In the days of new kings, dying viruses, and turning wars

I sporadically return to my neglected website from time to time, browse a few old blog posts and promise myself that I’ll post more regularly. In truth, I probably won’t, but when I start to write a new post I feel that it should contain something significant, bearing in mind that I probably won’t write another for at least a year.
 
It’s interesting looking back over the last couple of posts that there was a lot of mention of Benjamin Forrest and the Endinfinium series, considering that I’m now currently working on a new book in the series, three years after finishing the last. I’m still not sure why; commercially I’m wasting my time; the last book has probably sold no more than 100 copies, if that, but I like the story and I also like tying up loose ends. It won’t be the last book in the series, but it will be another step along the road. An ignored step, most likely, if sales of the rest of the series are to go by, but one that no doubt it’ll be fun to take.
 
It’s very interesting to look back on where I was at as a publisher too. Google Play continues to not take off, even if I do sell a few books there each month. Barnes and Noble is dying a slow death for no reason I can understand; last year was fantastic but this year sales seem to drop off month by month. And that’s despite there being four new books so far this year with two more on pre-order. One thing that hasn’t changed is the pace of my publication schedule.
 
It’s interesting to see the mention of Findaway – while B&N fades away Findaway Voices goes from strength to strength. I followed up on the plan outlined in the past post, and now all the Jack Benton and CP Ward books are published wide on FW, and doing very well, boosted by numerous Chirp deals on Bookbub, the next of which is on October 18th. As I write this, the files for the seventh audiobook in the series were completed this morning by Kevin, the fantastic narrator for the series, so the book should be published by the end of this month.
 
Just to put a few markers down to see where I’m at next time I write this blog – whenever that may be! – I’ve so far written 270,000 words this year, and hope to break 400,000. Late last year I started publishing on Radish, a newer fiction app, and currently make around $35 a month.
 
Things in the pipeline which I’m still working on / planning –
 
Audiobooks on YouTube
My own Shopify store
All my paperbacks on Instagram.
 
I haven’t done any of the above yet, so it’ll be interesting to see if I have by next time. I’m also working on moving the Tokyo Lost series over to the Jack Benton name. I’ve been working on that since February, but it keeps getting put on the backburner.
 
And as things stand, I have seven books in the Tokyo Lost series, ten books as CP Ward (with two out in the next three months), the Fire Planets series is at 5 books and Endinfinium at 4.
 
For new readers – you may have noticed something. I’ve revamped my website slightly as a publisher site; however, all the authors are me. Some of me are more successful / famous than others, ha.
 
A little historical perspective too – the last time I wrote was pre-pandemic; whereas I just had last week off work because my wife and daughter both had a very mild version of the virus that has brought the world to its knees. King Charles III has been on the throne for approximately five days, and over the last few days the Ukraine-Russia war has started to turn in the direction of Ukraine. With a bit of luck, the forces of that abominable butcher Putin will be long gone from Ukraine (as will he) by the next time I post.
 
So, until then, keep checking for updates. You probably don’t need to check that often, though…
 
CW 13/9/2022
o edit.