I started writing my first novel in 1979 and completed it in 1982. After two years of submissions, my work was finally accepted and published in 1984. It received good reviews, but went out of print in 1987. I sought another publisher for several years. The book was eventually republished in 1995, but went out of print again a year later. Nowdays, it can only be found in antiquarian bookstores and a handful of libraries.
By contrast, my first nonfiction book, LAS VEGAS: The Fabulous First Century, took only one year to write, was selected for publication before it was completed, and was released in 2003. It is still in print and still selling at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and on Amazon.com. It’s very likely to be revised/reissued later this year.
My advice: Write fiction for love, write nonfiction for money. And don’t be afraid to self-publish your fiction. At least your work will remain in print as long as you like.
