Joe Bonadonna
"I try to write 7 days a week, including holidays, and for as long as I physically can. Writing is the hardest work I've ever done, and I spent 42 years at manual labor. Unless it's a birthday present or a gift for some holiday, I do not give my books away. I spend too much time working on them, and when I hire artists and editors, I hire the best I can find. Giving books away devalues not only the book, but all the hard work, and yes -- all the blood, sweat and tears we put into them."
Lindsay Johnston
"I work a full time job to support my family and my writing hobby. Right now I pay out more in getting my book ready to be published. That includes a cover and editing. Once the book is up on a platform (Amazon, B&N, Itunes etc) I will only get a percentage of the sales. So say a book costs 3.99, I will only get maybe 2.00 of that book. Unlike some of the others, I have given my book away for free hoping to get reviews and the word out there and have learned the hard way that people may or may not read it, and if they do, very few of them will actually leave a review. I would rather someone read my book because they truly want to, then to win it and not read it at all."
Courtney Shockey
"I write on the shorter side of novels and novellas, and I can honestly say I spend anywhere from $500-1000 per book. And that's before it hits the shelves. Promotions, boosted posts, blog tours, that all costs money and a considerable amount of time. The easiest part of the whole process is writing the story. And for someone to get a free copy, only to have it stored in their kindle and never looked at again is heart wrenching. That book you forgot about is a piece of me."
Michela Homer
"Writing the book is the easiest part of writing. The hours spent trying to find editors, covers, reviewers and places to market your book is a massive challenge. I've spent on average $400.00. What I have learnt is that this industry is the only one where the support from authors is absolutely amazing. It's hard work for many of us on top of full time work but the pleasure of knowing your book is making a difference to someone for a short period of time is the best feeling in the world. It's a passion I'll continue to drive for as long as possible."