It Doesn't Pay to Be Creative

I released my new book yesterday.

I SAID "I RELEASED MY NEW BOOK YESTERDAY!"

The response? A resounding yawn from the world. That's a tough thing to stomach. In the course of 24 hours, the book has sold precisely zero copies. Why does this matter? Well, if you're not a writer, it probably doesn't, but if you are a writer, you'll probably understand what I'm talking about when I say, "It doesn't pay to be creative."

Now writing pays in more ways than one. There's the personal satisfaction of creating a story, having the dedication to see it through, and then birthing your brainchild to the world. That's great, and for many people that is enough. Sometimes you sell copies of your books and that pays too. If you want that second bit of satisfaction, the one that pays the bills, you might not want to spend your time creating something new.

My latest book is my best-written book, as far as I can tell. My other books include two zombie novels as part of a series, a vampire tale that's bloody and weird, and a book that is a collection of movie reviews and drinking games. They are not creative. They were written by a person, me, that was trying to play it safe. They sold some copies, got some reviews, and were generally liked. They didn't take the world by storm, but there was interest, and that was enough for me.

For my fifth book, I decided to go a completely different route. I wanted to do something new. I wanted to do something that no one had ever seen before... and I did. The sad part is that no one besides me has ever read the damn story. Why?

There are a variety of reasons that I can think of, but the main reason is that it is something that has never been seen before. The story is a work of fiction that I consider horror. It takes place in a pre-Colombian America and features all Native American characters. The characters struggle in a world where violence and survival are everyday worries.

Most people would probably call the story fantasy... because there are monsters and stuff. But for me, I always assumed that horror had no time period. If it were a realistic world, it didn't matter what time period the story took place in, that story would be considered horror. The Enemies of Our Ancestors is such a tale. It uses real locations, realistic tribes, and throws in a little bit of its own mythology, but the world is still our world.

The fact that the cast of characters is comprised of only Native Americans tends to force it into the fantasy genre as well... because, well, most people consider Native Americans extinct in real life anyway. I don't. I am Native American. To me, The Enemies of Our Ancestors is the same as if a European dude set a horror story in 1700's London. Would people call that a fantasy tale? Probably not. Just because the history of Native Americans is not documented does not make anything written about them fantasy.

With all of that being said, now we come to the huge problem of being creative. You can't sell the damn thing. I spent a good amount of time shopping the book to agents. The overwhelming response was "It's good, but I can't sell it." There's no market for this. "What?" a bewildered writer might ask. You're telling me that because it hasn't been done before, it can't be sold? It crosses genres and it's pretty difficult to define, so there's no way to sell it? Pshh.

Eventually I said, "Screw the agents," as I frequently do, and went out to publish the damn thing on my own, because I'm super impatient and want to get back to the business of actually writing. "I'll show you!" I thought. People are dying for new, standalone novels that offer something new, something out of the ordinary. It turns out that all those agents were right. New and creative ideas, no matter how well they are written, die as soon as they are removed from the vine. Without publicity, campaigning, or some way to raise the awareness of your product, no casual reader is likely every to search for "Native American dark fantasy horror" when trying to find a book to read.

But here's the sick part. The other day, I was involved in a discussion in a horror writer's group about why everyone is writing zombies and post-apoc novels. The fact is that they sell. Motherfuckers type the word "zombie" into search bars, and your book will pop up. You will sell copies.

Now... as an artist, this is a disheartening thing. No one should only want to write about zombies for the rest of their life, especially if they are actually a writer and not just some hack following trends. But, then there is that money thing. Covers cost money. Books cost time, which according to rich, white businessman everywhere, is also money.

"What am I to do?" I ask myself. I guess I'll just keep plugging away, toiling in anonymity, throwing money and time into my writing while waiting to see what sticks. I can only hope that somewhere, someone becomes so starved for something unique and original that they stumble across my blog or my novel. Or maybe, one day, someone randomly does a search for "Native American dark fantasy horror."

Of course, I may just be super-impatient and the book will eventually find its audience. In the meantime, I better get started on that third part of my zombie series. Oh yeah... if you're interested, and would like to reward creativity while scoring a rad book, click the link below to buy The Enemies of Our Ancestors. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always welcome.

Click here to buy The Enemies of Our Ancestors