Okay, so I’ve fallen down on the job again in regards to finding a guest blogger for today. But let’s turn lemons to lemonade, shall we?
Last week, we talked a bit about rules and how, really, there are no rules in writing. Well, there aren’t rules in the CRAFT of writing–except, to borrow a catch phrase, to “make it work.” However, there are a few rules in the business of writing. And one of them is absolutely, positively UNBREAKABLE.
Money flows TO the writer.
Always.
Not away from the writer. In other words, the writer should not have to spend a single stinking dime to have a book published.
Except, maybe, for postage and print cartridges. Overhead stuff.
But once a book is contracted by an agent or a publisher, the writer gets paid. She or he does not, under any circumstances, pay out.
You don’t pay for your cover art, for your advertising or for your editing. You don’t pay anyone, EVER, to read your book, unless it is a reputable “book doctor” and those are few and far between, so before you hire one, make sure you check out their recommendations. (And realize that many, many authors are published all the time without hiring a freelance editor. In fact, the only freelance editors I approve for an unpublished writer in most circumstances are those hired BY THE PUBLISHER.)
What about promotion, you ask?
Well, here’s the caveat–you pay for your promotion as long as it is your choice and not a stipulation of your contract.
You don’t have to have a website. You don’t have to print bookmarks. You don’t have to buy 4-color, full page advertisements in RT in order to sell books. YOU CERTAINLY DON’T HAVE TO BUY COPIES OF YOUR OWN BOOK. Your publisher should give you a nice collection of those for free. Because, you see, your publisher should be pushing your book in ways that the general public may never see, but that make a difference in the book buying world.
Now, if you want to do a website, print bookmarks and buy ads, that’s up to you. But if you feel you MUST in order to sell any books at all, then well, the system isn’t working the way it should.
This seems so much like common sense, but more and more, I’m seeing aspiring, hopeful authors getting sucked in to situations where they are shelling out more time and money and TIME to promote their books than they are to writing them because only through scads of shameless self-promotion will they sell books, because their publisher isn’t doing anything to make sure the books move. This is not good for anyone–least of all that author, who has put her blood, sweat and tears into a book and ends up losing money on its publication rather than making money.
Money flows TO the author.
Always.
This advice is to the writer who actually wants to make a career of this, not someone who simply wants to have a book in print for whatever many reasons there are out there to want it. And if that’s all you want–be honest about it. With yourself and with your readers. It’ll be much less stress and much less expensive.
I personally can’t really speak to publishing for publishing’s sake because my goal was always and still is to have a career as a writer. However, even if your goal is to see your name on the cover of a book before you die, with no concern about how many copies of that book that you sell, do your homework. There are a lot of scams out there and there are a few reputable means to fulfilling your dream. Keep an open mind, not your wallet.
Any discussion? Questions? Comments?
One more thing:
I’ve been editing all week, mostly smoothing out my second draft and fixing clunky writing. I came across many instances of extraneous words that I could slash now that I knew precisely how the story ended. (I can’t cut like this while I’m still writing because I don’t have a sense of what can be taken OUT until all the words are put IN.)
Here’s an example:
“Was I?” she asked.
Her nonchalance betrayed her. She had been crying and he had no idea why.
“What happened?”
Here’s how I fixed it:
“Was I?” she asked.
Her nonchalance betrayed her. She had been crying and he had no idea why.
“What happened?”
That second sentence was telling. There was absolutely no reason for it to be there and I can’t tell you why I wrote it in the first place except that when I’m writing fast, I don’t edit myself. I write until I’m done and then I slash. I’ve already taken out more than 1000 unneeded words.
Just a tip!
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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I’m not a writer and I hardly ever post on a Saturday but I do want you and the other Plotmonkeys to know I think it is amazing that you all are willing to help out people like this. I am sure trying to get published can be unnerving and someone who doesn’t know any better could be taken advantage of. With the information you ladies give on this site the chances of that happening get slimmer because you are arming the visitors here with first hand knowledge. I just think that is awesome and better than any Friday giveaway you have.
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Julie my comment today is a little off topic, but my son who is a sophomore in high school had to do a writing assignment this week that for some reason made me think, “Julie would like this one.” They had to write a 500 word essay but were not allowed to use the words I, she, he….which to a 15 year old with no patience was a very difficult task. I was a little disappointed because to be honest I don’t think he got what the teacher was trying to teach, but I did think it was an interesting assignment, and it did make me think of you.
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Great advise, Julie and a great tip too!
Tina – I honestly don’t know if I could write a 500 word essay with out I, he, she in it. Wow, that would be tough!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Tina, I am interested…what do you think the point of the assignment was? Because I’m a little stumped!
I can see an assignment where the kids aren’t to use “you” because teens have a natural inclination for some reason to write everything in the second person point of view, which I never understood. And I can see trying to get them out of the habit of writing with “I” because first person is also a natural inclination. But he/she? What point of view were they allowed to use? I suppose the omniscient, “One?”
Or were they supposed to write something without a point of view?
Yup, you were right…I’m interested!
I think I could accomplish this if the essay were focused entirely on information or about a machine or scientific process. I think it would depend entirely on the topic.
My brother once had to write an essay for high school that didn’t use any form of the word “to be” ie, is, was, were, etc. I knew what the point was–trying to make the students think in terms of active voice, but I think the teacher lost the opportunity to teach that is, was, were are not always passive voice! It was a tough assignment, though!
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Kelly F, your message really touched my heart. :wub: Thank you so much for posting.
There’s a discussion going on at one of my published author loops about the frustration pubbed authors often face when new writers DON’T listen or don’t want to hear the honest truth about this business or worse…want the pubbed author to give them the magic spell that unlocks the world of publication. There is no magic spell except to learn, learn, learn. The learning never stops. And part of the learning process is doing the legwork and research, which means listening to other authors when they know things you don’t! I guess you have to learn which authors to listen to…I’ve always listened to the ones who were selling consistently and making money and, in other words, attaining the kind of success I want for myself. I’m still listening…hence my participation on a loop for published authors, most of which have WAY more experience at this than I do!
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Sally, I’m so glad this information is helpful. I have to admit that I’m never that disappointed when I can’t find a guest blogger because it gives me a chance to spout off on some topic related to writing! Knowing that my advice is reaching the people who want to hear it means the world. Thanks! :wub:
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Bless you for this post. As a new author, published but unknown, I have a lot of anxiety about this issue. I’m always wondering if I should be buying ads, printing bookmarks, planning speaking engagements, and creating my own brilliant marketing plan.
Sometimes I think women try to take on too much. Do everything! I still have a lot to learn about promotion, and I feel as though some effort on my part is needed. But I’m also thankful for the reminder that it’s okay for my main focus to always be on WRITING.
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Julie I think the point of the lesson was to get the students to be creative and to actually put some time and effort into their work. At first my son thought he could just replace the pronouns with proper names but quickly found out that wouldn’t work. He was obsessing on these words and thinking that the assignment couldn’t be done, but after a lot of thought :scratch3: he wrote an essay on skateboarding techniques, and was able to complete the assignment.
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Julie, it’s interesting that you blogged about authors and publishing and money this morning.
I am currently getting screwed by one of my e-pubs–New Concepts Publishing. After making repeated attempts to contact them through e-mail, snail mail and telephone I sent them a certified letter today requesting that they cease publication and distribution of my book, send me a full accounting of sales including sales from Fiction Wise and a cashier’s check for unpaid royalties. Since they are located in Georgia I contacted the Georgia Attorney General’s office and the Office of Consumer Affairs. I was told my only recourse would be to hire an attorney which would cost thousands of dollars I don’t have to spend.
I also e-mailed Fiction Wise, Romantic Times Book Reviews because NCP places huge ads with them on a regular basis and also RWA.
If anyone who visits this blog is considering sending their work to NCP I strongly urge you to reconsider.
Cher
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Cher, I’m really sorry you’re going through this. There has been a ton of talk regarding NCP in the blogosphere for months. Your warning is just one of many, many others that are available to authors if they take the time to look. And therein lies the problem, methinks.
I’m concerned with the aspiring authors who just simply don’t know where to turn to good advice…there are hundreds of places and this blog on Saturdays is just one.
Thanks for posting. I hope things work out for you, but I think it’s best for your mental health and blood pressure if you just write it off as a “bad job” and move on. HUGS! :hug2:
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Okay, now I get it, Tina. Good pick on his part to go with expository writing. It’s the least personal type.
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Hey everybody,
It has been way too long…
Jules, the craft days have been very informative…I especially like todays because it certainly answered a number of questions for me…my biggest fear is that I would have to put much more money into publishing anything than I have to…
How have you all been?…I have to go back a couple of weeks and see how things were going…I am slowly getting back into my working schedule and on the correct sleep cycle, so I should be back in the line up regularly pretty soon…sorry about all the bdays I missed…whenever I pop in I try to get send out bday wishes then…I have to go now, but I will try to check in later on tonight..
Peace and love
Paula R.
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One more comment…I think that cutting/editing is one of the hardest things to do…I struggle with that when writing my short stories and my poetry…I don’t know how you guys do it…I feel like everything I write in a poem is relevant, so it makes it doubly hard to cut or change anything…I give you guys all the props…I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far…it is quite rainy here, so I hope that those of you who are living in the sun, you soak up some for me too…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Cher, please click this link if you haven’t already:
http://karenknowsbest.com/category/new-concepts-publishing/
Paula, so glad to see you back! Hope you’re back more often. You think what I do is hard? Poetry is hard! Writing it, editing it…everything. Even reading it in some cases! I love good poetry, I do, but that was the hardest class I took in college…Writing Poetry 101!
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Thank you, Julie. I wish I had never heard of them. I fear my book may be lost and I will never get the rights back. :cursing: It makes me want to quit writing and never submit my work again.
Thanks for the link. I read it this morning.
Cher
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Cher, you can’t quit writing! (I know you won’t…it’s in your blood.)
Not all publishers act this way, but unfortunately, it’s happening more and more in epublishing. Authors simply have to be very, very careful when they go this route.
Best to concentrate on looking forward. Honestly, move beyond them. Your success will be the best revenge.
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Julie, what a good Saturday topic. One I am sure that all writers wanting to be published should read. One thing I have learned since joining eHarlequin, the Plotmonkeys & the blog Jill Shalvis writes is that authors are very generous people. Anyway most authors. It seems like most everyone is willing to share information, tell what worked for them to get published and to let everyone know that the road to being published is a lot of work. The more I learn about authors and their writing the more I appreciate the books I read. It also re-enforces my belief that I am a great reader but not someone that should ever attempt to write a book!!
I appreciate how much each of you share about writing every time I visit the Plotmonkey blog. :monkey :monkey :monkey :monkey
Cher, I am so sorry to hear that you are having problems with the epublishing. It is such a shame that there are always a few that spoil it for the rest of the people.
Paula R., so nice to see you back. Hope you adjust to everything soon so you can visit with us more.
Everyone enjoy the rest of the weekend.
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Ugh, Cher
your going through a tough time :hug2: It really sucks that as a writer you can’t just stay focused on writing, instead you have to deal with all the business crap 
I hope that it all works out for you, 
and that you keep writing 
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Thanks for the good wishes everybody. I’ll let you know how it all plays out.
Julie, I think you’re right, whatever happens I need to let it go and just move on. Success will be the best revenge!
Cher
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Great topic, Julie! There seems to be lots of small presses and epublishers cropping up and it’s becoming difficult for new writers to distinguish the wheat from the chaff. I love the Saturday topics and always learn something. I’m back in the serious hunt to get published so I’ll happily take all the advice I can get. One thing I would add is joining RWA national and also your local chapter. (I’m finally getting around to that part of it by going as a guest to next month’s meeting and joining in person.)
While many people believe writing is a solitary pursuit, networking can be invaluable! Meeting writers through their blogs, at workshops and conventions is all a plus. I’d like to thank the Plotmonkeys for being so awesome about sharing their time and insights. You four are the best! :flower4you:
Cher, I’m really sorry about your experience. I would think that there’d be a way to get the rights back. Check with the Georgia AG about that. There might even be a class action lawsuit you could participate in, if this company is defrauding their authors.
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Donna, thanks so much for posting.
Every time one of our “readers not writers” posts on Saturday, it’s really exciting for us. Because readers and writers relationship is symbiotic, we don’t ever want the groups to feel “left out.” Just want you to know that as much as you appreciate all our hard work, we appreciate your support! Symbiotic. Can’t have one without the other!
:wub: