Burn the Bookmill

The Bookmill Works. I Still Want to Burn It Down.The bookmill is the formula: write X books a year, hit a full-time author business. And the uncomfortable part is that it works. It didn't work for everybody, but it worked for a lot of us, and it felt good while it did.The cost was that a lot of good authors burned out. And when we burned out, it didn't feel like a broken system. It felt like we weren't good enough.This one's about why the model works, who it grinds up, and what consistency actually looks like when you're not built for a daily ritual.In this episode:What the bookmill actually is, and why it produced real resultsComing back after almost five years and reassessing everything I hadWhy "if you're good enough and you put your butt in the chair" is true, and why I hate that it's trueThe one House the bookmill was built for, and the three it was eatingThe experience void that creates for readersWhy consistency looks different for connection writers and buildersWhat to figure out before you decide what your goals even areFind your House free: realindieauthor.com/diagnosticShow notes00:01 — The bookmill works and I still want to burn it down00:48 — What the bookmill actually is01:17 — Why it isn't a sprint, and why that's the problem02:14 — When you burn out, it feels like you weren't good enough02:43 — Coming back after five years and reassessing the catalog04:10 — The myth, and why the myth is true05:00 — Books as product and books as experience05:30 — Where the four Houses came from06:54 — Three Houses getting ground up, one doing fine07:24 — The experience void09:33 — Connection writers and builders, and why their lines aren't straight11:27 — What sustainable production actually requires12:23 — The parts of creation that aren't production14:20 — Knowing your goals, and knowing your shortcomings16:34 — Where to start