Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office, CA
Weather: Partly sunny and 81º
Yesterday I addressed several ways to potentially jumpstart your stalled writing career. Sometimes, however, a jumpstart simply will not turn the engine over and get things moving. What’s a writer to do?
Let me give you three strategies to keep you writing while you build name recognition.
- We will often suggest to a stalled stand-alone novelist that she write category romances for a time. The best-known publishers of romance have a business model that works. While other houses are pulling back, many of the category romance publishers are vigorously growing their lines. They know how to reach the readers and they know how to deliver the story the reader wants. What does this do for the author? It builds the author’s name and grows her following. A little caveat here: I’ve seen writers turn up their noses at romance, mocking the genre. If that’s you, you need not apply. The truth is, it’s not easy to get into these houses, the writing and storytelling have to be excellent and appropriate to the genre. The editing is tough, but if you make it, the opportunities can be steadier than with most publishers. Interestingly, authors who have “come up through the ranks” of romance writing are often some of the most professional writers. If you take a look at the bestseller lists you’ll find many of those authors learned the craft by writing category romance.
- Another strategy is to work as a hired pen for a time– especially in nonfiction. You can ghostwrite, collaborate, or even write marketing copy. Publishers are always looking for skilled writers who can come alongside someone, whether a celebrity or not, and help them tell their compelling story. What’s in it for the author? First of all, it’s a paying job. Plus it’s a great opportunity to network. You’ll get to know fascinating people and, if you do a good job, you’ll be a hero at the publishing house. It can help you continue to write while you build your base.
- Or, if you want a second chance but your sales numbers have scuttled your career, you can reinvent yourself. This is something you’d want to discuss at length with your agent but if all else fails, you can create a pen name– a nom de plume— and start all over. Mark Twain (real name: Samuel L. Clemens) and Alice in Wonderland’s Lewis Carroll (real name: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) both wrote under pseudonyms. It’s harder for nonfiction where you may already have a platform and be known in your field, but it can be done. If you decide to use this strategy, use everything you learned from your first experience to build a cohesive persona/brand. Spend the time to coordinate website, message and marketing.
Of course, all of these strategies assume that you are an excellent writer and that your unfortunate sales history was a result of market realities. If your writing is the culprit, however, use the break to work on the craft itself. We say it over and over but a stunning book can rise from obscurity with word-of-mouth.
So now it’s your turn to talk to me. Does any of this make you feel uncomfortable? Is it dishonest to write under a nom de plume? If you put aside your own writing dreams for a time and co-write, is it somehow too commercial? What do you think?
I use a pen name and in some ways it’s a pain. I’m never sure how to present myself when I apply to things. For my residency applications I have to use my real name, for submissions I use my real name with (writing as Dawn Maria) next to it. (Any tips for an emerging writer using a pen name would be appreciated!)
The reason I’ve done this is that writing has been my childhood dream and I feel strongly that the name on the byline should represent me and only me. I share my last name with my family and I don’t relate to my maiden name anymore. The pen name is who I am as a writer and I like that. Also, it gives my personal life a wee bit of distance from my professional life.
I’m not a Romance reader, so I doubt I could tackle writing one, but I have to say RWA is the biggest supporter of writers out there. I will probably be joining the organization because they have a Chick Lit group and I want to be part of that and benefit from the support it offers.
The novel writing class series I took in my Creative Writing program was taught by a Romance writer. I learned better plotting and structure strategies from her than from my more literary classes. As writers, we have to be open to learning from anyone and everyone who is willing to share their knowledge with us. At the end of the day, good writing isn’t about genre, it’s about good writing.
Interesting post, Wendy. I think some of your strategies can apply to nonfiction writers as well.
I write nonfiction and hope to eventually work with an agent and get a book contract, but in the meantime I don’t turn down paying work. So I write devotions for Cook Publishing’s Quiet Hour and also for an online magazine, etc., using the opportunities to sharpen my skills and, as you pointed out, to network.
Regarding a pen name, at a recent writer’s conference a husband and wife writing team were using one pen name…they had even started a blog under the pen name. I couldn’t help but wonder if any potential readers would feel duped, particularly where the blog is concerned. To me that smacked of dishonesty, but that’s just my humble opinion.
How would a writer find the opportunities to “write for hire”? Especially opportunities big enough to make a difference?
Not that I’m looking to revive a career! I’m still in the getting started stage.
Great information!
I’m one of those authors who had to reinvent herself. After three stand-alone thrillers that were published in the late nineties as PBOs, my publisher bought up another paperback fiction line and dropped a lot of their existing PBO authors, me included. It left my third book orphaned and the sales reflected that. I went from being able to sell a book on a synopsis to having to complete a ms.
I wrote, but by the time I finished a fourth book (which has never sold) my agent got frustrated by the business and decided to retire. That left me publisher-less and agentless. But it also gave me the opportunity to take my writing in a different direction and I did that, penning a humorous, cozy mystery that was just begging to be written. I then shopped it around. I did find an agent with it, but after two + years of not much happening, we parted ways.
Because I so loved the mystery (which was intended to be the first in a series) I decided to self-publish it. The sales, as expected, were mediocre — around 600 copies — and my previous publishing experience did little to help the new book move. I eventually withdrew it and wrote another thriller during that time. I queried with that novel some 50+ times and then gave up on it.
Finally I decided to dust off the cozy and try it again. And this time I had success. I found a new agent, who sold it as part of a 3-book, hard-soft deal. It is coming out under a pseudonym and will hit the stores in late August. Book #2 is written and awaiting editorial approval.
I’m pretty excited about it. It’s been seven years since I first wrote the book and I’m glad my faith in it (and myself) is finally being realized. But I’m also a bit jaded due to my history so I’m now experimenting with some new stuff in the YA genre.
I’d love to have another thriller come out under my real name, but if that never happens I’m okay with it. And my current publisher doesn’t care if my real identity becomes known. As long as I can keep writing, I’ll take on as many names and genres as I need to.
Thank you for sharing your story Beth. This is the kind of information and honesty emerging writers like me can’t get from Writer’s Digest.
I’d like to echo Teri’s question. While I’ve been able to sell articles and have found the occasional ghostwriting or editing project, how do you suggest getting more involved in these endeavors?
Isn’t it true that an author shouldn’t hop genres? It seems I’ve read here that when an author says she can write many kinds of genres well, publishers/agents shy away from that. Basically, an author should stick with what she started out with. Now I’m confused.
I’ve written two books in a trilogy. The first book has gone to a third printing and has sold over 5,000. The second book has been out a little over a year and has excellent reviews. Royalties are negligible even though marketing is tireless.
On the other hand, I just landed a freelance spot with David C Cook and I suspect that earnings there will far outstrip that of my books. It always amazes me that my 15 line poem sold to two periodicals and earned $110, which was more than my 70,000 word book earned that year. Can’t I get name recognition by writing for periodicals or Sunday school publications? I love writing for kids–Vacation Bible School curriculum would be so fun to write.
I’ve been wondering about the sales force who shows our books to bookstores. This part of bookselling seems cloaked in mystery to me, but I’m sure not to you. How can we get these people on our team? How do we even reach them?