Survivor's Lament: On the Thorns in Flora's Garden

HALLIE: Well, our little corner of the blogsphere is abuzz this week over Kate Flora's "Here's the Truth: Staying Published is like Spending Twenty Years on Survivor" on http://www.writersplot.typepad.com/.

Kate reveals how tired and angry many published authors get at their truly shabby treatment at the hands of publishers. Yes, it's a rant--a very honest, very angry rant.

The sad truth is that it's a whole lot harder to get well published once you've BEEN published and, despite hiring your own publicist, taking book tours on your own dime, mailing postcards to the world, and and and..., your wonderful books made a less than a humongous sales splash. I speak from firsthand experience.

Yes, that sucks. By midlist book 3 or 5 you've really got to knock their socks off with something new, different, phenonenal...because why should they put their money on publishing another novel? Even if it's really really good (and it is!) they've got eight gazillion unpublished writers jostling for a chance to strut their stuff and who knows, might have written the next breakthrough book.

The notice about Kate's essay, posted in the Sisters in Crime group, seems to have inspired a rash of interest in joining Guppies (a mutual support group for the Great Unpublished). Which seems an entirely appropriate response.

Because there really is wide open opportunity out there for first-timers. But be forewarned: the higher you get, the thinner the air.

ROBERTA: I think part of the problem is there are so many writers who want to get published, that we are a dispensable commodity. I was idly wondering last week after the writers strike was settled whether mystery writers could do the same. I concluded probably not.

The publishing industry has problems right now--not enough people buying books and reading them, maybe even too many published. I don't know the answers, but I agree with Hallie: get as much support as you can (Sisters in Crime is a great way to start) and learn as much about the business as possible.

Like Kate, I get frustrated about how hard I work and how difficult it is to make a living in this business and have your work appreciated. On the other hand, I'm not ready to quit! But have I learned anything over the course of 8 published novels? As Kate says, the writing has to take top priority. And then we all have to figure out when to move on from a cherished project.

Publishers today have short attention spans and are looking at the bottom line. Even if I thought my golf mysteries were delightful and the character arc was incomplete, they weren't selling in a big enough way to compel Berkley to continue.

Thanks to Kate for opening this dialogue!

JAN: There's a great chapter in the book Freakonomics on this whole situation. It's the oversupply of people who dream about second-tier "glamour jobs," like writing books. (First tier are movie acting, professional sports, Broadway...)The truth is there is very, very, little room at the top to really make a living out of these kind of professions and no shortage of people who want to try. On the flip side, the jobs no one dreams about jobs like accounting, prostitution etc. These professionals really pay!! (career change anyone?)

I liken publishing to playing the lottery. Actually getting published isn't winning. It's being able to purchase the lottery ticket. Then you start playing the long odds.

My solution?? Sadly, I've stopped dreaming. I haven't stoppped writing, but I've stopped thinking about it as a career.

HANK: I remmber when I met some of you for the first time: Hallie, Roberta, and I think, Lynne Heitman, and Kate Flora. At Kate's Mystery Books in Cambridge, MA. It was a few years ago, when my first book was written, but before it sold. My only real connection with mystery books was reading them and loving them. And, as I've said, meeting that group was like meeting the Beatles. I couldn't believe I was actually talking to you all.

So it's good to remember that your fans have no idea of how tough it is, and just admire you for your wonderful books.

Also then, "fan" me had no idea about the rigors of publishing, or what any of you had been through or what you worried about. And I was all smiley about my prospects and Kate said something to me like, "Oh, yes, it's all fun now, but just wait."

And I remember thinking--wait for what? What could be so horrible?

Now, it's fascinating to make the change from dream to reality. And then see what that reality is. But it's kind of the same in my TV world...where every day there's someone newer or more interesting or with better hair or a different schtick. And you just have to put your head down, and keep working, and do your very best.

RO: It's difficult for me to respond to this for a few reasons. My first book just came out 2 weeks ago, so I'm still in the honeymoon period. And I know a lot of people in the book publishing world, in fact I worked for a publisher for a few years, as did my husband (more than a few years.)

I'm thrilled that a publisher said yes to me, and I feel that part of my job as I switch gears from writer to author is to help him sell the book. I don't resent the activities I engage in to make that happen. Do I wish I had more time to write? Of course. But the publisher didn't adopt me. He gave me a chance. That's why - after writing the best book I could - I dropped in on 12 bookstores in the Chicago area yesterday, had a signing in Winnetka when it was 0 degrees outside, drove 5 hours to Dayton Ohio today and I'm now sitting in a Holiday Inn after speaking to three (count 'em) people who came out in a snowstorm to hear me at the local Books & Co. The booksellers made a wonderful display and poster, and somehow found daisies in the dead of the winter. The writer wrote the book, but the author (who looks like me, and sounds like me, but dresses better and smiles a lot more) has to, in this day and age, play a more active role in its success. I'm betting on myself the same way that the publisher is.

I can imagine the eye-rolling and almost hear people saying "sure, you say that now, talk to me after 10 years." I can tell you now, if it's still fun, I'll be doing it, if it's not, I won't.

As Hank says, you put your head down, keep working and do your very best. (Although I don't for a minute believe there is anyone with better hair than Hank's.)