I agree with Nature of the beat that this is the problem of artists everywhere. We want to create, and many of us fail in the marketing department because it’s not where we wish to invest our time. Some of us just plain suck at it.

I lost a lot of steam to even finish my novel because I was so disheartened after reading how seemingly impossible it is to get your work out there unless you are also an “Author Extraordinaire.”

I’ve seen people who vlog about their author lives and have a huge following, but as I’ve lamented to other writers, the ones who appear to be making money are those who tell others how to make money — whether it works or not. It doesn’t surprise me that your essays have the largest stats.

Unfortunately I think Amazon will continue roping in (mostly) new authors into thinking their free program is a fantastic way to promote themselves. It would seem a huge Catch-22, with the only real solution being for Indie authors to create more of their own outlets and shunning Amazon altogether, which is a tough pill to swallow.

Just my .02 cents. Perhaps try to get more of your short stories into mags and such for better exposure. Keep at it Jack! You give the rest of us hope.