Writing Doesn't Always Pay
Why I became a writer, where I want to go with it, and why I need your help to do it... plus awesome ideas for what Secrets of a Magical Life could become.
When I set out to become a writer, I wasn’t trying to get rich. I wasn’t suffering any illusions that I would be the next J.K. Rowling and make billions of dollars, and though I hoped to contribute to my family (or better yet, make a living wage)…
The truth is—
There was simply a story that needed telling, and I had the unique skill set to do it. More than that, I felt called—from the depths of my soul— to drop everything and dedicate my life to this work. I didn’t think overly hard about the financial aspects of my career choice. I just knew that there was an ancient secret that had been buried in code and misunderstood for too many centuries. I couldn’t see past the venerable old man who asked me to carry on this legacy of Wisdom once he was gone. So I dropped everything and spent seven years researching and writing.
Part of me assumed that when my book was published, I’d be paid for all my hard work. If it was a good book (and it got 5 stars on every platform) then surely I would at least break even on those years of toil, right?
I could not have been more wrong.
It turns out that selling one book just isn’t a way to make a living. I would have to be a prolific writer, churning out multiple best-sellers to even hope to earn a decent wage. Unless I had other products… other offers.
Writing a novel about the mysteries of history and the Wisdom of our ancestors requires years of research, and I can’t really take on the churn and burn model of writing without betraying the essentials. So, I naturally turned to other options to make an income. I founded the Real Life Magic Virtual Summit, I offered coaching packages, and I created many other projects I hoped would pay the bills.
Those projects were amazing for expanding my mystical knowledge and gaining insight about the business world, but every time I experienced success, I couldn’t help but feel that I was leagues away from the writing that originally called me to this work. And nothing I tried made enough money for me to drop everything to go research and write.
So here I am, four years after the first book in The Heretic Trilogy came out, and I still don’t have the budget to get to Ireland to do the research for the second installment (let alone Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land for the third book).
I read a review the other day, which I can’t seem to find at the moment, from a reader who loved the book but was appalled that it’s been so long without the second book being released. I’m pretty disappointed by it too, and I wish it were different, but writers don’t get paid for writing books, and I’ve been trying to get to Ireland for years to write The Martyr without success.
Enter Substack.
There are two things that are revolutionary and brilliant about Substack:
It’s a space for me to focus on my writing—practicing, sharing, exploring, teasing out ideas and trying them on an audience, and creating community around who I really am… a writer.
It offers me the opportunity to get paid for my work, not just once every seven years, but every month.
It’s hard to ask for money. It’s easier to sell something worthwhile. Everyone will tell you to figure out what the market needs and offer that. But the truth is—for visionaries and mystics, spiritual teachers and way-showers, catering to the market is crippling.
Why?
Well… do YOU know what you want and need? I mean, really, at a deep spiritual level—do you know what’s next for you and what transformations are required to get there?
Frankly, I don’t know what magic is going to lead you toward your Highest Good… and it just doesn’t seem right to guess at it.
Instead…
I want to allow the Divine to show us all what’s next.
I have the hereditary gift of far-seeing and a writers knack for translation. With twenty-two years of training in the mystical arts, I know how to drop everything and show up in the moment to See what the Divine is waiting to show you. I was born to share these gifts in a real and powerful way. But I need to make a living in order to make a real difference.
Changing Focus & Following the Call
Up until now, I’ve basically been dabbling here on Substack.
I added the paid subscription here to the products I offer, most of which keep me from writing, and then I’ve been trying to figure out how to make it worth your wile.
But I want to do this differently.
I want to ask you to support me because you See and value the work that I do. I want to invite you to be part of a movement to bring ancient Wisdom back to a world that desperately needs it. I want you to look inside and see if you feel called to train your own magic… and if you do, I want you to be bold enough to step into this community.
The $11/month from paid subscribers is life-changing for me. It allows me to dive deeply into research, writing, magic, and Mystery in a way that simply isn’t possible without support. Already, with only a few die-hard and amazing magical folks (BIG GRATITUDE—you know who you are!!!), I’m able to write more than I have in years.
And I’m not asking for a handout…. not at all!
I have so many beautiful dreams for this community.
I want to invest my time and energy into this Substack. I want this to be a window into my research and writing. A backstage pass that invites you around the world, exploring sacred sites and discovering ancient Wisdom.
I want your paid Substack subscription to become like a Magical Mystery School where we can train and explore together the greater reality of life on Planet Earth. A place where I can share my research and my writing and be seen and appreciated as the teacher I was trained and born to be.
Here are some ideas I might experiment with including in the paid subscription:
Recorded Energy Magic sessions for those who can’t make the live sessions.
Transmissions and videos from sacred sites (especially power sites of the Languedoc).
Sneak peeks and a backstage pass into my research and novels.
Never before published bonus chapters and short stories.
Discounts on my other work, such as personal Energy Magic Sessions.
Access to my private Magical Mentorship program.
I’d love to hear what your favorite ideas are!
(Please feel free to suggest things I haven’t thought of yet.)
Throughout October, I’ll be leading Sacred Mystery Tours in the South of France. Since I have NO IDEA how much time I will have to write and some of our live events will be displaced…
I’m going to comp the month of October as a thank you for all my paid subscribers. That means that if you sign up anytime between now and when I get back from France at the end of October, you’ll get to be part of this stellar community for a little while for free.
During the next month I’ll be gathering materials—videos, photos, and writing—from the sacred spaces of the South of France to share with my community in the future.
I for one am excited about recorded energy magic sessions. The timing just never works out for me! I love the idea of your Substack being like a virtual mystery school. So cool. Thank you for sharing what you do. Hope you have an amazing trip — bon voyage!