Middle-aged man. Writing a book while unemployed 2017-2019
I asked the author about a memorable book! Here is the Q&A.
This work is one of the books by the popular author "Mongoloid."
Here, I interview authors directly about their memorable works and write articles about them.
■ Middle-aged man. Writing a book while unemployed 2017-2019
Author: Mongoloid
Genre: Message-oriented
Release date: 2018/1/9
【Impressions from the Library Director】
A unique way of using words. It felt like a strange mix of a narrative style and a dialogue. However, the fundamental joy of writing a book and the struggles of life come through in the text, and you are strangely drawn into the world view. It seems like the author revised and rewrote it many times, but that is how everyone's first publication goes. I can empathize with finding the joy of life through writing a book, and I think this can be called a book of the soul, where the author's inner thoughts are put directly into text. Writing well isn't everything; sometimes it is necessary to leave a record of yourself. This was a book where you could see the author polishing their writing skills. Since they encountered Kindle publishing quite early on, I imagine they were in an environment where there was really no one around to help them at the time, but now they seem to be participating in various activities, connecting with many people, and enjoying their Kindle activities, which makes you think about the meaning of persistence.
I asked the author, Mongoloid, some questions and received answers, so I would like to introduce them.
Q&A
【How did you encounter Kindle publishing?】
I bought and read a used book on the flea market app Mercari called "The Impact of Kindle Unlimited (by Takashi Ishii): How the emergence of all-you-can-read services changes the way publishers, companies, and individuals earn money!" That was the trigger. Then I searched online, watched an animation explaining KDP, thought I wanted to do it, registered, and looked up KDP on YouTube. That was in November 2017.
【What was difficult about writing the book?】
The fact that I didn't know what to write. I couldn't think of any ideas or themes. So, I decided to write about the fact that I couldn't write. My writing was also low-level, and I was aiming for 15,000 characters, which was an endlessly long task. I somehow managed to finish writing it and published it.
【What was the impact after publication?】
The impact after publication... well. There were comments saying it was low-level, with incoherent writing where it wasn't clear what I wanted to say. Gradually, it started to be read, and I think my pen name, Mongoloid, started to become recognized.
【Did you do Kindle publishing alone at that time?】
Yes. I was alone. There were no companions around me, and I started making acquaintances on SNS. It was mainly after I started Twitter that I interacted with a few other Kindle authors. Now I have met many companions, let people know about my existence, and have made many friends. I have been entrusted with the role of sub-leader of the Kindle Publishing Salon [Bluebird]. (I don't do any work, haha), but I am blessed to have met so many companions. I am very happy.
【Has your writing style changed since your first publication?】
Well, basically nothing has changed, but now I write in an essay format. I change between polite style and plain style depending on my mood. I ask a third party to proofread, so after I write the manuscript, I have them polish the text and then upload it to KDP. There are a few works that are my original text without proofreading, but those are unpopular. The ratings are not good.
【Honestly, was the revenue good or bad?】
The revenue was bad. The first month was a little over 500 yen. 2,000 or 3,000 yen continued for about a year. In the second year, I got help from a third party to proofread a 90,000-character work called "Audio Without Spending Money: The Moment Sound Changes." After completing and publishing that, the revenue jumped up. "The Moment Sound Changes" is my breakout work. The royalties reached five digits! Since then, I have been monetizing consistently every day. Currently, there was a time when it exceeded 3,500 yen in one day (not every day). The minimum is 330 yen per day. I have revenue of 330 yen or more every day. On average, it is just under 1,000 yen. I think I still have a long way to go, but earning tens of thousands of yen a month helps with my living expenses. I am not satisfied yet. I am aiming for the successful Kindle author companions.
[Please write down anything you would like to convey]
What I want to convey is that with KDP, you can basically write about anything, and writing is good for your mental health, you can earn money, and you can even have a little bit of influence. The act of writing is wonderful, so I highly recommend KDP. I recommend publishing on Kindle. 'Persistence pays off' is true, so I recommend continuing to publish on Kindle. I recommend continuing to write. If you don't quit and keep going, it will become a source of confidence, and I think it will take some kind of shape.
Mongoloid-san, thank you for your long and meaningful answer.
Being able to ask the author directly has made me even more interested!
Everyone, please be sure to read it too.