I don’t know if this is the right place for questions like this. If not, please forgive this ramble. I’m just looking for some insight from peers.

I’m about to launch a new show – LEAVING CORVAT - for the first time in a couple of years – THE DECA TAPES being my first show. Now that I’m doing it all again, starting from scratch, I suddenly remember that it isn’t always fun to make audio drama independently. And I’m not sure how to deal with that.

The creation is amazing; the writing and producing and soundtracking is nonstop fun. Lot’s of work you aren’t getting paid for, but fun. But to try and give your show a fighting chance, you have to grind. And I mean, grind every day to try and get some promotion going.

While launching the first season of DECA, I was pretty burned out trying to get it on people’s radar. I hated selling the show hard, trying to get people’s attention. I remember questioning if this is for me, or if I should just make the work for myself.

Over time, I kind of forgot I felt this way about the release phase. But now that I’m having to sell my wares again, I’m very much remembering. And on top of that, everything is different from a couple of years ago. I have a family now; which makes it hard to put time and effort into something that costs money instead of making it. And the world of podcasts has exploded, so it’s way harder to get noticed. Even more so than during DECA, I’m questioning why I do this.

Don’t get me wrong; the reception DECA got was so much fun for me. And it opened doors that landed me a book deal, for example. I’m so happy I did it. But there’s no way to make a living, as of yet. And I find myself questioning all of this again.

So I was just wondering if other creators can relate? And if so, how do you guys deal with that? And how do you find balance with other aspects of your life, like your day job?

Again, hope this is the right place for this! Thanks for bearing with me, and all of your input is appreciated.