshop. I started out with some basic covers. They weren't the best, but I have republished a number of my old books and rebranded them with new covers, new blurbs, and things like that. Anyway, you learn if you take the time to learn, and time was what I had since I didn't have much money.”

“What about now?”

“The funny thing is that I actually learned enough that I continue to make my own covers. I don't know exactly how to communicate what I want on the cover since I have no idea what it is that I even want. So, I look for stock images, I manipulate them, and I look at other covers to try to find inspiration. Of course, the covers and the blurbs are your first point of contact with your readers so they have to be spot on for your category, otherwise your book will never be bought.”

“Wow, you know so much about this,” I say, shaking my head. “I wish I could just talk to you about this forever.”

“Well, you're more than welcome to stay for dinner, but only if you promise to tell me something about yourself as well. I'm a bit of a recluse if you hadn't noticed so when I'm around people, I tend to dominate the conversation.”

I laugh and agree to his terms.

27

Emma

When we take the conversation to the couch, I ask him about how he writes now.

He has already told me more than a lot, but it seems like he mainly said what hasn't worked or what has worked in the past. Not what is working now.

“Well,” Liam says, taking a sip of his tea from a glass see-through mug.

The peppermint tea is golden brown in color and there is a pyramid shaped teabag bopping at the surface.

“Why are you so curious about this?” he asks. “Is it just writer's block or is it something else?”

“It's mainly the writer’s block. I’m working on a love story, I guess a romance, and I just don't know where to take the characters. I have introduced them and they've gotten together, but now I'm stuck.”

“I don't know how to help you get out of that predicament except to say that your characters have to want something. Unlike people who go through life generally bouncing around like balls in a pinball machine, with few clearly delineated goals, characters don't have the luxury to do that.”

I swirl the little glass spoon in my see-through teacup and stare at the rip in my jeans.

“Initially, your characters’ main goal was to get together, with one another, wasn't it?”

“Yes, I guess.”

“There are other things going on. If it's a romance, then you had to bring the two of them together. There had to be a spark. There had to be a fight. There had to be some intimacy.”

I nod.

“Now? That's the spot that you're stuck at, right?”

My eyes get wide.

I can't believe that he has pinpointed the exact stopping point in a novel that he has never read or even heard of until this moment.

“So, how do I get out of that situation?”

“You have to create some tension. They've gotten together and now they need a reason to stay together. They need tension. You could break them up or add some drama to their lives. Somebody who is against them, somebody trying to push them apart. Maybe it's something external like his mother, her mother, or money. Maybe it's internal like he isn't ready for a relationship or she is not ready to be exclusive. You could throw in some misunderstandings with an ex-girlfriend, but I would caution you to use those lightly. You can't have too many misunderstandings, unless of course you are writing a comedy. Is it a comedy?”

I think back on my angst ridden, long-suffering heroine and the secretly sensitive, alpha guy that brings her to her knees.

“No,” I say. “My story is definitely not a romantic comedy.”

“You have to think about what's driving the story. What problems do they have and how can you amplify those problems? The biggest issue that first-time writers have, I did as well, is that the main characters tend to be perfect and flat. The best stories are those where you take a flawed character with certain motivations and goals then you throw everything you can at them. They have to go through a lot, as many obstacles as possible in order to get what they want. I think that's what my readers like best about my books.”

“That's what I like about your books.”

He shrugs and says, “You really don't have to lie. Not everybody likes fantasy romance and that's totally fine with me. My parents haven't even read them.”

“Wow, plot twist,” I say.

He laughs.

“Wait, are you serious? Your parents haven't read your books?”

“Nope. That's okay, they’re not for everyone.”

“Still, I thought that they would at least be interested in your work.”

“You don't know my parents.”

“You're so successful. How could they not…”

The thought is just shocking to me. Despite my parents’ objections to my line of work, I know that they read every single article that I write and always praise me for them.

“My parents never wanted me to be a writer. They thought that it was a waste of time. I have an okay relationship with them, but it exists outside of my work. If you end up writing and polishing fiction, you'll find out that your readers exist on the Internet and out there in the world. They will likely not be found in your family. If your family members do read your book, then they will only be doing it as a favor, and that's not the sort of favor that you want.”