Popcorn Kittens

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Here's a post about how indie publishing can make a writer's brain kind of explode.

You know how I solve this? Most of the time, I let my fans steer. Once in a while, I get really determined to write a particular thing. But things the fans choose collectively have a higher chance of selling better. They're not picking stuff at random. My audience makes a mindful and effective gatekeeper.

I treasure this. You see, my brain has always been full of popcorn kittens. Having a few lackadaisical editors out in the blue yonder occasionally buying things didn't help a whole lot, so mostly I relied on my own taste. Or whim, because I'm better at starting things than finishing them. But I've gotten better results from a dedicated audience. Even with a whole bunch ofongoing series open at the same time, the total mass per storyline is way way higher, and some of those have developed a robust plotline. When people ask for more of characters they love, or particular events they want to see, or more of a favorite setting, that means the expansion is consistently driven by interest. It's great targeting information; it teaches me how to write better. It definitely shapes what I choose to extend or leave fallow.

You settle popcorn kittens by putting down a bowl of cat food. I'm cool with that.

So if you're having a hard time deciding what to work on next, you honestly have a bunch of promising projects you'd love to do, and you have an established audience -- try asking them. I've used polls myself. I've also seen webcomics actually do it with donations where every dollar equals a vote for your favorite character, and the one with the most votes wins.