The publishing roller coaster can drive you nuts if you let it.
by Ruth Harris
I don’t really have to tell you, do I?
Success followed by failure.
Ups followed by crashes.
Sinatra sang it: Flying high in April. Shot down in May.
Moodswings.
One week you pop the Dom Perignon.
The next, you’re knee deep in rotgut vodka empties/rumpled chocolate wrappers.
You’ve lost/gained weight.
Your spouse has had it with you.
And your kids think you’re the baby.
And your dog is considering joining the military and volunteering for a suicide mission in Timbuktu just to get away from you and your publishing roller coaster.
Reviews.
Ah! Those magnificent — and totally 100% accurate! — five-star reviews. You’re up in the wild, giddy, blue yonder. Nibbling bonbons, sipping champagne and breathing the purest oxygen.
But, aaaargh! What’s this? A one-star review! WTF?
As John McEnroe used to bellow to the refs and umpires, “You cannot be serious!”
You’re insulted, furious, frothing at the mouth, impossible to live with! It’s horrible, vicious, uncalled for! Much, much worse than just unfair!
Did the moron/idiot who wrote that rotten one-star, even read the book?
Besides, what the ^%$#& do they know?
Rejection.
Another day. Another rejection. Stupid agent. Even dumber publisher. Eff them all — and the horse they rode in on.
- Your publisher who “loves” you, the one who “loves” the way you write? Suddenly doesn’t. No reason given.
- Or they’ve hired a new publisher who hates horror/urban fantasy which just happens to be what you write. Their offer is withdrawn.
- They’ve signed a hot new writer — and you’re suddenly Yesterday’s News.
- Your editor gets pregnant and is gone for the crucial lead-up to your pub date.
- Or your editor gets a better job and leaves you in the lurch.
- You’re stranded in Siberia. Your phone calls don’t get returned. The book — the one they were going to publish as a lead title, the one they were “sure” would make the NYT bestseller list — has been relegated to Nowheresville, the promo budget killed, the ads cancelled, the print order cut in half. At least.
Sorry.
Sad but true.
And very often, nothing personal.
For some healthy perspective, here’s the Real Deal about rejection.
Publishing rhythm sucks.
Too fast.
How did that deadline get here so fast?
Pub date looms — and you still need to polish/edit/write a killer ending?
As that esteemed philosopher, Yogi Berra, warned: “It gets late early.”
Too slow.
What!? It takes a year — at least — to publish a book?
Don’t those agents ever get back to anyone?
And that editor? How long does it take for her to read the revisions she requested? Really?
Yes, really.
They are not going to change. If you want to be published, the reality is that it’s up to you to adjust.
Don’t show. Don’t tell.
At least not in public and definitely not on social.
That tweet about “stupid agents” or “moron publishers” can come back to bite.
A rant on Facebook about the “dumb” revisions your editor wants is not going to go over well.
A post on your blog about the “crappy” cover your publisher approved will live on. Forever.
Go ahead and vent, but do it in private — and, please, be considerate of your nearest and dearest.
Do they really need to hear you rant and rail again about idiot agents, stupid reviewers, clueless publishers? Really?
Silence your inner critic.
You know what I mean: that stern internal voice telling you you’re lazy, untalented, unworthy, incompetent, a loser, a lightweight, a faker, a dope, a dunce, a dummy.
Almost certainly, Nathan or Nelly Negative comes from someone somewhere back in your childhood — a parent, a teacher, a sibling, a scout leader or sports coach.
When you’re facing rejection after rejection, it’s easy to be tough on yourself. That negative inner voice can interfere with your ability to persist, can curb your resilience and even limit your potential.
Psychologists have come up with several techniques that have been proven to work to silence that destructive silent critic.
Find more details about self-affirmation, reframing, and self-distancing to help shut down the endless loop of self-blame.
Down in the dumps?
We all experience normal fluctuation in moods. Good news will cheer us up. Bad news will trigger an episode of the blues.
A normal fluctuation in mood is transient and will usually respond to sensible measures.
- Exercise, get outside and go for a walk, hit the gym, or a nearby hiking trail.
- A chat with a sympathetic relative/friend/spouse can be an effective Rx against the blues.
- A glass — not a bottle! — of wine can get you through a rough spot.
- Maybe a cookie, a piece of cake or a bar of chocolate might tide you over a bout of self-pity.
- Or a modest, accessible pleasure like a cup of coffee at your favorite cafe, playtime with your dog, or indulgence in Netflix/HBO/Showtime’s latest and greatest offer the needed break from a bout of gloomy thoughts.
Or actually depressed?
Clinical depression is something else altogether. Hemingway described it sardonically as “the artist’s reward.”
You might — or might not — be surprised that depression is often linked to creativity. Here are 9 famous writers who experienced depression.
William Styron referred to depression as a “gray drizzle of horror” and wrote about his experience in his memoir, Darkness Visible.
This guide lays out the difference between sadness and depression.
Depression is serious — it can be deadly. If you are experiencing depression, consult a professional. There are a variety of effective treatments available.
Fight back by taking action.
Another query turned down?
- Consult your list of agents who rep your genre and send out the next query. Automatically. Don’t think about it. Don’t ask yourself why. Or dwell on it. Just be your business-like self, and query the next agent on your list.
- The book you self-pubbed you’re sure would be a hit, wasn’t? Here’s your chance for book rehab and a re-do.
- Go back to work even if you don’t feel like it. Turn anger/the blues into energy. As you get back to doing what you do best — write — your gloomy mood will drop away.
You will feel good about your forward motion.
Success: Here be dragons.
Don’t believe me?
You imagine that once you get “successful” — whatever that means to you — everything will be peachy-keen? Yes, it’s rewarding, confidence-boosting, and sometimes it’s even great for your bank account.
However, at a time when you are facing rejection after rejection and beseieged by self-doubt, it’s hard/impossible to realize that “success” comes with its own challenges.
Success puts a target on your back and the harpoons are out there, ready and waiting to be launched.
Why some writers find it hard to follow up after a success.
The proof? Those one-hit wonders who never write a follow-up success or even a second book. Multiple reasons for that.
- They fall prey to the Impostor Syndrome.
- Paralysis at the thought of having to compete with themselves.
- Or even to “top” themselves.
- They now have to write another book, but think it has to be “better.” Except who knows what “better” means? Certainly not the writer.
Or consider the experience of a friend who’d carved out a good career writing paperback originals. When she got a lucrative hard cover contract, she experienced a massive block.
Because she received so much more money than she was accustomed to, she thought she needed to “improve” her work. She was convinced she should aim for a new, “better,” level when, in fact, it was her ability to produce readable, entertaining books quickly and reliably that got her the contract in the first place.
Success can be as much a mystery as failure.
With success, the questions turn upside down. The difference is that instead of wondering, what did I do wrong, the writer asks himself, what did I do right?
- Was my plot better?
- The characters more relatable?
- The setting more intriguing?
- Did my writing style improve?
- Or did the book have nothing to do with it?
- Was it the cover?
- Was the marketing/advertising more on-target this time around?
- Or was the competition weaker than I thought?
- Did I up my keyword game?
Bottom line: Who knows?
Screenwriter William Goldman had the definitive answer: “No one knows anything.”
Questions with no conclusive answers can leave the author confused and filled with doubt, neither condition conducive to creative productivity.
Friends will drop you.
Don’t believe me?
A magazine editor with whom I’d worked, wrote a mystery that, in the unpredictable ways of publishing, took off overnight — hard cover publication, top of NYT list, big bucks paperback sale, foreign rights, and even a big bucks movie sale.
As the days went on, he was shocked when his old friends stopped calling. He was no longer invited to parties, to meet for a drink, to catch a movie. The familiar patterns of his life were inexplicably upended.
He told me, sadly, “You don’t drop your friends. Your friends drop you.”
What he realized was that others often can’t handle the envy. They cope by ghosting you.
My friend went on to write a series of equally successful bestsellers and retired from his magazine day job. He eventually made new friends and created a new life, but it wasn’t easy and it took time. Even so, years later, he was still nostalgic for his old life and routine.
Sorry, Prof Einstein, there’s another theory of relativity.
Relatives who ignored or sneered at your ambitions — see Anne’s post about sabotage from loved ones — now see that they were wrong.
Which is when the bleep hits the fan, because…
…people really, really don’t like to be proven wrong.
As a result, they will, in one way or another, find a way to retaliate.
- They will tag you on one-star reviews to make sure you see the awful things people are saying about you and/or your book.
- And tell you they like Nora Roberts’ books better than yours.
- Or will ask you why you don’t write like Stephen King.
- They will dismiss your publishing success and wonder aloud why you don’t get a movie deal. Of course, with a megastar like Tom Hanks starring.
- Relatives you barely know will decide they really “love” you and want to be your friend forever.
Your head will spin at the speed of the change and you will be left feeling battered in a ditch until you figure out how to cope.
Finances: Here be more, even scarier dragons.
Unless you’re a superstar, publishing advances these days are modest.
Even so…
Some — friends and/or relatives — will think you have more money than you really do. They will expect you to pick up restaurant tabs / pick up the pricey car repair bill / pay their kid’s tuition.
You are likely to face difficult choices: give in and undermine your own financial security. Or refuse and face their resentment, sneak attacks or outright hostility.
If, in fact, you do make mucho bucks, you will have to deal with unfamiliar tax issues. You will have hire lawyers and accountants and make important decisions in an unfamiliar world that can feel overwhelming.
The publishing roller coaster can be dizzying and disorienting.
Anne and I have spent decades being published — successfully and unsuccessfully. We’ve had publishers drop us, publishers go bankrupt (not because of us!), success turn to failure and vice versa. There have been hits and flops, great reviews and rotten reviews, excellent editors — and the other kind.
We’ve loved some publishers but not others, but through it all, we’ve learned through experience to keep it real.
We’ve survived — scarred but not wounded — and so will you!
by Ruth Harris (@RuthHarrisBooks) November 24th, 2019
What about you, scriveners? Have you been on the publishing roller coaster? Did you go over the moon when that publisher finally accepted your novel–only to find they were scammers or a vanity press in disguise? Maybe you landed an agent, but got dropped 6 months later when she failed to sell it? Or did the agency turn out to be bogus? Have you been published by a small press who went under? Lose your editor at a big house? Tell us your publishing roller coaster stories!
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Thanks, Ruth. You made my day. Several times as I read, I chuckled and nodded. Yeah, you’ve got it.
I especially like:
«Screenwriter William Goldman had the definitive answer: “No one knows anything.”»
Ha ha. Least of all, me.
Kathy—Always glad to make your day. 🙂 We’re in a business/art in which there are no definite answers. Just more questions. Only the strong survive!
Dragons indeed! It actually gets more difficult after that first book.
I saw an author rant about his cover on his blog and I figured that was a really dumb idea.
Now to go find a cookie…
Alex—Thanks! Yes, indeed, it gets harder & it keeps getting harder. 1) You keep raising the bar for yourself as you go along. 2)You improve as a writer and now expect yourself to “improve” your books. But how?
Enjoy your cookie. Maybe have two?
Realistic piece, Ruth. Thanks for encouraging us through ups and downs. Makes me think of a Prof. Einstein quote that goes like, “It’s not that I’m so smart… I just stay with the problems longer than most others.”
Garry—Thank *you.* Thanks, too, for the great Einstein quote. The ability to stay with a problem is key to writing—and finishing—a book. So true!
Ruth, your post is exactly what I needed. I’m in the (harrowing!) process now of querying for my just completed kidlit book – started on 8 November, it’s not even the end of the month and I’ve already racked up 6 rejections from agents who were really quick to reply (they took less than 3 days!!) – all of them, of course, using form letters… Great!
But I’m going to follow your advice. Yip, rejection means nothing, it’s par for the course!
Claude—Glad to hear the post is timely. Rejection is part of the gig. Perspective is everything. Keep going and good luck with your kidlit book!
Great ride, Ruth, the ups and the downs I enjoyed them both. I was particularly interested to see your description of the problems of success. Which I frankly had never considered. All in all I think I’ll keep trying! But maybe I can feel better about being in the middle in both ways- I mean, my family has been very supportive!
Oh, and I also have cookies right now, maybe I’ll have one.
William—Thanks! glad you enjoyed. 🙂 You’re fortunate indeed to have a supportive family…as Anne pointed out, that is definitely not always the case.
Now about those cookies: chocolate chip? a lemon bar? or, considering the season, a gingerbread man?
Decisions. Decisions.
Ruth, your post is absolutely wonderful and informative. Love your Sinatra reference and can relate to the several relatives and friends who seem to have ignored my late “calling” to this craft. Oh well. Seriously, these are wonderful countermeasures (there goes my counter-intelligence speak again) for dealing with the publishing roller coaster. Also, fascinating information about authors who have wrestled with depression.
One last thing, I know this deviates from the gist of the post but you mentioned it in passing: “How does one come up with a list of agents who could rep my genre–in my case non-fiction (travel and religion)?
BTW, I brought my wife along to read this post and she loved it. She’s a mental health nurse and was much taken with the ‘Down in the Dumps’ and ‘Depression’ sections! Bravo.
Ken–There’s a searchable database of agents, listed by what they rep and whether they’re looking for new clients. It’s AgentQuery.com. https://www.agentquery.com/ More info on our “How to Get Your Book Published” page.
Kenneth—Thanks for the very kind words. We’re in a tough business and countermeasures are essential whether or not you have counter-intel background, but I bet that helps!
As to your question about agents: If Google doesn’t pull up an answer, try Literary MarketPlace, go to Agents and do a keyword search.
https://www.literarymarketplace.com/lmp/us/index_us.asp
Good luck with your agent search, but why not also consider submitting directly to non-fic/travel/religion publishers? I say that as someone who spent time in the editorial trenches reading over-the-transom submissions, most of them hopeless from the get-go. A professional submission will stand out.
As they say, you never know.
Thanks for sharing. Glad your wife approved! Wives matter. I know, because I’m one! 😉
Ruth, such a great perspective on the whole crazy experience of being an author! You are sure right about people’s reactions, especially regarding a writing income. Half the folks I’ve run into think a published book means a gazillion dollars. Others look down their noses because I’m not with a big publisher so can’t possibly be making anything.
It helps to have a sense of humor. Define what success is for yourself–and don’t let go of it. The worst ups and downs are when we take on someone else’s yardstick as our own.
I saw an essay by former SEAL team leader Jocko Willink. He responds to every setback with the word “Good.” Got a rejection letter? Good, I can improve my pitch. Book launch didn’t go as expected? Good, I can learn how to do it better next time. That one word is a great way to focus on continuous improvement and keep your spirits up at the same time!
Thanks for always offering a practical approach and sound advice.
Carmen—Thanks! Yes! A sense of humor is crucial.
Thanks, too, for sharing that anecdote about JW. That is just brilliant and such a help! Reminds me of the famous Samuel Beckett quote: Fail better. So smart!
Oh, yeah. I see myself in a lot of this post. Had an agent for about 6 months who then told me she could sell romance but not women’s fiction, so bye-bye. Then another agent for about the same length of time who finally admitted never to have read my book and couldn’t sell it, so we parted ways. And there’s more, but I won’t bore you any longer. I SO believe the quote by William Goldman: “No one knows anything.” That’s exactly how I feel. I’ve been told so many times how great my writing is, but can I find an agent (which is what I really want)? No. Rejection after rejection. I could paper my freaking house and all the neighbors’ houses with the rejection letters I have. But I continue to write and get better and hope some day to sell more than a few books.
Patricia—Aaaaargh. Sorry you’re going through this, but Marie Force’s romances were rejected over and over. And over. She kept all the rejections and thanks everyone who rejected her books because, now she’s self-pubbing those books & making bank on stories “no one” wanted.
Stay steady and keep on keeping on. Constant improvement is the name of the game!
Smiling all the way through this read, Ruth! Yes – I have the ultimate agent story: agent had been ignoring me for two months. Finally found out he died, but he was so bad at communicating, that none of us in his stable questioned his silence! And the hits-head-against-desk marketing story: Publisher has four marketing staff. Two months before my book comes out, three out of four go on mat leave (yes, you read that right.) Poor book got practically no promotion at all, even though the one before in the series won two major crime writing awards. Sometimes this business just sucks – and it’s no one’s fault, alas.
Melodie—Now *that’s* a great story: the clients couldn’t tell if the agent was dead or alive! LOLOL (Bet s/he came back when it was time to collect the 15%, though.)
Sorry about your marketing experience. Had a similar one: as my book was about to be published, the publicity director got fired. THE ENTIRE publicity staff walked out in sympathy. No kidding. A disaster.
Basically the underling issue from the writer’s POV is that the writer goes from 1000% control while s/he is writing the book to ZERO% control once the book is out in the world. There is no way to control what agents/editors/readers/critics will do or think. That’s the crazy-making part and every writer knows it.
When in the downside of the ride, I always think (after feeling sorry for myself) what can I do. Being proactive is the key for me.
Leanne—ditto! Energy = forward motion and is the best thing we can do for ourselves.
Thanks Ruth for such a reaity check. Younger sibling actually asked me why I don’t write like Stephen King. Um…because I’m not SK? The money question also makes me laugh, It’s on record that I’ve sold 34 million books – but that’s books, not dollars. Huge international brand, teeny, tiny percentages. My take is that I’m incredibly fortunate being able to survive on my writing, pay my way through life, and all while loving what I do. That’s my definition of success.
Valerie—34 million sold is truly impressive. And you’re right, author’s share is tiny. That’s the real reality.
Probably also the same reason you don’t write like SK. 😉
Great post Ruth, I love your delivery. Yes, I’ve come across a few articles on depression associated with creatives. I think it’s because creatives are sensitive people, leaving us more susceptible to the emotions for writers and performers alike. And great summation with the Goldman quote. 🙂
DG—Thanks for the flattering words! I agree with you about heightened sensitivity leaving creative people more susceptible to depression. Although, from what I’ve read, depression is quite widespread in general. The good news is that advances in treatment now offer effective relief.
That Goldman quote is one of my favorites, so pleased to hear you also appreciate his wisdom!
Oh yes Ruth, I don’t disagree depression is widespread, and no doubts with the crazy world we’re living in. I just meant that those of a more sensitive nature are vulnerable to this condition. And yes, finally! Good news on the relief front with so much research still being done. 🙂 Take care!
So much truth in one post. Excellent job, Ruth. Here’s to more success than failure. *clink*
Sue—*clink* Thanks. Here’s to success—as long as we’re realistic about what to expect. And what not to. 😉
My book was released in August and I have to say I’m enjoying the ride. I can’t tell if this is a good ride or not but for now I don’t care. I have someplace to go. 🙂
Bryan—Congratulations! Sounds good! Your healthy perspective is also a plus. 🙂
In the field of self-publishing, which many enter and which very few survive, I have done quite well for myself. Oh sure, I don’t claim to stand on the shoulders of giants such as Robert J. Ringer and David Chilton whose books have made them millions. Nevertheless, in September 2018 my books (mainly self-published) reached the milestone of having sold over 1,000,000 copies. Moreover, for the last 5 years I was able to get myself to the enviable position of earning a better annual income than 97 percent of full time working Canadians by working only two or three hours a day. This was at the age of 65 to 70, an age when most men’s incomes have dropped dramatically. I offer these words of wisdom from people much smarter than me who have inspired me to attain the personal freedom and financial independence that I enjoy today:
“Good isn’t good enough.”
— Mark Coker (owner of Smashwords)
“Very Good Is Bad — It’s Not Good Enough!”
— Seth Godin (My favorite Marketing Guru)
“Even the most careful and expensive marketing plans cannot sell people a book they don’t want to read.”
— Michael Korda, former Editor-in-Chief at Simon & Schuster
“The shortest and best way to make your fortune is to let people see clearly that it is in their interests to promote yours.”
— Jean de La Bruyére
“In the arena of human life the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action.”
— Aristotle
“Books work as an art form (and an economic one) because they are primarily the work of an individual.”
— Seth Godin
“Writing is the hardest way to earn a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators.”
— Olin Miller
“Your success and prosperity are too valuable to depend on crowd funding or lottery tickets.”
— Seth Godin
“Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.”
— Christopher Morley
“The amount of money you make will always be in direct proportion to the demand for what you do, your ability to do it, and the difficulty of replacing you.”
— Earl Nightingale
Ernie—Congratulations on your impressive accomplishments! Michael Korda was my editor at S&S. He’s an excellent editor and himself an accomplished author. Michael, with long publishing experience, “gets it.”
Thanks for the John McEnroe reference. He was a talented player, but his behavior was awful on the court. He is quite engaging and likable off the court.
petespringerauthor—He was, as they said at the time, a brat. But, as you say, engaging and likable as well. He’s also an excellent (no BS) tennis analyst and commentator.
I can relate to just about everything in this post, and the comments, you’ve summed up the last seven years of my (writing) life in one fell swoop. With your permission, I’d like to reblog this on my website.
richarddeescifi—Welcome to the club! 😉
Seriously, Anne and I would appreciate the reblog. Thanks.
Thanks, I do like to ask. Reblogged at https://richarddeescifi.co.uk/reblogging-anne-r-allen/
Wow this blog is EVERYTHING! Can´t believe I haven´t found it earlier.
Just read a few posts and especially this one made me laugh a lot, at the same time it´s so realistic and YES it definitely feels like a rollercoaster ride to be an author. But the more I read about the hard parts in this post, the lighter got the stress on my shoulders ´cause it showed me one again that it´s totally normal and that every authors goes through these ups and downs. Thanks you for lighting up my day!
Tiziana—Thanks so much for the kind words! So glad to learn my post has lightened your stress. As we do our best to navigate a crazy business, we writers need all the help we can get!