Writers Gotta' Write

 By Thomas Kies

In a recent blog that’s gone viral written by Elle Griffin for the website www.Elysianpress.com, she refers to the time when Penguin Random House tried to buy Simon and Schuster in 2022.  The government brought a case against the merger saying that it would create a publishing monopoly and a judge ruled that the $2.2 billion acquisition could not take place. 

During the trial, a number of publishing houses and literary agencies testified, and some interesting numbers came to light. 

Ms. Griffin, in an essay that she wrote in 2020, stated, “only 268 titles sold more than 100,000 copies, and 96 percent of books sold less than 1,000 copies.”

Madeline Mcintosh, CEO of Penguin Random House US, when asked how many authors over a four-year period sold 500,000 units…she answered 50.  

The upshot of Ms. Giffin’s blog is that publishing houses gamble by buying books and paying low advances in the hopes that one of them will be that lightning in a bottle and hit it big.  The big advances are paid to celebrities like Brittney Spears and Prince Harry who have recognizable names, and the publishers feel are a comfortable bet. 

Now, admittedly, the numbers from Penguin Random House/Simon Schuster trial were meant to be depressing.  The reality is that more books are selling now than ever before.  Numbers that were tossed around in the trail were based on calendar years and not necessarily during the lifetime of the book.  It was a trial.  Isn’t everything about a trial depressing?

Books don’t go bad like vegetables or fruit.  My first book, RANDOM ROAD, continues to sell in bookstores to this day and it’s been around for seven years. Will any of my books make me rich?  Nah…not in money.  

Don’t kid yourself, getting published the traditional way is still hard.  Finding an agent, then finding a publisher, then getting bookshelf space and a place in libraries, getting the marketing message out…it’s all a slog. And even when you do, there’s no guarantee about anything.

Bottomline, publishing is a business.  They’re not in it to lose money, although, don’t kid yourself, many books do. 

But there are many publishing platforms and I know many writers who are happy using those publishing avenues.

There’s a joy when you hold one of your own books in your hands. There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when someone tells you how much they enjoyed what you’ve written.  There’s an indescribably elation when you see one of your books on the bookshelf of library or in a bookstore. 

Before I was published, I had dreams of flying to New York, being picked up at the airport in a limo, being treated to lunch, then hustled off to a standing room only book signing.  Well...that doesn't happen.  At least to most of us.   

I recall that early in my writing career, I did a book signing and one person showed up.  That keeps you humble.  But to keep perspective, Don Winslow (if you don't know him, read him...he's terrific) in one of his first book signings, had one person buy his first book.  That person happened to be the owner of the bookstore, Barbara Peters who owns the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Arizona (and was my first publisher). 

I advise the students who take my creative writing class that writers gotta write.  We do it because we love it.  We do it because we want to tell stories.  We do it because we’ve got something to say.

To paraphrase a friend of mine, a wonderful writer by the name of Jeffrey Siger, “Writing is a hard way to make a living.  But it’s a great way to make a life.”

Guest Post: Sue Ann Jaffarian

Please welcome prolific author Sue Ann Jaffarian to Type M. I’ve lost count of how many books she’s had published since I first met her at a Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles meeting. She's run the gamut in the publishing world from self-publishing to being traditionally published by both large and small presses. One of her series has a ghost in it, which seems so appropriate for Halloween! Take it away, Sue Ann...

Publishing: Plan Your Journey

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

It’s no secret that the publishing business has been in chaos for several years. Bigger publishers are merging, reducing staff, and facing restructures, while smaller publishers are cropping up like weeds and some disappearing just as fast. Authors are being cut or abandoned by publishers left and right and new authors are finding it tough to get a foot in the door. And then there’s self-publishing, which is a whole ‘nuther kettle of fish.

Frankly, I think it’s an exciting time to be an author. Never before have we had such a smorgasbord of choices for our work. On the flip side, never before have we had so many chances to screw up.

As Charles Dickens wrote at the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… .”

Whether you are a newbie trying to get your first book published, or an author left high and dry after a few published books, or an author like me with many books under your belt and still under contract, you have to take the time to decide which path is best for your work. It used to be you wrote the book, found an agent, and the agent tried to sell it. Each step was a long and arduous process with no guarantee of success.

But here’s the thing, whether you opt for traditional publishing or self-publishing, or a hybrid, it’s still a long and arduous process. There is no getting around that. A lot of authors, usually first timers, think that they can skirt a lot of the hard work and time by going self-published. Not so. If anything, it takes even more work to be a successful independent author, but if you are successful, you reap bigger royalties.

But don’t let the bright and shiny bigger royalties blind you. Not all authors should go the self-published route and most don’t make those big royalties, at least not out of the gate. For many authors, wearing all the hats doesn’t suit them or overwhelms them. They take shortcuts in editing, proofreading, cover art, and marketing that dooms them almost from the beginning.

Early on, decide what you want out of your writing. Not all publishing options fit all books or authors. Don’t be swayed one way or the other by the traditional vs. independent debate. Look at all of your options and make the best decision based on your goals, time, and skill set. I think a lot of authors give in to peer pressure in this area and end up unhappy.

If it is important to you to have a big name traditional publisher, then by all means pursue that by finding an agent and giving that route a shot. It may take a hundred rejections to find an agent, but if it’s important to you, do it. Don’t settle for your second or third choice without giving your first choice a fair chance.

A lot of the smaller publishers will consider un-agented manuscripts. If you are set on a traditional publisher but are frustrated in your search for an agent or getting rejected by the big name publishers, check out some of the smaller companies that are putting out great books. Ask your writer friends for suggestions or even referrals to their editors at these smaller publishing houses.

If you think you’re cut out for going independent, first talk to several indie authors who have done it successfully. LISTEN to them. Take notes. Copious notes. Don’t think you can build a better mousetrap when you’ve never been in the business before. These people are experts. I’m starting to publish more of my own work and, believe me, I’ve bent the ears of countless indie friends with questions on everything from covers to editing services to marketing. And be ready to spend money to do it right. Freelance editors and cover designers cost money. Slapping something together is career suicide.

And once you choose a path, remember, you can change your mind down the line. Maybe your first book will be with a small press. The second self-published. And maybe your third will catch the eye of a major publisher. You just never know, so don’t lock yourself in. My work is in all three venues and it works for me.

In the end, whether you decide to go traditional or independent, there’s no excuse for laziness. First you have to write the best book you can. Without that, the rest is a waste of time. Sending an agent or publisher a sloppy manuscript will get the door slammed in your face. Self-publishing such a manuscript may tank your career before you even have one. Once those doors are shut or readers turn away from you, it’s extremely difficult and often impossible to get a do-over.

Do it the right way, or don’t do it at all.

There’s so much more to being an author today besides writing a book. You have to look beyond the book, to where it’s going and how it’s going to get there. No matter which path you take, writing a novel is not a casual joy ride on a summer’s day. It’s long journey that deserves your best effort, preparation, and commitment.

Sue Ann Jaffarian is the author of three critically acclaimed mystery series: The Odelia Grey series, the Ghost of Granny Apples series, and the Madison Rose Vampire Mysteries. She also writes the Winnie Wilde erotic romance series under the pen name of Meg Chambers, as well as short stories. In addition to writing, Sue Ann is a full-time paralegal living in Los Angeles. Kirkus has said of Sue Ann, "Like Stuart Kaminsky, Jaffarian juggles her franchises deftly, giving each a unique voice and appeal." Visit her at www.sueannjaffarian.com, or on Twitter or Facebook.