About a year and a half ago, I quit the day job to become a full time…entrepreneur.

I’m not writing full time. I only write in the mornings, as well as a couple of evenings per week. I did not write as many words this year as I would have liked. I wrote more this year than any previous year. But still…

This is the time of year when I look back, ponder, see what and where I went right and what needs a course correction.

When I quit the day job, one of the adjustments that I’ve had to make, that I think I’ve finally gotten a good hold on, is the concept of “streams of revenue.”

Instead of a huge river of money coming in from the single day job, a single revenue source that could support me, I have multiple streams. Not one of them is enough for me to live on. And that’s okay. All together, they make a relatively good income.

(Am I making enough money to be 100% in the black? Not in 2015, though I was close. 2016 may be another matter all together. Depends in part how the workshops go.)

One of my revenue streams is my writing. What I sell to anthologies, to magazines, at Book View Cafe, or on my own.

Another is my publishing. At Knotted Road Press (and Flying Books Press) I publish people other than myself. I make money on their royalties.

I offer production services, such as covers, ebook interiors, print book interiors, web site design, etc.

And of course, there are the workshops that start next year.

One of the streams that I’m considering adding next year is a Patreon. Again, this isn’t a revenue stream that I’d try to live off of. This is another small stream, flowing in toward the bottom line.

If I go ahead and jump on this, one or two of the reward levels will be all about coffee: sponsor me at a specific level and I’ll send you some of my specialty roasted coffee beans once a quarter.

As part of trying to keep up all these revenue streams (and because I’m in search of new clients!) I’m making a commitment to blog once a week.

Of course, there will be some weeks when I’ll miss. Life happens. Or, like in February, I’ll be at a workshop and will be too busy. But I’ll try to hit most weeks–say 50 out of 52.

Is there anything that y’all would like to hear about? More ramblings on coffee and searching for that elusive roast? Musings on current cover trends and what I see coming? More pictures of the kitty? (Of course, there always need to be more pictures of the kitty.)

I’d also like to take a moment and thank each and every one of you who’s read my books, my stories, left a review, has commented on a post, or even just liked a post. It means a lot to me. I appreciate it.

I hope that you’re all having as stress-free of a holiday season as you possibly can.

Cheers!

Leah