Truths about Publishing You Can Only Learn in the Trenches
By Heather Webb | January 24, 2019 |
I’ve worked like a dog the last two weeks on EPIC copy edits so today, I’m running short on inspired creative thinking and tall on advice. It’s January, after all, and isn’t that when we’d all like a little advice, a little pep in our step to help us take on the new year? I know I do, so here we are with some of the most important things I’ve learned as a published writer (regardless of the publishing path you choose to take). WARNING: some of it isn’t pretty.
Professional Behavior is Paramount
Though professional behavior should go without saying in your field of work–in this case, publishing–you’d be surprised just how damned infrequent it is. It’s important to remember, people perceive who you are as a person as well as who you are as a writer by your behavior. Like it or not, them’s the breaks. Here are a few tips:
- Make your deadlines. When a production schedule must be adjusted, it affects many other projects in the publishing line up, and it really ticks the publisher off (as well as other authors whose release dates are being juggled like lemons and sometimes dropped because of you). If you absolutely cannot make the date because something has happened in your personal life, give your agent plenty of notice so she/he can request more time from your editor. They will be a lot more flexible the more up front you are, and as always, the sooner the better.
- Reply to important emails and other requests. If you’re a freelancer of some sort or replying to booksellers, book clubs, or other events (also to other writers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), a week is a reasonable amount of time to reply to emails. Inversely, this means, you should hold your horses and allow up to a week for people to respond to your messages. There’s nothing more irritating than having someone send another email when it’s been only two or three days, or worse, bombard you from multiple social media platforms. Gah! It’s true that we’ve all grown very impatient these days with our cell phones and instant gratification, but we aren’t robots with unlimited time. Respect both your personal workday hours as well as those of others. Boundaries are what keep us sane in a difficult business that often feels very intrusive and also like a rat race.
- If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all. Do not bash your fellow writers, don’t give them poor book reviews, and do not show your envy of their successes—in public. Recently, I’ve seen a handful of Twitter shitstorms from very big authors and it blew my mind. How would they have felt if the tables were turned on them? Sure, we’re all human and need to blow off steam sometimes, but that’s what your critique partners and writer friends are for, to help you wade through the negative feelings that crop up from time to time and to keep you grounded and focused on what matters—the writing.
- Always respond to blurb or event requests with grace. Ignoring them is not an option. You would be surprised how often this happens, EVEN FROM FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES. Seriously, I’ve been there a few times, and when you’re hopeful and waiting on them and they don’t reply, it’s not fun. Even worse, is when an author you admire makes some rude comment. Don’t be that person. We all have long memories when it comes to a slight, or what feels like one. If you don’t think the work is for you or you are simply too busy to spend the time on it, tell them you’d like to help but simply can’t this time around and wish them luck. Simple, short, polite. Always respond.
Writing what you want versus writing what will sell
Most writers have at least one idea—well, let’s be honest, we likely have many ideas—that aren’t all that viable for the marketplace for a variety of reasons. The reality is, a working writer who becomes a part of the “publishing machine” very often must limit their scope to the brand they are establishing. Narrowing our scope isn’t something we like to do as creatives, but it’s an essential part of reaching your developing fan base. This is what publishers are concerned with. If we reach our fan base with a reliable brand, we all make money. If you want to go outside of that brand and you’re anything less than bestselling, opt for a pen name.
The other thing worth mentioning is that publishers have loads of data at their disposal and usually can gauge how well a particular topic will sell, at least within a reasonable guesstimate. When they believe they have a product (I know, cringe, but yes, books are products) that can sell quite well, they put all of their marketing power behind it. This, however, is becoming rarer by the minute, these days. Which leads me to my next topic.
Stomaching the realities of Marketing & Publicity
Budgets are being slashed across the board. It’s a sad fact, but it is what it is and the sooner the writer understands this, the sooner they can adjust and find creative ways to make the most of their platforms and their budgets. A few words of wisdom:
- High Turn-over Rates: In publishing, there is an enormously high turn-over rate, in particular in the areas of publicity and marketing. It’s a difficult and demanding job and can often prove to be unrewarding. They’re harassed by constant emails and phone calls, and have a tremendous amount of work for editors, agents, and authors to juggle. Because there’s a high turn-over rate, it may also mean you’ll get a brand new publicist who doesn’t have a lot experience or connections assigned to your book. This can be quite disheartening. Your best bet is to split the work with your publicist and try to be as flexible as possible. Also, be a polite pit bull. Persistence and follow up are key, but keep it brief and professional—and don’t overdo it. Do your best to keep your emotions out of things. That never helps.
- Set Aside Money in Advance: You have to spend money to make money. This is the most basic marketing manifesto. It’s also the truest. If you aren’t willing to shell out some dough to give your book a push, chances are it won’t go anywhere. If you’re one of the lucky lotto winners at your publishing house, more power to you, but there are so few of these—even for many big, established authors. It’s best to look at your market placement realistically so you can give your book its best chance in the saturated reader-sphere.
- Devise a Plan: What will you need all that money for? Ads in papers, magazines, bookish websites, and also Instagram tours, Facebook ads, and/or in-person tours. You may seek out a professional to help you with this. There are some very knowledgeable and reputable organizations that help promote writers. (BUT BE CAREFUL. Do your research. Ask for final numbers, click-throughs, impressions, and also take a look at their client lists. There are loads of Mickey Mouse operations out there robbing authors of funds.) Also as a side note, in-person tours can be very expensive, are rarely covered by your publisher, and hardly ever sell enough books to make it worthwhile. Plus it can be truly humiliating sitting there all afternoon with a stack of books, only to have people walk by you all day and avoid your gaze. I say this with five books under my belt worth of experience. It can be worth it, but you have to really know what you’re doing and that takes loads of time and research.
- Hiring Personal Publicists, yay or nay: If you can pull out at least one major hook—and I don’t mean a cliffhanger style pitch, and I don’t necessarily mean the themes in your book—but one major idea that will resonate strongly with media outlets, it may be worthwhile to hire a publicist. Then again, you may be better off just buying up ad space to advertise the book. Most seasoned authors I know swear by the ads-only approach. That said, most of them have also tried working with publicists. The difficulty is, neither of these options can truly be measured. Publicity, in particular, is difficult to gauge. Publicists spend a lot of time researching and pitching articles, interviews, and other projects, and then they have to follow up and “wait and see” if the book they’re working with will be chosen by the media outlets. It’s a BIG FAT “maybe”, in other words. But hey, all of publishing is a risky business. On this point, I think trial and error and going with your gut are the way to go. I have two books that wouldn’t have benefited from a publicist, necessarily, and two that could have. It just depends. Like everything in publishing, it depends.
You will change agents or editors, or both, at one point This is a sad inevitably of the business, but one we must embrace if we want to get our books out there. Publishers merge or close, or begin (!). Editors retire or change jobs to a new publishing house. The same goes for agents. Sometimes, you aren’t being treated particularly well by an agent or editor, and it’s time to take matters into your own hands and make a move. One or both of these things have happened to 98% of all authors I’ve ever met, me included. Embrace the inevitability. It allows you to keep your focus where it should be—on the writing.
The Post-Partum Blues
Launch day arrives to lots of fanfare, and you’re excited as hell! You check yours stats obsessively and bask in the great reviews and publicity, the sheer joy of having your story join the canon that is our great big world out there. It’s truly wonderful. But there’s an aspect few discuss in book publishing, and one worth mentioning both for debut novelists and for anyone, really, who is extremely invested in how those of us with several under our belts. It’s the post-partum blues.
The excitement of a new book launch wears off in a few days, or a few weeks and suddenly, there’s nothing but:
*crickets*
That’s when the blues set in. The ol’ crash after the high. All of the bustle and excitement felt overblown and silly, and you have to remember what all of the hopes and dreams, the stress and the anxiety were for. You wonder if you can put yourself through the rat race of writing and editing for years, the months of promotion and stress, just to have your book release to crickets.
We feel so utterly changed by our works that when the world continues on in the same way it always has, it’s a letdown. But days go by and you get drawn into your next story, relish your writing routine, and something miraculous happens. You realize something you knew before you signed with your agent, or sold a book, or went into a frenzy over which font to use on your promotional bookmarks.
YOU LOVE TO WRITE. And that is most important. Which brings me to my next point.
It must ALWAYS be about the writing. Really, it must. If it’s about anything else, walk away now.
Words are beautiful and gritty and life-changing. They paint pictures, build empires, and ignite love stories that destroy us and make us. For all of the songs and slogans that say actions speak louder than words, IT JUST ISN’T TRUE. Words eternalize those actions. And you—this one little drop of water in this great big ocean of novelists, have added story to the fabric of human history and they’re beautiful—to you—and THAT is what matters. And if they impart hours of entertainment, joy, inspiration to even one reader, you have done what you set out to do, and that is enough. And by God, you want to do it all over again.
And finally, a few thoughts to live by:
- Establish balance in your life. Obsession, possession, anxiety are lethal.
- Keep fighting the good fight. Keep putting those stories on paper.
- Remember you’re already living the dream. You’re doing what you love. Many don’t have the courage to.
- Discover what it means to be successful to YOU, no one else, just you. Believe in it.
What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned during your time in publishing?
Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of historical fiction. As a freelance editor and an adjunct in a MFA in Creative Writing program, Heather has helped many writers sign with agents and go on to sell at market. When not writing, she feeds her cookbook addiction, geeks out on history and pop culture, and looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world. To date, her books have been translated to seventeen languages.
Good stuff.
My god, those last two segments. They’re pure inspirational jet fuel! I’ve said it before and I know I’ll say it again and again – it’s so wonderful to have friends who are veterans sharing the trenches. It’s the difference between surviving (or not) and thriving.
Thanks, Heather, for leading the way. Congrats on clearing another hurdle.
Always happy to help a friend! I think we need to swap more war stories at the un-con. It’s what publishing is made of, isn’t it. And for it’s worth, I see you thriving!
That’s some great advice there, Heather. I could FEEL the emotion behind your words. Wonderful.
“What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned during your time in publishing?”
Write because you love it, because there is no other way you’d like to spend your time. Life is too short to spend your time doing something you don’t love.
Oh, and roll with the punches. There will be punches. Lots of them.
Hugs,
Dee
Award-winning author of A Keeper’s Truth and GOT (Gift of Travel)
We’re punched a lot, aren’t we? But then, life is a series of ups and downs so sometimes I wonder why we expect publishing to be any different!
And you said it. Write because we can’t imagine doing anything else.
Nicely done! Everything resonated with me, especially the last points. My middle grade book was recently released and over my desk is a picture of a sixth grade girl. She’s clutching my book and grinning. Her teacher tweeted that the student didn’t want to return the book – she wanted to keep it a little longer and read her favorite parts again. When all of the other aspects of publishing start to get to me, the picture reminds me to get back to writing!
How wonderful, Anne. I’d love to purchase your book! What’s the title? I have two middle schoolers. And you said it–keep the reminders around for the low points. Thanks for your comments today.
Love this post. not only for the practical advice but for its reminder to be patient, kind, considerate, generous, and realistic—to remember that we’re part of a community of people with a common love of books, and not to get too myopic. I’m reminded also of something in Brooke Warner’s book: “generosity is the new currency.” It ain’t just about money. Thanks for this, Heather.
“Generosity is the new currency.” I love this so much–thank you for sharing it. I’m going to post this above my desk! Happy writing!
Wonderful advice, Heather! I’ve seen the Twitter wars and have watched while scratching my head. These people know we can see them, right?
I also read your long, very informative post, mouth slightly agape, thinking, “she wrote this while completing EPIC copy edits?” I hope you’re about to treat yourself to some well-deserved time off. :-)
Thanks, Grace. I’ve been in a puddle on the floor all day today. I *may* have also had a chocolate martini with lunch because I need a new brain! Happy writing. <3
Thank you for this article. My third novel launches this week, and that post-partum depression you mentioned is all too real after each book. Also, my new WIP isn’t in the same genre as my other novels. Dare I alienate (both) my readers with something unexpected? What about my brand? At this point, I have no brand except as someone still swinging for the fences. I appreciate the encouragement.
You’ve got this, Wayne! You’re asking the right questions and that’s super important to finding your way. At some point, it’ll be important to pick a lane for awhile and stay in it, but if you’re still really deciding what your category is and where your passion lies, tracking successes and losses is extremely helpful. Wishing you all the luck with your new release. Many congrats!!!!
“Words eternalize those actions. And you—this one little drop of water in this great big ocean of novelists, have added story to the fabric of human history and they’re beautiful—to you—and THAT is what matters.” So beautifully expressed! Thank you, Heather. I appreciate the way your post combines the challenging realities of writing with the transcendent purpose at the heart of all creative work. It helps to understand both.
Thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad you found it meaningful! Observing and accepting reality is a tool to help us achieve our dreams, and I find it is too often overlooked in craft books and writing advice. Understanding the ins and outs helps us crack the code!
Happy writing and thanks for stopping by today.
This is brilliant.
One thing I’ve learned? Doubt is poisonous, and it settles on you and becomes hard to shake when you cease being a storyteller for too long. So keep moving; be an author-in-progress.
Ha! If you say something is brilliant, I’m happy for like a month!!! Thank you, T. <3
Doubt. That should be a whole post. Maybe I’ll tackle that this year! In fact, it’s crushing me right now because of a few things behind the scenes, and I’m digging deep to battle it. But I can do it if you can. xxx
Great post! One thing I’ve learned nearly 20 yrs into this writing life is that writing is where the magic happens. So keep on it. Even on the days you don’t feel terribly inspired or the world seems to be going to pieces. This morning, I mapped out the story arcs of 3 books!!! Holy moly. I didn’t know I’d do that when I woke up with an aching leg and lunches to make and the wind howling on my porch.
Congrats on finishing those copy-edits! I hope you’ll put your feet up and enjoy some R&R.
Heather, this is wisdom. You have reached Yoda level, but your subject/verb agreements are easier to parse. You’ve made me realize that I have to fire my agent, publisher, editor and publicist, because they are all me, and I do tire of that guy.
Thanks for the good stuff.
PS It really is about the writing.
I thoroughly enjoyed your post and appreciate your candor! The section about the post-partum blues reminded me of a Star Trek-The Next Generation episode I saw earlier this week (watching Star Trek has become our family activity right now.) In the episode, after a crew member is inhabited by aliens, connected to the ship’s computer and does all this amazing stuff, he is returned to his normal, awkward self. Geordi La Forge says to him something like ‘We all exceed our expectations for ourselves at some time and it’s what we do afterward that makes the difference.” That’s kind of what I heard in your post, but with a writer’s point of view. Your point that as writers of story we have contributed to something bigger than the individual success is really, well, nice. It’s a good perspective to keep in mind, because each individual story and release come so very far apart, some times. And it makes it easier, I think, to fill that space with writing if the picture is larger than just the next release. Thanks!
Thank you for these words of wisdom, Heather.
What have I learned?
Don’t compare
we are all on our own publishing journey
Don’t compare
we are all on the same team
Don’t compare
keep that pen moving and learn to cherish your own writing life
Post-partum blues! No kidding.
I spent all of last winter illustrating my middle grade novel. This winter I just binge-watch TCM.
At least I get a couple of likes and shares on my Facebook book page every day which is comforting.
The best remedy for post partum is to fall in love with another project and keep moving forward in your own creative space. But hey, binge-watching is a damned good comfort, too. I’m in the middle of Parenthood at the moment for that very reason. Keep at it and good luck!
Thank you, Heather! This couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m in the process of writing my query and creating my agent list.
When I read this I wanted to ugly-cry and say, “She gets me!”
Yes, yes, yes to all of it. Thank you for the reminders and encouragement,
I get you, lady, and congrats on moving into the querying phase. It’s equal parts terrifying, exciting, devastating, and amazing. I have faith in you!
Thanks so much for a wonderful write-up, Heather! You’ve got all of your priorities straight!
Thank you, Rebecca! Happy writing.
What a rich and inspiring post. Thank you, Heather, for every word.
Great Advice, Heather! Thanks for sharing.
Great post! Can I just…not push back, exactly, but gently nudge back… on one point? Writing “what will sell” is I think a very tricky business. First because nobody truly knows what will sell until it sells like crazy and then every other publisher wants something similar. Second because, particularly for early career writers, whatever you write will take time to finish, polish, shop around, get acquired, and print… by which point the publishing world may very well have moved on. So I agree with you to a point–if you have an established career as a romance writer, you might think twice about suddenly coming out with a sci fi epic, at least not under that name! But I also think that, given how rare success in this business actually is, we may as well make ourselves happy. :)
Hi HP, thank you for your comments!
In reading your response, I realize I should have made myself clearer about writing for the market. I agree with you. Following trends is usually a doomsday proposition as you said, and will you lead you down a dead-end road. Trends turn over far too quickly for that sort of “topic chasing”. What I was referring to is to be aware of the market, of what sells and what doesn’t in terms of styles, topics, genres. Research categories and sub-categories at a bookstore and also at online retailers. If you can’t find comp titles out there which you can use to help pitch your book, usually this is a problem and it means you’re going too far outside the realm of what a publisher may consider worth selling. (On the other hand, on rare occasion, it means you’ve found a little hole in the marketplace and you may have some incredible luck! I never bet on these things, though. I think we all mostly live by the rule and not the exception, no matter how much we all long to be THE ONE.)
Good thoughts and thanks for sharing! I’m glad you brought this up so I could clarify my thoughts!
I love this publishing advice, Heather. I’ll definitely return to it at different points on my own journey. The one thing I’ve learned is to keep my eyes on my own paper. While my writer friends are landing agents and book deals, I’ve been rewriting and revising, trying to make this first book the best it can be. It’s tempting to rush the process, but I’m trying to stay the course and run my own race. Lots of cliches there, but you know what I mean.
Thanks again! :)
Hi Heather. All of the above is true – a great post with realistic and engouraging advice from a pro. Here’s what struck me: “Remember you’re already living the dream. You’re doing what you love. Many don’t have the courage to.”
I was so happy to see both that I do love what I do – unrelated to success and the last – the courage to do so. I would love $5.00 for every person who has said to me -“oh, I might write a book. It doesn’t seem that hard.” None of them to date have produced a manuscript. Only writers, published and hoping to be published like me, know about the courage and the love.
Such a great bevy of insights and advice! Thank you for sharing your hard-won lessons.
Great post. So insightful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing.