I hope this helps give some insights into the self publishing space! Big thank you to today's sponsor, Campfire: www.campfirewriting.com/write/for-novelists?UA-cam&DG_Q1_23
Hey man, long time watcher here. Just wanted to express that it's great to see you achieving the success and validation that you have worked for over the years while still keeping your soul intact.
Thank you for including the disclaimer that your performance is absolutely not indicative of the self-publishing industry. I was thinking of making a comment about that to warn others but decided to see the whole video first (I initially skipped straight to the numbers), I should have know you would be transparent and very explicit about that :) You are one of the good ones!
I'm sorry if you've answered this before. But what was the lowest price your books ever sold for. You mention total sales, but didn't mention the price range that included. I'm trying to decide which is the best price to start my first book at. $1. (the lowest it will go) or $3 or $6? or more?
This is so helpful. All you hear are the Cinderella stories or the failures, so it's great to hear about success that is just normal and based off building an audience through hard work.
To put those numbers in perspective, I recall Brandon Sanderson saying his first book sold roughly 11,000 copies in the first year of its release. Well done, Daniel!
But of course Sanderson didn't have a UA-cam channel with almost half a million subscribers, so his 11,000 sold copies are actually way more impressive.
@@philippschmidt80 His channel does average 50~90k views these days, which i guess is a fair reach a big publisher like Tor Books could make Sanderson reach in 2005, the situations aren't that comparable since self-publishing wasn't really an option for Sanderson.
The level of transparency you give with everything you do is really commendable, from the money donated to charity to your published works. This is an incredibly useful thing for up and coming authors so thank you!
@@valaja1458 Okay random person on the internet who *definitely* knows that I randomly "get proud" about CEO earnings. Are you a moron? I don't give two F's about what a CEO makes. I never said I did either.
As a writer currently working on self publishing their debut novel, I can’t overstate how much I appreciate you doing this, Daniel. Self publishing is a scary prospect, and resources like this give those of us in the process some really important points to consider. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
@@MastaDRD bet! A retired soldier turned monster hunter gets pulled into a war he was never supposed to be a part of. Now he must decide between the command of his God, and what his conscience believes is right.
Daniel I just gotta say I respect you so much, especially with how transparent you are when so many creators/writers wouldn't bother sharing any of this. I think this is incredibly helpful information to share for those trying to navigate publishing their first works. I have some pretty bad anxiety too so can relate a lot. While you may feel privileged , you've totally earned it with all the hard work you've put into your channel. Seriously, you're an awesome human being. Super proud of you dude!
Dude, you're just such an amazing person to the core. I absolutely respect your transparency about everything, makes you seem like a real, normal person and not just a youtuber putting on a personality for the camera. Love you and keep doing you.
My client made less than 10,000 on his first book upon initial release. However, the second book (Benchley) did better and helped to increase sales of the first book (Sheldon's Song). It helps to write multiple titles as they can each create deeper and more loyal fan baes.
As one of your older fans, I commend you on your professionalism and grace, Daniel. Not only are you a kind person, but you’re damn smart and funny, too. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself here.
Dude, as a fellow self-pub fantasy author, this is unbelievably useful, and I massively appreciate the transparency. Breach of Peace was an awesome read - well deserved!
Hopeful indie author here! I’m sure I won’t get anywhere near your units, but your story is so informative and inspiring! Please make more about IngramSpark and other self publishing tools/avenues. You’re teaching me so much!! 😊
First... congratulations on your success Daniel. As an unpublished first-time author, I have pushed any thoughts of money into a dark place, only to be thought about after I had finished my project (a four-book series). As for the money, the bottom-line numbers have always been a mystery to me. What kind of money can an author really hope to make? Frankly, the information I have come across until now has not been very encouraging. This video was very insightful. And if I am really being honest... inspiring and motivating. Thank you for sharing. Fill a man with hope, and he will walk an extra mile.
Your sharing results like this is greatly appreciated! Ten years and fifteen books after getting started in self-publishing, I've yet to gain much traction, so it's nice when people who have a leg up on things acknowledge it with grace and gratitude. You've worked no less diligently than anyone else, though, and your success is fully earned. Congrats!
I think it is really cool to see the success you've had. As a new UA-camr in the writing/book sphere, it's always helpful to see what the actual numbers are for people trying to make a living via content creation, writing, freelancing, and otherwise self-employed. Been watching you for a long time and am always happy to see you reach these sorts of milestones!
Jeez, Daniel's out here making me question staying with my day job. Seriously though, congrats dude. It's awesome that your books had such an incredible spread!
Congratulations on the success of the books! And thanks for sharing this info. There's such a lack of financial transparency between artists and creators, and it is really helpful and even comforting to know this and understand your particular situation and the circumstances around you as a youtuber and self-published author. Keep up the good work and take care of yourself! And congrats on the house!
My guy. I found you a couple years back when I was doing my first WoT re-read since AMoL was published, and I just wanted second screen content to nerd out on while I played games. Its been a journey since, and you've become pretty much the only booktube content creator I follow. I cannot imagine how surreal it must feel to hear your favorite narrators reading your own work. So fuckin' stoked for you.
Thanks for sharing something that very few if any creators would even consider doing. You are one of a kind. Also you went from a booktuber I intentionally avoided to one of my favorite UA-camrs period. Love your content
I really like how humble you are and how you strive to be better. It's really refreshing to see someone who cares about people more than money and fame.
Hello charming, I am a phantompro, a digital marketer with 6 years of productive experience in digital marketing field I specialized in book marketing, I can help you promote your books to thousands of prospective buyers, I can help you create more awareness to your business and help you get more organic traffic. I am very concerned in giving my best to provide my clients 100% satisfaction on their result. Give it a try today I promise you won’t regret it. Contact me now, let’s talk on how to get your sales coming in. Hope to hear from
As someone working towards getting my first book written and thinking about self-publishing, I appreciate your transparency and desire to do what you can to help create space for independent creators and publishers. Thank you for this video!
Thank you sooo much for sharing this it's actually really helpful. Selling almost 30k copies in two years is very impressive, even with a big platform! Incredible work!
I'm so happy for you! As a teenager that was my dream but it has become apparent that I'm really more of an ideas person than a get it written until completion person. I just can't stick with one idea long enough. I could never really picture my name on a cover anyways so it's cool. I'll perfect my fantasy world one day and maybe I figure something out to do with it. But you are truly an wonderful inspiration, Goblin King!
Big congrats Daniel! Any privilege you feel that you have is completely earned by the work you've put in building your channel. As an aside, despite watching many self publishing videos, I didn't know until you mentioned it that Google sold books!
Daniel please do a self publishing masterclass, even if you have to charge for it, like a Patreon exclusive or something. Your previous video on it with Evan Winter was very useful, but some of us could use a more detailed breakdown
Huge appreciation for the mention of the advantages your existing platform provided. I’ve been publishing since 2017, also 2 books, and have made a grand total of a couple grand. But I don’t have nearly the same kind of platform, and I hope other writers out there keep that in mind, as you said. Cheers, man
Really happy to know that with right tools, you can be successful as author. I'm nearing a year after publishing on amazon and it's mostly kindle income with 0 physicals sold. good luck to any incoming authors to not give up and keep writing!
Aa much as it was obviously your first attempt at publishing, and it did have issues, I enjoyed the hell out of both of them, and the least I could do for all the years of hard work and books you've turned me onto over the last 4 years was to read yours! Really excited for the new book, but can't wait to get past the two book prologue (taking notes from Iordan, eh?) And to the main story! Either way. Thanks for the transparency and all you do!
Massively respect your transparency and well done on the success of your books, really glad the response to them went above and beyond even your most optimistic expectations!
You deserve everything, you've earned it, and your growth on UA-cam over the past years has been nothing short of inspiring. Wish you even more success in the future!
Firstly, it's not an 'unfair advantage' when you built an entire (successful) youtube channel and subsequent community with your sweat and effort. That's part of the sauce and it's good, honest work. Outside of that, these insights are super important for upcoming authors. Really informative and gives a lot of great perspective for aspiring writers such as myself. Cheers buddy, let yourself have the moment. Thank you.
I love that you did this. I wish every author was honest about their sales and how well their books do. I'm always impressed with how you handle things in the industry. Thank you!
That is so exciting for you! I have both of your books in the physical copies, and I am so excited for your next one! You should be so proud of yourself!
Echoing the respect for the transparency you are demonstrating. So rare. And just cool to see this and understand how numbers sold translates into profit.
Thank you sir for everything you have done with your books. I went to my local bookstore and saw two copies of Breach of Peace, a pretty underrated book for all the schlock coming out nowadays.
Thank you for doing this. It's commendable and inspiring to be honest. I've always wanted to write and independently publish. It's good to know what could be, even if it's the exception to the norm for those without an established marketing platform. Well done, Sir!
Thank you for the transparency, Daniel. Two comments from me as an indie author 1) I was expecting the ebook sales to be higher than the physicals. Congratulations! 2) With those numbers I'm surprised you're going into trad publishing. No judgement at all. Just surprise. Hoping they do great things for you.
I know it's considered cool to just shit on youtubers and social media personalities for being successful at their jobs, but I really can't say enough how happy I am for you man. You made something you love and its loving you back. I hope I likewise can publish a story in the future. Till then, Im cheering for you. Cant imagine a more deserving indy author, cheers!
This is really exciting! I'm about midway through the copy editing process of my first book, and I'm figuring out artwork while I wait. It's pretty nerve racking, but the support for new writers in seeing on here cools me off. Thanks for the space!
Daniel your honesty, your transparency is refreshing it's part of why I follow this channel, Sanderson was the first author I've invested in with little to no personal exposure to his writing , this video put you as the second.
Man I subscribed to your channel in early 2019 and it's been really incredible seeing the growth of both the channel itself and your career. From telling me why I should read Wheel of Time (I did and it was awesome) to being self-published to a trad publishing deal. It's been super inspiring and this channel was a big part of me switching to a librarian career path. I'm looking forward to the day when you've got a big Tor-published best seller I can stick on my Staff Picks shelf!
Dude huge props for you having the guys to put this out there. No matter what numbers you put up it's going to look some kind of way, but the information is incredibly valuable to guys starting out. Totally ok to feel nervous, this took guts.
thank you for doing this video, it's very kind of you. i love yt celebrities because you guys are so grateful for everything you have and put your fans first, it's truly heartwarming.
I am honestly happy that you made the money you did simply because if you hadn't made money then it would have been demoralising as, if someone with a really huge platform can't make money then no one can in self-publishing so seeing you succeed means that there is money in the field, even if it's a miniscule fraction of what you made.
holy crap, im glad you were so successful. i wasn't ready for those numbers. glad you shared this with us as reveal financials is really personal and can attract unwanted ire.
Congrats! Well done. Transparency, honesty, integrity, authenticity...all go a long way in having success these days. People are looking for these traits, since so much of social media is just the opposite.
This is awesome, Daniel. Your humility, honesty, and vulnerability is, to be honest, genuinely inspiring. Not only on the channel as a reader, but also as an author in how you conduct yourself here. Plus, as an indie-published author myself, I simply appreciate this video for its practical wisdom and helpfulness. And dude, I’m so happy for you in this blossoming career. Almost 30,000 copies? Amazing. I can’t even fathom. I published my horror novel through IngramSpark at the end of September last year (and oh, man, I agree, their design tools and all were brutally frustrating). I had low expectations but, like you-despite my paralyzing uncertainty in the face of self promotion and marketing-I feel incredibly lucky with the mild success my book has seen. It received a positive Kirkus Review, and one from SF Book Review. Barnes & Noble approved it for distribution to their top horror stores. And, in 6 months, it’s sold now over 1,000 copies, which isn’t substantial in comparison to many things, I know. But for me that is still a mind blowing number, just as surreal as the positive reviews the book is getting from readers. It feels like such a surreal dream come true. This video is such a valuable resource, plus an inspiration. Thank you 🙏
This is Giga Chad transparency, Daniel! Thanks so much for being so awesome and self-aware. ✨ I actually think this is a wonderful dose of motivation for some of us who write with a guilty conscience, worrying that writing is a waste of time and never financially beneficial.
You do not have unfair advantage over other authors. You build your channel from scratch yourself, then used your work to promote your other work. It all came from you. You did not have to start from nothing, but only because it was already done. Part of making money from writing is finding a way to sell, and promote.
Yes, you're right in saying that he did the build the channel from scratch and then used it to promote his other work, but he also does have an advantage because of the channel he built. You even say yourself later in the comment that he didn't have to start from nothing but that's because it was already done, what you just described is an advantage.
He absolutely does have an advantage. It is an advantage he worked very hard for, but an advantage nonetheless. Not something he should feel bad for though, of course -- take every advantage you can get!
@@willenhall12345 Mate. Use your reading skills, please :p and, I guess listening skills too? :p they guy in the video claimed to have an unfair advantage. The OP commented that it wasn't unfair, because the guy worked to get where he is.
I think the best thing here is the transperency as to where the money went. I might've cringed but instead you're like "yeah, it went to making sure I have a house." Which, dope.
I predicted a cool 100k, but to see that you made more warmed my heart, damn, that's the good stuff. Seeing your success encourages my own ambitions forwards. Congrats Daniel, you've earnt your success, and I look forward to reading and listening to more of your work!
Fellow fan here and I have to say: I TRULY APPRECIATE THE LEVEL TRANSPARENCY YOU ARE SHOWING! I already purchased your first 2 books purely to support you (they are on my TBR and hope to read them soon) but with how amazing you are being with the whole thing, just know you have a loyal supporter that will continue to support you on your publishing journey! Also: hoping for a beautiful Wraithmark edition of one or more of your books so i can support that as well. I would always love to have something by your that is autographed. :) Best of luck on your publishing journey, glad i can go on it with you.
Daniel, your success is more than well earned! Sure you have the advantage of your audience backing, but don't underplay the fact that you've worked super hard to get that in the first place! We are all so proud of how far you've come, both as a content creator and an author; I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say I can't wait to see what's in store for you next 😊 I personally appreciate your transparency throughout your career. It makes you come across as a genuine guy, rather than a fake personality. I also find this sort of information interesting, and highly beneficial to those looking into self publishing. It gives them a starting point, as not many people are willing to talk personal finances. Thanks Daniel, keep up with the great content, have a great day, peace ✌😊
I'm just glad this means you'll keep making books! I couldn't read them when they came out but I'm working my way through the second audiobook now and enjoying it.
This is what you need to to start making money Hello charming Anna I am a phantompro, a digital marketer with 6 years of productive experience in digital marketing field I specialized in book marketing, I can help you promote your books to thousands of prospective buyers, I can help you create more awareness to your business and help you get more organic traffic. I am very concerned in giving my best to provide my clients 100% satisfaction on their result. Give it a try today I promise you won’t regret it. Contact me now, let’s talk on how to get your sales coming in. Hope to hear from
Don’t sell yourself short sir. I own physical copies of BOTH of your books. You have a great talent. The fact that you made both of your audio books available on youtube is simply incredible. I think I shall go listen to them both. Looking forward to what is next. Your advocacy for independent authors warms my heart. I am an unpublished author myself. This inspires me to push forward for the sheer joy of it.
Congratulations, man! I am more of a fan of your channel back in the day of books only, but I understand that your growth demanded a change. Still, I am legitimately happy for your success. Your channel brought me back to reading and to learning about Booktube which I am a constant user nowadays. Cheers from Brazil!
Thank you for this video! :) I'm so appreciative of your transparency, not only in your sales but in your mental health too. With my first book published I've been struggling to make any content or progress on book 2. Because of my ADHD and anxiety, I even went through the same video-plans-fading-into-the-constant-tension-I-feel. XD It's so encouraging to see you find your way through that, cause it gives me hope I will too.
This was really really REALLY helpful and educational. Wow. Thank you SO. MUCH. Daniel. Your continued transparency and encouragement for people to start writing is awesome. Thank you.
Thanks for the ever being transparent with us! I'm happy for your success, it's well deserved (speaking both as a subscriber & a reader of your work) ^^
Really happy to see your success on these books, personally I believe you deserve all success you receive! Appreciate the transparency as well and cool to see the insights of this type of world. The battle of anxiety is a ongoing struggle but super proud (idk if that’s the right word but ima roll with it) to see you take another step in that journey ❤
I can't believe quirky-yet-relatable UA-camr Daniel Greene would dunk on us with all of the money he made from his books! Seriously, this was fascinating. We get a peek at the guts of self publishing that is usually relegated to the shadows thanks to you. It's important to know what realistic expectations should look like so aspiring authors can appropriately temper expectations.
Love to see the transparency, but I think it's really amazing seeing you and Sanderson (others as well I assume) using your platforms to advocate against the predatory practices of the big corporate actors. They care little who they screw over in their quest to maximize profit, and it's people like you with a voice pushing back and raising awareness that is their primary motivation to change. Thank you for all you do!
I hope this helps give some insights into the self publishing space!
Big thank you to today's sponsor, Campfire: www.campfirewriting.com/write/for-novelists?UA-cam&DG_Q1_23
Hey man, long time watcher here. Just wanted to express that it's great to see you achieving the success and validation that you have worked for over the years while still keeping your soul intact.
Thank you for including the disclaimer that your performance is absolutely not indicative of the self-publishing industry. I was thinking of making a comment about that to warn others but decided to see the whole video first (I initially skipped straight to the numbers), I should have know you would be transparent and very explicit about that :)
You are one of the good ones!
I had no idea you had laser eye treatment. What was your myopic before the treatment. Your glasses looked really thick
I'm sorry if you've answered this before. But what was the lowest price your books ever sold for. You mention total sales, but didn't mention the price range that included. I'm trying to decide which is the best price to start my first book at. $1. (the lowest it will go) or $3 or $6? or more?
Congratulations! Love the content you provide. Hope your next book surpasses your first two.
This is so helpful. All you hear are the Cinderella stories or the failures, so it's great to hear about success that is just normal and based off building an audience through hard work.
Glad it was helpful!
@@DanielGreeneReviews Daniel, I want to thank you for being my inspiration to go into the field of writing
Awesome. Congratulations on the success and paying it forward by sharing it with your audience. Thank you!
Exactly! I found that really encouraging too.
It feels good when people buy your book. Handful of sales.
To put those numbers in perspective, I recall Brandon Sanderson saying his first book sold roughly 11,000 copies in the first year of its release. Well done, Daniel!
you heard em Daniel, time to start up the goblinsmere. You owe us a 40 book lifelong epic now
@@danperkins4781 I do not want so see the smeare of whatever came out of a goblin thank you very much.
But of course Sanderson didn't have a UA-cam channel with almost half a million subscribers, so his 11,000 sold copies are actually way more impressive.
@@philippschmidt80 His channel does average 50~90k views these days, which i guess is a fair reach a big publisher like Tor Books could make Sanderson reach in 2005, the situations aren't that comparable since self-publishing wasn't really an option for Sanderson.
@@philippschmidt80 he did have a publisher behind him though and they provide a lot of marketing and advertising support.
The level of transparency you give with everything you do is really commendable, from the money donated to charity to your published works. This is an incredibly useful thing for up and coming authors so thank you!
The fact this man can shamelessly boast about his earnings and get adulation for doing so is actually sad.
@@classicmicroscopy9398 shamelessly?
Dude u r the same why who get proud for some ceo to say he earned some millions. So duh why pissed now?
@@valaja1458 Okay random person on the internet who *definitely* knows that I randomly "get proud" about CEO earnings. Are you a moron? I don't give two F's about what a CEO makes. I never said I did either.
@@valaja1458 CEO's are in general some of the stupidest people on the planet. Their wages piss me off. They do NOT make me proud.
Stf*
As a writer currently working on self publishing their debut novel, I can’t overstate how much I appreciate you doing this, Daniel. Self publishing is a scary prospect, and resources like this give those of us in the process some really important points to consider. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Elevator pitch, bro!
@@MastaDRD bet!
A retired soldier turned monster hunter gets pulled into a war he was never supposed to be a part of. Now he must decide between the command of his God, and what his conscience believes is right.
@@casualdragonslayer9655 very curious
@@casualdragonslayer9655 What's its title?
@@thanosnoctem4473 when it’s released, it’ll be titled The Huntsman’s War
Daniel I just gotta say I respect you so much, especially with how transparent you are when so many creators/writers wouldn't bother sharing any of this. I think this is incredibly helpful information to share for those trying to navigate publishing their first works. I have some pretty bad anxiety too so can relate a lot. While you may feel privileged , you've totally earned it with all the hard work you've put into your channel. Seriously, you're an awesome human being. Super proud of you dude!
Dude, you're just such an amazing person to the core. I absolutely respect your transparency about everything, makes you seem like a real, normal person and not just a youtuber putting on a personality for the camera. Love you and keep doing you.
My client made less than 10,000 on his first book upon initial release. However, the second book (Benchley) did better and helped to increase sales of the first book (Sheldon's Song).
It helps to write multiple titles as they can each create deeper and more loyal fan baes.
Very true when you find a writer in a genre or style you like you look for more of their work.
Your client as in you help them publish?
We're all super proud of you, this is a huge success and it is amazing, way to go goblin!
It's so wonderful you're being so transparent and sharing this info when so much of publishing is tricky for new authors to navigate - thank you! :)
Congratulations, I'm so glad your books were more successful than what you anticipated :)
Thank you so much!
As one of your older fans, I commend you on your professionalism and grace, Daniel. Not only are you a kind person, but you’re damn smart and funny, too. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself here.
Dude, as a fellow self-pub fantasy author, this is unbelievably useful, and I massively appreciate the transparency. Breach of Peace was an awesome read - well deserved!
Woho I found jed here congratulations
As a small youtuber who's also an aspiring author, this is genuinely so helpful and inspiring. Thanks for the work you do!
Hopeful indie author here! I’m sure I won’t get anywhere near your units, but your story is so informative and inspiring! Please make more about IngramSpark and other self publishing tools/avenues. You’re teaching me so much!! 😊
First... congratulations on your success Daniel. As an unpublished first-time author, I have pushed any thoughts of money into a dark place, only to be thought about after I had finished my project (a four-book series). As for the money, the bottom-line numbers have always been a mystery to me. What kind of money can an author really hope to make? Frankly, the information I have come across until now has not been very encouraging. This video was very insightful. And if I am really being honest... inspiring and motivating. Thank you for sharing. Fill a man with hope, and he will walk an extra mile.
Your sharing results like this is greatly appreciated! Ten years and fifteen books after getting started in self-publishing, I've yet to gain much traction, so it's nice when people who have a leg up on things acknowledge it with grace and gratitude. You've worked no less diligently than anyone else, though, and your success is fully earned. Congrats!
I think it is really cool to see the success you've had. As a new UA-camr in the writing/book sphere, it's always helpful to see what the actual numbers are for people trying to make a living via content creation, writing, freelancing, and otherwise self-employed. Been watching you for a long time and am always happy to see you reach these sorts of milestones!
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your transparency! Sending all the good vibes, and hoping that it's all uphill from here! 😊
Jeez, Daniel's out here making me question staying with my day job.
Seriously though, congrats dude. It's awesome that your books had such an incredible spread!
Congratulations on the success of the books! And thanks for sharing this info. There's such a lack of financial transparency between artists and creators, and it is really helpful and even comforting to know this and understand your particular situation and the circumstances around you as a youtuber and self-published author. Keep up the good work and take care of yourself! And congrats on the house!
My guy. I found you a couple years back when I was doing my first WoT re-read since AMoL was published, and I just wanted second screen content to nerd out on while I played games. Its been a journey since, and you've become pretty much the only booktube content creator I follow.
I cannot imagine how surreal it must feel to hear your favorite narrators reading your own work. So fuckin' stoked for you.
No matter what, every indie author needs a platform so readers can find them and buy their books.
Thanks for sharing something that very few if any creators would even consider doing. You are one of a kind. Also you went from a booktuber I intentionally avoided to one of my favorite UA-camrs period. Love your content
I appreciate that!
I really like how humble you are and how you strive to be better. It's really refreshing to see someone who cares about people more than money and fame.
As someone who intends on self publishing this year, this video was incredibly insightful. Thank you!
Hello charming,
I am a phantompro, a digital marketer with 6 years of productive experience in digital marketing field
I specialized in book marketing, I can help you promote your books to thousands of prospective buyers, I can help you create more awareness to your business and help you get more organic traffic.
I am very concerned in giving my best to provide my clients 100% satisfaction on their result.
Give it a try today I promise you won’t regret it.
Contact me now, let’s talk on how to get your sales coming in.
Hope to hear from
I love the transparency- thank you! I’m just about finished revising my first novel and am excited to share it with the world.
So glad I found this video. I'm happy you have found success publishing your work. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!
As someone working towards getting my first book written and thinking about self-publishing, I appreciate your transparency and desire to do what you can to help create space for independent creators and publishers. Thank you for this video!
Transparency around costs and money earned and all that stuff is soooo important, so I commend you for this video!
Thank you sooo much for sharing this it's actually really helpful. Selling almost 30k copies in two years is very impressive, even with a big platform! Incredible work!
I'm so happy for you! As a teenager that was my dream but it has become apparent that I'm really more of an ideas person than a get it written until completion person. I just can't stick with one idea long enough. I could never really picture my name on a cover anyways so it's cool. I'll perfect my fantasy world one day and maybe I figure something out to do with it. But you are truly an wonderful inspiration, Goblin King!
Big congrats Daniel! Any privilege you feel that you have is completely earned by the work you've put in building your channel.
As an aside, despite watching many self publishing videos, I didn't know until you mentioned it that Google sold books!
It doesn't seem like many other people know they sell books, either. 😃
Daniel please do a self publishing masterclass, even if you have to charge for it, like a Patreon exclusive or something. Your previous video on it with Evan Winter was very useful, but some of us could use a more detailed breakdown
Already a lot of information on self publishing if you look for it , i rather have him do what he enjoys creatively.
Huge appreciation for the mention of the advantages your existing platform provided. I’ve been publishing since 2017, also 2 books, and have made a grand total of a couple grand. But I don’t have nearly the same kind of platform, and I hope other writers out there keep that in mind, as you said. Cheers, man
Really happy to know that with right tools, you can be successful as author. I'm nearing a year after publishing on amazon and it's mostly kindle income with 0 physicals sold. good luck to any incoming authors to not give up and keep writing!
always love creators who have some level of financial transparency. thank you for sharing!
Aa much as it was obviously your first attempt at publishing, and it did have issues, I enjoyed the hell out of both of them, and the least I could do for all the years of hard work and books you've turned me onto over the last 4 years was to read yours!
Really excited for the new book, but can't wait to get past the two book prologue (taking notes from Iordan, eh?) And to the main story!
Either way. Thanks for the transparency and all you do!
Transparency is the way to go. Thanks for the insight, very helpful.
And congrats on the numbers, very well deserved.
I really appreciate how transparent you are about this
Massively respect your transparency and well done on the success of your books, really glad the response to them went above and beyond even your most optimistic expectations!
You deserve everything, you've earned it, and your growth on UA-cam over the past years has been nothing short of inspiring. Wish you even more success in the future!
A lot of respect for the transparency. Very happy for your success and wish you the best with your future books!
Firstly, it's not an 'unfair advantage' when you built an entire (successful) youtube channel and subsequent community with your sweat and effort. That's part of the sauce and it's good, honest work. Outside of that, these insights are super important for upcoming authors. Really informative and gives a lot of great perspective for aspiring writers such as myself. Cheers buddy, let yourself have the moment. Thank you.
I agree! It's not an unfair advantage. You worked for it, celebrate it and that's okay.
I love that you did this. I wish every author was honest about their sales and how well their books do. I'm always impressed with how you handle things in the industry. Thank you!
That is so exciting for you! I have both of your books in the physical copies, and I am so excited for your next one! You should be so proud of yourself!
Echoing the respect for the transparency you are demonstrating. So rare. And just cool to see this and understand how numbers sold translates into profit.
Thank you sir for everything you have done with your books. I went to my local bookstore and saw two copies of Breach of Peace, a pretty underrated book for all the schlock coming out nowadays.
What a slam dunk! Congrats on the sales, it's crazy impressive & I hope it encourages you to continue to write in addition to maintaining the channel
Thank you for doing this. It's commendable and inspiring to be honest. I've always wanted to write and independently publish. It's good to know what could be, even if it's the exception to the norm for those without an established marketing platform. Well done, Sir!
Thank you for the transparency, Daniel. Two comments from me as an indie author 1) I was expecting the ebook sales to be higher than the physicals. Congratulations! 2) With those numbers I'm surprised you're going into trad publishing. No judgement at all. Just surprise. Hoping they do great things for you.
I know it's considered cool to just shit on youtubers and social media personalities for being successful at their jobs, but I really can't say enough how happy I am for you man. You made something you love and its loving you back. I hope I likewise can publish a story in the future. Till then, Im cheering for you. Cant imagine a more deserving indy author, cheers!
This is really exciting! I'm about midway through the copy editing process of my first book, and I'm figuring out artwork while I wait. It's pretty nerve racking, but the support for new writers in seeing on here cools me off. Thanks for the space!
I quit my PhD, currently work in customer service, and am counting the days until I can cut my hours to write. Thanks for putting this out there!
Daniel your honesty, your transparency is refreshing it's part of why I follow this channel, Sanderson was the first author I've invested in with little to no personal exposure to his writing , this video put you as the second.
You’re such a joy to support Daniel. You are a profoundly decent human.
Man I subscribed to your channel in early 2019 and it's been really incredible seeing the growth of both the channel itself and your career. From telling me why I should read Wheel of Time (I did and it was awesome) to being self-published to a trad publishing deal. It's been super inspiring and this channel was a big part of me switching to a librarian career path. I'm looking forward to the day when you've got a big Tor-published best seller I can stick on my Staff Picks shelf!
First there was Brandon "B-Money" Sanderson. And now we have the second apostle, Daniel "D-Money" Greene
Like the other comments, thanks for being transparent. You are the one who got me started reading the wheel of time series. 😊
If I make $200k in the first two years, I’ll quit my job and write full time.
Dude huge props for you having the guys to put this out there. No matter what numbers you put up it's going to look some kind of way, but the information is incredibly valuable to guys starting out. Totally ok to feel nervous, this took guts.
I have Breach of Peace in paperback, and although I thought it was rough, I’m looking forward to reading your new book (rebels creed too)
thank you for doing this video, it's very kind of you. i love yt celebrities because you guys are so grateful for everything you have and put your fans first, it's truly heartwarming.
These contacts are genuinely unsettling. Please agree to never wear those again and I’ll agree to keep buying your books. 😂
I am honestly happy that you made the money you did simply because if you hadn't made money then it would have been demoralising as, if someone with a really huge platform can't make money then no one can in self-publishing so seeing you succeed means that there is money in the field, even if it's a miniscule fraction of what you made.
holy crap, im glad you were so successful. i wasn't ready for those numbers. glad you shared this with us as reveal financials is really personal and can attract unwanted ire.
Congrats! Well done. Transparency, honesty, integrity, authenticity...all go a long way in having success these days. People are looking for these traits, since so much of social media is just the opposite.
This is awesome, Daniel. Your humility, honesty, and vulnerability is, to be honest, genuinely inspiring. Not only on the channel as a reader, but also as an author in how you conduct yourself here. Plus, as an indie-published author myself, I simply appreciate this video for its practical wisdom and helpfulness.
And dude, I’m so happy for you in this blossoming career. Almost 30,000 copies? Amazing. I can’t even fathom.
I published my horror novel through IngramSpark at the end of September last year (and oh, man, I agree, their design tools and all were brutally frustrating). I had low expectations but, like you-despite my paralyzing uncertainty in the face of self promotion and marketing-I feel incredibly lucky with the mild success my book has seen.
It received a positive Kirkus Review, and one from SF Book Review. Barnes & Noble approved it for distribution to their top horror stores. And, in 6 months, it’s sold now over 1,000 copies, which isn’t substantial in comparison to many things, I know. But for me that is still a mind blowing number, just as surreal as the positive reviews the book is getting from readers. It feels like such a surreal dream come true.
This video is such a valuable resource, plus an inspiration. Thank you 🙏
This is an insightful look into the world of self-publishing and I appreciate your transparency on the subject
This was awesome and really informative- thanks for sharing this!
TY for being so open about the costs and results. Not everyone would do that. And congrats on the success!
This is Giga Chad transparency, Daniel! Thanks so much for being so awesome and self-aware. ✨ I actually think this is a wonderful dose of motivation for some of us who write with a guilty conscience, worrying that writing is a waste of time and never financially beneficial.
I listened to the books here on UA-cam and enjoyed them. Thanks for putting them out there for everyone!
You do not have unfair advantage over other authors. You build your channel from scratch yourself, then used your work to promote your other work. It all came from you. You did not have to start from nothing, but only because it was already done. Part of making money from writing is finding a way to sell, and promote.
Yes, you're right in saying that he did the build the channel from scratch and then used it to promote his other work, but he also does have an advantage because of the channel he built. You even say yourself later in the comment that he didn't have to start from nothing but that's because it was already done, what you just described is an advantage.
He absolutely does have an advantage. It is an advantage he worked very hard for, but an advantage nonetheless. Not something he should feel bad for though, of course -- take every advantage you can get!
@@willenhall12345 but it isnt an unfair advantage because he WORKED to make his channel successful
@@kevinwalden4288 who said it was an unfair advantage?
@@willenhall12345 Mate. Use your reading skills, please :p and, I guess listening skills too? :p they guy in the video claimed to have an unfair advantage. The OP commented that it wasn't unfair, because the guy worked to get where he is.
I think the best thing here is the transperency as to where the money went. I might've cringed but instead you're like "yeah, it went to making sure I have a house." Which, dope.
I predicted a cool 100k, but to see that you made more warmed my heart, damn, that's the good stuff. Seeing your success encourages my own ambitions forwards. Congrats Daniel, you've earnt your success, and I look forward to reading and listening to more of your work!
Fellow fan here and I have to say: I TRULY APPRECIATE THE LEVEL TRANSPARENCY YOU ARE SHOWING!
I already purchased your first 2 books purely to support you (they are on my TBR and hope to read them soon) but with how amazing you are being with the whole thing, just know you have a loyal supporter that will continue to support you on your publishing journey!
Also: hoping for a beautiful Wraithmark edition of one or more of your books so i can support that as well. I would always love to have something by your that is autographed. :)
Best of luck on your publishing journey, glad i can go on it with you.
Daniel, your success is more than well earned! Sure you have the advantage of your audience backing, but don't underplay the fact that you've worked super hard to get that in the first place!
We are all so proud of how far you've come, both as a content creator and an author; I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say I can't wait to see what's in store for you next 😊
I personally appreciate your transparency throughout your career. It makes you come across as a genuine guy, rather than a fake personality. I also find this sort of information interesting, and highly beneficial to those looking into self publishing. It gives them a starting point, as not many people are willing to talk personal finances.
Thanks Daniel, keep up with the great content, have a great day, peace ✌😊
Props to transparency! Respect you for sticking to what actually believe, even after reaching moderate to major levels of success.
I love how open you are and how amazing a human you are bud. Anxiety is a struggle, but you do amazing my friend. I cannot wait for Neon Ghosts
Those numbers are incredible! I'd love to see more videos on your publishing journey. Congratulations on everything - you deserve it!!
I'm just glad this means you'll keep making books! I couldn't read them when they came out but I'm working my way through the second audiobook now and enjoying it.
Thank you and congratulations! As a new fantasy writer, I'm finding it difficult to make any money. Glad to see that you can!
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Don’t sell yourself short sir. I own physical copies of BOTH of your books. You have a great talent. The fact that you made both of your audio books available on youtube is simply incredible. I think I shall go listen to them both. Looking forward to what is next. Your advocacy for independent authors warms my heart. I am an unpublished author myself. This inspires me to push forward for the sheer joy of it.
Congratulations, man!
I am more of a fan of your channel back in the day of books only, but I understand that your growth demanded a change. Still, I am legitimately happy for your success. Your channel brought me back to reading and to learning about Booktube which I am a constant user nowadays.
Cheers from Brazil!
Thank you for this video! :) I'm so appreciative of your transparency, not only in your sales but in your mental health too. With my first book published I've been struggling to make any content or progress on book 2. Because of my ADHD and anxiety, I even went through the same video-plans-fading-into-the-constant-tension-I-feel. XD
It's so encouraging to see you find your way through that, cause it gives me hope I will too.
This was very helpful insight on the self publishing space and a huge congratulations to you for exceeding your expectations on your books .
So admirable that you're this transparent and authentic about all of this.
I’m not even an aspiring writer really, but it is so good to have this aspect of fledgling success covered. It is truly inspiring
Keep the look. Loving it.
Those contacts, please no more.
This was really really REALLY helpful and educational. Wow. Thank you SO. MUCH. Daniel. Your continued transparency and encouragement for people to start writing is awesome. Thank you.
Real talk: why do those contacts look so good?
thank you for this, I just encouraged my friend to watch this as she's a writer and these insights are really helpful!
I'm happy it went so well, I hope your next book will be even better! 🎉❤
Thanks for the ever being transparent with us! I'm happy for your success, it's well deserved (speaking both as a subscriber & a reader of your work) ^^
Really happy to see your success on these books, personally I believe you deserve all success you receive! Appreciate the transparency as well and cool to see the insights of this type of world. The battle of anxiety is a ongoing struggle but super proud (idk if that’s the right word but ima roll with it) to see you take another step in that journey ❤
I always appreciate the transparency you bring to every project you work on!
I can't believe quirky-yet-relatable UA-camr Daniel Greene would dunk on us with all of the money he made from his books!
Seriously, this was fascinating. We get a peek at the guts of self publishing that is usually relegated to the shadows thanks to you. It's important to know what realistic expectations should look like so aspiring authors can appropriately temper expectations.
Love to see the transparency, but I think it's really amazing seeing you and Sanderson (others as well I assume) using your platforms to advocate against the predatory practices of the big corporate actors. They care little who they screw over in their quest to maximize profit, and it's people like you with a voice pushing back and raising awareness that is their primary motivation to change. Thank you for all you do!