My ms. that was due in January is in and things are settling down here (well, not really--after I turned in the ms. I had to deal with the hundreds of things I'd been putting off while I wrote).
What I never knew about being a published writer is that there is so much more to it than writing a book and giving it to your publisher. You need to keep up with:
Talking with your agent about new projects and writing new proposals.
Signing contracts and getting them to the right people at the right time.
Keeping up blogs and websites (whether you do it yourself or give updates to someone else).
Keepng track of who owes you what money when and follow-up when it doesn't appear (your agent does most of this, but it's always good to keep your finger on it.)
Doing revisions of mss. already turned in.
Working with your editor on cover and back cover copy.
Checking copy-edits.
Proofreading the final pages.
Preparing self-marketing strategies for books as they come out. (This can involve mailing cards or book covers to readers groups or booksellers, mailing out review copies [if the publisher doesn't], buying ad space in print and online, and so much more.)
Keeping track of business expenses and taxes.
Preparing for and giving workshops.
Doing signings and appearances.
Doing interviews, both online and in person and guest blogging.
Going to conferences.
Not to mention the general work of keeping your desk from collapsing under the weight of all the paperwork you will get around to filing "someday."
Because I write four to five books a year, multiply all this times five.
So what happens when major events happen in your life, and you still have to get all this stuff done? Remember that most authors work by themselves, although some hire assistants to do the busy work (mailing, copying, keeping track of things, and all that filing.)
There are two very important things to remember:
1. Your life is more important than your writing career. You can always get back to your writing career later.
2. In your writing career, the single most important thing is the writing. All the other stuff I talked about is secondary.
Now, if you are stuck like I was having to finish books while I was both busy and upset, there are several things you can do.
1. Talk with your editors and/or agent (or whoever is waiting for your work) and explain exactly what is going on. Mine were fantastically understanding and supportive.
2. Ask someone to help you with all the busy work, both in your writing and personal life. There's no need to be a martyr and go it alone. You can always help them when things are bad for them.
That's the mechanics--now for the actual writing.
1. I found that writing helped me retreat a little from the bad things that were happening in my life. It's fine to sink yourself into creativity and your imaginary world for a while if that helps you cope.
2. Write in a place where you are the most comfortable. If you have the best output at a coffee house, plan an hour to go there and write.
3. Don't worry about writing. The best gift my editors and agent gave me was to say "don't worry, take your time." That let me write when I could and not stress over it when I couldn't. I had to be there for others, and I didn't feel pulled apart, or guilty no matter what I did.
4. Keep taking care of day-to-day stuff and don't let it pile up too high. That way when you get back to writing you don't have things falling on you, and your clothes are clean.
5. Relax. Let the writing flow, let it be your therapy. Don't try to write something you really don't want to. OR let the discipline of writing on one project every day carry you through.
6. Find methods that block out unhappy feelings for you--for example, writing to certain music, writing by candlelight, reading something inspiring before you sit down to write, prayer, writing in complete solitude or writing surrounded by people. Whatever makes your writing session more productive or calms your mind.
As I said before, sometimes the writing itself will help you get through.
I hope this is helpful. These are random thoughts that came to me while I was coping with stress and a sad event and had to keep writing.
But I did it--I finished the ms. I was working on and turned it in, and now am working on the next project (and doing a workshop and booksigning this weekend, signing contracts and mailing them, working with my editor on cover copy, looking at copy-edits . . .)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Coming off Haitus and First Sale Story by Joy Nash
Greetings. It has been a long time since I posted here because over the holidays we had a death in the family. That entailed a trip out of town and an incredible number of things to do, things you don't even think of until it's suddenly necessary. Through it all, I've had to keep writing, because I have several books due, although my editors have been incredibly supportive.
Once I get my breath back, I think it would be good to blog about writing through stress!
While I recover and finish my due ms., I'll post author Joy Nash's first sale story. Joy writes historical romance set in Celtic Britain, and she is also part of the Immortals paranormal romance series I created at Dorchester publishing. Her latest book, Deep Magic, a historical romance with ties to the King Arthur legends, was released this month.
How did you sell your first book?
Joy: I sold my first two full-length novels at nearly the same time. In 2004, I had a fantasy romance, Crystal Shadows, under consideration at Ellora's Cave, and a historical paranormal, Celtic Fire (a 2004 Golden Heart Finalist), under consideration at Dorchester. I'd gotten the request for Crystal Shadows after making a contact with an editor at a Romantic Times convention. The request for Celtic Fire followed a contest win in which a Dorchester editor was the final judge. Crystal Shadows sold first, and came out in ebook format that same November. Celtic Fire sold soon after, but since the lead time for print book production was longer, it didn't appear in bookstores until June 2005.
You had some small press/e-press sales; what do you like/dislike about small press vs. large NY press?
Joy: Yes – in addition to publishing Crystal Shadows with Ellora's Cave, I also published two novellas and a short story published by New Concepts. Working with small press was a very good experience for me. The shorter length of my New Concepts work gave me a chance to experiment with different types of stories and develop my voice, and the wider opportunity for publishing slots was encouraging. There's also an anything-goes quality to small/epress publishing that's very refreshing. I feel very fortunate to break in at Dorchester, a big press with a reputation for pushing the envelope in the romance genre—the editors there are open to a very wide range of innovative story types. Large presses also have the advantage of a very wide distribution network. My print runs at Dorchester have been fantastic. More books out there leads to more sales to more readers.
Do you have an agent? and if so, why?
Joy: I do have an agent. She's invaluable when negotiating contracts, which leaves me free to concentrate on the creative side of writing. I signed with her in 2004, and she was instrumental in getting Celtic Fire read quickly by, and subsequently sold to, Dorchester. A manuscript—even after you've sold the first one—can languish a loooong time at a big publishing house without a good agent to push things along.
What do you think about the market for historical romance these days?
Joy: I'm really encouraged to see a huge rebound in historical books. It seems a few years ago, everyone was claiming historical romances were dead, but like Mark Twain's mistaken demise, the rumors were premature. What's happened is that the narrow focus of the historical market has widened, making room for different time periods, different locales, non-traditional heroes and heroines, and more paranormal elements. All of which is breathing life into the subgenre.
Joy: I sold my first two full-length novels at nearly the same time. In 2004, I had a fantasy romance, Crystal Shadows, under consideration at Ellora's Cave, and a historical paranormal, Celtic Fire (a 2004 Golden Heart Finalist), under consideration at Dorchester. I'd gotten the request for Crystal Shadows after making a contact with an editor at a Romantic Times convention. The request for Celtic Fire followed a contest win in which a Dorchester editor was the final judge. Crystal Shadows sold first, and came out in ebook format that same November. Celtic Fire sold soon after, but since the lead time for print book production was longer, it didn't appear in bookstores until June 2005.
You had some small press/e-press sales; what do you like/dislike about small press vs. large NY press?
Joy: Yes – in addition to publishing Crystal Shadows with Ellora's Cave, I also published two novellas and a short story published by New Concepts. Working with small press was a very good experience for me. The shorter length of my New Concepts work gave me a chance to experiment with different types of stories and develop my voice, and the wider opportunity for publishing slots was encouraging. There's also an anything-goes quality to small/epress publishing that's very refreshing. I feel very fortunate to break in at Dorchester, a big press with a reputation for pushing the envelope in the romance genre—the editors there are open to a very wide range of innovative story types. Large presses also have the advantage of a very wide distribution network. My print runs at Dorchester have been fantastic. More books out there leads to more sales to more readers.
Do you have an agent? and if so, why?
Joy: I do have an agent. She's invaluable when negotiating contracts, which leaves me free to concentrate on the creative side of writing. I signed with her in 2004, and she was instrumental in getting Celtic Fire read quickly by, and subsequently sold to, Dorchester. A manuscript—even after you've sold the first one—can languish a loooong time at a big publishing house without a good agent to push things along.
What do you think about the market for historical romance these days?
Joy: I'm really encouraged to see a huge rebound in historical books. It seems a few years ago, everyone was claiming historical romances were dead, but like Mark Twain's mistaken demise, the rumors were premature. What's happened is that the narrow focus of the historical market has widened, making room for different time periods, different locales, non-traditional heroes and heroines, and more paranormal elements. All of which is breathing life into the subgenre.
Tell us a little about your latest book and what you're working on now.
Joy: My latest book, Deep Magic, was released on Jan 2, 2008. Deep Magic is the second book in my Druids of Avalon series, which has been compared by reviewers to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. The Druids of Avalon series follows the lives of the Druid ancestors of King Arthur as they struggle to pave the path for the great future king. Deep Magic, in which I tell my own version of how the great sword Excalibur was forged, follows the first book in the Druids series, The Grail King.
Right now I'm hard at work finishing the urban fantasy Immortals: The Crossing. It'll be out in October 2008, close on the heels of Jennifer Ashley's Immortals: The Redeeming in September. (Joy's Immortals: The Awakening is the third book in this series.)
Thank you, Joy, for taking time to send me your post, and for your interesting insights on small and e-press. Good luck with all your projects!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Making a Living as a Writer
I've addressed this a little bit before, but I do get asked quite a lot about how much writers really make and if it's possible to make a living writing. My answer is, yes, it is possible to make a living, but you need to go in with your eyes open and educate yourself about the business.
(I refuse to say "if you can do anything else but write to make a living, do it," because I'm sitting here making a living writing, and I can't say it's a bad life. It's hard, yes. But if it's your dream, who am I to tell you not to do it?)
It's actually pretty easy to figure out how much writers make:
The average sellthrough of a mass market paperback is 50%. So you can calculate about how much an author makes based on the print run.
A midlist author has mass market print runs anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 per book.
If your first book makes $25,000, that doesn't mean you get a $25,000 check dropped in your lap. Even if your advance was $25,000, it will be dribbled to you in several pieces: a. when you sign the contract; b. when you turn in the book and it's accepted by the editor. That means after you do the revisions (if any) she asks for. Then she puts in the request for your payment to her acct. dept.
If you got a $5,000 advance on that book that earned you $25,000 in royalties, you have to wait for your royalty checks to collect the other $20K. You don't get a royalty check until at least six months after the book is published. And you turn in the book anywhere from nine to 18 months before the book is published. And then the publisher holds a "reserve against returns" for a year or so in case they get more returns than they expected. So it might take you three years to collect that entire $25,000.
Oh, and if you make $25,000 in royalties and your advance was $30,000 . . . you don't get any more money. You don't have to give back what you didn't make, but they might cut your next advance or simply "pass" on your next proposal.
All this means that the first few years as a writer will be lean, even if your book is a hit. But what happens after that is what I call a snowball effect. All these bits and chunks of money from signing contracts, turning in books, receiving royalties, signing another contract, selling secondary rights, etc. start to add up.
Also, because you make your money per book, the more books you write, the more money you make. (But always take a realistic view of how many books you can comfortably write a year--sacrificing quality for quantity will hurt you in the long run.)
Writing for more than one publisher. If you can keep to the schedule, consider writing books for more than one publisher. Many of my author friends do this--they might write for Avon and Harlequin; Kensington and Dorchester; Berkley and Pocket, etc.
Be careful--publishers don't want you publishing the same thing for their rivals, so you may be writing two different kinds of books, perhaps under different pseudonyms. This can be fun--I love trying out new genres, and writing for multiple publishers lets me do that. But check the option clause in any and every contract you get, and change it if necessary to let you continue to write for more than one publisher.
Writing for e-publishers. The beautiful thing about e-publishers is they send you checks every month. Depending on the publisher, they might not be big checks, but again, they can add up nicely. At Ellora's Cave, sales average 900 downloads per book in the first 30 days. You can sell more than that--keep in mind that 900 is an average.
At e-publishers, your royalty rate for e-books is 37%-40%. Very short books (12K) make about $1.00 royalty per book. Novel-length (60K and up) make about $2-$3 in royalties per book. Authors who manage to write multiple books for these publishers do well for themselves. Many of them are making that their day job while they try to break in to NY publishers--plus they're busy building a following. I don't write that many stories for e-publishes, but I make a secondary income from them to let me buy groceries while waiting for my NY publishers to send out royalty statements.
As you can see, writing is not the way to instant riches. It's a job in which you have to work your behind off to succeed.
It's a hard slog, but if you educate yourself and know what you're getting into, you might just make it.
(I refuse to say "if you can do anything else but write to make a living, do it," because I'm sitting here making a living writing, and I can't say it's a bad life. It's hard, yes. But if it's your dream, who am I to tell you not to do it?)
It's actually pretty easy to figure out how much writers make:
The average sellthrough of a mass market paperback is 50%. So you can calculate about how much an author makes based on the print run.
A midlist author has mass market print runs anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 per book.
A lead or top author can have mm print runs of 100,000 up to a million. This is where the bigger money is made, this is New York Times, book tours, and all the other hoop-la.
You as an author do not choose where you start--the publisher does.
(You do have some control over this--as in, if the publisher offers you a low advance and a midlist slot, you can always say no. If you get no better offers, then you'll be starting as a midlist.)
Trade and hardback print runs are smaller, anywhere from 10,000 in the midlist to 70K for leads. Of course trades and hardbacks are more expensive, so you make more per copy sold, but that's offset by the lower print run. Sellthrough is usually higher, about 70% (at least, that's what the publisher wants to see.)
In trades you make about $1.00 per book sold; hardback $2-$3 per book sold. Mass market (based on 6.99 and 7.99 retail price and 6%-8% royalty) you make about 40-50 cents per copy.
You as an author do not choose whether your book starts as hardback, trade, or mass market. (Your agent can push for what you want, but again, your power is in declining the offer.)
In mass market: A midlist author will make anywhere from $5000 to $40,000 per book (note that's per book, not per year).
A $5000 book is a beginning book that sold about 10,000 mass market copies (based on 8% royalty with the book being $6.99); I'm assuming this author had a 20K print run and sold about half.
The $40,000 mass market book sold about 80,000 copies; and since my sample author is still midlist, I'm pretending her print run was 100K. Her sales probably put her on extended bestseller lists, which might incite the publisher to boost her to a lead position.
A lead author with a print run of 250,000 can make $125K or so for that one book.
A trade book with a print run of 20,000 that sells through 70% (which is 14,000 copies), generates about $14,000 for its author. If the author is lucky, the book's mass market rights might be sold, which could get her another chunk of change.
I don't have a lot of experience in hardback, so I'm not going to speculate on its income. When I do, I'll let you know!
Now let me insert the bad stuff:
If your first book makes $25,000, that doesn't mean you get a $25,000 check dropped in your lap. Even if your advance was $25,000, it will be dribbled to you in several pieces: a. when you sign the contract; b. when you turn in the book and it's accepted by the editor. That means after you do the revisions (if any) she asks for. Then she puts in the request for your payment to her acct. dept.
If you got a $5,000 advance on that book that earned you $25,000 in royalties, you have to wait for your royalty checks to collect the other $20K. You don't get a royalty check until at least six months after the book is published. And you turn in the book anywhere from nine to 18 months before the book is published. And then the publisher holds a "reserve against returns" for a year or so in case they get more returns than they expected. So it might take you three years to collect that entire $25,000.
Oh, and if you make $25,000 in royalties and your advance was $30,000 . . . you don't get any more money. You don't have to give back what you didn't make, but they might cut your next advance or simply "pass" on your next proposal.
All this means that the first few years as a writer will be lean, even if your book is a hit. But what happens after that is what I call a snowball effect. All these bits and chunks of money from signing contracts, turning in books, receiving royalties, signing another contract, selling secondary rights, etc. start to add up.
Also, because you make your money per book, the more books you write, the more money you make. (But always take a realistic view of how many books you can comfortably write a year--sacrificing quality for quantity will hurt you in the long run.)
There are also ways to supplement your writing income:
Secondary rights. If you own your secondary rights (foreign translation; audio; movie) to your published books, your agent can sell these to get you extra money. If you and the publisher are splitting these rights (usually 50/50), then the publisher will be looking to sell secondary rights. That's what they do at all those book fairs in London and Frankfurt and at Book Expo America. As of yesterday, my agent and publisher have sold rights to several of my books to publishers in Germany, Italy, Holland, and Russia. Bookclub rights (Doubleday) is another secondary rights sale that adds to your check.
Writing for more than one publisher. If you can keep to the schedule, consider writing books for more than one publisher. Many of my author friends do this--they might write for Avon and Harlequin; Kensington and Dorchester; Berkley and Pocket, etc.
Be careful--publishers don't want you publishing the same thing for their rivals, so you may be writing two different kinds of books, perhaps under different pseudonyms. This can be fun--I love trying out new genres, and writing for multiple publishers lets me do that. But check the option clause in any and every contract you get, and change it if necessary to let you continue to write for more than one publisher.
Writing for e-publishers. The beautiful thing about e-publishers is they send you checks every month. Depending on the publisher, they might not be big checks, but again, they can add up nicely. At Ellora's Cave, sales average 900 downloads per book in the first 30 days. You can sell more than that--keep in mind that 900 is an average.
At e-publishers, your royalty rate for e-books is 37%-40%. Very short books (12K) make about $1.00 royalty per book. Novel-length (60K and up) make about $2-$3 in royalties per book. Authors who manage to write multiple books for these publishers do well for themselves. Many of them are making that their day job while they try to break in to NY publishers--plus they're busy building a following. I don't write that many stories for e-publishes, but I make a secondary income from them to let me buy groceries while waiting for my NY publishers to send out royalty statements.
As you can see, writing is not the way to instant riches. It's a job in which you have to work your behind off to succeed.
You have to be careful, you have to be smart, you have to go in with blinders removed, you have to acknowledge that you might face disappointment, hurt, anger, and rejection.
It's a hard slog, but if you educate yourself and know what you're getting into, you might just make it.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
A Writing Career vs. Getting Published
For my entry this week, pop over to The Bradford Bunch (authors of agent Laura Bradford), where I'm guest blogging, courtesy of author Denise Agnew, on the difference between just getting published versus having a true writing career.
Take care,
Jennifer
Take care,
Jennifer
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Colleen Thompson--Advice from a Rising Rom. Sus. Star
I had the great pleasure to pick up Colleen Thompson's new Romantic Suspense, The Salt Maiden a few days ago. I asked her to be my guest this week, and I was able to ask her about the Romantic Suspense market, agents, and writing in general.
J: Do you have an agent? Why or why not?
Colleen Thompson: I've always worked with an agent and feel it's well worth paying the commission to have someone to run interference. This helps me keep my relationship with my editor about the book and allow the agent to deal with any potentially-contentious matters.
J: Can you talk a little about your road to publication?
J: Can you talk a little about your road to publication?
Colleen Thompson: I wrote on the side for years while teaching. Only after I decided to give writing a real priority in my life and make an effort to education myself about publishing did I make progress. Both multi-genre and romance writers' groups (RWA) taught me what I needed to know and allowed me the opportunity to gain an agent's attention through entering contests. For me, this opened doors.
J: What challenges did you face once you got there?
J: What challenges did you face once you got there?
Colleen Thompson: I first published in historical romance (under the pseudonym Gwyneth Atlee), but I found history-rich, American-set books were losing favor. In addition, I went lost several editors (three!) in rapid succession. I knew I needed to try something else at a different publishing house to break out of the tough place where I was stuck. As I result, I started over, writing romantic suspense, which I adore, under my real name. I've never been happier.
J: You write terrific romantic suspense. Tell us about the general tone of your books and what you find appealing to write about.
J: You write terrific romantic suspense. Tell us about the general tone of your books and what you find appealing to write about.
Colleen Thompson: Thanks so much, Jennifer. I love writing about "real people" facing the toughest crises of their lives, characters whose happiness - and very survival - hinges upon learning to accept love and embrace their own potential. My books aren't about superheroes, but flawed individuals doing their best. I enjoy developing their family lives (pets included) and exploring the Texas locales that make them who they are.
J: Can you give any “insight” into the rom. sus. market—what readers seem to like/dislike, or if you think reader tastes area all over the map (and why you think so).
J: Can you give any “insight” into the rom. sus. market—what readers seem to like/dislike, or if you think reader tastes area all over the map (and why you think so).
Colleen Thompson: There's a great deal of variety within the subgenre, with readers gravitating toward writers that best share their own tastes. My books are a little more family-oriented and tend to feature regular people pushed to heroic acts by desperate circumstances. I think readers are responding because they're looking for a break from all the independently wealthy, super-secret agent, kick-ass experts and want to go along for the ride with people who are a little more identifiable, a little more like themselves.
J: Anything else you want to add to benefit aspiring authors?
J: Anything else you want to add to benefit aspiring authors?
Colleen Thompson: When you're looking to break into a market, ask yourself what's the "something different" you intend to bring to the genre. How will your take be unique and lead readers to seek out more of your books? Though you can't completely ignore market trends, emulating others will only take you so far. You have to figure out your vision and then create a consistently improving, identifiable experience for your readers with every book you add to your body of work.
J: Thanks for taking time to answer my questions. I had planned to save Salt Maiden for an upcoming plane trip, then made the mistake of peeking at the first chapter. I had to rip the book from my hands! It looks like a terrific read, and I'm looking forward to it.
J: Thanks for taking time to answer my questions. I had planned to save Salt Maiden for an upcoming plane trip, then made the mistake of peeking at the first chapter. I had to rip the book from my hands! It looks like a terrific read, and I'm looking forward to it.
More on Colleen's books can be found at: http://www.colleen-thompson.com/
Also, she keeps an ongoing blog with with author Joni Rodgers with tips and news about writing and the publishing industry at http://www.boxingoctopus.blogspot.com/
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Don't Let Anything Stop You
I'm behind on my posts, because of heavy deadlines, but I recalled something last night and thought I'd post it as a motivation here.
Don't Let Anything Stop You
Last night I attended a concert of one of my favorite guitarists. The man onstage was older than me, and started this part of his career (touring and recording CDs) in his late 40s.
I'm betting he ran up against a lot of attitude obsticals when he tried to do it: "You're too old; no one wants that kind of music any more; you won't be able to sell to a major label; no one knows your name."
But now he's quite popular, has a mess of CDs (on major labels that are played on top radios stations nationwide), does two-three tours a year, and seems to be enjoying himself. Why? Because he knew what he wanted to do and did it anyway.
I don't know if this actually happened the way I describe, but I see it all the time with writers.
As a writer you will run up against all kinds of people, often very well-meaning people, who will try to stop you achieving your goals.
These people usually aren't cruel or jealous; often they are acting from the purest motives--they don't want to see you get hurt.
Well, guess what, you're going to hurt. Writing is painful and getting published is painful. There can be a lot of joy in it, too, but it's also going to hurt. No pain, no gain? (And who says working a "real" job won't have its own share of pain?)
On the other hand, some people will be jealous or mean-spirited, and they'll have varied motivations for trying to stop you.
But whatever the reason or emotion behind it, at some point you have to block out the outside voices and say "I'm going to do this anyway."
People doing their best to stop you can include: your mother, your best friend, your husband, your critique partner(s), your readers. Even after you're published, people who try to stop you will include: your agent, your editor, reviewers, readers, booksellers, and other authors.
Most of these people are not trying to stop you on purpose--far from it. But negative signals will be:
That doesn't sell
You can't put that in a: (choose one) romance / mystery / thriller / fantasy / literary novel
It's not realistic to make a living as a writer
The market for that is dead
So and so author is doing fantastic writing X; why aren't you writing it?
Editors don't want that any more
I'm tired of seeing that
When are you going to write a real book?
The above statements could be right, or they could be DEAD WRONG!
(For example, the things people told me "didn't sell" or editors "didn't want" when I started seriously pursuing publication (circa 1999-2000) sell like hotcakes now. What "doesn't sell" is relative.)
And then of course, there are the voices in your own head:
You're not good enough
That author is so much better than you
No one will want to read that
You'll never get published
You'll never make NY Times or USA Today
OK, you made it once, but you'll never make NY Times or USA Today again.
This book is pure crap
We are bombarded with this negativity all the time; it doesn't stop, no matter how high you rise in the business. (I've talked to mega-bestselling authors who feel enormous pressure to keep their sales at a certain level.)
What we have to do is find that place of strength deep inside ourselves (we all have it--some of us bury it deeper than others :-))
We have to hold onto that strength, even in times of stress, exhaustion, rejections, career problems, anger, heartache, despair.
We have to again find the reason that novel or story spoke to us, why those characters cried out for us to write that particular book.
AND WRITE IT ANYWAY!!!!!
The fiery spark that starts the novel is far more powerful than our own negative self talk or the well-meaning negativity from family, friends and writing professionals.
And who the hell knows whether it will sell or not? What editors are tired of seeing and reviewers are tearing apart might be the very thing that readers will get excited about and glom.
You just never know.
So if you find yourself saying to a newbie writer when they excitedly tell you about their idea, "Oh, editors aren't buying that any more." STOP!
It isn't being kind; it isn't helping an author not get hurt or rejected. It's planting seeds of self-doubt and drying up creativity.
Let the writer enjoy the fantastic experience of writing that book. If it truly doesn't catch an editor's attention today, it might tomorrow. Or the writer will learn how to strengthen his writing so he can sell the next one.
And if someone tells you: "That won't sell; you're not very good; that market is dead; no one likes those kinds of books; editors don't want that..."
DON'T LISTEN!
Don't Let Anything Stop You
Last night I attended a concert of one of my favorite guitarists. The man onstage was older than me, and started this part of his career (touring and recording CDs) in his late 40s.
I'm betting he ran up against a lot of attitude obsticals when he tried to do it: "You're too old; no one wants that kind of music any more; you won't be able to sell to a major label; no one knows your name."
But now he's quite popular, has a mess of CDs (on major labels that are played on top radios stations nationwide), does two-three tours a year, and seems to be enjoying himself. Why? Because he knew what he wanted to do and did it anyway.
I don't know if this actually happened the way I describe, but I see it all the time with writers.
As a writer you will run up against all kinds of people, often very well-meaning people, who will try to stop you achieving your goals.
These people usually aren't cruel or jealous; often they are acting from the purest motives--they don't want to see you get hurt.
Well, guess what, you're going to hurt. Writing is painful and getting published is painful. There can be a lot of joy in it, too, but it's also going to hurt. No pain, no gain? (And who says working a "real" job won't have its own share of pain?)
On the other hand, some people will be jealous or mean-spirited, and they'll have varied motivations for trying to stop you.
But whatever the reason or emotion behind it, at some point you have to block out the outside voices and say "I'm going to do this anyway."
People doing their best to stop you can include: your mother, your best friend, your husband, your critique partner(s), your readers. Even after you're published, people who try to stop you will include: your agent, your editor, reviewers, readers, booksellers, and other authors.
Most of these people are not trying to stop you on purpose--far from it. But negative signals will be:
That doesn't sell
You can't put that in a: (choose one) romance / mystery / thriller / fantasy / literary novel
It's not realistic to make a living as a writer
The market for that is dead
So and so author is doing fantastic writing X; why aren't you writing it?
Editors don't want that any more
I'm tired of seeing that
When are you going to write a real book?
The above statements could be right, or they could be DEAD WRONG!
(For example, the things people told me "didn't sell" or editors "didn't want" when I started seriously pursuing publication (circa 1999-2000) sell like hotcakes now. What "doesn't sell" is relative.)
And then of course, there are the voices in your own head:
You're not good enough
That author is so much better than you
No one will want to read that
You'll never get published
You'll never make NY Times or USA Today
OK, you made it once, but you'll never make NY Times or USA Today again.
This book is pure crap
We are bombarded with this negativity all the time; it doesn't stop, no matter how high you rise in the business. (I've talked to mega-bestselling authors who feel enormous pressure to keep their sales at a certain level.)
What we have to do is find that place of strength deep inside ourselves (we all have it--some of us bury it deeper than others :-))
We have to hold onto that strength, even in times of stress, exhaustion, rejections, career problems, anger, heartache, despair.
We have to again find the reason that novel or story spoke to us, why those characters cried out for us to write that particular book.
AND WRITE IT ANYWAY!!!!!
The fiery spark that starts the novel is far more powerful than our own negative self talk or the well-meaning negativity from family, friends and writing professionals.
And who the hell knows whether it will sell or not? What editors are tired of seeing and reviewers are tearing apart might be the very thing that readers will get excited about and glom.
You just never know.
So if you find yourself saying to a newbie writer when they excitedly tell you about their idea, "Oh, editors aren't buying that any more." STOP!
It isn't being kind; it isn't helping an author not get hurt or rejected. It's planting seeds of self-doubt and drying up creativity.
Let the writer enjoy the fantastic experience of writing that book. If it truly doesn't catch an editor's attention today, it might tomorrow. Or the writer will learn how to strengthen his writing so he can sell the next one.
And if someone tells you: "That won't sell; you're not very good; that market is dead; no one likes those kinds of books; editors don't want that..."
DON'T LISTEN!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Why You Need an Agent
While I continue to muse on what I learned in the last five years, I'm going to post something else new writers often ask me--"Do I need an agent?"
My loud, clear answer is YES.
Then I usually step back and say "It depends."
If you are small press published or e-published and want to happily stay where you are, then no.
If you want to publish at a NY house and move beyond the bottom rung at said house, then I say again, YES.
I also state clearly why:
The least part of an agent's job is selling your manuscript to a NY house. You actually can sell it yourself (e.g., through a conference contact with an editor, through a contest, through a direct query, through the few houses that still buy from the slush pile).
Why you so very definitely need an agent after that:
1. To keep from getting ripped off. Publishers do not like to give you any more money than they can possibly help. They will try to keep all the rights, give you tiny advances, and tiny royalty percentages. Your contract is a mine field of little tiny print. There are no exceptions out there--all publisher boilerplate contracts are set up to benefit the publisher, not the author (which makes sense--the publisher needs to keep the company afloat). An agent will make sure your contract is fair to you.
2. To get you the best deal, not just a deal. Publishers make standard offers to new authors, usually the lowest amount they can get away with. An agent can talk up that amount to make it more palatable to you while still keeping the publisher happy. He can also negotiate better royalties, bonuses, and other perks that most authors don't even know about.
3. To get you a deal at auction. If you've got an eager offer, your agent can let other editors who are looking at your ms. know, and possibly land you a very nice contract.
4. He talks you up to everyone he sees. Agents are constantly selling you, even when you're contracted and not shopping a specific ms. She waxes enthusiastic on your behalf to other editors, paving the way for when you have something new to sell.
5. She is the "bad cop" between you and the publisher. You want your relationship with your editor to be friendly and happy. The two of you should bubble over with creative energy and enthusiasm about your story and your writing. Getting into a contract or money dispute will ruin that very quickly. I love having an agent who will talk to the accounting and contract departments for me while I talk story with my editor. And when there's a very bad problem, I don't have to talk to the publisher at all. Saves me a fortune in Pepto Bismal.
6. She helps you keep your career on track and avoid mistakes. If your agent doesn't want you to take an offer, listen to him. You might not agree, but there will be a very good reason your agent suggests turning down money (because remember they don't get paid until you do). Don't be too proud to take advice! (Or too gullible to believe everything you're told--strike a balance.)
Now that I've said all that, I want to add a couple of cautions.
1. Don't expect your agent to run your career for you. I have my own ideas about how I want my career to go. I do a ton of market research on my own--I know what houses are publishing what kind of books, and I keep my ear open to what kind of deals the authors are getting. That way when I want to try something new or build on something I've already done, I have an idea where to suggest we go with it. Don't bury your head in the sand just because you have a good agent who takes care of you. Building your career should be something you do together.
2. NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER sign with an agent who charges an up-front fee. They'll say, "It costs a lot to run an agency and photocopy and mail mansucripts. I need $500 from you right away." Tough! An agent makes money from selling you. If they take your $500 right away, why should they bother trying to sell you? They'll just take another $500 from another sucker, and another, and another... IT SHOULD NOT COST YOU MONEY TO SELL YOUR BOOK. The only expenses you should incur as an unpubbed author are your office supplies, postage, writer's groups dues/contests and whatever conferences you decide to attend.
3. Don't be afraid to break up with an agent. If they don't communicate with you for months and months, if they can only get you very poor offers and don't fine-tune the contracts, if they convey that they no longer like your writing and have very little interest in helping you move up--break it off. You will have to approach a new agent with a new project (read your agent contract thoroughly to see how to end it and what rights they/you retain). But if your career is not moving forward, you have to move it forward yourself. It's hard, but it has to be done. Staying with an agent who does nothing for you (or even worse, a fraudulent agent), will stagnate your career. (I will do an entire post on this subject.)
4. And I should add: Read your agent contract thoroughly and make sure you understand it before signing! (She shouldn't have you pay for her weekly hot-oil massage with Raoul to mitigate the stress of working with publishers.)
It is hard to get an agent. It's probably the hardest part (well, except writing a good book--that's pretty hard too). But in the long run, it's worth it.
My loud, clear answer is YES.
Then I usually step back and say "It depends."
If you are small press published or e-published and want to happily stay where you are, then no.
If you want to publish at a NY house and move beyond the bottom rung at said house, then I say again, YES.
I also state clearly why:
The least part of an agent's job is selling your manuscript to a NY house. You actually can sell it yourself (e.g., through a conference contact with an editor, through a contest, through a direct query, through the few houses that still buy from the slush pile).
Why you so very definitely need an agent after that:
1. To keep from getting ripped off. Publishers do not like to give you any more money than they can possibly help. They will try to keep all the rights, give you tiny advances, and tiny royalty percentages. Your contract is a mine field of little tiny print. There are no exceptions out there--all publisher boilerplate contracts are set up to benefit the publisher, not the author (which makes sense--the publisher needs to keep the company afloat). An agent will make sure your contract is fair to you.
2. To get you the best deal, not just a deal. Publishers make standard offers to new authors, usually the lowest amount they can get away with. An agent can talk up that amount to make it more palatable to you while still keeping the publisher happy. He can also negotiate better royalties, bonuses, and other perks that most authors don't even know about.
3. To get you a deal at auction. If you've got an eager offer, your agent can let other editors who are looking at your ms. know, and possibly land you a very nice contract.
4. He talks you up to everyone he sees. Agents are constantly selling you, even when you're contracted and not shopping a specific ms. She waxes enthusiastic on your behalf to other editors, paving the way for when you have something new to sell.
5. She is the "bad cop" between you and the publisher. You want your relationship with your editor to be friendly and happy. The two of you should bubble over with creative energy and enthusiasm about your story and your writing. Getting into a contract or money dispute will ruin that very quickly. I love having an agent who will talk to the accounting and contract departments for me while I talk story with my editor. And when there's a very bad problem, I don't have to talk to the publisher at all. Saves me a fortune in Pepto Bismal.
6. She helps you keep your career on track and avoid mistakes. If your agent doesn't want you to take an offer, listen to him. You might not agree, but there will be a very good reason your agent suggests turning down money (because remember they don't get paid until you do). Don't be too proud to take advice! (Or too gullible to believe everything you're told--strike a balance.)
Now that I've said all that, I want to add a couple of cautions.
1. Don't expect your agent to run your career for you. I have my own ideas about how I want my career to go. I do a ton of market research on my own--I know what houses are publishing what kind of books, and I keep my ear open to what kind of deals the authors are getting. That way when I want to try something new or build on something I've already done, I have an idea where to suggest we go with it. Don't bury your head in the sand just because you have a good agent who takes care of you. Building your career should be something you do together.
2. NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER sign with an agent who charges an up-front fee. They'll say, "It costs a lot to run an agency and photocopy and mail mansucripts. I need $500 from you right away." Tough! An agent makes money from selling you. If they take your $500 right away, why should they bother trying to sell you? They'll just take another $500 from another sucker, and another, and another... IT SHOULD NOT COST YOU MONEY TO SELL YOUR BOOK. The only expenses you should incur as an unpubbed author are your office supplies, postage, writer's groups dues/contests and whatever conferences you decide to attend.
3. Don't be afraid to break up with an agent. If they don't communicate with you for months and months, if they can only get you very poor offers and don't fine-tune the contracts, if they convey that they no longer like your writing and have very little interest in helping you move up--break it off. You will have to approach a new agent with a new project (read your agent contract thoroughly to see how to end it and what rights they/you retain). But if your career is not moving forward, you have to move it forward yourself. It's hard, but it has to be done. Staying with an agent who does nothing for you (or even worse, a fraudulent agent), will stagnate your career. (I will do an entire post on this subject.)
4. And I should add: Read your agent contract thoroughly and make sure you understand it before signing! (She shouldn't have you pay for her weekly hot-oil massage with Raoul to mitigate the stress of working with publishers.)
It is hard to get an agent. It's probably the hardest part (well, except writing a good book--that's pretty hard too). But in the long run, it's worth it.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Workshop Sat. Nov. 3
I will be doing a workshop at the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ Sat. Nov. 3, discussing the romance, mystery, rom. sus. and suspense markets with bookseller Barbara Peters. From 9:30 to noon.
Address and directions are on their website. It's a wonderful store.
http://www.poisonedpen.com/
Address and directions are on their website. It's a wonderful store.
http://www.poisonedpen.com/
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Five years and giving back
I am working on a post about what I've learned during my 5-year career, but it's taking me a while. I've learned a lot! I want to tighten up my thoughts before posting.
Meanwhile, I was reflecting on "giving back" on my other blog, so feel free to read that as a substitute for this week's OnWriting post.
Meanwhile, I was reflecting on "giving back" on my other blog, so feel free to read that as a substitute for this week's OnWriting post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)