After (mumbled number) decades of writing full time and selling my work to commercial publishers, I discovered that I was happier and had a lot more fun writing if I published my own work. At the same time, I discovered I also I got paid more regularly, more reliably, and better for doing so.
At the point where you discover a win-win solution to some part of your own life, you have to realize you’d be crazy not to pursue it. I pursued it for about four years in hybrid fashion, while also writing commercially—but reality is that self-publishing just kept on beating commercial publishing in every head-on comparison.
So I quit publishing my work commercially. I can’t say the decision was easy, and I can say it was terrifying, but in July of 2011 I walked away from commercial publishing.
Now I’m back to writing the Cadence Drake, Moon & Sun, and Longview series, creating stand-alone fiction, building writing courses, and getting the chance to speak directly to the readers of both my fiction and nonfiction.
If you keep hoping I’ll do a particular story, or book, or course, and I haven’t yet—let me know.
Get a free story and more when you join my Readers’ List.
And find me here: HollyLisle.com
And here: HollysWritingClasses.com
Cheerfully,
Holly Lisle
More by Holly Lisle
Settled Space & Cadence Drake Stories
Tales from The Longview: Episode 1 - Born from Fire
Tales from The Longview: Episode 2 - The Selling of Suzee Delight
Tales from The Longview: Episode 3 - The Philosopher Gambit
Tales from The Longview: Episode 4 - The Vipers’ Nest (coming next)
Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood
Warpaint
The Wishbone Conspiracy (coming soon)
My Other Novels
The Ruby Key: Moon & Sun I
The Silver Door: Moon & Sun II
Hawkspar: A Novel of Korre
Midnight Rain
Last Girl Dancing
I See You
Night Echoes
Fire in the Mist: Arhel I
Bones of the Past: Arhel II
Mind of the Magic: Arhel III
Sympathy for the Devil: Devil’s Point I
The Devil and Dan Cooley (with Walter Spence): Devil’s Point II
Hell on High (with Ted Nolan): Devil’s Point III
Minerva Wakes
Memory of Fire: World Gates I
The Wreck of Heaven: World Gates II
Gods Old and Dark: World Gates III
Diplomacy of Wolves: Secret Texts I
Vengeance of Dragons: Secret Texts II
Courage of Falcons: Secret Texts III
Vincalis the Agitator (Secret Texts Prequel)
Glenraven (with Marion Zimmer Bradley)
In The Rift: Glenraven II (with Marion Zimmer Bradley)
When the Bough Breaks (with Mercedes Lackey)
Mall, Mayhem and Magic (with Chris Guin)
The Rose Sea (with S.M.Stirling)
Curse of the Black Heron
Thunder of the Captains (with Aaron Allston)
Wrath of the Princes (with Aaron Allston)
My Singles (stand-alone short fiction)
Light Through Fog
Rewind
Strange Arrivals: Ten Tiny, Twisty Fantasy Tales
My Stories in Collections
“Light Through Fog,” The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance
“4EVR,” The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance
“Last Thorsday Night,” The Mammoth Book of Time Travel
“Knight and the Enemy,” The Enchanter Reborn
“Armor-ella,” Chicks in Chainmail
“A Few Good Men,” Women at War
My Nonfiction
Create A World Clinic: A Step-by-Step Course for the Fiction Writer
Create A Plot Clinic: A Step-by-Step Course for the Fiction Writer
Create A Culture Clinic: A Step-by-Step Course for the Fiction Writer
Create A Character Clinic: A Step-by-Step Course for the Fiction Writer
How to Write Page-Turning Scenes: A Step-by-Step Course for the Fiction Writer
Mugging the Muse: Writing Fiction for Love AND Money
Professional Plot Outline
Nonfiction Site Exclusives
(These courses are ONLY available on HollysWritingClasses.com)
How to Write Flash Fiction that Doesn’t SUCK: A Free Three-Week Course for Everyone
How to Think Sideways: Career Survival School for Writers (seven-month writing course)
How to Revise Your Novel: Get the Book You Want from the Wreck You Wrote (five-month revision course)
How to Write A Series: Master the Art of Sequential Fiction
Title. Cover. Copy. - Fiction Marketing Workshop
7-Day Crash Revision: How to Do the Clean-Up Revision of an Entire Novel in One (Desperate) Week
(7-Day Workshop, also works with short fiction and self-publishing)
How to Find Your Writing Discipline (3-Day Workshop)
21 Ways to Get Yourself Writing When Your Life Has Just Exploded (Workshop)
How to Write Dialogue with Subtext: Give Your Characters Conversations that MATTER (Workshop)
How to Motivate Yourself: Discover Your Hidden Triggers and Barriers and Use BOTH to Get Writing
(Workshop)