To my author friends, regardless of how you publish
When times are uncertain and consumer confidence plummets, perceived luxuries are the first things people give up. Books, movies, subscriptions, branded merch/clothing, and travel, to name a few.Boycotts are one thing. Economic chaos and mass sudden unemployment are another thing, and they are very bad news for anyone whose income is from the “luxury” sectors. We are having Lockdown 2020 rolled together with Global Economic Crisis 2008 and post-9/11 all at once.
This chaos at home causes a chaos tsunami around the world which rolls over us all again at home. And so on. We’re not isolated.
Some of the sales results we are seeing aren’t boycotts. They’re economic anxiety, and they are beyond our control. That’s a hard thing to accept. I know – I’ve had to accept many changes in my 35+ year career and it’s not fun.
Hopes and dreams are being disrupted everywhere. IMHO, it’s going to get worse before it might get better.
Control what you can: your work, your plans to stay safe, your connections to other people, and the ground on which you stand.
Love and support to all.
(The pictured quote is from the Tricycle Haiku Challenge. Author and date are obscured by paywall.)
