Because I Needed More to Do

Clearly something is wrong with me.

Well, honestly, there’s a lot of things wrong with me. Right now I’m thinking of one thing in particular, though:

I’m thinking of starting a YouTube channel.

Why would I do such a thing?! I’ve got enough going on as it is. I don’t need to add more to it!

Also, I know that having a YouTube channel is no guarantee of views! I run the YouTube channel for my congregation, and that doesn’t get a lot of views!

Really, it came down to me thinking about a side of being an author I don’t like: Marketing.

Look, it doesn’t matter who your publisher is. It doesn’t matter if your book comes out from Simon and Schuster or if you publish with your own nickels. Authors need to be marketers if they expect to make money. Authors who hide behind their screens and never come into public to talk about their stuff don’t make many sales.

I wish I could just type for ten minutes a day and make millions, but that just doesn’t happen. If you want to be an author, if you want to get paid to create worlds, you need to sell your stuff—not just to a publisher, but also to the public.

AuthorTube is a thing. I frequently watch a few channels there, especially Jenna Moreci, though Alexa Donne and iWriterly are also favorites. These particular channels give amazing advice on how to write well. They focus not just on craft, but how to be an author as well.

I won’t be able to do that kind of channel. At least, not on a regular basis. I don’t think I’m that smart!

But what I can do… is interview fellow authors. I can talk to other people on this same journey I am and ask them about that journey. What have they learned? What advice would they give? And that I think could be very valuable to the community. Short snippets that can benefit others who write.

Now, these are just thoughts I’m sort of throwing at the wall.

The plus side is I think I have enough friends that would consent to a ten-minute interview, I could put together at least a few seasons-worth of content. And if I keep it to a ten-minute video, it wouldn’t take too much of my time. Interviews should be fairly straightforward to edit, too.

In theory.

So… I don’t know. Maybe?

I’ll let the thought percolate for a while and see what happens.

I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Even if I crash and burn, it should be a good spectacle for anyone watching!