Today marks three years since I hit publish on my first book, Cole Got Cucked Hard.
I wasn't sure where it would take me, or if it was a good idea. But looking back I'm glad I did it. It hasn't transformed my life completely - I'm still just a guy who works a regular office job and writes smut in his spare time - but it's opened up my life to a bunch of new experiences that have been really positive.
Since I published that first book I've released another eight, and I've got another four or five half-finished stories on the go right now that I'll get to finish at some point in the not-too-distant future. I think - I hope - I've improved my writing over that time. I've been able to explore different aspects of what turns me on about cuckolding, and different levels of intensity. I've been able to get more into the emotions, the dialogue and the interactions between people, which has been cool. As I have, my stories have become more detailed.
I've sold over 2000 books, which seems pretty amazing to me. I feel weird about bragging and I know that it's not cute. And I know that sales and money isn't everything; it should be, and is, more about the experience of writing and putting your work out there. The money isn't important to me, but the idea that people read my work is. And tracking sales is a way for me to understand in a really tangible way how many people my books are reaching. When I see my sales grow, I feel like there's a point to my writing because people out there in the world want to read what I say. And seeing my sales grow steadily over the last three years has been a really cool feeling.
I still have a dream that one day I'll be a "real" writer, someone who can do it for a living and not just as a hobby. And seeing my sales grow tells me that even though that day is still a long way away, maybe it's not impossible.
You know what else makes you feel like a real writer? Being able to hold your book - your real life, solid, paperback book - in your hands. I've now finally got some decent quality paperbacks, which is an amazing feeling. It makes me feel more like a real writer to know that someone could pick up my book off a shelf and read it. Next challenge is getting some shops to stock it though!
I've also found myself part of a whole community of (mostly, I'm assuming) gay guys who are into the same specific kink I am. I occasionally get contacted by people who tell me what they think of my work, and I've heard from guys who've discovered a whole new side of themselves from reading my writing. Hopefully I'm not destroying any relationships out there, because a lot of what I write about goes a little or a lot further than what people would probably feel okay with in real life. But I'm glad that my stories have opened up new kinks to people, and given people a bit of inspiration in their real life relationships.
And I'm glad my stories will have been able to help people get off who are interested in this stuff but can't, for whatever reason, get into it in real life. After all, that's why I first started writing Cole Got Cucked Hard in the first place.
While you're here... I should mention that I'm doing a sale to celebrate three years of selling books. For one week from 7 May, you can get three ebooks for the price of one from my online store if you use the code 3YEARSOFJACK at the checkout. So head over to the store if you want to stock up.