I Need Help · 8:27am Sep 16th, 2015
Today was going to be a very different post. But unfortunately, life delivered me a very dangerous blow this week.
Some of you probably know that I've been financially stretched thin over the last few months. If you didn't, well, I have been. Am. My primary diet for a while has been rice and beans, because 25 lbs of rice and beans is really, really cheap. I've been living on a razor's edge, though ... and this week it cut me.
My insurance company is the culprit. They screwed up, and rather than take my usual monthly $96 insurance charge out of my bank account, they took $270. They've admitted to the mistake ... but in typical fashion, they will not return the money to me, but rather apply it to future bills.
That, combined with the utility payments I'd already sent out, ruined my bank account. It zero'd a few hours ago.
As in $0.00. Zilch. Nada. My credit card took the remainder (which in turn hits me with a fee and slashes my credit rating).
I am officially, completely, busted. This on top of my long-time residence being sold, which means I need to find a new place to live—and cough up advance rent and a deposit for October, or I'll be living out of my car. It goes without saying that all writing will stop when that happens.
Anyway, I'm going to do what I can to try and salvage this disaster, but the dice have already rolled snake eyes. Odd jobs, more jobs, borrowing money from family ... but in the end, this hits me hard, and I'll probably be feeling the effects for years to come unless some sort of miracle falls into my lap.
I'm not going to beg for money or donations. I'm not going to do that. But I am going to ask something of you, my followers. Not donations. Help.
A lot of you have been readers of my work for years now. You've followed my blog for writing advice. You've read, upvoted, and made my fanfics on here some of the more popular stories on the entire site, and to that end, the fandom itself. A lot of you like what I do. You like what I write. You like what I've created.
And so I'm asking you now, with all that in mind, please don't let it end there. Please look over my published books and consider giving one of them a shot. If you haven't bought and tried one yet, please consider it. If you already have, then please help me out and leave an honest review of it on Amazon. If you really enjoyed it, and want to see more, please tell other people about it so they can find it. Share a link on facebook, on twitter, or on a blog.
These books aren't bad. They're sitting at 4.4 and 4.9 stars each after two years and a year, respectively. The lowest reviews? 3 3-star reviews. 3-star is average. The covers aren't great, but the story inside of each of them is.
Please, take a look at them. If you've read them and haven't left a review, please do, and if you could be inclined to be so helpful, recommend them. Facebook, twitter, e-mail. Whatever tools you have.
But please, if you can, do. I need the help. And I really want to be able to keep writing.
Wow. That... That really sucks and is incredibly screwed up.
I'd already bought your books, and I'm such a poor salesman that I couldn't sell bottled water to a man dying of thirst, but I can at least go back and write a short review for Dead Silver. Well, that and pray.
May God be with you, man.
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Thanks. Especially for the prayers. Heaven knows I've been living off of them for a while. If there was ever time for a miracle, this would be it.
Bought One Drink now.
Not much - but I hope it helps.
I already own both books, unfortunately. I made a blog post on the site, though. Hopefully, that will encourage a few people to buy one or both of them.
I already own and have reviewed both books, but I'll make a few posts to some Facebook groups and other communities that might be interested in your works
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Thank you for the help. And I hope you enjoy the book.
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Thanks for the shout-out Hoopy. Every little bit helps, and I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to do that.
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Thank you. Hopefully they like it.
If there is a place I could go to donate, I will gladly do so.
I just bought both of the books, finally. I don't know when I will be able to get them read and reviewed, but I hope the bit of cash you get for them helps. I'm kind of glad I waited, personally. The money you get now will definitely be more needed than it was even a few months ago.
I wish you the best of luck, Viking. I'm sure that you will pull through this rough spot and get back on track soon enough. We're all pulling for you here
Bought it!
I will give you my review when I finish it ^^
I hope you good luck! Also you have my respect for how you handle the situation
I don't mean to belittle your situation, but I found the months I was living in my car to be my most productive here on Fimfiction, because instead of sitting at home finding things to distract me, I sat at the park or library or food place with Wi-Fi, and wrote.
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I've never been very keen on donations. The closest I've come is Patreon, where I can at least give out a specialized thank-you and reward for my supporters each month ... and honestly, even that still makes me a bit uncomfortable—to the degree that at some point, I hope to have enough income from my books to close my Patreon down.
If you don't feel like purchasing one of my works, that'd be your best option.
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Thank you. On all accounts.
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Thank you. I hope you enjoy it. But even if not (there's always a chance), I look forward to your review.
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I don't own a laptop. I do all my work on a desktop.
Also, I write about 80,000 to 100,000 words of fiction a month. Productivity is not a challenge.
3398241 ah. I'm lucky to get 8000 words out in a month. Different strokes for different folks.
Just bought your books. Will try to get my family to get them as well.
You're in my prayers, Viking.