How to Find an Agent that's Right for You

Ok, enough motivational and creativity talk. I want to address a very important practicality in the writing business--how to find an agent.

To answer the question "Do I Need an Agent?" see my post: Why You Need an Agent

I strongly suggest you do find one--if you want to be a top author in your genre, see your mass markets in Walmart with your name in big shiny letters and have a shot at NY Times. Without an agent, you can still get published, but it's likely you'll stay midlist, if you even stay published beyond a couple of books.

Lecture over. So how do you find this stellar, godlike being who will take your career from nothing to mega-stardom?

You write the best book you can write.

You research.

You pitch or query.

You take a chance.

RESEARCH

1. The top questions to ask yourself are:

• What genre do you write?


• What agents represent my genre?


• Of those agents, which have clients who write things similiar to what I write?


• Does this agent have a good track record of recent sales?


• Is the agent small and independent or work for a large agency? (There are advantages and disadvantages to both--another post)


• Does the agent land good deals for at least some of his/her clients?

(Note: I won't even put in the question: Does the agent charge a reading fee? because that's an automatic disqualifier. Never send to an agent who charges a reading fee. Never, ever, ever. Ever.)

2. Go Hunting.

• Read Guides to finding an agent, such as: Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents (This is the best, most up-to-date guide. Amazon has it at a good price, but most libraries carry it as well).


• Check sources such as Predators and Editors: http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm where complaints can be lodged against fraudulent agents. Look for agents with "$" after their names, which means there is a record of them making sales to legitimate publishers.


• The Association of Author Representatives lists agents who fit their criteria (no reading fees, and the standard 15% of royalties after they sell you, among other things.)


• Double-check anything you find in a print or online guide against the agent's own website (if he/she has one) or by asking his/her clients. The very nature of print guides ensures that the info. is out of date as soon as they hit print, but they are excellent places to start.
• Reading an agent's blog is a good way to figure out what kind of books they like and are having the most success with.


• Make sure the agent charges the standard fee after they sell you of 15% of your royalties.

3. Make lists

• List agents who represent books in your genre, who have made sales for authors at legitimate publishing companies (not vanity presses), and who you think you'd like to work with.


• List your "dream" agents as well as agents you might not have known about who on paper fit your criteria.


• List what conferences your agents will be attending and see if it is convenient and cost effective for you to meet them there.

Now you can go two ways: 4. Send out queries; 5. Pitch at conferences. Most people do both.

QUERIES and PITCHES

4. Send out queries

• Learn how to write a good query letter. There are plenty of books out there to teach you, or see my guide to writing queries.


• Send out query letters five to ten at a time. (A tip from my own agent--don't make it obvious that you're doing a mass mailing. An agent likes to be approached as though you put a lot of thought into seeking her out because you thought she would be a good match for you. EVERY agent in your list should be someone you think would be a good match, or you shouldn't be querying them. Do take the time to make the letters a little personal.)


• When a query comes back with a rejection, file it and send the next letter to the next person on the list.


• When a query comes back with a request for a partial, send a well proofread synopsis and first three chapters (or whatever they ask for) with a SASE--right away!


• When a query comes with a request for a full, print your ms. (if they don't ask you to email it), put it in a tyvek priority mail pouch or box and send it. I say priority mail, because it's worth the $15 it will cost to get it to the agent quickly and efficiently. Buy delivery confirmation to calm your nerves about whether it got there. That $15 is a write-off anyway. If you feel like throwing more money around, send it Fedex.


• When a query comes with a request for a full ms. with an exclusive--go ahead and give the agent an exclusive--with a time limit! 60 to 90 days is reasonable. If they're that excited, they should be reading it quickly anyway, and we're all aging.


• When an agent calls you to offer you a contract, be careful. Ask to look over the contract before you make any promises or sign anything. (Feel free to jump up and down and scream in excitement as well.)

5. Pitches at conferences

• You get six to ten minutes to pitch your book at a typical agent appointment. A pitch is your verbal query letter.


• Don't waste any time! Hone your pitch to a few sentences.


• Print those few sentences on a notecard (with the title and your name and contact info), and give it to the agent when you're done. You can give him a nice business card too, but it's not mandatory. (Or you can give him a business card with the name of your book and a sentence about it on the back.)


• Don't use the entire pitch time to pitch. Pitch fast, then ask the agent if he/she has any questions about the book.


• Ask the agent questions. After all, she will be working for you! Some suggested questions: Why did he/she become an agent? What authors does she represent? (If she represents big names, she'll be proud to tell you.) What kind of things does he read for pleasure? What book has he sold that he's excited about?


• When the agent asks for a partial or full, follow the steps under query letter above.

TAKE A CHANCE

An agent has called you to say that he loves your four-book magical turtles fantasy series, and wants to represent you. What now?

1. Look over the contract carefully. What kind of fees is your agent expecting? I reiterate that 15% is standard. They might charge 20% for foreign rights sales, which is ok. Ok also if they charge small office fees like copying and mailing. (My agent does this, and so far it's been a negligible sum, which I take as a tax deduction anyway.)

2. Sign the contract and see what happens.

Unfortunately the last part is what you have to do. If you found an agent that's a good fit for you, he/she will be out there pitching your manuscript to the editors he knows are looking for what you write.

Note that the agent selling you might take a while!!! I hear authors complain that they finally found an agent, but he hasn't sold anything. I ask them how long they've had said agent and they say: "Two weeks."

And I politely try not to laugh (or sometimes I just laugh anyway, depending on who it is).

It might take your agent a year to sell the book. That's ok--if they are genuinely trying.

What you DON'T want is an agent who sits on your book and never sends it out. If they have an editor in mind that it's perfect for, and he/she knows that editor is closed to submissions for six months, she might wait for something like that. And that's fine.

But an agent with no strategy and no enthusiasm for your work is worse than no agent at all.

How do you know before you sign with them?

• You talk to their clients. Most authors are willing to say whether they like their agent or not. Talk to a range, though, so you don't just get that one sour grapes author who couldn't get along with the agent. Hear tales of good and bad.


• Sometimes you just don't know, and you have to take a chance. It's like marriage.

When do you know when you should break up with your agent?

• If your agent has not been sending out your work, or sending it out half-heartedly and making noises that she doesn't think it will sell at all.


• If your agent doesn't sell the first ms. and makes no indication she wants another, or won't work with you to make your mss. more sellable.


• If your agent won't return your phone calls for a month or more. (A few days is ok if it's not an emergency. When I have an emergency, my agent is back to me within hours.)


• If the agent has sold some things for you, but is unwilling to help you grow or unwiling to help you change direction.

How do you break up with an agent?

• In writing. Write a formal, professional letter (no venting), telling your agent you need to terminate your agreement and find other representation. You can give a time limit (e.g., "our agreement is terminated thirty days from the date of this letter.")


• Depending on your contract, it's common for your agent to retain the selling rights to everything you've given her up to this point. Even if you move to another agent, your first agent still gets to try to sell what she has and take her 15% from your sales. Plus she retains 15% from what mss. she's already sold.


• Pitch a new book to the new agent you have in mind. The new agent will not want anything that another agent can dispute is hers to sell.

Breaking up is hard to do.

This business, unfortunately is a lot about learning to let go. You will have to fight many battles as a published author--pick ones that are most important.

We love our work and are emotionally attached to it. Leaving a precious book with an agent who didn't do much for it is hard, but it's the way it is.

Write something even better and pitch to an agent more enthusiastic about you.

Please don't think it's always bad news. The majority of authors I know, and the most successful ones, have agents they have been with for years, agents who have seen them grow from midlist nobodies to mega-stars.

Your agent can be your best friend in a business that is hard and often unfair. Again see my earlier post (Why You Need an Agent), and also my list of what a good agent does.

One last thing. When I looked up Jeff Herman's book, I saw a post by an author who basically said that there is no chance an agent will read anything by an unknown and unproven author.

That is simply not true.

As I've said elsewhere, I was an unpublished nobody when I started, and I knew no one. I found an agent who took a chance on me, and sold the book I pitched to him nine months later. He got me a three-book contract with that ms., and the next month got me a second three-book contract in a different genre.

I was lucky, true. But I also made my luck.

I had been burned by a beginning agent who really didn't know how to sell mss., and I had to write the termination letter. I researched more carefully the second time around! Also, I worked very hard on the books I pitched to my second agent, and made them as well crafted and marketable as I possibly could. No, I didn't leap to instant stardom with them, but they pushed my career off to a good start and I never looked back. (They were, if interested The Hanover Square Affair and The Pirate Next Door.)

One truly final thing to leave you with. I decided to sign with the second agent because he was:

1. looking for books in my genre (in this case, mystery).


2. a fairly new agent looking to build a client list.


3. an editor for about 20 years at top publishers (HarperCollins, Crown, and others).


4. based in New York City (this isn't strictly necessary for everyone, but that's what I wanted).


5. showed genuine interest in the Hanover Square Affair and had ideas about where it might sell and to whom.


6. didn't charge a reading fee and had a reasonable contract.


7. responded to me within a reasonable amount of time (I pitched in December, we had a signed contract by April).

I hope this is helpful! This is as always, what worked best for me, plus what I've gleaned talking to editors and agents and authors.

Emily Bryan and Reinvention

Today's guest is Emily Bryan (who also writes as Diana Groe) to talk about her road to publication and what she found when she got there.

Her first book under the pseudonym Emily Bryan, Distracting the Duchess, releases today. She and I got to discussing pseudonyms and reinvention, what it means for an author.

Describe your road to your first sale.

EB: This is such a subjective business. I realized I needed to do something to make it easier for an agent or editor to take a chance on a new author. So I entered as many contests as I could afford. As soon as I started winning and placing, I had something to put in that blank spot in my query letters where previous publishing credits should go. The wins attracted my agent and then my editor. Maidensong came out in May 2006—five years after I started writing seriously. I had a lot to learn and contest feedback helped me learn it. I credit contest wins with helping me make my first sale.

What if anything surprised you about being a published author after the first sale?

EB: I was surprised that my editor wanted a second title so quickly. One of my biggest fears was being a "one-book wonder." So I was thrilled when Erinsong followed in November 2006 and then Silk Dreams in July 2007. I was surprised at how supportive my editor was and how much effort she invested in my work. Leah Hultenschmidt walks on water as far as I’m concerned.

You now write with a pseudonym, Emily Bryan. Why did you decide to take a new name and what kind of books does Emily Bryan write?

EB: If you’ve read any of my Diana Groe books, you know they are gritty, dramatic and passionate. They are also set in unusual time periods: the 9th and 11th centuries in exotic locales. The reviews have been almost universally positive. RT BookReviews compared my writing to “the great mistresses of the genre: Small, Henley & Mason.” My work is being translated into German, Dutch and Italian. Erinsong earned a rare Desert Isle Keeper designation from All About Romance and Silk Dreams hit a bestseller list in Australia.

Though interest in my Dark Ages Romances is high overseas, unfortunately, sales in the US market have not kept pace. I’ve been given the opportunity to reinvent myself. I was already toying with the idea of a sexier, light-hearted premise—a departure from my previous work. My editor gave me the green light to write Distracting the Duchess and suggested a new pen name to fit the new style. Emily Bryan was born. Of course, it’s still too soon to know how the reading public will respond to my lighter side, but now RT BookReviews is comparing my work to “Cheryl Holt, Lisa Kleypas and Celeste Bradley.” And I’m happy to report that Distracting the Duchess is the first of my titles to be offered in Walmart!

Personally, this is huge. Most of my extended family lives in small Midwestern towns—places where Walmart is THE bookstore. Since my Diana Groe books weren’t in Walmart, I don’t think some of my cousins ever actually believed I was published. Of course, now the books will be under Emily Bryan, so they still may not believe!

My next Emily Bryan romance will be Pleasuring the Pirate in August 2008 and a 3rd is contracted for spring 2009.

You write historical romance. What do you like about the sub-genre, and what challenges does it present?

EB: I love writing historicals because I love reading them. Nothing takes me away like a totally different time and place. It does require a good bit of research because the historical readership is very sophisticated. If I mess up, I’ll hear about it. But I enjoy the research and I don’t limit it to the library. Before I wrote Silk Dreams, which takes place in a harem, I took belly dancing lessons! Why should my heroine have all the fun?

Distracting the Duchess is set in the very early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. One of the challenges was creating characters who aren’t the usual suspect—you know, the ingénue and the rake. That story’s been told, often and well. I wanted to tell a different tale, so my heroine is a widowed duchess who paints nudes and my hero isn’t a titled lord. He’s a second son who dreams of serving his country in British India. Trev never expected to have to serve his queen by posing nude, but when the clues to Beddington’s key lead to Artemisia’s doorstep, Trev’s mission becomes . . .Distracting the Duchess.

What advice can you give aspiring authors?

EB: Join your local RWA chapter and attend the meetings. Find a critique group or partner. Set goals and stick to them. Writing is wonderful fun, but it’s also a business. You may as well get used to deadlines now. Above all, WRITE EVERY DAY! Don’t wait for the Muse. She’s on permanent vacation in Maui. Creativity is a muscle. You strengthen it with regular exercise. Please visit my websites (yeah, I have 2) http://www.dianagroe.com/ & http://www.emilybryan.com/ . Check out the Writer’s Corner and my Recommends page for tips and encouragement. If I can do it, you can do it. Good luck!

Thanks so much Diana/Emily for your insights.

Because writing can be a long-term career, reinvention is an extremely important skill to learn. The book market changes very quickly (say about every 2-3 years)--the climate is different and readers want something with a different mood.

Reinvention can help in several ways: 1. if your sales are not what the bookstores and publisher want them to be, or 2. if you personally find yourself wanting to go a new direction and try something new.

It's a topic that should be explored in-depth, food for a future blog!

You Gotta Love It

I complain a lot when I have a pile of things to do--I get overwhelmed and can't believe I decided that writing was a good profession.

Case in point: I have a manuscript due March 1, but also have revisions for another book due March 1, plus have to go over copyedits for a novella (due Feb. 19), plus stay on top of all the marketing for the book I have coming out in April. Not to mention getting workshop handouts to the conference coordinator for an April conference and buying the bags for said conference. (I'm buying them myself and donating them.)

When I start running around with my eyeballs rolling in mad circles, my friends and family tell me "Calm down, and for today, don't write."

Wait. What?

Don't write?

You might as well say "Don't eat." or "Don't breathe."

Because when it comes down to it, I'm a writer because I love to write.

I am a professional writer because I found a way to take doing what I love and turn it into a career. In other words, now I get paid to do what I enjoyed doing anyway.

I can talk on this blog or in my workshops about how you can make a living as a writer (working your butt off is a big requirement). I have ambition--I want to stay a bestseller and sign more contracts and make more and more money.

But even if no one ever bought a single book from me again, I'd still write stories. I'd pass them around to my friends or post them for free on a website.

I write because I love telling stories. Some days I know I have to sit down and write (and do a good job), and that dismays me. Some days I'm not in the mood. But most days, I sit down excited to be back at it. It's the first job I've had where I look forward to Monday.

I've lost track of how many books I've written. I wrote about seven before I got published (that's the number I tell everyone, and I think it's right, but the truth is, I can't remember). Book number 20 is due to come out in April 2008, and that's just paperbacks published by NY publishers. I have also published four books and four novellas at an e-publisher. I have another book coming out sometime this year at the e-publisher, plus two more NY published books, and then four NY books and a novella in 2009. And that doesn't count the other e-books I plan to write and the proposals for the next round of contracts. All in five years.

And this doesn't even count the number of stories I've started and then decided weren't good enough and pushed aside (although I do take good ideas from unfinished stories and use them in the ones I know will work). Plus those seven (about) unsold manuscripts.

My point is that I've done all that (when, I have no idea), and I still love to write. Story after story still pours into my brain, and I look forward to getting my hands into it.

I don't think I could have survived this long writing so many books if each one wasn't special to me. It has nothing to do with how much money I might make, how many good reviews I might get, how many awards I might be up for.

I seriously just love it.

When I write the book money, reviews, awards, etc. aren't even in my brain. I'm in the story with these people waiting to see what they'll do. (This is probably why I never outline first--it's much more fun to "watch" it happen.).

Some books I've made a pathetically tiny amounts of money on. Some books have earned me nice, fat royalty checks that make me smile. And you know what? I don't love the money-earners any more than the non-money earners, or the award winners more than those that never even got nominated.

For each book, something in that story spoke to me, and made all the stress of marketing, revisions, edits, proofs, contracts, blah blah blah worth it. If you take all that stuff away, the joy of writing is still there, at least for me.

I don't know how much help this is to aspiring and new authors, but I think I'm trying to reassure everyone that you can do this job and get paid for it without that taking away the wonderfulness of why you wanted to do it in the first place.

You gotta love it.

Writing with Stress

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 . . .)

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.

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!

Please everyone have a safe and happy holiday, and think about your New Year's writing resolutions!! Make 2008 the year you achieve your dreams.

Jennifer Ashley

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.

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.

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

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?

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?

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.

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).

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?

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.

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/

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!