Last week on his blog, agent Nathan Bransford asked his readers what they'd like to see the big publishers do to help the ailing publishing industry.
Not being shy, I offered these solutions.
EBOOKS
Publishers have failed to look toward the future of book distribution which is ebooks.
Like it or not, ebooks are the future. They are simply too efficient a delivery system, and with the price of paper and transportation skyrocketing as well as the slow death of the bookstore industry, they will soon be the only way many books will reach readers' hands.
Already, they are the growth industry within publishing. In September according to the AAP, they rose 77.8% in sales. To see the kind of growth ebooks are experiencing, go to the International Digital Publishing Forum ( idpf.org) and click on the industry statistics.
The publishers need to rethink their distribution deals with ebook providers, particularly Amazon which demands 66% of the cover price. This is utterly ridiculous since this covers computer storage and automated sales, not warehouses, human labor, and shipping.
Agents and authors with clout need to fight back against the 15% ebook royalty which in an insult, particularly for books that are going into paper where a vast majority of the book costs -- acquisition, editing, and cover -- are factored into the book's costs. If authors can't make a living in the system, the system will fail.
Ebooks may also be the solution to the shrinking midlist. The surviving bookstores and box stores are increasingly focusing on the bestsellers and list leaders, and the midlist has very few sales outlets.
The midlist is where the new authors and the next superstars come from so the publishers simply can't abandon it. They should move many of these books into ebooks or use the small ebook publishers as a farm system similar to what professional baseball teams use. This method has already been used by wily romance editors when they saw the immense success of erotica.
I cover this topic as well as the POD situation in more detail and give an overview of the current state of publishing in an article available on my website, marilynnbyerly.com . Click on the short story and article icon to find it.
POD
Amazon is in the process of trying to take over the POD market. Currently, they are only going after the small publishers, but, as its history shows, the major publishers will be next.
Right now, a few small publishers are fighting back with lawsuits, but the conglomerates are ignoring the situation. They are fools not to become involved.
Sure, Amazon is only a small percentage of the POD market right now, but with bookstores disappearing, Amazon is setting itself up to be the major player in this form of distribution, as well.
COSTS
The conglomerates need to move their offices out of NYC to cut costs. Baen Books moved to Wake Forest, NC, a tiny town outside of Raleigh, and they are doing just fine courtesy of the Internet, etc.
The money saved should be invested in better pay for editors and for reinvigorating the midlist by finding new talent.
***
PUBLISHING AND MARKET NEWS
CONTEST: Amazon and Penguin are holding a second annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in early February. For more information, go here:
http://amazon.com/abna .
MARKET NEWS: Agent Kristin Nelson blogs about what some NY editors are looking for in Young Adult fiction on November the 11th.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/
AGENT: Emmanuelle Alspaugh is interviewed at Novelists, Inc. blog
http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php/archives/meet-agent-emmanuelle-alspaugh
Be sure to check out the related post section for links to other agents interviewed.
QUESTIONS? I take writing and publishing questions. Contact me via this blog or at marilynnbyerly at aol.com .
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Ebook Prices, PUBLISHING
In an interview, (link below), nonfiction author Seth Godin talks about ebooks and publishing. He's a proponent of free ebooks to sell paper books, but in this interview he suggests that ebooks be priced between one and two dollars each.
As someone who's watched the ebook industry for a number of years, here's my reply to his impractical suggestion.
Cheap ebooks are a lovely thought, but if a publisher wants to sell their books through the major book venues like Fictionwise and Amazon/Kindle, they must price the book with that in mind.
The vast majority of buyers only buy through the big venues instead of through the publisher website so most publishers can't break even if they don't have their books at places like Fictionwise.
I know that for every book I sell through one of my publishers' sites, I sell 50 or more at the big venues.
Here's why books have to be priced more expensively if they are to be sold through the big venues.
Fictionwise makes 50% on each ebook sold so even if the publisher prices the book near cost, he would have to increase the price by 50% just to break even. Amazon/Kindle takes 66% of the cover price. The same problem.
What's left is usually divided evenly between the publisher and the writer if it's an epublisher, 15% for the author for major publishers.
And if the publisher doesn't put the book's price high enough, the middleman venues where a majority of ebooks are sold aren't interested in the product because they can't come out even after they do their usual price markdown.
If the publisher wishes to keep his books at the big venues, he can't undersell the books at his own site so he can't lower the price there, either.
In the best of all possible worlds, the reader would pay a few bucks, but readers want the simplicity of buying at one site, not many, so the prices go up. Sad, but true.
LINK TO GOLDIN'S INTERVIEW:
http://www.26thstory.com/blog/2008/11/1-we-have-a-fresh-slate-at-harperstudio-whats-your-advice---the-huge-opportunity-for-book-publishers-is-to-get-unstuck-yo.html
EDITOR INTERVIEWED: On November 6th, Novelists, Inc., interviewed Peter Senftleben, an editorial assistant at Kensington. He talks about what he's looking for.
http://www.ninc.com/blog/
NETWORKING SITES PROMOTIONAL VALUE: Author Courtney Summers discusses the value of various networking sites for book promotion.
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/11/guest-blogger-courtney-summers-on.html
As someone who's watched the ebook industry for a number of years, here's my reply to his impractical suggestion.
Cheap ebooks are a lovely thought, but if a publisher wants to sell their books through the major book venues like Fictionwise and Amazon/Kindle, they must price the book with that in mind.
The vast majority of buyers only buy through the big venues instead of through the publisher website so most publishers can't break even if they don't have their books at places like Fictionwise.
I know that for every book I sell through one of my publishers' sites, I sell 50 or more at the big venues.
Here's why books have to be priced more expensively if they are to be sold through the big venues.
Fictionwise makes 50% on each ebook sold so even if the publisher prices the book near cost, he would have to increase the price by 50% just to break even. Amazon/Kindle takes 66% of the cover price. The same problem.
What's left is usually divided evenly between the publisher and the writer if it's an epublisher, 15% for the author for major publishers.
And if the publisher doesn't put the book's price high enough, the middleman venues where a majority of ebooks are sold aren't interested in the product because they can't come out even after they do their usual price markdown.
If the publisher wishes to keep his books at the big venues, he can't undersell the books at his own site so he can't lower the price there, either.
In the best of all possible worlds, the reader would pay a few bucks, but readers want the simplicity of buying at one site, not many, so the prices go up. Sad, but true.
LINK TO GOLDIN'S INTERVIEW:
http://www.26thstory.com/blog/2008/11/1-we-have-a-fresh-slate-at-harperstudio-whats-your-advice---the-huge-opportunity-for-book-publishers-is-to-get-unstuck-yo.html
EDITOR INTERVIEWED: On November 6th, Novelists, Inc., interviewed Peter Senftleben, an editorial assistant at Kensington. He talks about what he's looking for.
http://www.ninc.com/blog/
NETWORKING SITES PROMOTIONAL VALUE: Author Courtney Summers discusses the value of various networking sites for book promotion.
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/11/guest-blogger-courtney-summers-on.html
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ebook Royalties, PUBLISHING
Random House has just announced that it is lowering its ebook royalty rate from 25 percent of the retail price of the ebook to 25 percent of the net price (book price minus the distributor's percentage equals net) . Since most distributors take 50% or more as their distributor percentage, this is a hefty cut.
Other major publishers give a 15 percent royalty on the book price.
In comparison, most epublishers give between 35 to 50 percent of the book price. They must also pay for the cost of editing, covers, Internet infrastructure, etc., which the major publishers have already paid for when they create the paper books.
Is there anything wrong with this picture?
The big publishers keep saying that ebooks are expensive to produce, but most epublishers will tell you that all that is needed is a digital copy of the book in a specific format like PDF which the distributors will format themselves for a fee.
The big publishers, so far, have been no more willing to sell ebooks on their sites than they will sell paper copies of their books so all their talk about expenses is smoke and mirrors to hide their grab for a cheap royalty on what will become the major method of book distribution in the years to come.
Some agents have said that the publishers promise to raise the royalty rates when ebooks become more profitable, but that's a lie that has been used a number of times.
For example, during the paper shortages and rapid rise in price of paper, some years back, the publishers asked for a rate cut from authors and promised that the rate would go back up after the crisis. As you can guess, the rates have never risen.
All of this gives me such a glorious, yet painful, sense of irony about the situation. When ebook publishers started becoming successful, many traditionally published authors screamed like virgins at an orgy because they thought epublishing would harm their careers and incomes. By accepting 15% as "standard," they may be harming the epublished if epublishers follow suite and accept this new standard.
BLOGS OF INTEREST
MJ Rose talked about book promotion at agent Nathan Bransford's blog on Thursday, October 23rd. She's a genius at marketing so it's more than worth the read. http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/
She also continues on the subject at http://mjroseblog.typepad.com/buzz_balls_hype/2008/03/which-brings-us.html .
On Tuesday and Wednesday the 22nd and 23rd, on Nathan's blog, Michelle Moran also discussed promotion.
QUESTIONS, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? Send me your questions about publishing and craft at marilynnbyerly @ aol.com. (Remove spaces in address.)
Other major publishers give a 15 percent royalty on the book price.
In comparison, most epublishers give between 35 to 50 percent of the book price. They must also pay for the cost of editing, covers, Internet infrastructure, etc., which the major publishers have already paid for when they create the paper books.
Is there anything wrong with this picture?
The big publishers keep saying that ebooks are expensive to produce, but most epublishers will tell you that all that is needed is a digital copy of the book in a specific format like PDF which the distributors will format themselves for a fee.
The big publishers, so far, have been no more willing to sell ebooks on their sites than they will sell paper copies of their books so all their talk about expenses is smoke and mirrors to hide their grab for a cheap royalty on what will become the major method of book distribution in the years to come.
Some agents have said that the publishers promise to raise the royalty rates when ebooks become more profitable, but that's a lie that has been used a number of times.
For example, during the paper shortages and rapid rise in price of paper, some years back, the publishers asked for a rate cut from authors and promised that the rate would go back up after the crisis. As you can guess, the rates have never risen.
All of this gives me such a glorious, yet painful, sense of irony about the situation. When ebook publishers started becoming successful, many traditionally published authors screamed like virgins at an orgy because they thought epublishing would harm their careers and incomes. By accepting 15% as "standard," they may be harming the epublished if epublishers follow suite and accept this new standard.
BLOGS OF INTEREST
MJ Rose talked about book promotion at agent Nathan Bransford's blog on Thursday, October 23rd. She's a genius at marketing so it's more than worth the read. http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/
She also continues on the subject at http://mjroseblog.typepad.com/buzz_balls_hype/2008/03/which-brings-us.html .
On Tuesday and Wednesday the 22nd and 23rd, on Nathan's blog, Michelle Moran also discussed promotion.
QUESTIONS, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? Send me your questions about publishing and craft at marilynnbyerly @ aol.com. (Remove spaces in address.)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Writing Telepaths' Thoughts and Conversation, CRAFT
QUESTION: I have a character who is a telepath. Should I italicize what she picks up from others' minds?
If the characters are "speaking" mentally, I've often seen authors italicize the conversation.
Mary thought to Matt, What happened to my son?
He fell into the river but grabbed a log.
If, however, Mary is picking up the images from Matt's head, I'd do something like this--
Mary tilted her head and concentrated harder on what Matt was trying to show her with his thoughts.
Darkness. A river surging past. A hand reaching out of the water and grasping a log. Then her son's head coming up out of the water as he pulls himself up onto the floating log.
"He's not dead," Mary sobbed and rubbed away her tears. "Billy's not dead."
I’ve also seen writers use colonss for mental dialogue in the same way as you would use quotation marks.
Mary thought to Matt, :What happened to my son?:
:He fell into the river but grabbed a log.:
The advantage of using the colon is that there will be no confusion about when speakers change.
The most important thing to remember is to choose one method and use it consistently.
If the characters are "speaking" mentally, I've often seen authors italicize the conversation.
Mary thought to Matt, What happened to my son?
He fell into the river but grabbed a log.
If, however, Mary is picking up the images from Matt's head, I'd do something like this--
Mary tilted her head and concentrated harder on what Matt was trying to show her with his thoughts.
Darkness. A river surging past. A hand reaching out of the water and grasping a log. Then her son's head coming up out of the water as he pulls himself up onto the floating log.
"He's not dead," Mary sobbed and rubbed away her tears. "Billy's not dead."
I’ve also seen writers use colonss for mental dialogue in the same way as you would use quotation marks.
Mary thought to Matt, :What happened to my son?:
:He fell into the river but grabbed a log.:
The advantage of using the colon is that there will be no confusion about when speakers change.
The most important thing to remember is to choose one method and use it consistently.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Why Women Love Romance
QUESTION FROM A GUY: Can you give me the deep reason for the romance novel's appeal to women? I can't ask my mother -- that would be too weird.
There is no ONE deep reason. Here is one of them--
I've never had time to watch football or learn much about the game so all I see are a bunch of big guys pounding each other and chasing a ball across a field, but if you are a football fan, you understand the subtle tactics, the skills, and the rules of the game.
In the same way, many women understand the subtle tactics, the skills, and the rules of the game of love. The romance novel offers them a front row seat at the most fascinating and important game of all -- love and marriage. Many nonromance readers sneer at how all these books are the same, but they are no more the same than every football game is the same.
Romances also offer a more important payback because they are teaching women more about the emotional dynamics of men and women so they can play the game and win for themselves and society by creating a monogamous, stable relationship for themselves and for the successful rearing of children which takes two committed parents.
And, yes, there is usually sex in these novels, but romances aren't about sex. If they were, they'd have more than the 10 to 20 pages of love scenes in the average 400 page novel. The love scenes are there because they are another part of the emotional dynamics, and how the man acts afterward usually defines the problems and the possibilities of the relationship.
There is no ONE deep reason. Here is one of them--
I've never had time to watch football or learn much about the game so all I see are a bunch of big guys pounding each other and chasing a ball across a field, but if you are a football fan, you understand the subtle tactics, the skills, and the rules of the game.
In the same way, many women understand the subtle tactics, the skills, and the rules of the game of love. The romance novel offers them a front row seat at the most fascinating and important game of all -- love and marriage. Many nonromance readers sneer at how all these books are the same, but they are no more the same than every football game is the same.
Romances also offer a more important payback because they are teaching women more about the emotional dynamics of men and women so they can play the game and win for themselves and society by creating a monogamous, stable relationship for themselves and for the successful rearing of children which takes two committed parents.
And, yes, there is usually sex in these novels, but romances aren't about sex. If they were, they'd have more than the 10 to 20 pages of love scenes in the average 400 page novel. The love scenes are there because they are another part of the emotional dynamics, and how the man acts afterward usually defines the problems and the possibilities of the relationship.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Moral Core of Genre, CRAFT
One of the primary hallmarks of genre fiction is its moral core. The characters and their choices may be morally gray rather than the white and black of good and evil, but the reader expects that good will eventually triumph. The good guys will gain some victory, and the darkness will be banished.
If the author fails to deliver on this promise of light over darkness, she fails a fundamental promise to the reader.
In the same way, the major character or characters must have a moral core that helps them recognize the right choices and gives them the strength to follow through, whatever the cost, to reach that triumph over darkness.
Happiness can never be gained without a struggle against the forces of darkness. The darkness may be a black-hearted villain, but its most important manifestation is within the main character who must fight her inner darkness with that moral core.
Sometimes, if the main character is an antihero or shallow chick-lit heroine, the struggle will involve a great deal of protests, whining, and foot-dragging to reach that point, but that point is reached.
Betsy, the Queen of the Vampires, in the MaryJanice Davidson series, is a perfect example of this kind of character. Shallow, shoe-absorbed, and selfish, she whines her way through each book, but her inner moral core always leads her to do the right thing in the end.
If Betsy never did the right thing, this series wouldn't be the success it is because shallowness won't hold a reader's attention or their emotions for very long.
Sometimes, in a series, a character will change from evil to good, or good to evil, but that change must be foreshadowed in earlier choices and decisions. Bart the Bad may be up to no good through the early novels, but the reader should see that he chooses not to ambush the hero because a child is nearby. This not only adds moral complexity to Bart, but also makes his move toward the light more believable.
In the same way, a good guy's pragmatic or selfish choices will foreshadow the coming darkness.
If the author fails to deliver on this promise of light over darkness, she fails a fundamental promise to the reader.
In the same way, the major character or characters must have a moral core that helps them recognize the right choices and gives them the strength to follow through, whatever the cost, to reach that triumph over darkness.
Happiness can never be gained without a struggle against the forces of darkness. The darkness may be a black-hearted villain, but its most important manifestation is within the main character who must fight her inner darkness with that moral core.
Sometimes, if the main character is an antihero or shallow chick-lit heroine, the struggle will involve a great deal of protests, whining, and foot-dragging to reach that point, but that point is reached.
Betsy, the Queen of the Vampires, in the MaryJanice Davidson series, is a perfect example of this kind of character. Shallow, shoe-absorbed, and selfish, she whines her way through each book, but her inner moral core always leads her to do the right thing in the end.
If Betsy never did the right thing, this series wouldn't be the success it is because shallowness won't hold a reader's attention or their emotions for very long.
Sometimes, in a series, a character will change from evil to good, or good to evil, but that change must be foreshadowed in earlier choices and decisions. Bart the Bad may be up to no good through the early novels, but the reader should see that he chooses not to ambush the hero because a child is nearby. This not only adds moral complexity to Bart, but also makes his move toward the light more believable.
In the same way, a good guy's pragmatic or selfish choices will foreshadow the coming darkness.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Things I've Learned about Publishing
Publishing is a profession. Always act in a professional manner. This includes any situation where you are in public as a writer.
Spelling, grammar, and clarity are part of that professional manner. Don't send emails filled with errors because it reflects back on your craft.
Your editor/publisher/agent may be your friend, but she is first and foremost a businessperson. If it is a choice between making money and being your friend, she will choose the money almost every time.
Learn the business so you will understand what is happening in your career. No one cares as much about it as you do.
Some publishers use the same kind of controlling behavior as abusive spouses. They convince you that you write crap and no one but them will want it, and they pay you accordingly. If you don't escape this abusive cycle, you will either self-destruct as a writer, or other publishers in the know will not touch you because victims in this situation usually lose their confidence to push their writing to the next level.
Publishing is a small world. If you p*ss off one editor, every editor in the business will know about it. Editors also move from publisher to publisher. The editor you annoy today may be your new editor tomorrow.
Promote yourself, not your publisher, ebooks, or the type of books you write.
If you create bookmarks or any other expensive promotion, use them to promote yourself, not your current title because it won't be your current title forever.
Brand yourself as a certain type of writer and produce all your books to reflect that brand. Make certain that the same readers will be as happy with your next book.
Strive to improve with each book. Strive to surprise with each book. Don't write yourself into a rut.
If you don't enjoy the writing, find another profession. The publishing business is brutal and often the only joy is in the writing.
No amount of promotion will make up for a lack of distribution.
It's easy to be seduced away from the hard aspects of writing by other creative things. Working on your website and book trailers is much more fun because they aren't part of that bottom line.
There is no such thing as privacy on the Internet and on group listservs. Be discrete. The comment you make today will come back to haunt you later.
If an agent or publisher lies about one thing, you shouldn't believe anything they say.
The advantage of a small press/epublisher is personal attention. The disadvantage is the owner's life crisis will shut down operations.
If the publisher believes that the contract terms only bind you, not him, run for your life.
If an agent or publisher says they are in the business to help writers, run for you life. They are almost always crooks.
Don't be ditzy and proud of it. No publisher wants a business partner who is an idiot.
Writing is physically taxing. Take care of yourself by exercising and eating wisely. You may have an extra hour to write by avoiding the gym or that walk, but you'll pay for it long term by having your body fail when you need it most.
Take care of your computer. Keep your virus software up to date and run repair utilities once a week.
Back up your hard drive! Back up on a regular schedule.
Back up your books and keep a copy or copies elsewhere. Most banks offer a free safety deposit box to regular customers. Keep a digital copy of your books there. A flash drive is perfect for this.
Keep a paper copy of your book. If your computer crashes taking everything with it, the paper copy is the very best back up. Paper copies never become an outdated format.
Keep adequate business records. Save receipts for business supplies, etc., so you can use them as business expenses on your taxes.
Keep all your promotion information in one spot. (See Marilynn's article on organizing promotions at her website marilynnbyerly.com .)
Read as much as you can about the business. If you don't understand something, ask questions.
The writing craft is like athletic skill. Even a natural talent needs practice to improve, and you are always learning something new about yourself and the craft.
A good teacher and a good critique partner are worth their weight in gold.
A writing career is a marathon, not a sprint. A winner keeps going for the long haul.
Writing is a hobby, an avocation, or a career, but it is not a life. Real life is what matters most. You will regret it if you look up from your keyboard one day to discover life has passed you by, and the writing wasn't worth the cost.
WRITING QUOTES:
"I'm just starting [a new book] and the battle has already begun. I don't think they ever go smoothly. It's work. It should be work. It should be hard work. I think if you sort of sit around and wait to be inspired, you're probably going to be sitting there a long time. My process is more about crafting, working an idea through my head to see if it's a good concept." Nora Roberts in an interview with the "Hagerstown Herald-Mail."
“Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life.There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure. Never forget your Personal Legend. Never forget your dreams. Your silent heart will guide you. Be silent now. It is the possibility of a dream that makes life interesting. You can choose between being a victim of destiny or an adventurer who is fighting for something important.” THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho
FREE BOOK ON PUBLISHING: Donald Maass, super agent, has a free PDF download of his book, THE CAREER NOVELIST: WINNING ADVICE FROM A TOP AGENT AND HIS BESTSELLING CLIENTS. I have a copy, and it's full of excellent advice. Some is a touch out-of-date, though. You'll find it here: http://www.maassagency.com/books.html
Spelling, grammar, and clarity are part of that professional manner. Don't send emails filled with errors because it reflects back on your craft.
Your editor/publisher/agent may be your friend, but she is first and foremost a businessperson. If it is a choice between making money and being your friend, she will choose the money almost every time.
Learn the business so you will understand what is happening in your career. No one cares as much about it as you do.
Some publishers use the same kind of controlling behavior as abusive spouses. They convince you that you write crap and no one but them will want it, and they pay you accordingly. If you don't escape this abusive cycle, you will either self-destruct as a writer, or other publishers in the know will not touch you because victims in this situation usually lose their confidence to push their writing to the next level.
Publishing is a small world. If you p*ss off one editor, every editor in the business will know about it. Editors also move from publisher to publisher. The editor you annoy today may be your new editor tomorrow.
Promote yourself, not your publisher, ebooks, or the type of books you write.
If you create bookmarks or any other expensive promotion, use them to promote yourself, not your current title because it won't be your current title forever.
Brand yourself as a certain type of writer and produce all your books to reflect that brand. Make certain that the same readers will be as happy with your next book.
Strive to improve with each book. Strive to surprise with each book. Don't write yourself into a rut.
If you don't enjoy the writing, find another profession. The publishing business is brutal and often the only joy is in the writing.
No amount of promotion will make up for a lack of distribution.
It's easy to be seduced away from the hard aspects of writing by other creative things. Working on your website and book trailers is much more fun because they aren't part of that bottom line.
There is no such thing as privacy on the Internet and on group listservs. Be discrete. The comment you make today will come back to haunt you later.
If an agent or publisher lies about one thing, you shouldn't believe anything they say.
The advantage of a small press/epublisher is personal attention. The disadvantage is the owner's life crisis will shut down operations.
If the publisher believes that the contract terms only bind you, not him, run for your life.
If an agent or publisher says they are in the business to help writers, run for you life. They are almost always crooks.
Don't be ditzy and proud of it. No publisher wants a business partner who is an idiot.
Writing is physically taxing. Take care of yourself by exercising and eating wisely. You may have an extra hour to write by avoiding the gym or that walk, but you'll pay for it long term by having your body fail when you need it most.
Take care of your computer. Keep your virus software up to date and run repair utilities once a week.
Back up your hard drive! Back up on a regular schedule.
Back up your books and keep a copy or copies elsewhere. Most banks offer a free safety deposit box to regular customers. Keep a digital copy of your books there. A flash drive is perfect for this.
Keep a paper copy of your book. If your computer crashes taking everything with it, the paper copy is the very best back up. Paper copies never become an outdated format.
Keep adequate business records. Save receipts for business supplies, etc., so you can use them as business expenses on your taxes.
Keep all your promotion information in one spot. (See Marilynn's article on organizing promotions at her website marilynnbyerly.com .)
Read as much as you can about the business. If you don't understand something, ask questions.
The writing craft is like athletic skill. Even a natural talent needs practice to improve, and you are always learning something new about yourself and the craft.
A good teacher and a good critique partner are worth their weight in gold.
A writing career is a marathon, not a sprint. A winner keeps going for the long haul.
Writing is a hobby, an avocation, or a career, but it is not a life. Real life is what matters most. You will regret it if you look up from your keyboard one day to discover life has passed you by, and the writing wasn't worth the cost.
WRITING QUOTES:
"I'm just starting [a new book] and the battle has already begun. I don't think they ever go smoothly. It's work. It should be work. It should be hard work. I think if you sort of sit around and wait to be inspired, you're probably going to be sitting there a long time. My process is more about crafting, working an idea through my head to see if it's a good concept." Nora Roberts in an interview with the "Hagerstown Herald-Mail."
“Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life.There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure. Never forget your Personal Legend. Never forget your dreams. Your silent heart will guide you. Be silent now. It is the possibility of a dream that makes life interesting. You can choose between being a victim of destiny or an adventurer who is fighting for something important.” THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho
FREE BOOK ON PUBLISHING: Donald Maass, super agent, has a free PDF download of his book, THE CAREER NOVELIST: WINNING ADVICE FROM A TOP AGENT AND HIS BESTSELLING CLIENTS. I have a copy, and it's full of excellent advice. Some is a touch out-of-date, though. You'll find it here: http://www.maassagency.com/books.html
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