Back to Writing

Hello, my name is Mark Wandrey. I've been an author since I was 8 years old, but in 2016 I became a professional with my first bestseller. Three years later, I left my day job and became a full-time author. Since then I've created a hugely successful franchise, completed another trilogy, and published more than 24 novels. But times change, and life intrudes.

When Covid hit, sales fell off drastically. My partners and I set about to do a Kickstarter for the creation of a role-playing game. Even though the campaign was successful, I didn't properly plan for the tax liability (having never run a large Kickstarter). The taxes set off a spiral, and my finances imploded.

Just before Christmas last year, I took a full-time job driving. It allowed me to make enough to pay the taxes, but it also completely stopped my writing career. As a result, over the last six months, my royalties have dropped below what I need to pay basic bills, not to mention the credit cards I ran up to stay afloat. Unable to quit the job I once took to pay shortfalls, I'm now trapped and unable to write.

During a brief two-week hiatus from driving, I discovered that I could once again write if I had that time off. Thus, if I can get enough only to need to work a week or so a month, I can get back to writing, something I desperately want to do. I also want this for my fans, which I feel I've let down in this downturn.

I write for many reasons, not the least of which is because I love it. Also, though, because I don't have a choice. It's essential to my mental health. Even decades before my first publication, I wrote dozens of short stories.

A friend, mentor, and great author, Chuck Gannon, reminded me of a speech from a movie, Ford Vs. Ferrari. I'll paraphrase that speech about myself;

But there are a few, a precious few -- and hell, I don't know if they're lucky or not -- but there are a few people who find something they have to do. Something obsesses them. Something that if they can't do it, it's going to drive them clean out of their mind....I'm that guy, I'm Mark Wandrey, and I write science fiction.

I'd like your help to do it again.

In addition, if you are interested in a monthly contribution, I have a Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/MarkHWandrey

Any support you can offer will help change my life, and get it back on track.