When we talk about being an author, getting published, and finding that perfect agent we often focus completely on one thing - writing. We become obsessed with the written word and the skills it takes to merge all those words into one coherent story. We spend hours, days, weeks and months honing our skills to pound out every ripple until our stories are smooth and shiny. Are we missing something? Are we overlooking something?
In strict regard to writing and the art of writing, no, we're not missing anything. I would say we are right on target with our efforts and drive. If we look at the life we assume once we transform to an author than I say we have missed a great deal. Many of these aspects we may know and see coming down the road but decide to push them to the side until a later date. This can be a critical mistake as circumstances could present multiple situations to us at one time. Outside of writing what is the next biggest aspect of an author's life we should keep an eye on? Our writing routine, our daily routine, meetings with our agent and possibly those who distribute our book are all possibilities but I think one rises to the top. Actually, it is no different than right now as we are still on the quest of publication.
No matter what you do or where you go we all need to survive; in order to do that we need money. I know, right now many of us have jobs that pay the bills, keeps food on the table and maybe a little extra to pay for that writing class but what if they were gone? What if you woke up one morning and said "I'm a writer, I'm focusing on nothing else but writing and getting my books published"? How would you survive? This is a very important question because authors are just that. In my talks with published authors there is one thing I have learned but yet to figure out. If you look at the time it takes to write a book, get it published and promote it there is little time remaining for anything else much less a full time job. Promoting your book alone is a full time job. The other issue to remember is that many authors are not getting advances for their published work and the majority is receiving very little for the cost of promoting their book. How do they do it and still survive?
Before we get too much further we also need to understand that self publishing a book is not the answer. If you have investigated that route any at all you know firsthand how expensive that can be. The question then becomes - how does one become a full time author and survive?
First, we need to make sure our finances are in order. Yes, this would mean that we need to get our credit cards paid off and we need to eliminate as much debt as possible. I know for a fact that we have heard this at least a few thousand times but it is the truth. The less debt we carry the more freedom we have and the less stress we hold on to. Which I believe would also eliminate a distraction from our writing. Unfortunately getting rid of our debt is not the end of this story because being debt free with no money coming in still equals no food and bills not being paid. No electricity pretty much means the writing comes to a halt for the majority of us.
What are we to do then? Our debt is paid down but we need money to survive. This is where planning steps in. Just like outlining our next story, we need to plan our transformation from full time working to full time author. One other ingredient is needed for this to work and that is patience. Oh how I can hear the sucking in of air now; no one likes that word but you know - Rome wasn't built in a day. It will take patience to finish that story and even more to find a publisher and/or agent; it will take patience to get our life as an author off the ground.
Building up our savings is a logical idea but it is not very easy to do in this age when everything around us is getting more expensive and people are still unemployed. A quick word to those who are drawing unemployment; this is a really good time to start the transformation. You have the time to write and find an agent while possibly trimming down debt and/or saving a little. I know it is a bad situation to be in but there is a silver lining. The great thing is this, if we pay down debt than that is less money going out the door and more money that can be saved. This is the perfect example of the snowball effect.
Where are we? Oh yes, we have paid down our debt as best we can and now we have a little to put away in a savings account. How much do we save? I really can't answer this question. It depends on your lifestyle, spending habits and how long you want to go before you absolutely need money coming into the door. This scenario may work better for us if we make the adjustment to a part time job from a full time job. We gain more time to write and prepare while still maintaining a stable paycheck.
Yes, the time may come where you are eating hot-dogs and Ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner but this is the sacrifice we make in order to achieve our goal of becoming a published author. It is more than just writing a book; it's a lifestyle and a commitment.
If our goal is to be a published author we must not only think of our writing but also the means in which to carry on with our life as a published author. The work doesn’t stop with the book be published that is just beginning. We must be prepared to adjust our life to achieve what we are working for. There is hope however because many before us have done it and many after us will too. We can be one of them.
WELCOME
Oct 25, 2010
Oct 20, 2010
The Cost of Promotion
On Friday I received an e-mail from Simon Marshland, a good friend of mine. He drew my attention to an article he had prepared after he investigated the true cost of promoting a book in a book store. After reading it I thought it would be of interest to everyone here because he provides a stark example of the money involved with promoting a book. Simon lives in England so the currency is different but the amount is pretty close to the same if it were in dollars. After you read this you will see that no matter if you're a large publisher or an up and coming author - promoting a book can be a very expensive endeavor. Thank you Simon for sharing this information with us.
All authors know that with eight hundred books or so being published each day the art of promotion has probably overtaken the art of writing. Those who command large advances from major publishers are relatively few and can rely on the publisher, who needs a handsome return on investment to stay in business, to concentrate on the promotion of book and author in an attempt to guarantee it. Proven successful authors and leading politicians with memoirs lead this group, followed by famous actors, sports people, pop singers, cooks, gardeners and anyone who has been in the media spotlight long enough to be named by the general public. Publishers have good reason to be selective of the books they choose, as promotion is an expensive business. The list below refers to one large UK bookshop chain and is taken from an article in the Times of 2007 so prices may have escalated since. But as there are two further major chains in the country it gives an indication of the costs facing a publisher.
What it costs:
£45,000 For one book to appear in window and front-of-store displays, and in the chain’s national press and TV advertisement campaign
£25,000 To feature in a bay at front of store as a ‘gift book’ in its genre and be displayed at the till
£17,000 To be one of two titles promoted as the ‘offer of the week’ for one week in the run-up to Christmas
£7,000 To be displayed at front of store as a ‘paperback of the year’ and be mentioned in newspaper adverts.
£500 Price of an entry in the chain’s Christmas gift guide, complete with a bookseller review
Making the promotion of one book in one chain cost £94,500 in the UK alone, to which on occasion must be added further costs for press and TV coverage. Assuming other book chains in other countries work in a similar vein, publishers are faced with a considerable investment when selecting a book, making their many rejections understandable; which is why the rest are on our own when it comes to promoting our own books.
At our disposal are press releases, reviews, interviews, book signing and sometimes the help of friendly radio and TV stations if available. But by far the most valuable conduit to the reading public at our disposal is the Internet, which gives us access to a hitherto unimaginable worldwide audience though here too we are up against commensurate competition. Thousands of books from fiction to needlework go online every day, not to mention the ever growing multitude of ebooks. The Internet is a promotional world where knowledge and technique are king. Web content, photoshop and HTML are vital, with CSS for the advanced, plus a helpful familiarity with wordpress and blogger. Most young people take all this as the norm having been brought up from school with computers, but for Old Codgers it’s a definite problem. We must either learn or find help; we might like to hark back to the days when the writing was all important but like King Canute it won’t do us any good. He got his feet wet and without Internet savvy our books, like the king, will sink without trace.
If you would like to read more of Simon's articles I strongly recommend that you visit his blog - Simon Says
All authors know that with eight hundred books or so being published each day the art of promotion has probably overtaken the art of writing. Those who command large advances from major publishers are relatively few and can rely on the publisher, who needs a handsome return on investment to stay in business, to concentrate on the promotion of book and author in an attempt to guarantee it. Proven successful authors and leading politicians with memoirs lead this group, followed by famous actors, sports people, pop singers, cooks, gardeners and anyone who has been in the media spotlight long enough to be named by the general public. Publishers have good reason to be selective of the books they choose, as promotion is an expensive business. The list below refers to one large UK bookshop chain and is taken from an article in the Times of 2007 so prices may have escalated since. But as there are two further major chains in the country it gives an indication of the costs facing a publisher.
What it costs:
£45,000 For one book to appear in window and front-of-store displays, and in the chain’s national press and TV advertisement campaign
£25,000 To feature in a bay at front of store as a ‘gift book’ in its genre and be displayed at the till
£17,000 To be one of two titles promoted as the ‘offer of the week’ for one week in the run-up to Christmas
£7,000 To be displayed at front of store as a ‘paperback of the year’ and be mentioned in newspaper adverts.
£500 Price of an entry in the chain’s Christmas gift guide, complete with a bookseller review
Making the promotion of one book in one chain cost £94,500 in the UK alone, to which on occasion must be added further costs for press and TV coverage. Assuming other book chains in other countries work in a similar vein, publishers are faced with a considerable investment when selecting a book, making their many rejections understandable; which is why the rest are on our own when it comes to promoting our own books.
At our disposal are press releases, reviews, interviews, book signing and sometimes the help of friendly radio and TV stations if available. But by far the most valuable conduit to the reading public at our disposal is the Internet, which gives us access to a hitherto unimaginable worldwide audience though here too we are up against commensurate competition. Thousands of books from fiction to needlework go online every day, not to mention the ever growing multitude of ebooks. The Internet is a promotional world where knowledge and technique are king. Web content, photoshop and HTML are vital, with CSS for the advanced, plus a helpful familiarity with wordpress and blogger. Most young people take all this as the norm having been brought up from school with computers, but for Old Codgers it’s a definite problem. We must either learn or find help; we might like to hark back to the days when the writing was all important but like King Canute it won’t do us any good. He got his feet wet and without Internet savvy our books, like the king, will sink without trace.
If you would like to read more of Simon's articles I strongly recommend that you visit his blog - Simon Says
Oct 15, 2010
Looking at the Big Picture
Last week I posted ‘Confessions of a Would-be Author’. I appreciate all the comments of support and help but one really struck at the heart of the situation. The questions presented within this comment begged to be answered. To answer these questions I faced myself to look at all the dark corners of my desire and passion to write. I left no stone unturned as I dug deep to discover not only the right answer but the truth. Here is a portion of that comment:
How did I answer these questions? Well, let's start with the easiest one first. Can I never write again? Absolutely not! This article is proof of that. I can't think of a world where I am not writing something. My hopes of being published in some capacity may have taken a serious hit but in all honesty that will not stop me from writing.
What makes you feel the happiest or the most peaceful or satisfied? Now we are getting into the thick of things. This one took me a little longer to figure out - but I did figure it out. The answer to this is a multiple one. Helping others makes me happy. I truly enjoy hearing about the success of everyone here and through e-mails. The results of my promotional company and helping others get noticed has really been a joy for me. This blog is by far and away been a source of joy and happiness for me for many reasons. With that said; however, I do have a different answer for what makes me peaceful or satisfied. That would be writing. No, not writing novels; although I do enjoy writing novels I find that writing short stories and poetry (believe it or not) delivers more peace and satisfaction.
Unfortunately I fell into the trap, while writing my novel, of focusing mainly on getting it finished and finding a publisher. I robbed myself of the pure simple joy of just writing. I saw that as I read some of the earlier articles I posted here on The New Author. It is time to get back to the joy of things and let everything else fall as they may.
Are you writing from your truths or what you think you should write or been told to write - is something else hiding inside you wanting to come out? Wanting to be explored? This is a downright hard question to answer. To be honest my first novel was written because so many people told me the story and situation would make for a great read. The second was based on a favorite topic of mine and the desire to do something new with it and put some teeth back into it. I have so many ideas and notes for novels that it would make a person’s head spin. I will share something else with you - I received feedback from everyone I asked, which I am grateful, and the results were very interesting. The feedback was evenly split between the males and females. The males pretty much hated it and could not connect with it while the females loved it and could identify their favorite and least favorite character. This seems strange to me but there it is. What can I take from that feedback? I'm not sure because it is so polarized.
It is always a good idea to have other options to explore. You only hinder yourself if you get pigeonholed. I plan to look at magazines again and possibly some anthologies for short stories but for the moment I just plan to write for me. I may post some of it here for all of you so I can get some thoughts and opinions on it.
Where will your journey led you? I don't have an answer for this one yet because I'm still on the journey. Once I have it figured out I will let you know but until then I plan on enjoying this journey for what it is.
How would you answer these questions?
"Can you remove your heart and passion (okay, that's a stupid question? but...) for a moment and think of this very clinically --where will you really excel? Where will your journey lead you--a commenter above mentioned your blog posts/writing -could that led you somewhere you didn't expect... are you writing from your truths or what you think you should write or been told to write - is something else hiding inside you wanting to come out? Wanting to be explored?
Take some time to step back and away and see what kinds of thoughts and ideas arrive.
But, also, imagine yourself never ever writing what you love again -can you live with that? No matter if you are published or not? Can you never write again?
What makes you feel the happiest or the most peaceful or satisfied?"These are some great questions. If you find yourself at a dead end, at a loss or just without direction I recommend that you take some time and answer them for yourself. You never know where you might go or what you may discover. That is the key isn't it; to discover something. This is why we write or express ourselves in creative ways - to discover something otherwise missed.
How did I answer these questions? Well, let's start with the easiest one first. Can I never write again? Absolutely not! This article is proof of that. I can't think of a world where I am not writing something. My hopes of being published in some capacity may have taken a serious hit but in all honesty that will not stop me from writing.
What makes you feel the happiest or the most peaceful or satisfied? Now we are getting into the thick of things. This one took me a little longer to figure out - but I did figure it out. The answer to this is a multiple one. Helping others makes me happy. I truly enjoy hearing about the success of everyone here and through e-mails. The results of my promotional company and helping others get noticed has really been a joy for me. This blog is by far and away been a source of joy and happiness for me for many reasons. With that said; however, I do have a different answer for what makes me peaceful or satisfied. That would be writing. No, not writing novels; although I do enjoy writing novels I find that writing short stories and poetry (believe it or not) delivers more peace and satisfaction.
Unfortunately I fell into the trap, while writing my novel, of focusing mainly on getting it finished and finding a publisher. I robbed myself of the pure simple joy of just writing. I saw that as I read some of the earlier articles I posted here on The New Author. It is time to get back to the joy of things and let everything else fall as they may.
Are you writing from your truths or what you think you should write or been told to write - is something else hiding inside you wanting to come out? Wanting to be explored? This is a downright hard question to answer. To be honest my first novel was written because so many people told me the story and situation would make for a great read. The second was based on a favorite topic of mine and the desire to do something new with it and put some teeth back into it. I have so many ideas and notes for novels that it would make a person’s head spin. I will share something else with you - I received feedback from everyone I asked, which I am grateful, and the results were very interesting. The feedback was evenly split between the males and females. The males pretty much hated it and could not connect with it while the females loved it and could identify their favorite and least favorite character. This seems strange to me but there it is. What can I take from that feedback? I'm not sure because it is so polarized.
It is always a good idea to have other options to explore. You only hinder yourself if you get pigeonholed. I plan to look at magazines again and possibly some anthologies for short stories but for the moment I just plan to write for me. I may post some of it here for all of you so I can get some thoughts and opinions on it.
Where will your journey led you? I don't have an answer for this one yet because I'm still on the journey. Once I have it figured out I will let you know but until then I plan on enjoying this journey for what it is.
How would you answer these questions?
Oct 7, 2010
Confessions of a Would Be Writer
You may have noticed that I've been away for awhile. If you're wondering, yes I missed posting articles. Fortunately I've been able to post a few book reviews but other than that I've been in a different place and unable to write much in the way of new articles. So where did I go? I didn't physically go anywhere; however, mentally I went to a dark place to do some soul searching.
Soul searching… that is such an interesting phrase. Usually when we hear this we instantly think something is going wrong or something has completely fallen apart. We may even think that the person saying it may be at a crossroads in their life and a major decision looms on the horizon. Whatever the reason we know it's typically not good.
What sent me on this soul searching trip? Well, this is a hard one to answer. You see, like many of you, I consistently work at improving my skills at both writing and storytelling. It occurred to me, while I was writing my second novel that something was off; something was/is out of sorts. Try as I might I simply could not (can not) put my finger on it. I've study writing techniques and read about structure, plot, pace, and other aspects of writing but these things did not seem to be the answer. With that said, I moved to plan B which was to get feedback from beta readers. I was hoping this feedback would provide some direction or missed insight. This approach did not work out as well as I had hoped. It did; however, test my resolve.
What did I discover? In short I came face to face with the brutal honest truth. Unfortunately for me it has taken some time to get beyond it. I thought my skin was thick but now I'm not so sure. To say it shook my confidence is an understatement; it destroyed it. It turned what I thought was a solid foundation into a mound of dust. What is this truth that brutally tore down what I thought was ready to withstand anything? My writing skills are average at best. I would say they are below average. Don't get me wrong, I never thought myself a bestselling author. Perhaps it was my self-developed pride that fooled me into believing I could tell a story through the written word. Maybe it was family and friends who inflated my thoughts about the level of my skill. I'm not sure what the answer is but at the moment I know that I have a very long road ahead of me.
Wow! Hang on Brian, that is a little harsh don't you think? Yes it is but when you see a problem but cannot identify the problem that is not a good thing. When you add the feedback to that mix things only get more clouded which adds to the feeling of being lost. I might be wrong but I believe that if my skills were average or slightly above then I would have a better chance of seeing the problems and conveying my story better.
Does this mean I have or will quit writing? To be honest I thought about it. Actually I told myself that I was done with writing but that decision did not hold. I still feel that need to write. I discussed this with a friend and he asked me point blank - "Are you a writer or aren't you? If you are then get up and keep going. You're not going to make everyone happy." I appreciate his honesty and it made me think. I am a writer and I want to write but I am a writer without direction. I am a ship in the middle of the ocean without a rudder.
What do I plan to do know? I have a few thoughts. At the moment I am looking for a mentor. If you're reading this and you would like to pick up a pupil please let me know. If I don't find a mentor then I will investigate writing groups. When it comes to actual writing, I'm not sure what to do there; I have a few ideas for short stories that may finally get done. I'm undecided about continuing with my novel at the moment. Until I can figure out what is what I'm convinced it would be beneficial for me to do so.
Why am I sharing this with all of you? Is it for pity? Is it for comfort? Is it so you can build up my confidence? No, it's not any of those reasons. I'm sharing this with you because this can easily happen to any and all new authors. It is a part of our passion. One could say they are growing pains but either way, we must endure them. You may face something different but none will have an easy road to publication. I can honestly say that it is not easy to pick yourself up at times when you have more questions than answers but if your desire and passion is strong enough you will. Once you do, you keep moving.
"Are you a writer or aren't you? If you are then get up and keep going. You're not going to make everyone happy."
Soul searching… that is such an interesting phrase. Usually when we hear this we instantly think something is going wrong or something has completely fallen apart. We may even think that the person saying it may be at a crossroads in their life and a major decision looms on the horizon. Whatever the reason we know it's typically not good.
What sent me on this soul searching trip? Well, this is a hard one to answer. You see, like many of you, I consistently work at improving my skills at both writing and storytelling. It occurred to me, while I was writing my second novel that something was off; something was/is out of sorts. Try as I might I simply could not (can not) put my finger on it. I've study writing techniques and read about structure, plot, pace, and other aspects of writing but these things did not seem to be the answer. With that said, I moved to plan B which was to get feedback from beta readers. I was hoping this feedback would provide some direction or missed insight. This approach did not work out as well as I had hoped. It did; however, test my resolve.
What did I discover? In short I came face to face with the brutal honest truth. Unfortunately for me it has taken some time to get beyond it. I thought my skin was thick but now I'm not so sure. To say it shook my confidence is an understatement; it destroyed it. It turned what I thought was a solid foundation into a mound of dust. What is this truth that brutally tore down what I thought was ready to withstand anything? My writing skills are average at best. I would say they are below average. Don't get me wrong, I never thought myself a bestselling author. Perhaps it was my self-developed pride that fooled me into believing I could tell a story through the written word. Maybe it was family and friends who inflated my thoughts about the level of my skill. I'm not sure what the answer is but at the moment I know that I have a very long road ahead of me.
Wow! Hang on Brian, that is a little harsh don't you think? Yes it is but when you see a problem but cannot identify the problem that is not a good thing. When you add the feedback to that mix things only get more clouded which adds to the feeling of being lost. I might be wrong but I believe that if my skills were average or slightly above then I would have a better chance of seeing the problems and conveying my story better.
Does this mean I have or will quit writing? To be honest I thought about it. Actually I told myself that I was done with writing but that decision did not hold. I still feel that need to write. I discussed this with a friend and he asked me point blank - "Are you a writer or aren't you? If you are then get up and keep going. You're not going to make everyone happy." I appreciate his honesty and it made me think. I am a writer and I want to write but I am a writer without direction. I am a ship in the middle of the ocean without a rudder.
What do I plan to do know? I have a few thoughts. At the moment I am looking for a mentor. If you're reading this and you would like to pick up a pupil please let me know. If I don't find a mentor then I will investigate writing groups. When it comes to actual writing, I'm not sure what to do there; I have a few ideas for short stories that may finally get done. I'm undecided about continuing with my novel at the moment. Until I can figure out what is what I'm convinced it would be beneficial for me to do so.
Why am I sharing this with all of you? Is it for pity? Is it for comfort? Is it so you can build up my confidence? No, it's not any of those reasons. I'm sharing this with you because this can easily happen to any and all new authors. It is a part of our passion. One could say they are growing pains but either way, we must endure them. You may face something different but none will have an easy road to publication. I can honestly say that it is not easy to pick yourself up at times when you have more questions than answers but if your desire and passion is strong enough you will. Once you do, you keep moving.
"Are you a writer or aren't you? If you are then get up and keep going. You're not going to make everyone happy."
Oct 1, 2010
Sometimes Free means Free
Title: Free Gifts Every Day Author: Tanya Guerrier
ISBN: 978-0-9826586-0-4
Genre: Christian Inspiration
Pages: 116
Reviewed By: Brian Knight
Official Premium Promotional Services Rating:
Free gifts are all around us; we just need to look.
Happiness, joy, an abundant life – these are the things we all want. We work hard to attain them. What if you could have them for free? Little do we know but we can. In “Free Gifts Every Day” we find the source of happiness, joy and freedom. Through techniques such as meditating on scripture, praying and breathing we find the calm so many never achieve.
“Free Gifts Every Day” not only looks at the blessings around us but also the blessings within us. By discovering who we truly are and taking control of life we take one step closer to the ultimate goal – drawing closer to the Lord and attaining the freedom of happiness.
In “Free Gifts Every Day,” we see the importance of the little things. What free gifts are you missing right now?
From the first word, Tanya Guerrier’s passion for the Lord and helping people takes center stage. Instantly, you fill the warmth of her positive approach to life and the difficulties of life. With each passing page, it is virtually impossible not to smile and look at your surroundings differently.
“Free Gifts Every Day” delivers a fresh new jolt of inspiration in an otherwise negative world. The strength of Tanya’s faith carries it from page to page as she delivers practical suggestions, insight and techniques to help us identify both bad and good aspects of life; deflecting the bad and holding the good. This book is for everyone but particularly aimed at those who may miss just how blessed they are.
Author Tanya Guerrier’s debut book is sure to lift you up and build a positive outlook. To Learn more feel free to visit her SITE.
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