So apparently I was a topic of conversation at an Indy writing con?

I just heard that at the '20 books to 50K' convention in Vegas this last weekend, that I was one of the topics of conversations among a LOT of people. Apparently a number of them want to figure out how to 'copy me'?? so they can make lots of money.

Honestly, I checked out the 20 books to 50K group a while ago. Other than the list of 'rules' that someone put up there way back in the beginning, I don't think most of those people get it, or are going to do as well as they think.

Too many people view writing as a 'get rich quick' scheme. I've seen this in a lot of different jobs and hobbies I've had over the years. Yes, some people do get lucky, that does happen, though in most cases you'll see that there was a lot of 'work' involved in that 'luck.'

As for me? I don't really think I'm making the kind of money these people think I am. Maybe if I can keep up the sales for a couple of years I will be, but this is a job, like any other, and it involves a lot of hard work and long hours. It's taken me many years of hard work to get to this particular place as well. Just thinking that they can 'copy what I'm doing' and suddenly make lots of money?

In gold mining we have a saying: 'All the easy gold is gone.' Which quite simply means, that yes, there may be gold out there, but you're going to have to bust your ass to find it. Just writing twenty books is not going to earn you a 50K income. Just earning it one year doesn't mean you can stop and the money will keep rolling in.

You have to keep working at it, you have to keep writing, you have to keep publishing. Or you will just fade away. A book only has so many years of sales in it. Or in some cases, so many months. I write six or more novels a year. Every year. Gimmicks will not sustain an income. Only hard work can do that.

(But still, they were talking about me? Wow! I'm famous!!)