Mason Bushell

Hi there! Grab a coffee, enter my menagerie and find a story from your favourite genre, from #horror, to #romance, #action #adventure, #mystery to #scifi. It's all there in the menagerie - off you go! #Wordpress #blogger #shortstories #readingcommunity masonsmenagerie.wordpress.com

@sienna_delaine_ @Wordsmith66 I bet on 28 books I wrote and got the lot destroyed most before they even got a chance to become a proper book. A successful indie author doesnt need a good book just a big bank balance and a famous face.

Indie authors don't get enough credit. No publisher backing them. No marketing team. No agent. Just them, a laptop, and a story they believe in so much they bet everything on it. That takes more guts than most people will ever have. 💯

@Pro__Author There is no control in self publishing and giving your book to big publishers never gets you an advance these days. It just garuntees the knky thing thats yours in the finished book is your signature.

Would you give up the control that comes with self-publishing in exchange for a big advance?

@Plotwist_ing I was deadly serious.

@MBWorkhouse It was an April fool joke. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm not publishing any more books. 😮‍💨

@BHolshouserUS I wont write again. I wrote 28 books for nothing but darkness in my heart, 800+ short stories jn a website thats been stolen from by the worlds criminal AI systems. I'm not creating anymore to be stolen or ruined.

@MBWorkhouse Sorry to hear that. It takes a lot of promoting and selling to get even close to what I've got. It's definitely possible though. Hope you get your passion back.

Reflecting on being a published author for a year... I aimed high, hoping to somehow hit 1,000 books sold in a year. It was a lofty goal, given most indie books die long before 100 sales. I also write YA books, which means I have a few extra barriers to get through when selling. I might have missed my goal but I'm still very grateful to have hit 560 books sold if you include Gwyn's Kingdom's birthday last Saturday. This means a lot to me. For everyone who has given my books a chance, thank you! Truly!

@BHolshouserUS You did well, all I did was lose more of me and my books with every attempt to publish. What did go out never sold. My books are dead on a memory stick now,

@MBWorkhouse I don't think so. I have had some amazing readers, many who have spread my book through word-of-mouth. I beat the average with 560 in a year. It's not a NY Times best seller but shows people still want to read human-written books.

@Pro__Author Once. It helped end my writing career. Reviews are for readers not writers.

Do you look at the reviews of your own books?

@deanpb_author Editors rewrote so much the book wasn't mine, betas hated everything, that destroyed my confidence in my writing. I wrote 28 books, for success I would need 100k to edit, illustrate, cover, format, get ISBNs as Amazon is pointless. Then promote. Its a rich mans or AI's world now.

@MBWorkhouse Unfortunately, poor sales aren’t generally down to the writing not being good enough, it’s the lack of marketing. Most of us indie authors can’t afford it, nor have the skills. If I get just one positive review for a book it has achieved what I wanted from it.

When you started writing your first book, did your friends and family know? If they did, were they supportive or not? #WritingCommunity #writerslife #writingq

@deanpb_author I did all I could traditionally and self routes. Ultimately, my every attempt was failure. What was published never sold. My writing was never good enough, I hadn't enough fame or money. All I achieved was losing more of myself and my books with every try and so I had to quit.

@MBWorkhouse Why have they gone? Did you not try self-publishing?

Freedom is a powerful thing. Pre-september 2025 I would feel the urge to write every idea I had. That month, three years after my books died, a failed short story ended me as a storyteller. Now, I still have ideas but I can easily ignore every one. #WritingCommunity #writing

@ValerieSirenko No manuscript is too long. A story is the length it's supposed to be when its done. Listen to the story not the noise of others. My books are gone because I listened to others and let them be destroyed.

Midpoint rewrites are moving along! If only it weren't adding thousands of words to an already way too long manuscript...🤦‍♀️ #writing #WritingCommunity #writerslife #writers #amwriting

@KMWoodauthor Three things I'd tell myself 1. Never write a book 2. Open an animal sanctuary 3. Speak to her on the bus in 2009

3 things I would tell my younger self: 1. Never do something to please someone else 2. Give yourself grace through the hard times, there’ll be plenty of them 3. Be careful who you trust

@goodreads I wish. With the destruction of my own books came the death of my ability to read.

When in doubt, read. #booktwt

@byMorganWright So sorry for your loss, Morgan. Losing our fur babies is worse than losing a human family member isnt it? Your beautiful dog walked the rainbow bridge but still visits you, I know it. Sending hugs,

Sorry I’ve hardly been interacting on here these past few weeks- since my dog died I’ve been stuck in my head a lot & I couldn’t find any drive to talk to people. I do plan to start interacting more again soon though so thanks to everyone who’s stuck around despite my absence❤️.

@ClaireLLLW81 I never got chance to have a proper release date.

Does anyone else get nervous before a book release?

Nostalgic memories of when I was bringing this character to life. I can’t wait to try a few compositions with her. 🖤✏️ #CharacterDesign #SketchArt #Illustration #DigitalArt #ArtistOnTwitter #WorkInProgress

@love_walk_life The fact that it and the other 27 are dead and gone for good.

What separates YOUR book from all the others out there? #WritingCommunity

This isn’t just a sketch it’s discipline on paper. Every line intentional. Every shadow earned. No undo button. No shortcuts. Just raw control and obsession with detail. If you want artwork that stands out and commands attention, not blends in I’m your artist. Serious inquiries only. #biroart #ballpointpen #penartist #darkfantasyart #characterillustration #inkart #artistsonx #commissionsopen #artcollector #customart #drawingskills #fineart this was done for @Seraph7th check out his books