Mike Fook Books – Ebooks | Fiction Thrillers | WTF

I still can’t throw myself into this ebook writing maelstrom. I’ve got 2 other projects that are doing as well as writing ebooks and I just can’t seem to throw them away and walk the plank, falling ass and elbows into ebooks as a full-time occupation. It just isn’t solid enough. It feels like a game of chance, and I’ve never been a gambler.

You know, the biggest bet I’ve ever placed? Maybe a six-pack of beer.

Yeah, no joke. I don’t get into gambling at all, and since I’ve known a couple of people that fooked up their entire lives with it – I just have no interest in it at all.

Who feels good about giving away money?

Just the same – I can’t feel good about giving away my time. If you know me, if you ever knew me – you probably know this truth about me…

My time is EVERYTHING.

I focus my time only on what I choose, not what you choose or my friends or loved-ones choose for me. Don’t say we’re going one place, and just stop off on the way to do something else beforehand. Don’t waste my time. I make daily decisions based on what I can do with my time that will result in something good for me or my family. That’s about it.

This writing thing – just seems so iffy. I can’t jump in. I can’t walk the plank. It will feel just like death if I go full-time and fail repeatedly to get what I want out of it. My other projects I have going are not like this. I put work IN – I get benefit OUT. It can’t not work that way, they are much more solid ventures than writing ebooks and hoping they sell.

I’ve written maybe 20 ebooks now. About 6 are selling OK. Another 10 are selling some. About 4 aren’t doing anything. If I take a critical look at it – maybe the 6 that are doing well are the only ones doing well enough to have made it WORTH my time to write them.

Six out of 20 is NOT a good ratio for spending time. It’s more like wasting time. It’s like I’m wasting 70% of my time as I write. That’s a sick thought to me. Sure it works out that money is being made, but still…

Who gets into the idea that 70% of what you’re doing – is wasted time?

Not me.

So instead of walking the plank, I’m juggling 3 projects and not giving 100% to any of them. Such is the story of my life. I’m a generalist. I can do thousands of things competently. I cannot do any one thing as an absolute expert.

I’ve always liked that about me, but at times it seems almost like a liability.

If I could do one thing – 100% – full bore… what would happen then?

In my mind, I’d either fail or kill it with wild success.

Maybe I’m afraid of failure, so I just get ‘good’ and not great at any one thing. Attempting to get GREAT leads to failure. Maybe that is failure I cannot deal with.

What if I could deal with it though?

There must be a couple of million people that are considering writing careers at the moment.

Maybe you’re one. Maybe you read a couple articles each day about writing. Some of you I know read a boatload of stuff everyday – it’s not like there is a shortage of it online. If you read a lot, you probably know your shit. There is a lot to know, but it could be summed up in a 100 page book. It isn’t brain surgery. I think I’ve proven that by having a modicum of success. Never used that m-word before, but it seemed appropriate. Spelling? WhoTF cares? I think I nailed it, but, if not – you know what I’m saying – right?

I am no writer.

Let me qualify that. I’ve written my ass purple… but, I’m not a great writer in anyone’s hallucination. I know that. That’s not even a consideration when I sit down to write a book. For the masses to call me a great writer – I’d need to conform to some ideal that has been built over the ages. That will never be me. I’ll never be a great writer like anyone from the past was.

I never wanted to be a writer until the world started changing. I wrote a 60+ page rant about the world, god, and life back in about 1994. I had a website called “MindBombs.com”. I had 500 – 1,000 people per day reading my trash on mb.com.

It was eye-opening. WhoTF would read my rants?

Harder to believe still – who would agree with any of it?!

I met some amazing people as a result of that site, and that long rant in particular. Mick, Eve, Stu, Jon, and about 70 people I can’t even remember any longer.

It was bliss to sit down and bang something out on my 8 pound laptop brickpad – FTP it up online, and get immediate feedback from it. I remember daily arguments, stroking, threats, compliments, and even stalkers. It got me into a frame of mind where I thought – writing is cool. Fuckme if I can’t write. I’m a writer. I’m no kind of writer I ever knew, but, I’m obviously getting something across to a lot of people. I was pissing off just as many as I was placating. It was a cool feeling. I like to affect people – positively or negatively – take your pick.

What a writer is has changed dramatically since the internet e-zombied humanity.

Used to be, you had to write for an editor. Where the hell did SHE go? There isn’t one any longer. Writers have just one goal now… affect someone with their words. By telling a story, or presenting some information, writers are trying to hit someone in the head – and get something across.

There is no middle (wo)man any longer. Just reach out and smack that reader right on the eyeballs.

Can this writing thing work for you?

I wasn’t sure I was going to get around to the point, but hell – why not?

If you can put sentences together in groups and people ‘get you’ – you can write for a living.

It’s as easy as that. No joke. Just start whacking it out, and you’ll be a writer. You’ll support yourself with writing. You’ll do more than you ever thought you could do in the field.

I know it’s this easy, because that’s all I did. I just started writing and I haven’t stopped for 5 years now. I’ve written all sorts of things – and all of it has helped get me to where I am now. Not that I’m anywhere all that great, but if I wanted to, I could stop doing everything else – and just write. I could support my family. I could take us all on vacation to the states… we could take a couple months off to travel Asia. We could do whatever people do that don’t want for anything.

And I’m telling you, I am NO writer.

What I do have is something inside that pushes me.

I have this drive to accomplish that never lets up (for long). When I finish anything I set out to, say an article for instance, it’s a pat on my back that I need but never got.

I never got pats on the back as a kid.

Dad wasn’t there and mom was working. Babysitter didn’t give a shit. So, as an adult I incessantly accomplish stuff so I can pat myself on the back. That’s what drives me. I’m driven like few other people I’ve known in the past, and nobody I know now.

If you just write – if you just found the drive, whether it’s aspiration or desperation, you’ve gotta find the drive to just GO and start spitting out books consistently… continually.

Or, stop the foolishness today – and go find something else you’re really excited about doing for a living. Teenagers are writing books that are killing it on Amazon. People that have never written squat in their lives are publishing on Amazon, and they might not be killing it with that first book… but they’re learning a lot. They’re throwing shit up on the wall to see what sticks. You’ve gotta do this too – get to work people, stop reading and just start DOING.

Tomorrow I’m going to write a short story. I’m going to write 3,000 words plus or minus, depends how the story goes. Make yourself a goal to do the same.

Stop reading about other people’s successes, or you’ll never find your own.

I’m less of a writer than you’ll ever be! Now, kick my ass and make me feel it!

Well, without going into specifics – we’re doing well. Amazon is holding well, and increasing. Sales at other ebook sites are increasing, and we’re starting to distribute more books to them as well. Our own ebook sites did really well during March, sometimes outselling distributors other than Amazon. So, the ebook world is well.

The big problem…

How to continually come up with ideas for books that will sell?

There are books that sell over 100 copies per month – those are worth writing. Most of the other ones are not. How to continue to find great topics to write about – that will sell well?

The million dollar question.

Are you able to come up with book topics that always sell?

Mind sharing that piece of the puzzle?

If you want to share it in private – that works for me – send me email – mikefook@gmail.com.

If you want to hint around the process – that’s cool too.

If you want to give me the next topic you think will do well – perfect.

Seems I’m always torn between writing books and doing other work.

If I knew how to pick the right topics for books – I’d be doing that, and only that.

And you?

Ok, now I have 3 books in the works. I didn’t have access to the one I’m almost done with so I started others. “Kicking Life’s Ass!” is coming shortly – and is really one of my finest books. Still needs editing though. Any wanna be editors out there? Recent grads?

Send me your rates for editing a 120 page book. I need someone to look at:

1. Sentence structure. I tend to create sentences that only I understand. I need them all to be very clear to others (this time).

2. Overall critique – or adjustment. Do some chapters need moved around? Am I missing something on the topic that could be added? Is something there that doesn’t flow with the rest of the book? Are my uses of the profane – within reason?

Good news – books still selling at crazy pace on Amazon and we’re almost half-way through January. Good sign… good sign. If true we’ll go over 600 books this month. Eager to write more books as you can imagine.

You should be TOO.

Start cranking man! It may never be this good again!

I basically started writing a little bit back in 1996 – doing a journal about some Buddhist meditation I was having fun with. I didn’t write my first full-length (125,000 words) fiction book until 2007. Since then I’ve written more than probably 99% of you reading this. I’m not bragging – just telling it how it is. I routinely write 4,000 words per day – but often I go WAY over that and I’m writing 15,000 words in a day. I had no idea how much I enjoyed writing – and I still don’t let myself believe it. I don’t remind myself of it – I just write because it’s a way I can produce something continuously day after *&^%ing day.

And yeah, it IS fun.

If you too have talent – and you know it – you might be asking yourself…

What’s my problem? There are hundreds and thousands of authors making a living through their writing – and I can’t even make half-a-living from it. What part of the equation am I missing?

It’s simple really.

You’re lacking in one of 2 areas:

2. Telling people you have stuff written.

There’s nothing else to the equation for success really. If you already write amazing stuff – the next step is to market it. If you just have these mind-stopping ideas in mind and never get them written down in a tangible format that people can purchase – then you’re going nowhere at all – except in your mind.

For a brief time I was one of those writers – about a year. I knew I could write. I knew that if I could kick a profound case of ADD/ADHD I’d be writing up a storm – and selling stuff. Problem was – I focused on the “How” of the game for far too long – not writing – just planning.

I know two writers out there that are head, shoulders, assholes and elbows above the pack. They have a way with the written word that brings tears to my eyes.

They are my brother and sister.

These are two of the most talented writers on the planet – of that I am certain.

Both of them know they can write. They know they are gifted writers.

So why is my sister working in a retail store and my brother doing software testing with Kodak?

They can’t see that NOW is the time to throw the rest of their lives out the window and focus 100% on WRITING – nothing else.

Maybe you can’t see it either. Me – I fully see it because finally I’m selling enough books that it means something now. It took a lot of work to get over a dozen books online – but, you know what? It wasn’t that damn difficult! I can easily see producing another 10-12 books in 2011 and doubling my book sales. If I tripled it – I’d be happy as spit. What would you do to sell $3,000 in books per month? Yeah, well you don’t need to cut off your arm or gift your newborn to someone – you can just write a number of books and make it happen.

Once you start writing and selling – it’s addictive. You’ve probably sold something you created before – whether it was a song, a book, an article, or comments on someone else’s blog – god forbid. No matter what it was – it gave your brain a tiny DING – a shot of endorphins that instantly hooked you.

Getting paid to write something creates an obsessive behavior – obsessive writing.

If you can just sell SOMETHING you’ve written – you’d see that.

Recently my brother wrote me email… He told me that the short book he wrote almost a year ago and put on Amazon Kindle – had some sales he didn’t know happened. He was finally psyched up about the prospect of writing and getting paid for it. I have tried for almost 2 decades to convince the guy to stop everything he was doing – and write, write, write, write, write. My words went into his ear and out his ear without any action taking place.

All it took to get him seeing success was selling a few ebooks on Amazon Kindle.

That might be what you need too. If you are a good writer – and you have written something  you can sell on Amazon Kindle – start the game today and upload it. Create a description. Choose some keywords. Find someone to make you a decent book cover image (I’ll do it for $50) – and start the first day of the rest of your writing life.

I was listening to some of my favorite songs from the 80′s on YouTube… and I realized something that hit me years ago, but I did nothing with.

Writing a book is the most time intensive creative thing you can do. Isn’t it?

Book writing, when compared to other things creative – is definitely high on the list. I guess creating a building would be time intensive, but that’s a team of people. If you did it yourself I guess it could be a couple month project. Is putting rectangles and other shapes together – taking their physical properties into account – creative? I guess it is…

I guess a symphony composition would be tough – but who is doing that anymore?

Writing a book in the old style – for print, takes a long, long time. Hundreds of hours. Maybe thousands. If you work 8 hours a day for 5 days a week that works out to 21-2,000 hours in a year I think I remember from somewhere (too tired to do my figurin’). That’s a full year of work. Since some people take years to finish their books, you can see where I’m going with this.

How long does it take to write a song? I think I could write a great song in anywhere from 1-3 days. The music – someone else would have to handle. I’m no musician. A song has the potential to affect the entire world – to rev them up and get them dancing in the street. A song can affect our emotions intensely. Much more than a book I think. For most people anyway.

How long does it take to create a sculpture? Lets say a full human figure of marble… a couple weeks? A couple of months? Not longer than a couple of months I’m sure. I have no skills in that area either – but, someone that did could whip up a marble statue in a couple of months – surely.

What else is there?

Origami? Maybe it would take you a week to come up with something different.

Website post? Couple hours, day or two at the most for a good article of 500-1000 words.

Drawing a scene? I’ve seen people draw an entire detailed scene in minutes. Painting a portrait… couple weeks? Max.

Photographer? I can’t call a photographer creative – as hard as I try. I was a photographer. Sure there is some skill to it, but basically you’re pushing a button at the right time when the settings are correct. It does take some imagination to take great photos. I’ve seen some advertising photos that took a lot of thought. How much? Couple days. Week at most.

Directing a movie? Writing the movie took the effort and time. Is putting the movie on film really that creative? Nah. I don’t think so. You already have a script – like a book someone wrote… nahhh.

I must be missing about 90 things – but I can’t come up with anything else really creative – like an artist would do.

Pottery? A couple of minutes. Glass blowing? A day, couple days.

Book writing or script writing for a movie takes more thought than maybe anything else you can do creatively.

Can anyone think of anything that takes more time?

I could have said, “Write Your Fingers Numb”, “Write Your Butt Numb”, or something else less forceful, right? Would you be surprised to find out forceful works well most times?

Write what you know. Write how you know. Know what you know. Write like you know. And, like what you write.

If you are just now considering becoming a writer of books – whatever flavor, you have to write until your ass grows tired of sitting in a chair. Ideally you’ll be writing about things that might make a popular book topic – or one that tweaks your turtle.

If you just start writing books -that is the true ideal. Practice. You learn to write books by writing books. Get one or two under your belt and see whether you think you’ve got what it takes. Ask others if they think you’ve got what it takes.

I know people that think they can write a book that I think have deluded themselves. They’re not good book writers.

Am I going to tell them?

Nope. Is it possible they have a break-through and suddenly can write? Yes, it is possible, but of the 4 people I’m thinking about – a meteor hitting them in the thick of the skull is a much more likely occurrence.

There are book writers and there are… those that do everything else.

If you’re a book writer then start writing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re 15 years old or 55, just write. If you can’t force yourself to write exercises that will improve specific skills you’ll need to master, then forget it – just write. Write short stories about something you like. Challenge yourself to write the shortest story ever. Write a journal. Write comments at blogs you read and try to show you’re smart – or, try to piss everyone off.

A writer is a master of communicating something – some idea. The more you write, the more you’re going to understand how to use written words to spark neurons in a reader’s head, leading to reader enlightenment.

What ideas do you want to get across to the world?

Write! For god’s sakes write! Stop reading all these blog posts! lol…

Like the newspaper industry, the book publishing industry is being turned sideways and twisted like a corkscrew – sucked into the whirly vortex of the digital publishing black hole.

Book publishers, agents, grammar rules, and books as we know them are going the way of newspapers which are going the way of magazines… all of it leaving a sparkling crystal white Pepsodent-clean taste in my mouth as I climb toward $100,00 earnings in the digital publishing market.

I was thinking the other day, as I was writing my 2nd fiction novel, Collecther, that I must write in a way that appeals to an agent and publisher.

I don’t know why, but I still had this idea I needed to cram my thoughts into a format that every other published writer was following and had followed for decades… scores of years.

And then it fell straight out of the sky hitting me squarely on my egg head…

I’m free to write as I wish.

Why it didn’t hit me before, and why for the last 8 months when I wrote, was I  writing for others – I’m not sure. Cognitively I know that the entire industry is going ass over noggin, but I hadn’t thought about everything that meant. I’d missed this crucial fact.

We’re free. Writers are free to write as they wish – whateverthefucktheywish. Whatever format you want to write in, you can write in.

Nobody has the final say on my work – but me. On your work? You.

Grammar rules, accepted for years – go right out the fucking door and freedom takes its place. How cool is that?

See, Mike Fook didn’t get a degree in English. In high school, university, grad school – the intricacies of English grammar did nothing for me. I could write master’s level papers, sure. My vocabulary? Uniquely bedecked.

Can I keep a proper tense throughout 120,000 words? Nope.

Can I tell you when to use commas – or hyphens – or these things -> (;:)?

Nope.

Can 98% of the US population explain even ten rules of grammar?

Nope.

Am I going to worry about it anymore? Nope.

I’m writing for an audience. You are too.

Who is your audience?

If you’re writing for PhD’s then you’ll want to continue to adhere to the same style of writing your audience is used to. You must if you want to communicate at the level that makes them all cheesy, warm and gushy.

My audience isn’t that same group. My audience is a group of intelligent dudes -ettes that could give a rat’s tiny hairy one whether I used the proper tense, as long as the point got across. My audience wants to read intelligent shit presented in a way that’s unstuffy, unpretentious, un-microedited, and that flows smoothly from my fingers not unlike dripping jasmine nectar off my pinky finger into their willing mouths.

Nobody     in     my     audience     gives      a    shite      if       I       space      wackily.

Nobody cares if I use shite instead of shit. Fark for fuck. My audience wants to see new words and phrases in new context. My audience wants to try to figure out what the hell I’m saying – sometimes at least. The written word has been dead for so long. That’s why people like Keroac, Hunter Thompson, found an audience… people were ready for something real.

Two thousand ten is a very important time for the written word. Here’s why…

Any jackass that can move his mouth can be on television.  Remember Morton Downey Jr’s guests? Some could barely be said to have been speaking English – but, it didn’t matter. They had a nationwide, and even worldwide, forum. They could communicate whatever they wanted and be recognized for it.

There is no grammar test for people that are speaking on television or radio. There is a DJ in Tampa, that, years ago spoke like a hillbilly from the sticks. Guess what? He killed radio there – to a sick degree. He was way ahead of every other DJ in listenership.

Why is that?

He had a message.

The message counts on TV – always has. Have you watched any popular YouTube videos lately? There are whole flocks of idiots telling their story, in whatever way they know how – that are making bank on top of bank.

Television, video, internet, radio, walkie-talkie and karaoke radios – nobody cares about grammar except the publishing industry.

That’s about to change because the paper publishing industry is being blackholed by digital publishing.

Digital publishing, though at first glance might seem like a panacea for only the tech-literate, is actually a game leveler for writers of all types. Writers that don’t have the slightest idea how to put together a book – will put together books because they aren’t constrained by the format anymore. There is no test to pass… no agent, no publisher to get through. You write a book. You get an editor if you want (I still want), and you publish your book digitally.

Right now I have 5 books on Amazon that are selling. They’re not selling gangbusters, but they’re selling. I’m making $5 per book sold. How much would I make if I went with a paper publisher? $1.30? Hmm.

Any day now my books will be sold at the Apple iBookstore and Sony ebook store. I have worldwide distribution, INSTANT distribution, without the paper publishing industry at all. Actually, nobody even had to edit my books – I can write one in a week, edit myself, upload, and bang – I’m live on Amazon.

Are you beginning to see now how much the good lord loves digital publishing over traditional publishing?

Sure you are.

While traditional writers are banging their heads against oak writing desks, crazy over whether one of the 300 agents they sent query letters to will respond, I’m banging my head against silk-covered feather pillows banking  extra sleep while my ebooks put cash in my electronic accounts.

Where do you want to be banging your head?