If you're an early career or unpublished writer, what do you wish you knew about the publishing industry? What do you wish people talked about more? What do you feel is behind a curtain of secrets? #BookSky #Publishing
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That there are SO MANY (awesome) books being published every week. So, even if you’re lucky enough to be published with a brill publisher with a great marketing team, you’ll still be waving your hands like a loon, shouting ‘Helloooo, have you seen my book?’
A friend from my writing group is working on children's picture books and needs to query three at a time, but can't find advice on how to construct a query letter for three works simultaneously.
From a Swedish perspective, but I suspect this generalizes: there are SO MANY writing coaches, editors-for-hire, "how to market your novel" people for hire, etc., that don't know shit so you should NOT hire them. Deliberate scammers or well-meaning but clueless, don't waste your money.
Perhaps that was a bit off topic bc these people typically operate outside of established publishing companies. But they often market their services by promising to increase your chances of getting a publishing deal one day.
Admitting to myself I had wasted all that money was HARD - but I have a well-paid day job.
For someone worse off economically, the sunk cost fallacy will exert an even STRONGER pull on them. So for that reason too, they might think "well worth the money" and recommend this person to others. (2/2)
Other than "who wants to pay me to write stuff RIGHT NOW", I'm worried about doing everything "right". Is my book too old, too young? I want it to be a series, is that a bad idea? Who'll ask for changes, when, how extensive, will I get paid? It feels like there's no set formula or roadmap.
I mean, there might not be answers to that. And a lot of it might be my own general insecurities. But weirdly the actual writing part feels the least daunting.
I think the most important thing I learned was the writing is the only thing you can even ATTEMPT to control! And publishing changes it's mind ALL THE TIME about what it wants so just doing what you want is the way to sanity! Or some sanity.
That's what it looks like from the outside tbh 😉 it's why I stopped trying to pitch TV shows about a decade ago! At least if I'm writing I'm just doing my own thing and (theoretically) enjoying myself
It changes so fast, especially kids. Where is your audience? Where is the revenue? And if you've got an original idea, you have to go cap in hand to half a dozen people to raise the money, losing a lot of ownership in the process. I might never get a book published but at least they're just mine!
Editors and agents are (sorry all my agent and editor mutuals, love you!) lazy. It is possible they will pick up a book they love that needs work (and it will probably need work) but the less for them to do the better. You want the best draft you can create.
And rather than lazy, I'd say VASTLY overworked and under pressure to publishing more books quickly - so if a book comes in that doesn't need loads of work, makes sense to buy that vs one that does!
(Proviso: you do not need to pay for an editor at this stage. The traditional pub model is one where money should always be going *towards* the author, you shouldn't pay for anything beyond *maybe* postage, and even these days provably not even that)
Yes, absolutely no need to spend money on editors. I'd see it as "take it as far as you can, polish it as much as you can see" - because editors will ALWAYS find ways to push it and hone it further.
My debut was a Mills & Boon so I had zero hype nor pressure…my first standalone ‘debut’ was my twelfth book, so I also had zero hype nor pressure…but I see it happening all the time
One thing I had to learn the hard way is that the world is unpredictable. I debuted April 2020. And now? Who the F knows WHAT is going on. So writers need to be ready for their dream scenario of how publishing will go to be undermined & look VERY different. Be flexible. Be ready with plan B, C, etc.
One of the things that saps my confidence to actually sit & write the thing is my fear that the publishing industry will freeze me out for being trans. I don't know how much of that landscape's transphobia is real and how much of it is just my fear. I don't know how to word this as a question. Aaah.
It’s real in that I got a deal while coming out but the lack of reviews etc are due to critics and literary editors in the relevant areas being transphobic
Also I don't know if this is helpful, but I think practically every writer thinks "What if no-one is interested and I'm wasting my time". Obviously people who are socially discriminated against have more tangible reasons to feel this, but it gives your innate self-doubt something to latch onto.
Tradpub in the US is generally a bastion of women and LGBTQ+ people. And books are mostly acquired before the editor and author even meet. (Agents will at least have a phone call with potential clients.)
Where I work (academic publishing), we have authors we don't know the gender of.
Basically, I would say that, sure, there's likely to be assholes, as anywhere, but for the most part no one will care that you're trans, and in fact may never meet you f2f, so you can just be yourself and not mention there was a previous version of you unless you want to.
Yeah I've been considering scrubbing my socials (when the time comes) and just going stealth, at least at first. Thank you for this, it's useful knowledge.
How to approach a publishing house with a book idea, what contracts actually entail and if they are universally standard contracts or if they are all individual ones, e.g. goal posts are moved down the line. How are your story ideas protected and not poached in the process?
If it’s fiction, generally you wouldn’t approach a publishing house. You would sign with an agent, and then the publisher would only review submissions they receive from agents.
The reason for asking is I'm wondering if there are things I should talk more about, that would be helpful for people starting out. There could be things I'm assuming ppl know, or just forgetting that they're A Thing.
I thought I was a horror writer, then a kids writer, then a script writer and it turns out, I’m not a writer 😭😂 so now I’m going to be Britain’s first Brasiatic elephant. It’s going really well. Gaining the weight has been remarkably easy, thanks to crisps and custards creams. I will be a heffalump!
Ha. Interesting. Funny how it’s not always obvious. That said a very good friend of mine did think my first book was an adult novel and even offered to show me how to edit it that way. But by that stage I had an agent so it was kind of too late. Now if I could go back in time…
Writing/publishing advice? Start writing my own characters sooner while I still had a day job to support such spec work, rather than sticking with temporarily lucrative tie-ins.
Than I'd have a much longer backlist to exploit now.
1. Publishers don't do most of the marketing, authors do.
2. The production process is surprisingly long.
3. Very few authors make a living just from books so they need other income streams.
4. Read your contracts and ask for changes.
5. Ask for someone else to get paid to do the index!
Related to 3: The number of people who say they're "full-time writers" is way higher than the number of people who can make a living from writing books, bc many "full-timers" live off of a spouse or sometimes their parents.
Related to 1, are there any resources you would recommend to help teach writers how to do that? I'm sure I'm not alone in finding social media quite difficult! But it seems completely essential.
The podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing sometimes talks about it & Carly Watters (one of the hosts and a lit agent) sometimes runs sessions on this.
+ Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work covers this - but more about building community, sharing your learning, & finding who you learn from
Newsletter is a big part of it I've heard. Not really cracked how best to do a newsletter yet but I live in hope (and plan to actually try to learn more about it this year)
Basically the key is getting the info about your book out there via free giveaways, your author website, mailing lists, building a social media presence etc. Positive word of mouth is crucial too and that's about keeping going on writing new books tbh!
Sounds grouchy but USE your local indy. We have authors email with a new book who say they are local but we’ve never seen them before. Where do they buy their books? Indies form valuable connections & support newbies, make friends & go the extra mile to sell stuff if there is already a relationship.
Don't compare yourself to others because your goalposts will move at the speed of sound/you will get way less attention/resource once you're out of your debut year
The next time you blink 20 years will have gone by.
Do it now.
Don't worry about 'But if I submit my MS now it'll be 2 years before I'm published, and by then I'll be 60!'
Because how old will you be in 2 years if you DON'T submit your MS?
I'm later in and there's plenty I wish was explained when I started. The importance of having an editor, the costs associated with self publishing and promotion, anything and everything regarding contracts and negotiations for trad publishing, where the real money gets made for big authors
i try to cover some of these things when I talk to new or would be new authors. Because I wish I'd had someone to tell me these things way back in 2011 when I started self publishing
agreed. I've been filling in that gap personally thanks to TikTok and now here where I'm mutuals with authors of different types. So trad published authors have given out information that I didn't have before when I chose my route
I wish I’d realised that the ‘high-discount’ royalty rate is actually the one that you’ll be earning, not the standard royalty rate, because big retailers in the UK seem to have publishers over a barrel. It’s a wonder anyone makes any money.
For majority of authors commercial success is 80% about marketing of them & their book. Social media, cover, quotes, blurb, campaign to trade, campaign to public, reviews, interviews, live events, in-store positioning & promo, bookseller engagement and word of mouth. A lot of great books go unread.
Watching with interest, Louie.
My dream was (and to a lesser extent these days still is) to have a book published.
I’ve found other, more sustainable ways to be creative & earn a living while probing the edges of the publishing world.
It doesn’t seem very sustainable or transparent in any way. 🤔
The one thing in all that I feel like I CAN help with potentially is transparency. So if you ever wanna know anything and it's something I might know just ask!
Much appreciated. Have had some great mentors & advice over the years.
I ran out of space there, but I guess by ‘transparent’, I mean the hoops & the loops to even get started are many &… quite gated?
There’s a LOT. And not all of it seems entirely necessary. 😂
There’s little discussion of whether the publishing industry is accountable to society beyond those relying on its revenue, e.g., does an agent or publisher worry how their choices have impacted declining overall readership or lament it as a witness?
Getting capitalism to think long term feels almost impossible but there is the odd flutter of hope with publishers that have adult arms eg working with their kidlit arms to promote reading from an early age, future proofing the readership like.
That it can take tens/ hundreds of queries, months/ years and multiple novels to find a literary agent to represent one of your books, or to still be unagented. We all enter the trenches knowing its hard & unlikely, but I think most of us underestimate the odds and strain of the process.
I started self publishing a trilogy after a friend signed with a small press. I had all three books published before her second book came out. My ADHD cannot fathom trad pub speeds, and the getting of contracts seems to be the worst of it.
I think to add to that there's the fact that getting an agent is only the first hurdle. I had no idea how many books die on submission, even going via agents.
I spent many years as a journalist, and several more as a ghostwriter, before attempting to sell a book of my own. I thought it'd be straightforward as I was already a writer but it felt more like a footballer thinking he could join a Formula One team because he was already a sportsman.
Why is it so slow? Why do they seem so conservative and unwilling to take risks? Why do they seem to favour debuts following a tried-and-tested formula in genres which are currently popular rather than those offering something new to broaden readers' choices/experience?
Oh god I have so many essays I could write about those. Re slow, it's a good reason: they're under staffed. I mean not a POSITIVE reason but, a solid justification I guess! Re risk, I have my theories (personalities attracted to publishing, the fac tthat the industry is 100s of years old...)
I was delusional in the first years of wanting to BE an author. I thought about the money and fame (thinking Zadie Smith vibes). Then I met someone who was doing a book tour and was tired of hotels, and a bit grumpy. I was like...they should be happy and smiling, they've got the dream!
I've recently done some talks with debut authors of colour to help in this process because we don't talk about the emotional rollercoaster of being an author.
Then I realised it can be so tiring, and you want to be home with your family, and it can be a grind, especially your debut year where you're hustling for book sales and to be relevant. And remaining relevant/published is hard too.
Another seasoned author in my early days of writing said that publishing favours some over others. They had books out of print and few opportunities coming despite being a fantastic writer. So they said diversify what you do - so I have taken that on board.
I wished the money side was talked about more freely and opening. That some people will get HUGE advances (and be chosen because certain things that are not always to do with their book) and others will get a four figure deal or less.
Yes, the secrecy around advances is frustrating! I would LOVE more open discussion of this. Publishing Rodeo was great for that (albeit for adult SF not kidlit). They seem to have stopped now tho.
And also, how advances are structured and the nuances behind the big advances - as in, what pressures come with those? What happens if the book underperforms? Could there be advantages (not financial) to a smaller advance?
How hard getting an agent is. I was ghosted or ignored for YEARS til I embarrassingly begged on bsky and that has ended up paying off. And why it's hard. Sometimes your project or approach really does need a LOT of work. Sometimes they're very busy. Sometimes they're arseholes 😂 Or all of the above!
It’s a business. It’s not personal. You may have to reinvent yourself as a writer if one thing doesn’t work. I’ve seen lots of people do this successfully.
Honestly? That most published books sell a tiny number of copies, that there are too many books published, both trad and indie, that few people read much nowadays, and that quality is often sacrificed in favour of 'the hook.'
Novellas are a dirty secret in publishing. They exist, people read them, but a lot of publishers don’t like them and don’t publish them, but they don’t tell anyone this (no, not even in the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook) and you have to go through the humiliation of finding out through submission.
Agree with what's already said here about running a business: even with an agent, large publishing houses in two territories & smaller ones elsewhere, too much of my time has to go into marketing! Also NB warehousing/distribution, one of costliest elements of publishing, is shouldered by trad pubs.
re marketing, yes, I still do my own newsletter for eg (which counts as marketing for some reason I've never fully understood even tho it's not a paid for activity) and a lot of PR in terms of events and socials (tho I don't think the latter is that effective).
I don't think many newcomers realise how much time/money a writer is expected put into marketing. Or that, in a marketplace where commissioning eds consider SM visibility (in some cases, start there!), it's about algorithmic boost as well as seeking readership/sales. (I'm in the business 50 yrs.📚)
Time spent on marketing takes time away from writing words that sell for money. Promotional travel costs mount up, and very few authors get all expenses paid deals from publishers. It's instructive to do an annual audit of such outgoings, set it against income and work out your pay per hour.🙂📚
Full disclosure: we are a company, and we're not trying to be sleazy sliding into the comments like this, but it's worth noting there are platforms which handle the logistics and circumvent the need for warehousing by printing on demand. Not for everyone, perhaps, but it is an option.
As a bookdragon (like a bookworm but more dangerous), I am cautious about P-O-D. I am sure good results are possible, I just haven't seen them yet, and I have seen the lead good side.
You're more than welcome. Best of luck with your writing. (Worth adding here that my first and last piece of advice to writers has always been #JoinAUnion. More important now than ever.)
YES! I recently rejoined the SoA. They did some bad stuff but after discussion with various others it feels like the best thing to do is rejoin and reform rather than just whistle in the cold!
I got two books in hardback and paperback with a fabulous cover, a really amazing editor, a professionally narrated audio, an ebook, some of a publicist's time, review copies, some free and some cheap copies for myself UK and US, ***and they paid me***
As this is getting some love, I am not dissing self-publishing, which I am considering for at least one project, nor saying trad doesn't have major systemic problems. Some My editor loved my latest but said she couldn't convince the bean counters to publish it.
Exactly that. Also, whilst it can be hard to make a living as an author, I've still yet to meet anyone who does it by self-publishing. Not saying it's impossible, just that I've never met anyone who has succeeded - after 40 years as a writer.
Well, there are people who do, usually who write two series, get out books quickly, cross-promote, and offer workshops on how to make self publishing a success. Much of which is beyond me.
That last, emphasised, point - surely still something like the traditional 6%/pbk 12%/hbk - so while they pay you, it's a thin slice, correct? Or is that impression I have out of date?
Thank you for replying anyway, I'm very grateful for you sharing your experience!
Well, for the big companies they pay an advance, most writers never see additional money because they don't sell enough books to move into royalties per book. I sold fewer books than my royalty would have been, and I kept the money, so that's not a thin slice. And give several k in services.
The self pub get higher % but it is a lot more work and expense to be in a position to sell books at all. You do get creative freedom, more rapid text to market, more control, etc. also oddities like, series work better now in self than trad, since the trad publishers have got risk averse
I don't know in general but my reasons for not self publishing are I just want to write books, not run a business (having been in publishing doing the business side and realising it's not for me in the end)
My impression FWIW (debut coming out soon so I'm brand new) is that it's hard to market and sell your books for everyone, but even harder for self-pub.
People know that self-pub quality goes from 0 to 100. There are many bad books trad-published but the floor is still higher.
I'll take information from anywhere! (Guesswork I could do for myself, but you're definitely further along than I am...)
And again, as to the others who have replied, thank you sincerely. I didn't expect more than one answer, for which I would already have been very grateful. Such kindness!
As someone who has had books published with small presses, big trad press, digital first AND self-published I would say SP is the hardest. If you focus on it 100% you can reap some amazing returns, but it's not easy (or cheap) to do well. And my ego likes to be in bookshops and in the press.
I also wouldn't have had my books published in other countries/languages or optioned for TV had I self-published them. I know SP authors who make 30k A MONTH...but I know many many more who make nothing. It depends what you want from your writing.
I'm pretty sure I won't be in the 30K a month category! I'm not going to be writing - by choice, before discovering I have some kind of commercial ability - self-help books or how to win with Blockchain, or anything like that. I'm inclined towards Fantasy and SF.
Thank you for replying, very kind.
Every book you write will make you a better writer, so don't overthink it. I often look at famous people and how they started out, and remind myself that everyone simply remembers your last piece of work. I mean, look at Ben Affleck's directorial debut lol
You sound like you might be able to answer two additional follow up questions that buzz around in my head.
(I hope I don't overuse your kindness!)
1) If you self-publish first, does that put traditional publishers off?
2) same question, but specifically about digital first.
1) Nope
2) Nope
But in both cases, you're more likely to be picked up by trad if you have big sales numbers and a big following. Which is ironic as it means you have to do the hard work first. So those who are successful at SP make so much money trad has to promise them something beyond high sales.
None of the above matters if you approach trad with a brand new genre and pen name and you are marketed as a debut. Which is what I did when I moved from fantasy to thrillers. Then your previous books are simply great practice, you understand the game better, and some readers may even follow.
I've done both and I've got to say, while the industry has its issues, publishers earn their keep. If self-publishing teaches you anything it's how little of the job of producing a book is the actual writing of it, and it's good to have a team on that rather than One Guy.
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Also, you can't trust recommendations from other aspiring writers, bc so many will recommend someone who made them FEEL good about their writing.
I once spent 6000 Skr (like 700 USD) on a "content editor" I later realized was worthless, but good at making clients feel good. (1/2)
For someone worse off economically, the sunk cost fallacy will exert an even STRONGER pull on them. So for that reason too, they might think "well worth the money" and recommend this person to others. (2/2)
Where I work (academic publishing), we have authors we don't know the gender of.
To save more (hello) from when advances were larger.
To set proper boundaries for my work hours instead of working myself silly and being taken for granted.
16 years into my publishing career, I’m finally learning to do all this! 🤷🏻♀️
Buy stock in Google.
Writing/publishing advice? Start writing my own characters sooner while I still had a day job to support such spec work, rather than sticking with temporarily lucrative tie-ins.
Than I'd have a much longer backlist to exploit now.
2. The production process is surprisingly long.
3. Very few authors make a living just from books so they need other income streams.
4. Read your contracts and ask for changes.
5. Ask for someone else to get paid to do the index!
+ Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work covers this - but more about building community, sharing your learning, & finding who you learn from
Adding @louiestowell.bsky.social
Can take years, to build a platform.
Read loads of children’s books, from the past and present. Don’t need to purchase if cost is an issue, use Libraires , second hand, etc.
An Indy, supported my book launch last year.
Every year I host a free webinar for emerging authors, sharing, sign posting and connecting.
https://bsky.app/profile/laurahallain.bsky.social/post/3lh7r6ug3gs2x
Do it now.
Don't worry about 'But if I submit my MS now it'll be 2 years before I'm published, and by then I'll be 60!'
Because how old will you be in 2 years if you DON'T submit your MS?
You can actually stand up for your own work.
Walking away from a deal - even if it’s the only one you’re ever offered - is better than taking a bad one.
If the marketing seems off to you, it is.
My dream was (and to a lesser extent these days still is) to have a book published.
I’ve found other, more sustainable ways to be creative & earn a living while probing the edges of the publishing world.
It doesn’t seem very sustainable or transparent in any way. 🤔
I ran out of space there, but I guess by ‘transparent’, I mean the hoops & the loops to even get started are many &… quite gated?
There’s a LOT. And not all of it seems entirely necessary. 😂
I don't really care what goes around the publishing.
Interestingly in classes (writing for children), there was a huge stress in knowing your brand and standing out there.
Strikes me we may need to do both - have a brand to get in the game and be able to diversify later.
I’m at the start, so 🤷♀️
I am definitely open to persuasion!
I was a little hesitant to ask the question, being in awe of published authors. I'm glad I did now!
Selfpub is viable but no walk in the park.
Thank you for replying anyway, I'm very grateful for you sharing your experience!
People know that self-pub quality goes from 0 to 100. There are many bad books trad-published but the floor is still higher.
And again, as to the others who have replied, thank you sincerely. I didn't expect more than one answer, for which I would already have been very grateful. Such kindness!
Thank you for replying, very kind.
(I hope I don't overuse your kindness!)
1) If you self-publish first, does that put traditional publishers off?
2) same question, but specifically about digital first.
2) Nope
But in both cases, you're more likely to be picked up by trad if you have big sales numbers and a big following. Which is ironic as it means you have to do the hard work first. So those who are successful at SP make so much money trad has to promise them something beyond high sales.
None of the above matters if you approach trad with a brand new genre and pen name and you are marketed as a debut. Which is what I did when I moved from fantasy to thrillers. Then your previous books are simply great practice, you understand the game better, and some readers may even follow.