It’s almost a month since my last post and we’re emerging out of lockdown. At least here in London the weather has improved and gotten warmer so that’s a few positives we can smile about. Here, on my day off, I can at least devote some time to my blog perhaps even head into the library and resume my bookworm antics. The idea of having to horde out 7 books at once and reading to my heart’s content is one such activity I miss and, as a new writer, it’s the only way I’ll ever improve and that’s to read as much as possible.
I’ve only just received my royalties from Amazon sales of my book The Tribulations of Kharman which is £8.28. Of course it’s not a lot but I didn’t expect to make much sales and I didn’t get into this business for the money (though I’d appreciate the compensation for my hard work) I am however grateful in those sales and utilizing a skill to continue this story. But here’s a special thanks to those who’ve actually taken the time and their money to purchase my book.
The small payment is not the only price I’ve paid in writing such a the book. The number of pages you create can have a negative contribution on your sales. Regardless of this I have a story to tell and would-be writers should be mindful of their stories length as well as the content they include.
What do I mean?
Well my story isn’t typical. It’s a Sci-Fi but the difficulty I had was finding the correct sub-genre for it. So I’d call it a Planetary Romance.
What is Planetary Romance?
A subgenre of Sci-Fi where the majority of the story takes place on an alien planet. The story doesn’t have to be set in humanities’ future but mine is. Now the subgenre’s name isn’t even used that much today so again I had a struggle categorizing it and settling with the genre space opera as it is wildly used. This was a genre name I could run with as space opera is reference with stories taking place either on space stations or spaceships with minimal scenes on planets. Overall the Kharman series will eventually head into space and distance itself from the planet Kyliea, so I don’t feel I’m misleading the reader too much with also calling it a space opera. If you purchase my book as a hardback and read the back I even specify it’s a planetary romance whereas if you had to search it, it’d come under space opera chiefly as again the term planetary romance isn’t used often.
It’s not just Sci-Fi
My first book is not just sci-fi with space battles and attacking aliens. In fact the former doesn’t even exist though the backdrop is from a major interstellar war that happened with the main protagonist from an Earth that is mostly occupied or considered a protectorate or colony to another alien species. This is a typical trope in most sci-fi but not really the main focus. I wanted to have a some variance in the story. More emotion. One that explores trade and relationships with others who look different or similar but behave and act in an almost human way. Now we’ve seen this many times with classic mainstream and cult shows and movies such as Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Avartar but mine differs with the sexual content so if it was a show it’d be compared or perhaps described as Avartar meets Game of Thrones or American Gods only because of some of the swearing and sex. So again at the back it is described as an,
erotically charged sci-fi Planetary Romance thriller.
I have stated to other would be buyers that this is a book for adults not children. To my dismay one colleague told me she was getting it for her children but I told her it was for adults. She quickly clarified her children were adults so I was saved.
Why Include such content?
It was a decision I made long ago. Having read Thrillers, Sci-fi, Period dramas, romance, eroticism, and historical novels I decided to combine or at least have these elements in my story. I also learned that books can be more detailed than visual mediums we’re more used to and I have read books, sci-fi included, that have disturbing content a director would even struggle to film. One book that influenced me a little was another Planetary Romance/military sci-fi whose title I’ve forgotten. An American book that was enjoyable and weird.
What Happened?
Because of the adult content in some of the scenes one retailer rejected it. I was also forbidden to advertise it on Amazon. Did I know this would happen? Absolutely not and I was thoroughly frustrated that Amazon wouldn’t allow me to advertise it yet I can sell it on their platform. It didn’t make sense to be but that’s them and their rules.
So this is the price authors will pay when they haven’t invested enough knowledge in the industry or the platforms as I haven’t.
Would I do things Differently?
Knowing the costs now would I do things differently? Perhaps. Perhaps I would’ve toned down the sex scenes a little. I’m currently on the second novel and this one may have a lower amount of sexual content, which is more to do with the direction the story has been placed in rather than what anyone else thinks. The swearing will stay as it is part of the protagonist’s personality and this helps maintain a sense of realism, frustration and emotion. The bad language, however limited, is not there for the sake of it. It serves a purpose and though you personally may not like to hear bad language you are unfortunately going to encounter it in the real world and it can’t be avoided. So the few F-bombs will be in there as after all we’re adults and it’s aimed at adults so why not?
Purchase The Tribulations of Kharman here.