by Anne R. Allen
Social Media is both a boon and a curse to new writers. Online writing groups and forums are an excellent source of insider information on the publishing industry—stuff we once could only find at expensive classes and writers’ conferences.
But social media is also a major source of misinformation and dangerously bad advice.
I belong to a lot of Facebook writers’ groups where I see newbies ask questions that get a bunch of conflicting responses. Sometimes when I see misinformation, I jump in to correct it, but often I can tell that resistance is futile. There’s such a wealth of bad advice that I don’t know where to begin.
I know some people can only learn that fire is hot by getting burned. Nothing a more experienced person says will change their minds.
But if you don’t feel the need to jump in the fire, here’s some popular bad advice you can ignore.
1) If You Can’t Handle Rejection, Just Self-Publish.
This is one of the most common themes I see. Somebody asks a question about querying agents, like how long you should wait before you take silence as rejection (about 6 weeks), or is it okay to phone an agency to ask about the status of your query (no.)
Inevitably, somebody pipes up with a variation of: “I could never go through all that. Agent rejections are so painful. I’m just planning to self-publish when I finish my novel.”
I usually don’t say anything to these people. Bubble-bursting makes me feel like a meanie, and I can hope they’ll learn more about the process before they finish that book.
But if the poor dears do self-publish, they’d better pray they never get any reviews.
If you think agent rejections are hurtful, your first Goodreads review will send you into screaming agony.
Rejection is part of a writer’s job description. You’ll get it from reviewers, readers, editors, bookstore owners, advertising newsletters, and your brother-in-law. Get used to it.
In fact, learning to take rejection and criticism well should be listed as one of the top 10 skills every writer needs.
2) It’s Never Too Early to Start Marketing.
Too many writers obsess about publishing and marketing before they’ve had time to master the craft.
I saw a question recently from a writer who was worried about her newsletter. She was just setting it up and wanted to know if it would be all right to only send twice a week.
She added that she hadn’t actually written a book yet, but she’d published a short story, and she wanted to make sure she was ready to publish her novel when she finished it.
So she was sending out a newsletter. I wanted to ask: to whom? Her friends and relations? Her Zumba class? What on earth did she think she had to say about her unpublished manuscript that they would want to read?
If you’ve just published your first short story, you’re still probably five—maybe ten—years from having a solid, polished novel that’s ready to compete in the marketplace.
Put that energy into taking classes, going to conferences, networking on social media, and reading, reading, reading.
Don’t send reader newsletters before you have something for them to read.
On the other hand, it does make sense to start a blog. Blogging is a great way to network with other writers and hone your craft. It also draws in new people and can build a potential readership, whereas a newsletter is only seen by people who are already fans (or Zumba-buddies.)
3) Follow this/that Guru and Learn to Game Amazon.
This might be the saddest delusion of all. There have been some major “bestselling gurus” who have FB groups or other more secret forums, where they teach new writers the “ropes” of gaming Amazon with book-stuffing, trading reviews, or joining pricey boxed sets that promise to make you a “USA Today Bestseller.”
These “gurus” often end up in court, but not before their followers have lost thousands of dollars and may have been kicked off Amazon for life.
Amazon is run by algorithms and bots, and the temptation to fool robots is high. But even if somebody is making major bux running circles around Amazon’s algorithms right now, you can be sure that Amazon will catch on eventually. Then you can be booted off the site—for life. No shopping. No using that gift card, or even your Prime video subscription.
Don’t tempt them. Amazon is not a videogame. Do not mess with the Mighty Zon.
4) Don’t Bother with Self-Editing: Your Editor will Take Care of All That Stuff.
I see this terrible advice a lot. And it can make any editor cry. Whether you’re self-publishing or going the traditional route, you need to send your editor or agent the cleanest copy you possibly can.
If you think apostrophes are decorative symbols you can scatter around your manuscript willy-nilly, you’re going to waste a lot of your editor’s time. You can learn basic grammar from a book or online class that is going to cost way less than standard editing fees. And you really don’t want to pay for the hours it will take her to figure out why the characters’ names change every three chapters.
Self-edit until you think that puppy is perfect.
Don’t worry. It isn’t.
5) UnFriend Social Media Followers if They Don’t Stroke your Ego.
Social media can be tedious. So you see one of those memes: “You’re all a bunch of meanies who aren’t really my friends. If you don’t leave a comment on this thread right now, I’ll unfriend you.”
Resist all urges to post this to your own page.
You’ll alienate potential readers and destroy that social media platform you’ve been working so hard to build.
There are many, many reasons why people don’t interact with you on social media.
- Not getting your posts in their feed. FB’s algorithms are quirkier than ever. You have NO idea who gets to see your posts, or why.
- Lurking. They like to read what you have to say, but don’t have much to “share.” So?
- Reading. Some of your fans might not be hanging out on social media because they prefer to READ BOOKS. So you’re going to unfriend them? Think about that.
If you think you do have a bunch of “fake friends,” be a little more careful when you accept friend requests.
Don’t accept requests from the loverboys/gals who send requests in order to set you up for a fake romance followed by a series of dramatic catastrophes requiring major donations of cash.
Women get requests from “widowers” with two (sometimes three) first names, who claim to be in the military or work on oil rigs, and often include a photogenic child in their profile photos
Men get requests from lovely young women, often of the top-heavy variety.
These generally come from a relentless Nigerian scam factory that lifts photos off other FB pages. They’ll groom you for scamming with a coy little “Hey” DM as soon as you accept the “friendship.” Things will get steamy fast, followed by catastrophes.
6) Newsletters are a Magic Bullet for Book Sales and Reviews
A newsletter keeps you in touch with your fans. If you don’t yet have fans, a newsletter does you no good whatsoever. You need to be out and about on social media meeting readers and other writers.
It makes no sense to spam the people who are least likely to buy your book: the ones who already own it.
As you know, I often question the value of newsletters to sell books. My inbox is a jungle I must battle every morning, weeding out the few real messages from the overgrowth of spam. Cleaning my inbox is my goal. If you send me a blog notice, I can open your blog and visit that tab later.
If you send me a long description of your summer vacation, photos of yourself at all your recent book signings, or sad laments about your writer’s block, I’m hitting that delete button very fast. (Unless I just decide to unsubscribe.)
I much prefer to be able to visit a blog where I can interact with the blogger and other readers. But I’m not everybody. Here’s my post on why I prefer a blog, but many authors prefer newsletters.
I know the entire publishing world is in love with emailed newsletters (except perhaps the recipients) and writers are told they must have a newsletter or they can’t sit with the cool authors at lunch.
Fine. Write that thing. Fill it with selfies and funny photos of your pet gerbil. But don’t imagine it’s going to bring you instant fame and fortune.
Sending more newsletters will not sell more copies of the same book to the same people.
A newsletter is great if you write lots of books very fast. Your emails can announce new releases and provide freebies to your most loyal fans.
But if you’ve only got one title? Spend your time writing another book, not bragging about your fabulous vacation to a bunch of people who already own the book and will soon decide they never want to buy another.
7) Forget Traditional Publishing. It’s on its Way Out.
Harper Collins US earnings are up 23% for the fiscal year. The Big Five are doing fine. If you’ve read the reports that the Random Penguin’s profits are down, notice it’s not by much. And they recently bought a fairly large US publisher, Rodale. Which is also doing well.
The fact that Barnes and Noble is faltering is sad, but it’s not due to a failing publishing industry. It has to do with their own management issues.
Independent bookstores are thriving. And other bookstore chains are expanding.
There are lots of excellent reasons to self-publish, but doing it because you believe the Big 5 are about to collapse is not one of them.
If your writing dreams involve getting reviewed in major news outlets, seeing your book in the windows of big bookstore chains, or being interviewed on NPR, go ahead and try for the traditional publishing route. And don’t let anybody shame you out of it. Those dreams still do come true.
And here’s a guest blog post from an author who is living those dreams.
8) Don’t Query Agents. They’re all Crooks.
I’m so tired of this one. The biggest “indie” stars like Howey, Konrath and Eisler all have agents—and had them when they “made it” as indies. (They’re also mostly traditionally published now, which is probably why we don’t hear much from them anymore.)
Yes, there have been a couple of high profile bad agents in the news recently. I felt especially sad hearing about the catastrophe of Danielle Smith’s Lupine Grove Agency. She used to be a member of my writers’ club, and I’ve hosted her on this blog a couple of times. She was always gracious, kind and helpful. I considered her a friend. What happened to make her lie to her own clients, I have no idea. I think it has a lot more to do with mental health issues than greed.
But an amazing number of agents jumped in to offer reads to her stunned clients. I saw a Twitter thread with offers of reads from some of the biggest agent names in the business.
Still, a whole lot of people want to paint all agents as useless greed-monsters. It’s simply not true. Most agents work their derrieres off for their clients.
Most of my friends with agents are making a whole lot more money than I do.
You absolutely want to do some research before you sign and always run a contract by a legal professional.
Yes, there are rotten agents. The worst put “in perpetuity” clauses in their contracts, so your children’s children will still be paying them even if the agent doesn’t sell your book. Some agents evaporate for long periods and refuse to communicate, so talk to some existing clients about communication patterns. And I know there are agents on the conference circuit who haven’t sold a book in years but take money for listening to pitches, so it’s really important to check what they’ve sold recently.
9) Self-Publishers Can Party like it’s 2009.
Back in the heady days of the “Kindle Revolution” we were reading daily reports of how authors were practically printing money by self-publishing these newfangled ebooks for Amazon’s Kindle thingy.
Newly minted “Kindle Millionaires” were telling new writers not to let their books “rot” while looking for representation or getting edited. Instead, they were told, they should run right out and self-publish everything they’d ever written, including last week’s grocery list.
Ebooks were selling themselves and all you had to do was price yours lower than the traditional publishers’ ebooks and readers would scarf them up. Ca-ching! Ca-ching!
Yup. It was grand. I remember when I sold almost 1000 books in one day. Without paying a penny for advertising.
Those were the days.
But guess what? That doesn’t happen a whole heckuva lot anymore. Not without a pricey, hard-to-get Bookbub ad and other expensive marketing.
Things have changed in the last ten years.
a) Ebooks and e-readers are no longer a novelty.
Readers have tons of unread books on their Kindles by now. They won’t even download a free one without a spectacular blurb and cover, and probably not without being nudged by a lot of advertising. I personally have so many books on my Kindle, I have to delete one before I can upload another.
And it turns out most people didn’t give up paper books after all. A recent Publishers Weekly article put the e-book’s percentage of the trad pub market at less than 13%. It’s higher for indie books, but it’s not growing much.
b) Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon’s KU allows people to read as many books as they want per month for one low fee. The introduction of KU cut the income of many indie authors by 80%, whether or not they decided to opt into KU (which means staying exclusively with Amazon.)
Many KU authors have continued to see their income shrink because of the endless schemes that lowlifes use to game the KU system. Amazon does its best to fight them, but their robots tend to throw out many babies with the scammy bathwater. A lot of innocent authors have been punished without a chance to defend themselves. Right now I’m hearing from indie authors who are leaving KU—and sometimes Amazon itself—for fear of these purges. Some writers find they can sell more on iTunes or Kobo than they did on Amazon, if they concentrate their marketing on those platforms..
I don’t know many writers who are making as much on Amazon now as they did before KU was introduced. I sure don’t.
c) Amazon has its own imprints and no longer needs indies.
Ten years ago, when the Kindle was new, Amazon got a huge benefit from affordable indie ebooks. But Amazon has its own traditional publishing arm now. Their own books from Amazon imprints like Lake Union, Montlake, Amazon Crossings, Thomas and Mercer, etc. now get most of the algorithm love and prominent placement.
When you see statistics about how great “indies” are doing, they often include Amazon imprints in the “indie” category.
But Amazon imprints are pretty much identical to the Big 5 publishers except they give better royalties, offer way more online publicity, and send their authors flowers on launch day.
This means you have to spend a lot more money in order to make the same income an indie could make in the boom years between 2010 and 2014. You need to have the money to hire a great editor, a top-notch cover designer and a savvy formatter or interior book designer.
Plus you need a hefty advertising budget for the Amazon and Facebook ads, plus spots in bargain newsletters—none of which even existed ten years ago.
d) Book bloggers are being banned from writing Amazon reviews
It’s hard to get into bargain newsletters without dozens of Amazon reviews. But those reviews are tougher and tougher to get. The reliable book bloggers who used to write 100s of reviews a month are getting banned from Amazon and having their reviews removed.
In the past few months, Amazon review rules have gone from draconian and confusing to certifiably bonkers, as blogger Lissa Gromley reported last week.
A lot of my best reviews have disappeared in the past few months. Many other authors are seeing the same thing. Book bloggers tend to write those long, thoughtful reviews that are most likely to result in a sale. But they’re leaving Amazon in droves because of the purges. They’re either only reviewing on GoodReads or their own blogs, or moving to Kobo.
Amazon will never tell a reviewer why they’ve been banned. But people are speculating that they’re banning Amazon affiliates. (These bloggers get a tiny percentage of a sale if somebody buys a book through one of their links). Others seem to be banned simply because they write a lot of reviews. Because paid review scammers write a lot of reviews, Amazon’s bots learn that lots of reviews=scam.
I wish Amazon would either remove all reviews the way Netflix has done, or make their rules easily accessible and understandable to all. The new rules hurt authors and do very little to fight scammers.
Anybody Who Tells You There’s a Shortcut to Publishing Success is Giving You Bad Advice
The truth is that making a living as a writer is hard. And it’s always been hard, as Ruth told us last week. Learning to write well requires a long apprenticeship. Anybody who tells you there’s a shortcut or “there’s an app for that” is lying or delusional.
Self-publishing is a great alternative to the trad-pub route, and many indies in popular genres make a lot more than their trad-pub counterparts. But it is not the “easier” path.
It’s just as tough in its own way. We live in a winner-take-all culture, and whether you hope to make it to the top on your own or with a trad-pub team, it’s going to take a lot of blood, sweat and tears.
I don’t mean to discourage anybody. Becoming a professional writer isn’t easy, but neither is any other creative profession. Keep at it, get lots of opinions, and if something seems fishy, use your own nose to see if it passes the smell test.
And always remember that Google is your friend.
by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) September 2, 2018
What about you, scriveners? What misinformation did you get when you were a newbie writer? When you hear misinformation going around social media, do you jump in and correct people?
***
On my book blog this month, I have a little taste of my next Camilla book GOOGLING OLD BOYFRIENDS, due in December, which I just sent off to my publisher this weekend. You can see some of the ideas I’m sending the designer for a cover.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
This week So Much for Buckingham is only 99c at Amazon for the ebook!
A satire of the dark side of online reviews and the people who make a game of them…a game that can lead to murder.
Camilla and Ronzo see their reputations destroyed by online review trolls who specialize in character assassination, while Plantagenet Smith heads over to England, where he encounters a dead historical reenactor dressed as the Duke of Buckingham. Plant is promptly arrested for the murder. In jail, Plant meets the ghost of Richard III, and hears what it’s like to live with character assassination “fake news” that has persisted for half a millennium.
“This wonderfully satiric comedy is a joy to read. On the surface, it’s a frothy romance cum suspense story about a whacky writer, Camilla, whose life is threatened by trolls and who topples from one hilarious disaster into the next.
But underneath, it provides a perceptive insight into the mad world of modern publishing, the sub-culture of Internet lunatics and the mindset of cultists who can – and do – believe ten impossible things before breakfast.
The reader is left with the question: how much of the story, perish the thought, might be true? Tremendous fun, wittily satiric and highly recommended”…Nigel J. Robinson
So Much for Buckingham is only 99c this week at all the Amazons,
Also available at
Kobo, Nook Smashwords, iTunes, Inkterra, Google Play, 24Symbols and Scribd.
And in paperback it is available at
Amazon, Amazon UK , and Barnes and Noble
Also in AUDIOBOOK! (see, we’re on trend here!)
available at Audible and iTunes
OPPORTUNITY ALERTS
Writers Digest Popular Fiction Award. Up to 4000 words. Fee: $25. 6 Categories: Romance, Thriller, Crime, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult. Prize $2500 and publication by Writer’s Digest. Deadline September 14.
TOM HOWARD/MARGARET REID POETRY CONTEST $12 FEE. Prizes: $1,500 for a poem in any style or genre, and a $1,500 prize for a rhyming poem. $100 each for 10 Honorable Mentions. Top 12 entries will be published online. 250 lines per poem. Deadline: September 30.
NEW LETTERS PUBLICATION AWARD IN FICTION Up to 8,000 words. This year’s topic is CHILDREN. Entrants get a one-year subscription to New Letters. $750 prize and publication. $20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 28, 2018.
THE GALLEY BEGGAR PRESS SHORT STORY PRIZE Up to 6,000 words. £1,000 prize. Or one year’s editorial support for a writing project. £150, £50 and free book prizes as well. 70 free entries available to those on low-incomes. £10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2018.
SERVICESCAPE SHORT STORY AWARD NO ENTRY FEE. They’re looking for any genre of short fiction. Maximum 5,000 words. Prize is $1000 in addition to publication in SERVICESCAPE. Deadline November 30, 2018.
13 Imprints of Big 5 publishers who take unagented submissions. From the good people at Authors Publish Magazine.
48 Small Presses looking for children’s books. Also collated and vetted by Authors Publish magazine.
Anne—Thanks for the stellar post!
If it’s publishing, it’s hard. If it looks easy, it isn’t. If you think there’s magic, there isn’t. If you think someone else (guru, agent, marketer) can solve your problems, they can’t. If you think a great review will make you happy, it won’t. (Because there’s always the lousy review that will shoot you down.)
In other words, buckle up, Buttercup. 😉
Ruth–There are still a lot of those “Kindle Millionaire” books and courses in circulation and they make self-publishing seem like a walk in the park. Then when authors do it and it’s hard, they’re devastated. They need a reality check before they start.
This is a late reply but you have some interesting points. I think one thing I learned is not to fall for the ‘How to Market’ books, etc that sell. One of the authors was trying to tell me (in his book, that is!) how to market and sell my books and make $$$ – I checked the sales ranks of his fiction books and they were down in the 600,000s on Amazon….yet his book on marketing was selling hugey. I tell you – if you want to make money, tell everyone else how to do it! LOL
Angela–Unfortunately, that’s often the case. So many people are trying to make money off indie authors. Look to the bestsellers if you’re looking for a new and lucrative path.
Excellent post, Anne! I”m one of those who have lost a lot of reviews recently. My publisher sent me on several ‘blog tours’ back in the early days, and those reviews by legit bloggers have been removed. Breaks my heart.
But also: have to comment on the one thing I have learned while uploading my backlist to Amazon this summer. If you are going to self-publish – even your previously published backlist with a trad publisher – you are no longer just an author. You are a publisher, with all the jobs this entails. And that is my biggest reason for remaining with a trad publisher for my new books. I don’t want to have to be a publisher as well as an author. I want to write.
Melodie–It’s heartbreaking isn’t it–losing all your best reviews. And so pointless. Book tours and book blogs have been the backbone of the online publishing industry and Amazon has destroyed the whole system. Without even acknowledging what they’ve done.
And I agree about being a publisher. I don’t have the energy or skills myself, which is why I stay with my small press.
This is all such great information. Yes, I’ve heard most of this advice and thankfully ignored it. It seems each writer has to look at their goals, what they write and then make a decision that works best.
I also like that you took on that old adage of “it’s never to early to market.” There is so much information out there about the importance of marketing and setting up an e-mail list in particular. Which if you have nothing to sell and haven’t finished a book, focusing on marketing is useless. But I also always tell people to set up a list anyway so when you DO have something, you can contact people — after writing over time and building relationships.
Adding this to my shares now! 🙂
Leigh–I believed all that “start building your list in the womb” advice, but by the time I had books published, the addresses on the list were mostly useless. People’s interests change. And people who didn’t mind email marketing 10 years ago loathe it now. Spam is spam. I think there are better ways to market.
It is true that every writer needs to be aware of their own goals in deciding on a path to publication. Every one’s path will be different.
I have to agree with you Anne – sorry Leigh, no offense.
I followed an otherwise interesting person on Facebook with much the same sort of ideas as you Anne, in your book on blogging, except hers is not for writers but for teachers trying to build an online presence and passive income products. Her advice is to start small and to go slowly while building up excellent content for your readers which was all good advice. But, the one piece of advice I wasn’t comfortable with was the whole “e-mail list when you have nothing to sell, then hit them with a sales funnel etc…”
The idea was to build up a list way before having a product and I just thought, “Ugh, that means becoming one of those people who are constantly BOMBARDING your inbox and who you eventually just delete, make a file of and put their e-mails into for a rainy day (which never comes), spam (which isn’t fair to them because you subscribed) or unsubscribe from”. And I really don’t want to be that person.
The fact is that I just don’t have the time to read every single e-mail that comes through, especially when I know that it has little to do with good old-fashioned making of friends and a lot to do with trying to sell me something that will exist one day. And I suspect that I am not alone in feeling this way.
The sheer noise of it makes me want to hide under my bed.
Louanne–A lot of people send email to spam even if they subscribed, because it’s easier. But then you get marked as a spammer by gmail and all your emails start disappearing into everybody’s spam folder. Or just blocked.
That’s why it’s so important to have really good content and not send often if you have an author newsletter. My favorite newsletter is Elizabeth S. Craig’s. She only sends when she has a new title, and she always includes a recipe.
There’s definitely no shortcuts, and it can take a long time to write well enough for a publisher, agent, or reader to take notice. Too many people write the first book and expect to win the lottery of being a best seller. Writers who are best sellers tend to be masters of the craft of writing. I look back at when I was doing my cowritten book. Then, I thought it was going to be a best seller and that I knew all I needed to know about writing. Now I realize how little I do know, and I know a lot more than I did then.
When I hear misinformation, do I try to correct it? Nope. It’s not worth the time. When I’ve tried, I just get people telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Linda–I’ve had the same experience trying to correct people. Not worth it. When you have 2 people who are totally delusional, they’re going to “out-vote” the truth every time. Let them fall on their own faces and learn for themselves.
It does take a long time to learn craft doesn’t it? I remember when I was a cocky young writer, so sure every sentence I wrote was bestseller material. Then…reality set in.
Excellent advice, Anne.
“Readers have tons of unread books on their Kindles by now. They won’t even download a free one without a spectacular blurb and cover, and probably not without being nudged by a lot of advertising. I personally have so many books on my Kindle, I have to delete one before I can upload another.”
Yes. Yes. YES! I seldom share links to free books nowadays. So many freebies are File 13 material.
Writing requires hard work. Slinging a few pages together and hitting the PUBLISH button hurts not only the writer trying to make easy money, but also those who treat their efforts as a craft. The get-rich-quick cadre tarnish the reputation of self-publishing.
All writers–newbies and veterans–need to read this.
Kathy–Thanks! And we are so much looking forward to your post on the power of one word next week! A really enlightening piece!
Ooh! What an intriguing topic. Can’t wait.
If you can’t handle rejection you’ll just die when that first bad review comes out.
I never did get around to setting up a newsletter. Oh well!
My iPad is full of eBooks. I’m selective what I download now since I already have enough reading material to last a lifetime. And all those free and discounted books haven’t helped anyone who is now trying to sell at book at a decent price.
Alex–That’s so true. Bad reviews are miserable anyway, and if you haven’t built up those soul-callouses, you’re going to feel battered.
I’m glad to hear you don’t have a newsletter either. My friend Catherine Ryan Hyde is against them and she sells a million books a year. I figure that’s a good enough role model for me. 🙂
I went through my kindle reading first pages and deleting every one that didn’t grab me. Only kept one book out of 30. So, yeah!
That’s a great post. I like to keep up with what I’d know if I’m a newbie, so thanks for the words about Amazon imprints, and the confirmation that I’m doing the best I can in the way I can. 😀
Jemima–I’m so glad this is helpful!
OK, so I did NOT know the Zon might ever send me flowers. That is definitely a plus.
I should be sending you flowers, Anne, for such a great summary post touching on many of the themes you’ve had in the past. Sounding that warning bell is never a downer to anyone who can define the word “grateful”. And I am! Here’s to all the brave indies out there still plugging away- may the work itself bring you joy so that the rest, the fame and fortune and of course the groupies, are all just icing.
Will–Flowers and groupies. We can’t forget the groupies. 🙂
You’ve said it well: the work has to bring you joy. Everything else is icing.
I would never forget them, Anne. I just… can’t seem to, quite locate them…
Will–I seem to have misplaced mine as well. 🙂
Another fine & well-organized lump of advice. Thanks again. One of my favorite nuggets in here is “Self-edit until you think that puppy is perfect,” and I would add… and then self-edit again. And again. And then get a beta-reader, then edit and revise another 3-4 times. As an audiobook narrator who only gets to read the first five minutes of a book I might want to audition for, I “dis-consider” at least 90% of titles available to me due to lack of quality editing. If sentences don’t track well on the first several pages, I can’t possibly do a good job.
CS–Haha. I just sent my carefully proofed new ms. off to my publisher last night and this morning the first two chapters came back dripping with red ink. No matter how perfect we think it is…it isn’t.
Thanks for the input from an audiobook narrator!
I left KU and have come back. Most of my sales are on Amazon so I base my marketing there. I have heard Kobo is coming up especially with the addition of Walmart. If I knew ways to direct marketing to Kobo, I might try it again. Third Lillian Dove book coming out November 6th, Let Her Go.
D.J. Kobo is going to be a real contender now it’s teamed up with Walmart. My one Kobo promotion produced a lot of sales, My publisher ran it, so I don’t know much about the inner workings, but Joanna Penn ran a piece today about how to promote on Kobo. I’m going to study it when I get the chance. Here’s the link. http://bit.ly/2LRayxk .
Congrats on your new book. I have one coming out in December. 🙂
Hey Anne,
I think you’ve nailed all the bogus stuff out there that newbies accept hook, line, and sinker. Yup, I’ve seen them all, but few of them ever passed the sniff test for me.
Although I wanted to touch on these writer Facebook groups. So many of them are nothing but pushers of everything you detail above. I’ve left so many groups because of it, I’ve lost count.
The thing I find most distressing is not the scams of the scammers but that so many actual writers aren’t really in it for the craft. Or in it for the purpose of writing a great story worthy of reading, a great story that will transport a reader to a new world, or bring them joy, or make them think. They just want to dash off any old story as fast as they can, employ all the steps as outlined by the guru and cash in.
As you say, some are pulling it off. But I’ve seen one in particular who is now suffering deep depression because it just didn’t turn out as she was promised it would. Of course, had she written a compelling book things might’ve turned out differently. She did everything else right. Got the big list, became a total darling of social media across the boards, accumulated thousands of followers. But she apparently didn’t understand that writing a good book had to be part of it. All that time and energy wasted. Now she is desperately hawking a give away. The sad thing though is that this woman is not an anomaly – I’ve seen this being done over and over again.
The bottom line is that there is no quick fix or magic bullet to success as a writer. Sure, some do luck out and hit the top, but that is not the norm. Like most us, everybody has to slog through, working the promo circuit to figure out what works for them.
Great post.
Annie
Annie–Thanks for your thoughtful comment. So many authors flare up in social media and seem to be on their way to fame and fortune and then….you read their book. (Usually the “look inside” is enough for me) and you realize all the hype is going to lead to a big fizzle.
But even very good books can “fail” if the writer expects one title to make it. These days it usually takes about five to get any kind of momentum.
Writing is the opposite of a “get rich quick” scheme. It’s more like a “get poor slowly” plan. 🙂
LOL – get poor slowly plan – yup, that about says it.
Thank you for this post! I agree on every point you’ve made. I’m one of the authors who lost a lot of money after KU came onto the scene. I never entered KU, and since my income has dropped like a rock at Amazon for the past two years while it’s remained steady on the other retailers, I’m relieved I chose the route I did.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on pricing. Do you think it’s a good idea to raise them, lower them, or do you think it doesn’t matter? I keep hearing that wide retailer readers will still buy books at a higher price if they have become fans of an author. Instead of looking to Amazon, I’m focusing on the other retailers. I know pricing is just one strategy, but do you think it’s one worth looking at?
Ruth Ann–We’ve been doing regular sales on Amazon, but not on other platforms, because as you say, it doesn’t seem to make much difference there. Except if you run a promotion on Kobo. That requires a sale price. But my publisher has actually raised prices on a number of my books. It doesn’t seem to have hurt sales.
I will never be a great writer. I know that. For me, self publishing is to have a printed version of what I’ve done. I tried to get involved in a local (and apparently only) writing club. Because I write fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, I wasn’t really welcomed. They were mostly writing what amounted to their memoirs. I have a few friends and family members who read and say they enjoy what I write. Is it true, or afraid of hurting my feelings? I’m 66. And yes, I can still have my feelings hurt. It’s okay though. I’ll survive.
Thanks for the article.
Greg–I just wrote you a long reply, which the gremlins ate. Grrr. Sorry you had a bad experience with a writing group. The wrong one can do a lot of damage. You might try starting your own fiction writing group through your local library, or join one online.
A group I highly recommend is the Insecure Writers Support Group which was founded by bestselling SciFi author Alex J. Cavanaugh. http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
Nobody starts out knowing how to write well. But it’s a skill that can be acquired with the right input. You may become a very good SciFi/Fantasy writer! You’ve just had the wrong feedback.
Same Gremlins got to me also. Even though I was logged in, WordPress ran me around the block a couple of times. Lost my post.
Thank you for the update.
If the Konrath that you’re referring to in your post is Joseph Konrath, he basically stopped blogging because he had nothing left to blog about, as his last meaningful blog post was in January of this year.
Lots of good tips though. I fell for the “rejected agent so I’ll self publish” bullet point and it took me years to recover. I still self-publish, but it’s not because of fear of rejection (if you only know how much rejection crap I’ve gone through on socialized media since 2007 it would boggle your mind). I self-publish because I enjoy working at the speed that I’m working at. The only pressure that I receive is whatever pressure I put onto myself to GitRDun.
GB–Joe Konrath also made a very nice deal with Kensington, so he’s no longer self-publishing, except the backlist that was already out there. Kensington isn’t Big 5. It’s a mid-sized US publisher that has recently branched into hardcover and is publishing some big names.
You can’t really be a self-publishing guru when you’ve gone over to the trad-pub side.
But there are still a lot of great reasons to self-publish, like having control of your career.
Excellent post as always Anne, and I’m with out on all counts. I’ve shared around and picked up a copy of So Much for Buckingham while I was here. Looking forward to it as a beach read on my winter vacation. You had me at Dorothy Parker, lol. <3
DG–Oh, I hope you like Buckingham. It’s a fun one for writers, because it’s all about Amazon review wars. Enjoy your vacation!
I’m looking forward! And vacation is a few months away, but looking very forward. Thanks. 🙂
Really, Anne, this is so helpful. I have followed your advice for years now and it’s all correct. Thank you for this.
Patricia–Thank YOU for being a loyal reader!
Thank you for this information rich post, Anne. Much appreciated.
The thing about advice is that it might work for those who are giving it but not for you. For example, I’m Canadian. In Canada the route to building an author career is through the publisher first and the agent follows. Different from what happens in the United States. Unfortunately, all the very helpful blogs I was following were by American authors. So here’s me slogging away trying to do the impossible–get an agent first. It was no ones fault. No one was steering me in the wrong direction. I just needed to understand what would work for me.
Leanne–Well, I certainly learned something today. I had no idea the process was reversed in Canada! No wonder Canadian agents never gave me the time of day. Somebody should start a blog for Canadian authors. Thanks for the valuable info!!
Another home run from you, Anne. Great post.
So much bad advice out there. I just take advice from people who know what they are talking about. Or at least, are in the same path as me.
You have no idea how many people ask me to self-publish after every rejection. I keep refusing. I know I can get it right eventually. No shortcuts for me.
Thanks for your wonderful post!
Ingmar–Stick to your guns. If you envision a trad-pub career, then go for it. Self-publishing is fantastic for the author with an entrepreneurial spirit. But not everybody wants to run a business, and that’s okay!
So many excellent points, Anne, and you are spot-on when it comes to listing the publishing changes that have happened over the past few years.
I just got back from the Killer Nashville conference, where J.A. Konrath, Jeffrey Deaver, and Anne Perry all spoke. Some takeaways that dovetail with your post:
1. Consistent, high quality production is the name of the game. The best known authors in the mystery genre have 30 or more books to their name.
2. Even the best need to be resilient and take the long view. Jeffrey Deaver gave a great talk at Killer Nashville in which the word “escape” figured large. Stories struggling to escape the imagination. Writers struggling to escape the ordinary. Or in Deaver’s case, he wrote to escape being a nerd.
Deaver read us entries from journals in which he recorded his epic fails on the way to publishing success. From no one showing up for book signings to technical glitches that destroyed pages, he showed that no author is immune. His bottom line? Be resilient in the face of disasters and persistent when it comes to writing what you love.
3. Discoverability is key for everyone. Best selling indie author Christopher Greyson spends $100k annually on Amazon advertising. J.A. Konrath has written dozens of short stories besides his horror thrillers and the Jack Daniels series. Ironically, when legendary mystery editor and publisher Otto Penzler was asked how to get included in one of his popular anthologies, he answered, “Get famous.”
4. An author’s “platform,” or online presence and ability to influence others, is today’s must-have accessory. For those yearning to go the traditional route, it is one of the first things an agent looks at. Website, blog, newsletter, social media activity–it all counts. If it is high quality, it will be assumed that your books are, too.
Carmen–Wow! This is a goldmine! Thanks a bunch for sharing all this information. It deserves a post of its own. Enlightening. 30 books! I guess we have a ways to go! 🙂 Love Konrath’s advice about short stories!
Thanks Anne for another helpful post and thank you Carmen for such an insightful comment. Great advice! This is why I read and recommend your blog. 🙂
This is the blog I wish I’d written, thank you, especially for the comments in support of a good agent. I agree a bad agent is worse than none, but a good one supports the writer through the many ups and downs of your career. I’ve had mine for over 25 years and she saves my sanity a lot of the time. After attending the RW Oz national conference recently, I’m looking into the indie route, possibly as a back up to a long traditional career of 90 books and counting. The industry has never been more volatile IMO and I’d like to have extra strings to my bow. But if I do I’ll be hiring experts to put together the book for me, leaving me free to write it to the highest standard I can.I’m a writer because writing is what I do best. Publishing is a whole nother ball game.
Valerie–Most of the agents I know think that “hybrid” is the way to go, and they encourage their clients to self-publish short books between trad pub releases. Some, like Fuse Literary and Andrea Brown offer self-publishing assistance. So it’s the way to go!
I feel that one of the most common type of posts I see in writing groups are people who put the cart before them proverbial horse, “should I do X (self publish or traditional,mhire anj ediotr, etc.)” before they have even written word one.
Jesse–That’s one of the biggest problems I’m seeing in the writing world right now. People are skipping that all-important stage of actually learning how to write. All the marketing in the world can’t help an amateurish book.
I sighed with relief reading this post, especially the bit about newsletters – I’ve read so much about mailing lists and newsletters, and of course “never too early to start marketing”. But 1) I don’t have anything to market yet, I’ve been working on my novel for 20 months and counting, what am I supposed to write? “Still working, you still can’t buy it”? 2) I never subscribe to newsletters myself. I’m blogging once a week, I enjoy it, and I see my blog is slowly gaining readers.
Personally I decided (subject to change) to go with self-publishing. I’ve done tons of research first. I already found out that the publisher isn’t likely to do marketing for me unless my book is The One For The Season, that obviously I will have no control over how my book will look, that the publisher might not even send ARCs if the intern doing so is overworked… But the final nail in the coffin was the #ShareYourRejections hashtag on Twitter. It was really a “share your success story that followed lots of rejections” discussion, and one writer posted that she spent nine years querying, then her agent spent four years seeking an interested editor, and finally the book is coming out in 2019. That’s fourteen years. I am prepared for rejection, but I don’t think I’m prepared for thirteen years of rejections, not to mention that I don’t know whether I will even be around in 2032.
I’ve spent nine months drafting the novel, h(a)unting beta readers, then further eleven months working with an editor knocking this book into shape. I’m almost-but-not-quite done. I think. I’m unlikely to publish three books a year – ever. My next project is a trilogy, and I know what publishers do with series if book two fails to sell enough. I don’t want to sell my rights. I don’t want to be told that an asexual protagonist needs to have steamy affairs with every woman he bumps into. I don’t want a half-naked woman on the cover. I don’t have delusions about becoming rich, self- or trad-published. I’m very wary of anyone selling “The Secret To Amazon’s Algorithms” (which change every two minutes) for $199.
I know what I want. I know I might not get it. It’s okay. I’m still doing my homework. I might still find out many things I don’t know right now and change my mind.
Thank you for this post, Anne!
Bjorn–I had to laugh. “Still working. You still can’t buy it.” Not the most compelling bit of news. Newsletters are for authors who already have a big fan base. Blogs are a way to get that fan base. Sounds like you’re doing everything right!
Thank you Anne for this common sense post. I am afraid that some people do still believe that the book they are writing is going to shoot them to the top of the best seller listings. And it is only recently that we had a first time author who was concerned that his royalties would alert the tax authorities, and asked should he open an offshore account. There is quite a bit of ‘cart before the horse’ advice and as you say… the basics are so important such as a blog and at least two easy to manage and well populated social media platforms. After all, authors are usually avid readers too, and building a community of writers definitely helps sales. As to reviews.. a blog is also helpful especially after a certain time of building a following. Better that 100 + readers see the post and are inspired to read the book, rather than a title wallowing in the midst of many thousands of books within a genre. After 20 years I still get a buzz from seeing my books in print or ebook. Love doing book fairs and seeing people head off with a signed copy for themselves or a gift, and love when a reader takes the time to say they enjoyed. Thanks again. Sally
Smorgasbord–Talk about cart-horse reversal! Worrying about hiding your millions in off shore accounts before you’ve written a book might get a prize in that department.
Joining the community of writers online is so important for your career. Joint promotions are one of the best uses of your money. And other authors can tell you about opportunities and warn you about bad actors. Networking is probably the most important thing you can do when you’re starting your career.
And it is very enjoyable too.. unimaginable only ten years ago, to be talking to hundreds of like minded people all around the world. Exciting times..
Boy. No kidding. That is some bad advice! Thanks for your continued great advice dear Anne!
Christine–Trying to keep our readers safe!
Great post! I Tweeted it. And bought your advertised book!
After publishing/selling more than a hundred books, I should be rolling in dough. Instead, I’m still working hard at it, with about 55 reverted books republished. Currently writing book 4 of a mystery series (Safe Harbor Medical Mysteries).
The one piece of advice I give new writers is, If your book has even a hint of a love story in it, look into joining Romance Writers of America. They have tons of information archived on their site, a very helpful monthly magazine and lots of ways to network. Plus they’ve been moving into advocacy. My local chapter (Orange County, Calif.) is a priceless source of info and encouragement.
Thanks for your great work!
Jacqueline–That’s a fantastic piece of advice! RWA is a source of real, solid information about the industry and they really take care of their members. New romance and women’s fiction authors would all do well to join their ranks. Thanks!
I agree about RWA. I hesitated joining for some time as I don’t write romance, but have romantic elements. I eventually joined Romance Writers of Australia back in May and in such a short space of time have not regretted that decision. They are a very helpful and encouraging organisation, so they are well worth looking into.
Yeah… I’ll get an agent at about the same time I decide to give the guy who takes care of my lawn 15% ownership in my house. Uh, no. Far better (IMHO) to hire an IP attorney to consult with and/or help negotiate contracts. At least attorneys have to be licensed.
Harvey–Some people think all lawyers are crooks. Generally “all X people are X” statements tend to be pretty silly.
Hoorah for a sensible advice post, thank you so much Anne. xxx
Adele–I’m so glad the info is useful for you. Stay safe!
Adele–thanks! It’s great to know the blog is helping people.
Those are great tips. It’s so easy to believe some stories when you’re a newbie. I’m glad I’m taking the slow and steady road – it’s given me lots of time to learn 🙂
Jemi–Slow and steady is the way to build a writing career. You’re doing it right!
RE: the unfriending… I recently had an “aspiring author” follow me on Twitter who stated in her Twitter bio that she would block – BLOCK – anyone who didn’t follow her back. And also in the header asked that you RT her pinned post. Um, no. I did not follow her, she did not block me.
D.D.–I thought I’d heard all the “authors being stupid on social media” stories, but that one gets a prize. What a nincompoop! I might have to use that in my next “what not to do on social media” post. Thanks!
Another stellar blog brimming with excellent advice about bad advice. I also opted not to do a newsletter because I so rarely have time to read the ones I subscribe to. I feel guilty when I archive them (promising myself “I’ll get to it” later) knowing they’ll go unread. Per #7, I cannot stress emphatically enough the difference between self pubbing and having a traditional publisher’s PR team behind you. No. Comparison.
Eldonna–Thanks for being a non-newsletter author! I tell myself that Margaret Atwood, Stephen King and Catherine Ryan Hyde have no newsletters and they’re not starving. 🙂 I meant to link to your great post on Trad Publishing vs. Indie and somehow didn’t get it in there. Doing it now!
#6 you state “It makes no sense to spam the people who are least likely to buy your book: the ones who already own it.” I find this also applies to book festivals as well. Many have contract lines requiring me to advertise. Which i do on my website but people who follow me already own my book.
I also agree. Collect rejection letter sometimes you get helpful responses. Too many people are self publishing first drafts.
William–That’s a great point and I run into it all the time. Recently I was asked to spam “my list” with ads for a bundle with my book in it. but those people are the least likely to buy it. I dropped out of the bundle since they insisted I annoy my readers.
And as for the published first drafts….Ack! Amazon is clogged with them. I agree that collecting rejection letters is a good way to get started in the business. You think you’re ready, but you’re not, and you can learn so much in the process. It’s like a free course or an apprenticeship. It keeps writers from jumping in too soon.
This is my first time reading your blog and I really enjoyed your article. I write nonfiction so I think it’s a bit different. Most of us don’t have agents, but so many do self-publish garbage that never should be published. There’s usually a reason why a manuscript (or idea) gets turned down in the first place!
I’ve been through the wringer. I’ve had a hate group target my books and leave nasty one-star reviews that Amazon refuses to remove despite me hiring an attorney, I’ve had so-called “friends” grab stuff off my blog and publish it in a book of their own.. just crazy stuff.
But with my fifth book coming out in less than a month, I have to say that the writing bug has bitten me and I’ll likely continue writing books as long as a publisher is willing to publish them for me!
Lisa–You certainly have been through the wringer. Internet trolls are like purse-snatchers.They seem to target the kind and innocent. Sorry you went through that.
Nonfic is easier to sell but harder to write, IMO. Congrats on six books!
Even worse to have people grab your content. That only happened to us once, and the guy was in Brazil, so we knew we had no way of stopping him. But I did move the blog to WP, where there’s more security
Hang in there,and Welcome to our blog!
Hi Anne, Thank you for an excellent and comprehensive piece of writing and sound advice. I’m an eclectic writer and, I think, therein lies one of the problems (?) I’m a mature writer and worked as a secretary for a publishing company way back in the 70’s (UK). I have been in love with words since very young and avidly read many of the library’s varied offerings and any other printed matter. Let me confirm one thing about publishing (or as it was then…) and I think still counts. LUCK and timing play a big part in your m/s being chosen – IF, of course, it’s also well written! I was actually commissioned to write two, factual books by Kogan Page Ltd. of London in 1984/5 (still publishing today) and couldn’t believe my good fortune. The experience was wholly satisfying from every angle (holidays included!) BUT fast forward to the 2,000’s (in between ‘life’ intruded) and what a rude awakening awaited!! I’ve won a few poetry and short story competitions, written six books and edited a few, but can’t exactly boast about my bank balance! Another set-back is my nerd-like standing when it comes to technology. Luckily my eldest son helps in this direction…I belong to Twitter and Facebook and Chair for a great local group in Spain called Writers’ Ink; also enjoy posting blogs now and then. I may not be making much filthy lucre, but writing gives me much joy and I’m addicted anyway. Thanks again. Sincerely, Joy https://www.joylennick.wordpress.com
Joy–Writers write because we must. It’s what we do. But very, very few make a full time living at it. Even some of the biggest names in the business make their money from teaching at Universities, not from book sales. I think your writing career is probably quite typical. Keep writing for the joy of it!
That made me chuckle a good few times, but so true and very comprehensive. I agree that blogs are much better than a newsletter. Blogs that are interesting, funny and about all sorts of things, are more likely to lead the reader to the author’s books and if they don’t it doesn’t matter. Blogs are writing as well and if people are reading, enjoying and commenting, that is good.
Tidal–I’m glad to hear you agree with me on newsletters. Good point that blogs are “writing” while the standards for newsletter prose are not high. A newsletter feels dashed off, while a blog generally is crafted to attract new readers and invite comments. Thanks!
Oh my god-the newsletter! I do exactly what you do. Blog as “a newsletter.” I don’t like receiving newsletters, so I’m not going to send them. Thanks for the validation! ????
Allison–Great to hear from another blog fan! I like to practice the Golden Rule as much as I can, and since a newsletter feels like spam to me, I don’t spam unto others what I don’t want spammed unto me. Newsletters are the darling of the publishing industry and everybody adores them, but my feeling is they’re terribly 2005, and blogs are a whole not more versatile.
I was advised to self publish a while back and I said no. I want the struggle. I want a publisher, an agent to tell me that my work is worth their time.
Nothing is easy. We have to work hard but there’s always going to be someone searching for that shortcut.
As always, excellent advice. Huge thanks!!!
Bryan–Self-publishing is a very lucrative alternative for some writers in some genres, but it’s not for everyone. If your dreams involve seeing your book in the window of your favorite bookstore or getting reviewed in major national publications, then trad-pub is the best route for you. Don’t let anybody talk you out of your dreams.
Anne, thank you for this advice. I’ve learned a few of these lessons already (the hard way) however, it’s always good to hear the tough truth. Newsletters are a huge pet peeve of mine. I just don’t GET it. I subscribe to an author’s blog and then they come at me asking me to subscribe to a newsletter…what for? I want to read your blog not a newsflash. You’re the first person to express a similar opinion to mine. I’m also an author and wouldn’t dream of writing a newsletter to torture my subscribers (and myself). A blog is so much more than a newsletter. It’s consists of a subject, emotion, a story and well, it may even be newsworthy. It is a skill unto itself.
After reading all the comments here, many concur. Great discussion here. I’ll be back to discover more of your work. Popped over from the lovely D.G. Kaye’s blog. Love her and her books very much!
Lisa–I’m so glad to see so many people agree with me about newsletters. You think you’re subscribing to a blog, but suddenly you’re getting daily chirpy missives from somebody you don’t know–all about every detail of their little life…or even worse, they ask you personal questions. I wanted to read your blog, not marry you, author dear 🙂
Debby Kaye is fantastic. I love her blog and her FB and other social media posts too!
I’ve had to walk away from many online conversations where someone who hadn’t yet published (back in traditional days) insisted it’s the editor’s job to fix their bad grammar.
No, it’s not. It’s really not. Speaking as someone who has edited professionally.
Jaq–That makes me crazy!! I still see deluded newbies telling each other this crap. I’ve worked as an editor too, both in-house and as a freelancer, and I can say without a doubt that the only thing bad grammar will get you is rejected. I don’t think most new writers need to hire an editor before they submit to an agent. But they need a proofreader. And if they don’t know grammar, they need to learn. Would you try to be a professional golfer if you didn’t know the rules of the game, or how to swing a club? Language is a writer’s medium. If you don’t know how to use it, do something else.
Anne, great post. Thanks for putting this together. Writers need to develop thick hides, and nothing about publishing is easy. It does boggle the mind that so many folks have such pie-in-the-sky notions about how it’s going to be.
Donna–It is sad to see how many people think that self-publishing is easy. Or that they’ll get rich with one book. But a lot of people are making money spreading that kind of misinformation. 🙁
A very informative post. Thank you.
Andrew–Thanks for stopping by!
Hello Ann I guess you could say I’m new to this writing seen I’ve written tow books but never had any notion of having them published, because of the answers I’ve gotten all over the Internet when I ask about publishing a lot of it is frustrating and confusing for most. So instead I’ve been writing and rewriting the same books for almost nine years and still I don’t feel satisfied personally that they’re completely ready to be published what kind of advice would you give me as a starting writer when it comes to the publishing seen and how would you recommend to start looking for a proper publisher and editor
Alvaredy–A good place to start is click on the “How to get your book published” link on the menu bar at the top of this blog. Lots of info there. Then you might like to pick up a copy of the book I wrote with NYT million-seller Catherine Ryan Hyde. HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE; A SELF HELP GUIDE. (Links are on my book page: click on “books” and there’s a drop down menu where you can choose my books or Ruth’s.) Also check out our “Resources” page. Lots of info there, too. Best of luck!!