HALLIE EPHRON: Jane Friedman has a well earned reputation as a publishing
industry guru with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and
publishers. I try not to miss reading anything she puts out there because she's
so smart and doen't mince words.
In one of her latest missives, she declared with typical tartness:
In one of her latest missives, she declared with typical tartness:
She was on the war path against the notion that for writers, art is polluted by business concerns. She argues that while some writers are fortunate enough not to have to think about making a living wage, the rest of us need a sustainable business model that doesn't include the expectation of a six- (or even four- or five-) figure advance every year or so."I don’t believe that 'cream rises to the top' in the writing world."
In other words, making a living as a writer doesn't just happen.
She speaks from experience:
"I learned early on that if I wanted to make a living from my writing, I’d have to learn to balance the art and the business."That's what her new book is about: THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER.
In it she exhorts the rest of us to stop being so precious about m-o-n-e-y --
"To break out of the unproductive silence about what we earn and how the industry works. We have to be more transparent about what writing pays, and how it pays, and that it takes time and an informed strategy to make it pay. We may all hope that serious art speaks for itself, and once in a while that may work for the Franzens of the world, but it doesn’t work for most of us. Educate yourself on the business, and learn how to make the system work for you."In response, Jane provides a strategic, high-level look at how writers can establish a lifelong writing career.
The book is simply terrific. I only wish it had been around when I was inventing my own business model which has been a combination or publishing fiction, nonfiction, and magazine pieces, along with speaking and teaching gigs. Ever grateful that I had a thirty-year career and a wage-earning husband and, like industrious ants, we'd socked away our pennies before I took the plunge.
She addresses questions like the age-old:
- Do I need a day job? (It depends.)
- Can't I just write and leave marketing and promoting to the publisher? (No.)
Her answers are bracing. Yes, marketing is now part of the
writer's job, but that's is nothing new:
"During the Renaissance, Erasmus organized a network of agents across Europe to actively distribute his works and collect his rewards. Mark Twain’s most successful work was sold by traveling salesmen going door to door—at a time when this form of marketing was considered extremely impolite. And everyone knows how Charles Dickens released his work in multiple formats, modified his stories based on audience feedback, and masterfully used the serial to garner attention and publicity."
The book also has solid, smart advice on the nitty gritty of getting a book published. Just for example, here are the chapters that form the middle of the
book.
9. Book Publishing: Figuring Out Where Your Book Fits
10. Understanding Literary Agents
11. Researching Agents and Publishers
12. Book Queries and Synopses
13. The Nonfiction Book Proposal
14. Working with Your Publisher
15. Self-Publishing
16. Publishing Short Stories, Personal Essays, or Poetry
17. Traditional Freelance Writing
18. Online Writing and Blogging
But the final sections have information you're not going to find in the average writing book. For example:
23. Starting a Freelance Career
25. Teaching and Online Education
26. Contests, Prizes, Grants, Fellowships
27. Crowdfunding and Donations
28. Memberships, Subscriptions, and Paywalls
I'm so happy to welcome Jane and her new book to Jungle Red. She'll be dropping by this afternoon to answer questions, so FIRE AWAY!
I met JANE FRIEDMAN when she was an editor at Writers Digest Books and I was writing my
Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel for them. She was young and savvy, and in just
a few years rocketed from editor to senior editor to publisher. She's now a widely respected publishing consultant, one of
the most savvy people anywhere in the world about the REAL world of publishing. And about
writers and writing and what it takes to succeed.
You can meet her at writing conferences where she's often invited
to give the keynote, read her blog https://www.janefriedman.com/blog/ (where you can
subscribe to her newsletter), subscribe to The Hot Sheet https://hotsheetpub.com
a newsletter for authors that distills what's happening in the publishing
industry for authors. Her new book, The Business of Being a Writer, is being published by University of Chicago Press.
This sounds like an amazing resource for writers . . . .
ReplyDeleteAnything Jane says, listen.
ReplyDeleteI knew what Hallie and Ramona say is true - don't miss anything Jane Friedman says. But I didn't know about this book. Thanks for sharing, it, Hallie!
ReplyDeleteIt's literally JUST out! When Jane visits, I hope she'll tell us why she chose University of Chicago Press as her publisher.
DeleteThis is a popular (and relevant!) question I've been getting - why University of Chicago Press? Because of my history at Writer's Digest, I feel like I've been doing a good job reaching adult writers with my message and advice about sustainable writing careers. With this book, I wanted to reach early-career writers, particularly students studying at undergraduate and MFA creative writing programs. I don't think creative writing programs fully address the business challenges of the writing life, and little formal guidance is offered on the publishing industry. I'm hoping this guide, because it's rubber stamped by a university press, will be more warmly welcomed and appreciated in the writing classrooms of the world, where it can help inform and prepare writers for what comes AFTER school, especially if they're graduating saddled with debt and need to understand what a paying writing career looks like.
DeleteLooks like an amazing resource--and thanks for the links to Jane's online resources as well!
ReplyDeleteJane! So generous of you to be here today! I went to your seminar at the writers digest event in New York last year, and scribbled notes for a solid hour. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs a writer of commercial fiction who wants it to stay commercial :-) I am always wondering “what should I be doing?” What are some of the things that are must dis for people like us? Facebook? Goodreads? Newsletters? What do you think about free books? And what conventional wisdom about this part of our lives do you think is wrong?.
So wonderful of you to be here today! And now off to get your wonderful book.
Hi Hank! Delighted to be a guest here today.
DeleteWhen I'm asked, "What should I be doing?" I tend to prioritize the list like this:
1. Get your author website in order. Make sure you're not just phoning it in—have your very best copywriting (marketing copy) for your brand/your books, and have a dedicated page for each book you've authored. Also optimize your site to maximize #2.
2. Establish an email newsletter that's for readers and send regularly (at least 1x/month). Even if only 2 people are on your list, get into the practice. This is to develop a way to consistently reach readers that doesn't depend on your publisher, your agent, Amazon, etc. Email is NOT dead.
3. Pick a social media network you genuinely enjoy and stick with it. For most commercial authors, the network of choice will be Facebook, because it's biggest and most readers are active there. But if you hate Facebook, it's OK. It can be Twitter. Or Instagram. Whatever you can show up to consistently, that's the one to choose.
I think every author can benefit from doing free/cheap books, especially in advance of a new release and especially in advance on a new release in a series. E.g., do a BookBub deal for first book in a series—that's like rocket fuel for getting new readers.
The conventional wisdom that is wrong: That you have to be constantly updating your website or blogging. As long as your website is up to date with your book info or events (or whatever you put there), you don't have to be changing it and you don't have to incorporate an author blog. Online writing that's effective and meaningful requires a strategy, and unfortunately many author blogs are directionless and amount to wasted effort; it's time that would be better spent writing something for formal publication.
You are wonderful. SO lovely of you to take all this time! Thank you! May I put you on my newsletter list? :-) xoxoo
DeleteLOL, of course! :-)
DeleteAnd your book is now winging its way to me! Hooray!
ReplyDelete:-) Thank you!
DeleteI just had it sent to my son. Hope this helps him get off his duff waiting for someone to knock on the door and ask to read his books! Thank you Jane and Jungle Reds.
ReplyDeleteAnything that delivers more information into the hands of writers is huge. I remember starting out and realizing that I was entering a marketplace filled completely with individual transactions - so there was no way for me, the individual, to tell what money/marketing/publicity was a good deal or not! Publishers know what they pay for each book and what they do in terms of marketing, agents know what the clients in their agencies get, but the authors are left out to sea.
ReplyDeleteThere's a half-page table in Jane's book the explains royalties. As I was reading it, it seemed SO clear and I realized I had never really understood how it's computed before. So basic.
DeleteOops - that was me, Hallie
DeleteI so agree with this, Julia. I worked in a business where we both paid and received software royalties, but it takes me 45 minutes of drawing circles and arrows on my royalty statement to understand it, every time. Some publishers give writers sales information about their books (instead of waiting 11 months for a royalty statement), but without benchmarks to judge the sales against, the numbers are almost meaningless. It is the craziest "business" I've ever seen.
DeleteI have ordered this book. In my theater life, I spend a lot of time with artists explaining how the business does (and doesn't) work. We don't prepare folks well enough for the realities of making a living as an artist.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point, Julie - we were just in NY and saw COME FROM AWAY (Wow! Everyone go if you can!!) and later watched a video interview with one of the actresses, Astrid Van Wieren. She talked about how she wrote her own musical when she didn't have a gig. If you don't HAVE work, you MAKE IT. (If you're interested: https://www.broadway.com/videos/157991/broadwaycom-liveatfive-with-astrid-van-wieren-of-come-from-away/)
DeleteHi Jane! I'm a faithful reader of your blog and I'm looking forward to reading your new book. Here's my question: I've been a mystery author since 2003, and have successfully transitioned from traditional to indie publishing. Over the years, I've watched authors jump on every marketing bandwagon that rolls by--everyone must tour, everyone must blog, everyone must have a weekly newsletter, everyone must have 20,000 Twitter followers, etc.. Clearly, every technique doesn't work for every author (if it did, we'd all be rich!). What's your best guidance for assessing marketing techniques and deciding what's right for any particular author?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Susan, because the truth is if we all did all that most of us would be dead broke and exhausted!
DeleteHi Susan! Great question, and if I could answer with a Venn diagram, imagine these three circles:
Delete1. What marketing activities you enjoy and are sustainable for years
2. What your community of readers (or potential readers) enjoy or what they gravitate toward
3. What's working in your genre to find new readers (for lack of a better word, "trends")
#1 is important because for most authors like yourself, the best marketing is long-term marketing that develops fans who follow your work for years. It might be email newsletters or blogging. Whatever it is you know that you can keep doing.
#2 is important to ensuring your efforts are going to serve the needs or interests of your readership. E.g., you might love Reddit (doubtful, but just as an example), but it's likely your readers don't. So your activity there may never flourish in the same way as it would on, say, Facebook.
#3 is the frustrating part where you're trying to stay up to date on new ways people discover books, like through Amazon ads, Facebook ads, BookBub deals, and so on.
You can have great long-term marketing just focusing on #1/#2. If you're trying to infuse your platform or career with fresh readership or new readers, then #3 is worth the effort. E.g., right now, there's a lot of talk about AMS (Amazon ads), as well as email discount promotions. They do work, but they require time/energy to get right. Do you have to do them? No, you can profitably focus on #1/#2, but the growth will be slower and more organic.
In my mind, rising above the trends are your author website, your email newsletter, and anything you do to grow your network of connections—that would help spread the word about your existing books or future books. It's hard to make progress without those fundamentals in place, although I have seen authors do it because they have tremendous strength in other areas.
Bottom line: Focus on your strengths and sustainability for the long term. You might consider hiring help to take advantage of new trends you see that represent an opportunity to reach new readers in your genre.
Thanks, Jane! I think I actually do all right with #3. It's that newsletter that has me in a twist. I'm building names slowly but steadily. However, I only mail when I have a new release, so maybe three/year instead of monthly. I hate to clutter people's email boxes with chit-chat (because I hate MY email box to be cluttered). Why is monthly essential?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAh, I see. First, people forget that they're even on your list, so there's a greater number of unsubscribes and spam reports. Second, part of the newsletter's purpose is to keep your name top of mind with all sorts of people who might be in a position to recommend your books to others. Third, it helps increase the chance that others will find out about you due to sharing. (It's another touchpoint.)
DeleteNewsletters don't have to be long to be effective, and they can repurpose things you've shared elsewhere on social media. You can also turn it into something that helps introduce your readers to other authors' work. (E.g., do an author feature or Q&A each month.) There are ways to avoid talking about yourself or engaging in chit-chat. :)
Welcome, Jane! I need to order this. My debut comes out in August. I have an author page and some contacts because I started before the book was published. Question: As a debut author, are there some things I can do to try and make the launch of my book more successful?
ReplyDeleteMary/Liz
Hi Mary/Liz,
DeleteCongratulations on your debut! I think there are two things you'll want to establish right away if they don't yet exist: (1) Your author website and (2) an email newsletter sign-up. The third thing: Try to identify similar authors who would have the same readership as you (who may even be debuting in the same timeframe) and try to build relationships as best you can with them, whether that's in person, through Facebook groups, or elsewhere—wherever they play, you want to play to, to support them and learn from them. Launching alone is no fun; it's much better to find your "class" and launch while supporting one another.
Thanks! I should have mentioned that I do have an author site and newsletter sign up (even a few names on it). I'll have to look for fellow debutees.
DeleteMary/Liz
I generally think I should make some progress with writing before I worry about the business side of it. But are there some things I should be thinking about even as I polish my first short stories and work my way through my first novel?
ReplyDeleteRelationship and community building—that is, being seen and seeing others in the writing community related to your genre. Such foundational work helps tremendously when it comes time to publish and launch a novel. Doesn't matter if you do this online or offline, although a combination is recommended. Similar to my advice above for Mary Sutton, look for like-minded writers in and outside of your genre, read books and contact the authors with admiring notes (assuming you do admire their work), and try to exhibit all those great qualities of "literary citizenship." By supporting others and showing an interest in their work, you'll have the support you want later.
DeleteHi Jane: Not a writer, but I do have a question. Is there a wage disparity that is gender based? I see this is true in film production. I wondered if the same hold true with publishers or agents who negotiate. thank you
ReplyDeleteI've never been able to find or prove a wage disparity when it comes to book advances, but it does exist when you look at editors working at publishing houses. More here on that:
Deletehttps://www.thebookseller.com/news/pearson-reports-mean-gender-pay-gap-21-751976
Here's my look at advances by gender:
https://www.janefriedman.com/book-advances-by-gender/
Wow! Sounds like a great resource. I'm tempted to pick it up myself.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jane -- Met you years ago at the Flathead River Writers' Con and have been devouring your newsletter ever since, and just ordered the book. As a lawyer, I thought I knew how to set up a writing business -- and boy, was I wrong! Hank and SW asked my main questions, but I also wonder how to keep all the business and promo stuff organized...
ReplyDeleteI find every writer does it a little differently, but these are the tools I use:
DeleteWave Accounting: free, in-the-cloud accounting that makes tax time a breeze - and keeps the business stuff separate from the personal stuff
Evernote: I use notebooks/notes organization system for /everything/ related to my business, including book marketing. You can share notes from this system with specific people or with the public, meaning it's also a way to distribute promo materials
Acuity: for easy appointment booking and calendar availability
Thanks, Jane -- I'll check them out. My one regret from my year as president of Sisters in Crime was not being able to create a business of writing program for our members. Sounds like I'll be recommending your book instead!
DeleteWelcome, Jane! I'm buying your book today! Sometimes it seems like a dirty word to mention "business" in the context of our writing, but it is a business, and we ignore that at our own peril. I'm off to sign up for your newsletter!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! :-)
DeleteWow! This is one of those posts where the page can hardly contain all the information, and your book, Jane, sounds like it contains a wealth of information for anyone writing. As a blogger, I was interested in Chapter 18, Online Writing and Blogging. And, my son, who writes and is interested in freelance writing, would benefit from this book immensely. Looks like I'll be buying two copies. I guess my question, although I'm sure it's addressed in your book, is what's the first step a freelance writer should take?
ReplyDeleteYou're in luck, as I just posted an article at my site on this!
Deletehttps://www.janefriedman.com/what-i-earned-and-how-during-my-first-year-of-freelancing/
Thanks, Jane!
DeleteThis is fantastic! I wish I'd had it when i started out. I, too, am going to sign up for your newsletter. I'm one of the outliers - I've always thought of writing as a business first and an art second, maybe it's because I write genre fiction and not literary fiction but either way, I always knew I would have to work my butt off if I wanted a career instead of a hobby. Looking forward to reading your book!
ReplyDeleteJenn: Because of your mindset, I predict you will play the field at an advantage! :)
Delete