Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Even a few years ago, such a thing as forgiveness existed in publishing. If an author missed a few deadlines, or a series’ trajectory wasn’t upward, the publisher looked the other way and then turned around and offered a new contract. Publishers understood that a writing career doesn’t always move forward at a regular pace but sometimes stops and starts as the author figures out how to consistently write good manuscripts and juggle marketing and publicity simultaneously.
But today, don’t even think about making a misstep. The likely outcome is that publishing with that house will end, or maybe even your career. I’m not being medodramatic; I’m just observing the realities of publishing today.
What does that mean for an author?
- You can’t play around with a variety of genres because more than one interests you. Once you have a foothold via one or more contracts, you need to consistently write for the same audience and build your reader base. No diversions can be allowed; it’s just too tough to make it even when everything is going for you.
- If you turn in a manuscript that was dashed off in the last two weeks before the due date, your days as a published author likely are numbered. Standing right behind you is another writer who is willing to work harder and more effectively than you.
- Not sure you want to write for the general market or the Christian market? Decide today whom you will serve. I don’t mean that in a sacrilegious way; I mean you really can’t serve two divergent audiences that do not want to blend together. They’re the proverbial oil and vinegar. A separate website, different tweets and Facebook entries, separate e-newsletters, even signings–all need to be segregated. How, with so many demands on today’s author, does one successfully negotiate attending to two audiences?
- Not taking your publishing relationship for granted. It’s easy to think the grass is greener over yonder. But, if your publisher is maintaining the size of your advance, it means you’re in a good place. With shrinking store shelves to sell your book from and ever-increasing pressures on traditional publishers (including Amazon being able to set the price a book sells for), advances are tending down, not up. So if you’re maintaining, you’re in a good place. If your advances are increasing, you’re in a stupendous place. Don’t decide that because a publishing house flirts with you and suggests a change would do you the world of good that such really is the case. If your publisher appreciates you, appreciate your publisher right back.
- Choosing not to write a contracted manuscript. Think that’s a ridiculous misstep that no one would make? Earlier this year Penguin decided it would not let authors take advance money but never produce a book. So the publisher sued such authors. Some of the advances were upper five figures, many were mid-five figures, but a few were $10,000 and $20,000. If one added up the amount of money paid out from the authors Penguin sued, the sum is more than a million dollars. Penguin isn’t the biggest publisher (or wasn’t when it filed suit, but now it has made a deal to join forces with Random House). Imagine how much money a Random House and a Simon & Schuster has on its accounting books but doesn’t have the manuscript it paid for. And imagine what that choice would mean to an author’s reputation.
- Avoiding an inflated view of what size of advance your manuscript warrants. Recently I talked to an author whose first several books sold from 3,000-5,000 copies. She told me that she would reject any offer that didn’t include an advance of $25,000 or more. Wait. Publishers generally set the advance based on the number of copies they believe they can sell in the first year. If a book sells 3,000 copies in its lifetime, an advance of $5,000 is much more realistic.
Lest this list strikes you as depressing, let me say that publishers are eager–yes, eager–to connect with authors who work hard, meet deadlines, write great manuscripts, stay focused, and appreciate what the publisher brings to the table. When you think about it, isn’t that true for any relationship? Go back over the points I’ve made and ask yourself how that translates to relating to a spouse or good friend. Aren’t these just sensible guidelines? If not, please set me straight.
Good morning, Janet.
While I find this post somewhat sobering, it’s an important reality check for the writer.
Many years ago at an Urbana missions conference, the speaker was discussing the 3 kinds of missionaries. 1) The supporter. That person loved missions, but was unable to go. Hence, she sent finances and prayers and letters of encouragement.
2) The Adventurer. That person loved to dip her toes in the mission field and go on trips that were short term and more geared toward people who had a call and desire to serve, but not 100% of the time.
3) The Explorer. That person intended to leave her world behind and walk toward full time, total immersion and live with the people with whom God had filled her heart.
I’m a #2 missionary, and I am fine with that.
But I am not a #2 writer. I will not dip my toes in the pool. I’m going full blast into the pounding surf.
When you think about these guidelines in terms of any other business, what employer wants less than the best?
Anyone who thinks they can coast into a 5 book deal is delusional. Work hard. Get worn out. shake the dust off and work harder.
If my name is going to be on something, I certainly won’t send in “good enough”.
That may work at 6am hockey practice (this morning…) but not with careers.
Jennifer, I love your spirit. And it’s true that no employer hires someone to perform half-heartedly. Now that’s an interesting word, isn’t it, “half-heartedly.”
When I fail to work to my potential my husband accusses me of using half of a different body part!
Agreed. Jen you are great! You always make me smile!
Great examples, Jennifer! 🙂 I want to be “The Explorer” in my writing life too!
Completely sensible 🙂
I agree with Jennifer–your words are sobering, but they’re also right on, in my opinion. If/When a publisher contracts with me for a manuscript, submitting my best seems like a reasonable expectation on their part. Your guidelines are good points to keep in mind for writers at every stage of the journey.
It’ll definitely be “When,” Jeanne. 🙂
Aw, Lindsay, love your encouraging spirit!
WHEN.
What a nice dose of reality to start my day. I prefer straight advice over sugar-coated dreams any time.
I especially appreciate your first point. For too long I’ve tried to bypass the advice that novelists should forget about fiddling around with a variety of genres. This is because short stories were my training ground, and with short stories submitted to various publications you can still get away with multiple genres. But books? The demands of multiple genres are too huge. Thanks to you and a couple other agents, I’m resolving to limit myself to the YA audience I began with. (Besides, authors who pen great YA stories automatically gain older and younger readers.) Thanks, Janet!
Rick, it’s true that nowadays to write YA is to potentially appeal to a pretty broad range of readers. Right now I’m reading The Book Thief, a YA novel.
Janet, did you fall in love with the Book Thief yet? 🙂
I’m liking The Book Thief more than I did for the first half of the book. But it’s been slow to win my heart.
As a fan of “Gunner’s Run”, I’m excited to hear that! You’re right about YA gaining older and younger readers. My entire family enjoyed “Gunner’s Run”.
My son loves Gunner’s Run and Kiriath’s Quest. IIRC these two books were two of the many reasons he loves books and reading and writing. Thank you for writing them!
As I read this post, I thought of an author I met who told me she received a $10,000 grant to write a book, then didn’t have time to write it for several years. I couldn’t imagine the grantor not getting upset over that.
While I feel this news points to an industry that is dealing with challenges, I can’t say I found any of it surprising.
Thanks for sharing.
Imagine all the writers who would have benefitted from that $10,000 grant. Sigh.
I have come back tot his comment several times, just to make sure I read it right.
$10,000???
Holy fully roasted cow!!
She “didn’t have time”??
That’s basically theft, isn’t it?
Oh my word, that is a huge amount of money (even for me, that’s just the grocery bill;))
If someone dropped 10K in my hands, my husband would lock me in the tower and not let me out til I was done!!
Janet, your blog seems to say that staying published is harder than getting published. Would that be right? I’d love to see your advice on how to stay published, because I’m with Jennifer. I want to make a career out of this.
I still think it’s harder to get published than to stay published, but continuing a writing career is much harder than in the past. The best ways to stay published: meet your deadlines, turn in a better manuscript each time, work hard to partner with your publisher, and know when it’s time to find a new publisher (hopefully you’ll have an agent to help you to make that determination).
Thanks, Janet.
Working hard, meeting deadlines, appreciating others should be a given when working with a Christian. I agree completely that should be status quo for a working writer.
At first I was more than a little concerned with your first line. I mean, a relationship without understanding and forgiveness is impossible at worst and unpleasant at best. But then I reread your list and thought about it as a wife. And, although I tend to think of a misstep as forgetting to take out the garbage, you’re right, Janet.
What if my husband played around with a variety of “genres” because he was interested in more than one? Hmmm…..
Negotiating two audiences sounds a lot like bigamy.
If my husband takes me for granted, well, all we wives know how that feels. (Lest I sound like I’m husband-bashing, we wives do it too in the busyness of life.)
And finally, I’m blessed to live with a husband who does not have an “inflated view” of himself. Pride can ruin any relationship.
Thanks, Janet. Now back to working hard.
Meghan, I’m glad that applying these points to the marriage relationship helped you to see how these behaviors are nonstarters. The publisher and author bring some loyalty to the relationship although it isn’t likely to be long-term just because of the pressures publishing is under nowadays.
Meghan, what an interesting analogy!
I have girlfriends in realtionships who think a little flirting is harmless so long as it “doesn’t mean anything.” I’ve seen the damage harmless flirting can do. These sound like good guidelines for life!
I agree completely. As with any career, writing requires hard work and reliability. If you don’t do your work or don’t show up to your day job, you’ll get fired. Same goes here.
Reliability is a good job descriptor, Lindsay. Why do authors think it isn’t important? That stymies me except to say the publishing working relationship doesn’t feel like employer-employee, but many of the same principles apply.
I started learning about publishing way back in 1997 when I bought a book about how to publish a romance novel. It was a terrific book, full of advice from authors and publishers. I learned so much from it!
However, I had no idea how many people were actively trying to get published until five years ago when I started reading blogs. With any job, talent is rarely enough, so I constantly work hard to improve my writing. I’m not alone. Most writers I know strive to get better.
My point? Exactly what you said–for every missed deadline, hastily written book, or unrealistic expectation on the part of a published author, there’s a slew of hard-working aspiring writers happy and prepared to fill their slot.
It’s always a surprise to me when I encounter a published author who somehow feels entitled to continue being published–and paid a bigger advance for every book. Those folks obviously aren’t reading blogs about the industry.
I once had someone tell me she was thinking of writing “a little coffee table book.” In the cover letter she was thinking about sending with the completed manuscript, she asked if it was okay to include an ultimatum. I had to gently answer, “No, it’s probably not in your best interest to tell the publisher that you expect it published within six months.”
Loved your post! Thank you, Janet, for not sugar-coating how things really are.
Oh, yeah, the unrealistic expectation to have a published book in a month or so. Some folks just need to self-publish; any disappointment can then be borne by them alone.
Janet, enjoyed your writing and pretty much agree with all of it. The only thing I’ve found to be different is not writing for different genres. I’ve had 24 books published, and they range from devotional (tween, women’s writers’, S.S. teachers, etc.) to how-to (religious and secular), self-help, cookbooks, biographies, self-help, and anthologies(edited). Granted, I don’t have an agent–and maybe that’s why, because I don’t have a following in any one genre. But I enjoy working in all genres. My non-book publications include short stories, nonfiction, and puzzles.
I like a few different genres too, but I think you nailed it when you said you don’t have a following in any one of your genres. I decided after reading this blog for awhile that I needed to pick a genre and stick to it if I want a chance at a writing career. I think if you’re not interested in a career, than anything goes.
Jenny, I think you’re right. If you want to write what you’re most interested at the moment, then recognize that trying to appeal to a different audience with every book is a meandering path. It makes it extremely difficult to develop a following in any of the genres.
This is interesting, and though delivered on a serious note, very important. Publishing is a business and both sides, especially authors, need to make sure they’re staying professional. Thanks for this post, Janet!
This is one of the best posts I’ve read in the years I’ve been reading Books and Such blog. I was surprised that more than a few authors who’ve received an advance don’t complete their manuscripts. Maybe I’m surprised because it sounds to me like stopping right before the finish line of a marathon. Crazy! Your third point is what caught my attention because I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to speak to both Christians and non-Christians. My book, along with my website is geared toward anyone with addiction or is touched by addiction. In non-Christian twelve step groups, there are both Christians and non-Christians. It works because we talk about our own experiences rather than tell someone else what they should do and no do. My book is about my own experience and includes God and Bible verses, but it also includes my doubts about God, my anger toward God, and my confusion about why things happen. I’m hoping to reach both Christians and non-Christians, but your post is making me think I need some professional advice, because I’m pretty sure you know more than I do about publishing and audiences. (smile) It’s a very tough issue for me right now. Thanks for the post.
Jenny, you can write for both the Christian and nonChristian, but the way you talk about God needs to be accessible to the non-believer. That generally means a “gentler” way of discussing issues rather than a straightforward, what could be thought of as in-your-face route. It’s a pretty tricky wire to walk. Plus, general market publishers tend not to be comfortable with a forthrightly Christian approach, but that’s the way Christian publishers want the book to be written. I think you really do need to decide which audience is your main readership and write for that audience only. Some from the secondary audience will join in, but nothing dilutes a message more than trying to communicate with two audiences.
Thanks for your advice. It blows me away that you take the time to read and answer questions on these comments. Thanks you.
This is more than just good advice in publishing, it’s good advice in life. And it’s biblical. The bible tells us to do whatever we do with all our hearts, to do it as unto the Lord. As believers, these concepts should be a given.
Thanks for this advice, Janet. I believe all of us, multipublished or not, need to put in a lot of hard work. Our publishers deserve our full effort…and God does too.
Great information for me to pass on.
Tricia
This post was so helpful! As someone who has not yet entered the publishing scene, it has been invaluable to get an inside glimpse into the do’s and don’ts of the world of book creation!
I especially appreciated your point on which audience to focus on. Even though, for example, my heart is to write for Christian readers, I find there is alot of pressure to generalise my message to avoid “offending” non-Christians.
Your post has truly been a blessing!
For the past decade, books written solely for a Christian audience have ended up on the New York Times best-seller list–obviously being read by multiple nonChristians. I think it’s a tribute to the power of the message and should encourage every Christian to write from his/her passion, which just so happens to be our faith.
This IS encouraging!
As others have said, your advice is sobering but much appreciated!
I hope you all aren’t discouraged by the blog post; that wasn’t my reason for writing it. I just want to give a glimpse into a side of publishing that not everyone is aware of. Knowledge is power!
I’m not sensing discouragement here, Janet, but gratitude.
I think the overall message is this : here lays the battleground, these are the mountains over which you must climb to attain the goal and these are the weapons with which you fight. Of your unit? Some will fall, some will retreat with wounds, some will fail, but not for lack of trying. And some will betray you to the enemy. But what ever you do, press forward, follow your calling, aim high, fight hard and be loyal to the truth.
Anyone can write.
But not everyone can tell a story.
Janet, I think the way most of us are taking it is as an inside peek of the reality of writing. There are many writers out there who want to be published but who don’t realize exactly what that means. Posts like these are sobering but so needed. Thanks for sharing it.
Jennifer and Sally, thanks for the feedback. I’m glad it’s helpful.
. . . .rules such as these . . . follow I will, but they can never take the fun out of writing.
And what would be our purpose for writing if we didn’t find it fun? Sure it’s hard work, but it has to be fun as well because it’s a way of using your talent.
A talent transforms into a strength when we work out consistently.
Sound advice. When I worked for a publisher (art dept.), we had a talented freelance designer who was recreating some of our curriculum. We loved his ideas. They were fresh and unique, but he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) hit a deadline to save his life. After repeat warnings and printing schedules which were in shambles, we dropped him. Talent doesn’t make up for a lack of professionalism, and it applies to writers just as much.
It’s all about your content, not your intent.
Beth, and delivering great content on time, right?
On time is so important. I was near the end of the process, and while it’s nice to be able to get something out quickly and save the deadline, it’s easier for everyone to do good work when they’re not rushed.
Excellent post, thank you Janet. It is important for aspiring and pubished authors to understand that publishing is a business. In order to survive and thrive, all businesses must operate efficiently and effectively. Authors are like contract employees, and only those who perform well, give it their best are successful.
Call me naive, but I’m shocked to hear that authors would decide not to write a book after they’ve received a contract and accepted an advance. Did I read that correctly? If you sign a contract, aren’t you morally and legally obligated to fulfill that contract?
Karen, yes, you are morally and legally obligated. But sometimes a “better” contract comes along, and it’s hard to keep your word, fulfilling the first obligation you took on. Or maybe the manuscript proved to be harder to write than the writer envisioned, and his or her spirit lagged. Whatever the reasons, every publisher has outstanding advances that never result in a completed manuscript. Paying out the first part of the advance “just” for signing a contract is a risky business for publishers.
Like many others commenting today, I was amazed that a major publisher would have so many advances paid out for which books were never delivered that they would, in the end, decide to sue for the money. I can’t imagine promising a book and not ever delivering on that promise. Had no idea such things ever happened…and apparently they happen a lot. Wow. One more unique thing about this industry, which I already considered unique. Just … wow.
Stephanie, knowing that writers don’t always keep their word and turn in a manuscript helps to understand the industry from the publisher’s POV, doesn’t it?
Yes, these are sensible guidelines. It seems strange that anyone would question them. But then again, I’m not published, so have yet to join the ranks of the author-divas.
I’m glad I have a kind of tunnel vision when writing. I always have a particular audience in mind, one genre that interests me, and am not distracted by too many shiny objects on the ground. Thanks for a wonderfully practical post.
Avoiding shiny objects is a very idea for writers.
Thanks so much Janet! As someone who has just gotten her first contract, this is information I definitely appreciate hearing so I can make sure not to make any of those mistakes. Thanks for sharing your insight! =)
Congratulations, Sarah. I hope you’ve taken some time to celebrate.
Is there any benefit to an author if she did not require an advance? If you’ve been “going to work” (writing) without a “paycheck” (advance) before being published, what does it matter if you finish the project without an advance?
Shauna, the advantages of taking an advance are: 1) the publisher is making an investment in the book and therefore won’t casually cancel the contract because that would result in the author most likely being able to retain the portion of the advance paid on the signing of the contract; 2) the publisher has “skin in the game” with an advance and has set the goal of selling enough books in the first year for the advance to be earned back; 3) when the writer wants to miss the deadline, stop writing out of fear the manuscript isn’t any good, or other sundry reasons for not fulfilling the contract, the advance looms as a payment taken that would need to be paid back; 4) the advance can be used for a babysitter, dogsitter, spouse-sitter, restaurants, etc., as you work toward your deadline–or as an author’s marketing budget for when the book releases. I think those advantages are to the benefit of everyone involved.
This is a great post. I love how you “tell like it is”, Janet.
You’re welcome, Charise.
Thanks for the post, Janet. What do we do if we’re published in two genres? How do we choose which one to pursue? My problem is that I love them both equally–like my children. They are different from each other, but pull at my heart just the same.
Sherry, I would follow the precept that one should go in the direction where God seems to be most at work. Our job is to come alongside him. Which of the two genres seems to generate the most response from readers? Which seems to touch the most hearts? If neither is rising to the surface in an obvious way, maybe, just maybe, you need to stay in two genres until one obviously is the area God has placed his hand on. Talking to your agent is also a good thing. 🙂
Janet, your response to Sherry was just what I needed to hear. My first manuscript was contemporary inspirational fiction. My second is historical inspirational–which is really my passion. Glad to know there is hope in writing in two genres. Thanks for the great post–as usual.
There once was a hen that was so angry about the amount of feed she got that she refused to produce eggs. She was delicious.
Well said.
Brilliant.
P.J.—chuckling! 🙂
Janet–a genre question: if you write historical romance, can it span several decades or one or two centuries? Or should it stick to a more specific time period such as late 1800’s?
Anne, a historical certainly can span eras. It would be classified as an “epic.” Just think of the ultimate epic writer, James Michener.