How Much Money I Made Publishing Neon Ghosts👻💰 Lessons Learned 📚 & Life Update

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

If you’d like to get neon ghosts check out: The audiobook: a.co/d/gxMoApx Ebook: amzn.to/3CXNWLK Paperback/hardback: shop.wraithmarked.com/products/neon-ghosts-a-witchs-sin-hardcover

[@Paul-TheHappyRecluse]

Appreciate the openness you have with the behind-the-scene-stuff for those of us still learning the business side of writing.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Oh man, tomorrows video will get you so much more. Seth really opened up about the state of getting an agent.

[@Paul-TheHappyRecluse]

@@DanielGreeneReviews Can't wait to watch it. I just got picked up this year by a publisher myself and it's an interesting change from self promotion of the indie author.

[@PhoenixCrown]

Yes thanks Daniel!

[@mackenzies.g.9862]

I love videos like this. It's great to hear the behind the scenes stuff with publishing and writing and your experiences up til now

[@libraryofaviking]

Thanks for the transparency and congratulations on the success! Keep up the good work.

[@honkmandeluxe]

I’ve been passively following you for years dude. Super proud to see you make it like this- inspiring stuff

[@brandonschmidt53]

Same. Bought all his books just to support him. Haven't even read neon yet...to many on my tbr. Will get to it for sure.

[@jaysemitchells497]

4.50 the Neon Ghosts cover is good and eyecatchy. Even the spine on my shelf is breathtaking, I can see people who've never heard of you scanning a shelf and pulling it out to see

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

It sells on shelfs like mad.

[@Nasser851000]

Hope Daniel is feeling better Mentally and Physically 😉

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

I’m feeling great! Just still a diagnosed dude.

[@jakiedark]

Damn, 8 hours of writing per day. Huge respect to keep it up. Do it as a hobby myself and a first draft a worthwhile but demanding experience. Doing it full time, sounds harsh and hat off to you.

[@samuelleask1132]

No question Mr Goblin, just wanted to say I’m super happy for you and I’m glad you’re doing what you’re doing!

[@CapturedInWords]

It's great to hear the behind the scene stuff, and congrats on the recent move! Oh man, Katie and I are watching Lost right now too so I'm looking forward to your video on it. We're only 3 seasons in right now, but I watched a lot of Lost growing up and then watched it again in college. I never actually finished it though.... but I've heard the ending is very unsatisfying, so I'm preparing for that. It's Katie's first time watching so it's been fun hearing all of her theories on what's going on.

[@iJuiceboxxxxxx]

I am definitely looking forward to the sequel of ghosts, I very much enjoyed the first book. Especially interested in seeing you have a chance to broaden the scope of the world building after the intriguing foundation laid in ghosts!

[@ladyethyme]

Your hair needs an introduction

[@WolfsGamingBlog]

Genuinely gave me a good laugh 😂

[@neondemon5137]

What

[@sabrinab4238]

Every time it was re-froofed I wanted to do the Griddy.

[@Luka2023-]

Love these types of videos Daniel, the transparency you give around your experiences with publishing is really useful to a lot of people. Side note: I grew up in a house that was 200 years old and whilst it had it issues, it was far and away a better built property than anything I’ve lived in since. Sometimes Old is Gold

[@thelispyopinion9772]

I've been writing a trilogy since 2016 and finding this channel helped a lot, watching Daniel write multiple books since then makes me feel like I procrastinate but also glad to see feedback on becoming an author, it makes you feel like there is still a community for this.

[@rvantong]

It's not a contest. Go at it your own pace and don't put undue pressure on yourself. Daniel's life is not your life

[@OmgPandamonium]

But at the same time, get writing. It’s almost never too late but get your book out before someone else does. 😊 good luck.

[@kamikazebee13]

Thank you for the "behind the scenes" look at the numbers! As an aspiring author, I know I'm not likely to make anything like that anytime soon, but it's good to know that it's possible.

[@MaryBieg]

I loved Neon Ghosts, and can’t wait for the next one in the series. It’s one of the few books I’ve bought a physical copy of in the last 10 years. Genuinely excited to see how you improve as an author in the future.

[@bross92]

Getting a house is such an all encompassing experience. I always figured I'd just get new things with warranties for all my problems....then I saw the price of calling someone in as opposed to learning from KZbin and giving it a try. It's insane. Most people take 2 years until they feel fully settled and have done the major important projects, so enjoy the process!

[@RogueRebel41]

Really appreciate you making these videos for those of us who are curious about how it all works as you navigate your own career as an author. Super informative and interesting content.

[@danielvaldez1683]

You are amazing man, and my inspiration to read and write more, one day I hope to meet you

[@fakjbf3129]

8:40 I am reminded of the death rattles from Way of Kings where some where general worldbuilding, some foreshadowed plot points in future books, and some were tangentially related to plot points in the same book. I think that mix was key to why they worked a little better than the ads in Neon Ghost.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Completely agree!

[@nicodemogawronski2052]

Good luck with the new house! I feel the pain. We recently bought a house in the UK and it was old, that's why it was cheaper and yeah, we had to fix*** many things!

[@shawnlanphear3588]

I liked this fireside chat with Daniel. It definitely helped me with my own projects seeing a fellow creative disect some of his own strengths and shortcoming. Keep up the amazing work my man we all appreciate it 🤙 also haven't finished Neon Ghost but am steadily working through it.

[@pretty5793]

Planning on picking up this book after wind and truth. Congratulations on the new house and thank you for your transparency. Hopefully you can inspire Gen Z and Alpha. You will be my first author who is my age group.

[@carolhostetter3178]

It’s just a pleasure to see your progress over the years. Thanks for letting us grow with you.

[@oliverbrown1230]

I really loved Neon Ghosts! I got it as soon as it came out and couldn’t “put it down” ( audiobook listener ) I can’t wait for the next installment of this series!!

[@hayleybell_author]

Old homes are amazing!!! (But totally a labor of love.) My home was built in 1893 and it is incredible. A true Victorian that is so romantic. Congratulations for moving and loving it!!!

[@laurah448]

Thanks for the behind the scenes on the kickstarter. Congrats on the sales and again on the move. Definitely worth buying old (it has lasted for a reason)

[@zack-apsalar-rake]

Your transparency is greatly appreciated. And glad that life is coming along ok. Really enjoy your vids. Keep it coming whenever you can

[@Etzuka0]

Totally agree on old. Ive just bought a propert first built in the 1860s and its got this lovely warm sandstone bricks and slate tiles. Massive victorian windows so its really bright inside, and I can hear the sea. What more can you ask for.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Sounds incredible! I didn't know old wood is typically actually better than newer faster grown wood too. Weird science stuff but this house could take a bomb it feels like. I need to do LOADS of small repairs and their might be lead in the paint, but that just means I need to get my hands dirty.

[@Etzuka0]

@DanielGreeneReviews No doubt you will love living there more for all the hard work you do :)

[@wyw876]

@@DanielGreeneReviews So, "buy old enough that it had repairability built in"?

[@christianpittenger]

Can't wait to meet you at Dragonsteel! I have not read your books yet but I plan to buy at least Neon Ghosts while I am there!

[@royceshatzel]

Happy thanksgiving and huzzah for a cozy vid

[@Glokta4]

Congrats again on the move. It's always interesting to see how the money worked out, thank you for sharing with us.

[@YouWinILose]

Love these kinds of videos! Helpful, chill, gives great context

[@xyryyn]

As a fellow new arrival to Upstate NY, glad to have you here!

[@jacoblojewski8729]

Nothing inherently bad about an old house! Most common "issue" may be draftiness, depending on how recently it's windows were replaced. But the great thing about owning it instead of renting, you can decide you want to replace all the windows, or redo all the insulation, or whatever! As long as the bones are good, it'll last forever.

[@pi-or-die]

So happy for your home journey, and congrats on buying! I agree that older homes are often so much better built. Working on your home can be so rewarding - so much so that I quit my job at msft earlier this year to start a company that helps other people learn to maintain and improve their homes. I won't link it here to not be spammy, but really happy for you

[@marcossantaengracia2862]

Good for you man! Hope you can keep growing as a writer and you feel better overal at your new place

[@toby4187]

Love your work and energy Daniel, you are awesome and an inspiration to us all!

[@Jrdn357]

Do you think you'll start work on Neon Ghosts 2 after Better Dead is published? When do you think we could roughly expect both of those books to be out? Also, I love this type of video that actually talks about what's going on with you, and your books, etc. A lot of us are fans because we actually like you and enjoy hearing about your own projects and stuff, and it's just so rare that we get to hear about your books on the channel, amidst all the content about other people's work. One of my favourite videos you've ever made was your breakdown of the Grohalind from a few years ago. So I hope you do more videos like this in the future. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Well thank you so much :) Neon Ghosts two is what my brain wants to write next for sure, but moving into trad, I have been warned I might step on toes working on a series a publisher doesn't control right after signing with them. So it might be Better Dead 2 (right now it's a planned duology with longer series potential), then Neon Ghosts two before finally hitting the final Lawful Times book which is currently looking to be a MASSIVE endeavor. It's planned out and will probably be longer than everything I've written combined. It will be a book that tells the story of a chase leading to a siege.

[@Jrdn357]

@@DanielGreeneReviews Oh, is Wraithmarked not publishing Better Dead? Cause they're the ones who control Neon Ghosts, right? Who did you sign with for Better Dead, and why didn't you go with Wraithmarked for this one? Anyways, I really don't mind what book you work on next, I'm just excited to eventually see the cover for Neon Ghosts 2, and how it goes alongside book 1's cover art. I love series art that matches SO MUCH! Really looking forward to Better Dead, though. And that Lawful Times book sounds awesome! I really hope you do more lore videos for your worlds and stuff, or anything to do with your books. Any idea when Better Dead might be out? (Next year, 2026, etc?)

[@moosedawg13]

I’ve read every book you’ve put out, and I’ve absolutely loved seeing your progress and growth! It’s inspirational, honestly. So thanks for continuing to keep going and keep trying, and I look forward to what you put out next! Happy Thanksgiving!

[@BlakeStackman]

I'm liking the chill and comfy vibe (down-to-earth and feels more real)...could get use to it 👌

[@ryancastner6200]

Woah! I am close to Rochester! So cool that you are close by. There is a great community here.

[@Levi_Zacharias]

Loved the cozy update! thanks:)

[@Mr-Ranch-Fingers]

I just told my wife that Neon Ghosts is next up on the reading docket and she loved the cover! Great video

[@BladeWinters]

You are like the 3rd youtuber I watch that is doing (what I expect to be) a 3 hour deep dive retrospective into Lost

[@leena1842]

I’m love your videos so much Daniel! And I can’t wait to read your new book when it comes out😉💪

[@daveh7828]

Can’t believe you moved to Rochester, that’s my old hometown!! Very cool.

[@alexnieves]

It's pretty surprising to hear your actual take home from Kickstarter vs what people see on the Kickstarter page itself. Seems like there's all sorts of behind the scenes payouts that eat up a lot of that cash. Congrats on your success on KZbin and becoming an author though! I remember watching your reviews when I started my channel 4 years ago and it's impressive how much you've taken off since then.

[@aikenpublishing]

Nice hair. I'm so jealous. Chill, baby, chill. Indeed. Happy Holidays. Congrats on 160,000 words. That's a prologue for Sanderson. 😁 You made the right choice: buy old! Old is stable, dependable, and very cool in the vibes.

[@violentfrog_]

Hope you enjoy your new house for many years!

[@madmonk4214]

the cover art to your book is epic!!

[@kevinlehmann3364]

Rochester is a great city/area to settle down. Just made my first trip up to see my family. The fact there was minimal rush hour traffic at 6pm on a Friday blew my F'ing mind.

[@studiozealot]

So good to hear all these updates! Really cool insights into the writing biz and the lessons learned, thank you for sharing! I hope you get a chance to swing by the Dragonsteel Creative Team Booth at Nexus! I'd love to say hi! Or honestly I should swing by your booth and pick me up some books or swag- Y'all over here have been a wonderful source of insights and news to have on in the background while I work. Keep it up!

[@Bryanchappell3188]

It’s true had a 50 year old house and I live in a brand new one I built. The new one is a great house don’t get me wrong built right before COVID but look at the lumber in that old house compared to the new one and you can tell we’ve pretty much wiped out old growth forests the lumber was twice as dense.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Its a cool yet sad fact.

[@ElijahMay-ix5bv]

The premise of Better Dead sounds awesome! Interested in your approach to tackling faith combined with the horror elements💪

[@Tritonon]

Holy smokes you are in Rochester! Super cool hope you do a book signing at one of the local bookstores! Once winter is over you should go to Fairport, love that small town.

[@JMacNCheese]

Congrats on the house. I grew up in the Rochester area and it is a really nice little city but still has a lot to do. The Strong Museum of Play is awesome and the Planetarium is also very nice. A lot to do for a small city and the summer offers some sort of Festival in and around the Rochester area as well.

[@NewOO1]

Great to hear you at least made money on Neon Ghost, I still have it on my shelf to get to, I'm a bad goblin. But to your point about quality of construction, absolutely spot on, my wife is an architect and the shit I hear about how homes and buildings are actually built today is terrifying, do not go brand new on a home!

[@ScaryMannJK]

“Built during COVID” say no more. My mom bought a truck built during that time. Apparently it’s a thing that they cut a lot of corners with vehicles too. It keeps breaking down, she got stranded in a hotel for two weeks, now she’s spending Thanksgiving in Michigan with my sister while the company tries to fix everything, it’s a nightmare

[@JollyDSmoker]

I got the ebook and I’ve been Atari g at it since it came out. Now, I’m sure it’s next on my TBR!!! Go Daniel!!!

[@jaredhumpherys8335]

Keep up the good work, you’ve definitely improved with each book. My only real issue with Neon Ghosts is it gets a bit info dumpy at times.

[@iSamwise]

Dang it Daniel now I’m interested in your new book!!!! My wallet can’t take it!

[@talesofteltra]

Daniel fighting an old man is the content we need

[@gavink8824]

I know exactly what you mean about flip flopping on whether you love or hate your book! Also, arcane episode 7 is worth everything even if it is mixed.

[@katywilbur2989]

Welcome to my home town! I don't live there any more, but it's a great place for the young suburban / millenial life

[@crimsonraen]

Hey, hey, hey, as an older millenial, I grew up talking on the phone, and prefer it for getting stuff done. :P Also, I'm so stoked that you two were able to buy a house! As the saying goes, they sure don't make 'em like they used to!

[@jsboisvert1981]

Hey I just want share I did read neon ghost and I felt was amazing and hope to see a sequel sometime that world is amazing:)

[@ADBorrego]

Happy Thanksgiving, Daniel!

[@XavierRD]

I haven't watched a video in a while, that's a new version of the ending song??? It's really really cool

[@Charadan]

Congrats dude! And thanks for the transparency! As a hopeful debut author, I’m really inspired by your story! I do have to wonder, looking at the numbers you shared, why people still go through the trouble of querying… It’s so hard to outearn self pub with trad pub nowadays, and given how much slower and rigid the process is with trad, why isnt selfpub the default? Especially for someone with your platform… I’m probably missing something. 😅

[@knottyferret]

Good morning! What kind of epic bookcase plans do you have? Old house = Secret room hidden by bookcases? Built ins? Bookcase ladders (have your Beauty and the Beast slide on the ladder while singing Moment?) Really appreciate your channel! Always watch Tuesday morning with coffee as it is my day off. High five from Western Canada - Tina

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Hello! Right now I had Kayla reach out to a company that does these custom cases that I love and we're waiting to hear back. They are a bit out of my budget, but I am hoping making one of their shelves a centerpiece with a video dedicated to it will get them to drop the price for us.

[@Meduhwhoelse]

Yay! Happy for you

[@Zdkazz]

Interesting, I’ve never had another author to compare to its nice to see that my self published book isn’t doing half bad. I made just under 30k in a year on the second book and am sitting at 700 reviews with a 4.6 rating on Amazon with the first having 1.6k reviews and also being 4.6 stars. I always wondered if I would be making more if I did traditional publishing but if you only took home 9,000 more I think I will stick with my self publishing(Amazon handles the cost of the physical copies by taking a decent cut of the cost) Thank you for giving me prospective I didn’t have anything to act as a gauge.

[@AlysterJohnEstur]

I love Lost. I still do. But the one thing I remember from ages ago, and is still true upon rewatch, is how season 6 is not the best and so many questions were left unanswered.

[@xtieburn]

Huh, I thought it was fairly common knowledge that new houses/flats are often worse. There are myriad reasons for this from a lack of skilled workers, (and boy is that about to get worse in the US) cutting or privatisation of regulation and regulatory bodies, a badly broken market where there is no real incentive to build well when your buyers are either using it as an investment vehicle and/or have extremely limited choice in properties, etc. Some or all of this in effect depending on your location and such.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Oh boy did I learn this lesson. Guess I fell for the new lie.

[@MrCaseHarts]

We need to build more dense housing in Boston so you can go back!

[@yenneferalvarez7122]

I loved the world building of Neon Ghosts!

[@2ToRamble]

This was very wholesome

[@ajcoppola8595]

NH boy -- I absolutely love Rochester. Lots of friends there. Hope you like garbage plates!

[@bojanrodic5406]

Daniel: New is bullsh!t, buy old! Also Daniel: Hang on, I got this thing on my new soundboard🤣🤣🤣

[@mmem4264]

Lost, how nostalgic. I still remember the ep before the last ep that follows Jacob being the worst ep in the show for me lol. I did like the ending, mostly the stuff on the present day timeline. I thought that ending was good. The other stuff depends on how I feel. Guess I should rewatch it, it did have some great moments and that sense of mystery and faith was good, some good twists too, I still love the last scene in the finale before the final season though the first ep of the final season ruined it a lil, so much potential with this show! I keep meaning to check out From, which is apparently the same pple and similar, surely they’ve improved since Lost, but no rush. If you haven’t listened to it I recommend checking out the song I’ll Never Be Lost Again, it’s about the singer’s experience watching Lost and it’s a fun listen to and it’s on KZbin.

[@rickydeblasi8903]

Welcome to WNY!

[@JohnfromNY89]

What are your plans regarding future neon ghosts novel as well as follows up to rebels creed

[@chrisa787]

Still waiting for the day that the shipping doesn't cost more than the book itself. I look forward to reading this eventually 🤞

[@benjones8276]

loving the podcast with evan, do you know frequent they will be?

[@astevenswrites]

Thanks for sharing, Daniel! Would you ever go into a more detailed breakdown of your indie publishing journey versus going with Kickstarter and Warithmarked? Coming from a guy who's planning to publish indie in 2025, I'd love to hear more about this experience in detail! While I do intend to initially publish indie (100% by choice), I would love to get in with Wraithmarked or one of the other special edition publishers at some point in the future if things go well.

[@lempollo6430]

Outro goes hard.

[@unordinarytales]

I appreciate the honesty and transparency on the writing process and business. Do you have plans for the book to go into Libby or Hoopla so they are accessible via libraries in a digital format?

[@TheBlueOwlX]

About LOST: I have the first five seasons on DVD. Season 6 broke my heart.

[@LiteraryStoner]

Congrats!!

[@julio726]

Damn, your house has its own story!

[@KatyKreatureGaming]

Boston renting is miserable, so sorry. I was lucky and got a house for "cheap" and it's good for me and my spouse but it's small for sure. Rochester is nice! I have friends up there so I hope you enjoy it tons

[@saphna2095]

yeyy comfy cozy ketchup videos are just my type of thing

[@katrinab8805]

Loving the Old Man Dan era 😂

[@ProblemsTheClown]

Daniel, what sort of music are you into? Random question, but it came to mind. You'll be treated well by the older home for sure.

[@dylanbeazer2506]

Congrats on everything! I’m still curious what was the main gemstone in the engagement ring? It didn’t quite look like a diamond.

[@Martin.Christopher]

Lost is an example oh how, imo, people are FAR too concerned about everything being answered rather than enjoying the ride and emotions experienced. The middle of the show is pretty weak but the first 1/3 and last 1/3 are pretty incredible overall. That said Fringe > Lost. Much love, Daniel. MC

[@LindsayAT]

Also went from a brand new first to live in it apartment to a 100+ year old house and the majority of the fixes needed are just from past owners bad DIY projects.

[@mayareads708]

Wanted to bring your book to deagonsteel to maybe get it signed but there is a shipping problem in Canada 😜 I shall have two copies then ahhaha

[@akellerhouse83]

I'll be at Dragonsteel. I'll try to come to your booth to meet you, but I'm kinda shy about that stuff, so it might not happen. Maybe I'll get you to sign my Neon Ghosts book.