Blogger: Rachel Kent
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
This week I’m going to share some truths of the industry sparked by recent emails we have received here at Books & Such.
The first email went something like this:
“Writing is what God is calling me to do, and it’s the only way I’ll be able to support my family. I need you to take a chance on representing me.”
This writer is assuming that even if I am able to sell his or her book that the advance would be enough to live on and to support a family. This is almost never the case. Most established writers work a second job or are supported by the other partner in that writer’s marriage. Advances rarely come at a steady rate, and royalties are not guaranteed.
God may be calling you to write, but it’s unlikely he’s calling you to give up all of your income on the possibility of getting published. So don’t quit your day job!
Yes, sometimes people do get HUGE advances on first novels. Stephenie Meyer’s advance for Twilight, book one, was $750,000. These book deals are the exception to the rule. It’s always okay to hope and dream that you will have success in your writing, but you can’t count on success before it happens for you.
After you get that million dollar advance, feel free to consider quitting your current job, but until then, please don’t assume that financial success in writing is one published book away. (Okay, having that size of an advance might not be the goal, but publishing regularly, having a nice lineup of signed contracts and receiving significant advances are important before you set aside other income sources.)
What would define successful writing for you?
Do you need to be published?
Do you need to win an award?
What is your long-term writing goal?
Successful writing for me would be the third print run of my debut novel. I don’t need awards.
It seems that God designed me with a NEED to write–I’d probably write with blood on a banana leaf if that’s all I had. I WANT to be published. And I’m working towards that goal. I try to measure my success in terms of obedience to God’s direction and lives influenced for good–not by dollars earned.
I’m thankful for my day job. I enjoy it, and it pays the mortgage :^)
What would define successful writing for you?
I’m humble. All I would need to feel successful is to sell more books than Dean Koontz and J.K. Rowling combined.
Do you need to be published?
Need is such a strong word . . . yes.
Do you need to win an award?
The Pulitzer will suffice.
What is your long-term writing goal?
I try to be realistic; in twenty years I plan to be the leading authority on pretty much everything.
Reality: I get up at 6AM and write for two hours every day. I have a lovely family. I’m blessed beyond belief. If that’s not success, I don’t know what is.
Thanks for the insights, Rachel!
I had some success recently with the publication of a ten page history article. I hope someday to sell one of my novels-that would be a writing success to me.
It’s funny how God shows you things. When I stopped “needing” to be published, that’s when it happened. My motivation for writing was all wrong, and He pointed it out.
Nowadays, I don’t need awards. I will write rain or shine, selling or not selling. I write for His glory.
For me, successful writing happens when I touch the hearts of my readers. The method (blog, church newsletter, critique group, or hopefully someday a traditional publisher) does not matter as much as the souls of those who read my writing.
Thanks for the post, Rachel! 🙂
Simply having people purchase and read my books is reward/award enough. I don’t care if I ever win an award. I’d like those readers to come through something published as a traditional publishing deal, and am working towards that, but ultimately if they come from a self-published effort they are still readers.
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What would define successful writing for you?
Being able to make a living off of my writings which I have achived since I do earn a good living as a technical writer.
However, success for me is when the items that I write about are delivered to International Space Center. It amazing to know that the items I write about will be used in experiments that can influence the science and technologies of the future.
Do you need to be published?
Traditionally – no. Would traditionaly publishing be nice – yes.
Do you need to win an award?
Need – no. Like – yes. However, writing and editing for various NASA projects is an award in itself. However, a Silver Snoopy (NASA highest honor bestowed by an astronaut) would be icing on the cake.
What is your long-term writing goal?
1) To write crew procedures so that I can actually say I write for astronauts. Right now I do everything but.
2) To write and publish a novel (or two) in the traditional sense.
Regardless of I defined success, I suspect that once it was reached, my definition would change to be something else. What I do know is that “success” would including being published in some form or format. However, awards are not important, so we can skip them.
Long-term, I want to get to a point where writing is my primary job and not something that is squeezed in an hour or two a day.
Getting published would certainly help me feel like a successful writer. I’m having a blast writing anyway, but making a little extra cash would definitely make me happy.
I’m a full-time freelancer who makes a living off my writing, but I make it writing and editing for businesses and non-profits. And I write fiction in every spare moment I can buy, beg, or steal.
I’ve been published in numerous magazines, but never a book. I’ve won awards for both short fiction and non-fiction.
But my long-term goal is to be able to write novels full-time. Even if I don’t reach that goal, my recipe for success is simple. If I’m able to write fiction and have it published until I decide I don’t want to write anymore, I’ll have succeeded. Even if that means keeping the day job permanently or living entirely off my husband’s income.
Writing for me is a ministry. Success would be hearing back from readers that the books helped them work out some things in their lives, drew them closer to Jesus, or opened their eyes to a truth they hadn’t seen before.
I don’t need awards, not that I wouldn’t accept one, but for me, if I focus on making tons of money and winning all sorts of awards then I’ll lose sight of why I’m writing in the first place–to glorify God. 🙂
I agree with Peter above. As an unpublished novelist, success would be an agent and/or a publisher for my novel. Then success would be having my second novel published, then my third, then… It’s easy to get caught up in that mindset. Right now, I think I’ll define success as finishing a couple of novels, learning enough to make them better, and pitching them at ACFW. That way I can be a success right now. And if I can do what God has called me to do, then I am a success in His eyes. And if I’m a success in His eyes, then how dare I disagree with Him?
Love your post, Rachel! Thanks for reminding us to stay grounded and realistic.
I think success, in my case, would be publishing novels that readers tell me resonate with them. I want to follow Acts 20:24 and testify to the good news of God’s grace.
People buying and enjoying my books is my definition of success. I’m not bothered about awards. I don’t ‘need’ to be published, but I would like to be because people will have a hard time finding my books otherwise!
Success, first and last, is being a good and faithful servant through any and all words and actions. (Of which I can only be a success with Him. On my own I fail miserably.)
Writing/publishing success would be being allowed the gift of writing regularly through books, articles, and blogging with words that serve and encourage others. I’d be blessed to supplement my husband’s income and my current part-time income through writing.
I was talking to a minister who is out of work yesterday. He said, “It doesn’t matter that I’ve gone to seminary and I’ve been a minister for the past 20 years, if I’m not called to a pulpit by a congregation then God is not calling me to the pastorate.”
I have spent a lot of time learning to write novels, but God has not called any publishers to offer me contracts so he has not called me to be a published author. I am like my friend the out-of-work pastor, wondering how long you continue to pursue something that God has not called you to do.
I don’t think God wants me to sit around writing novels that aren’t going to be published. I think I might use my time more profitably (for the kingdom, I mean, not for my pocketbook) doing nonfiction of some sort. But then I look at David, anointed King but spending long, long years in the wilderness, hunted and harassed.
Of course, I never had a prophet anoint me as a novelist. 🙂
I will always write, because I love it, whether I’m ever published or not. I define success as serving the person God puts in my path each day. Sometimes I manage to serve by writing something encouraging and educational. Those are the days I feel rich and like I’m doing exactly what God has called me to do.
Speaking of awards, congrats on your client’s Christy win. I’ve just started Heartless and there’s some great stuff going on with setting and voice and fantasy creatures.
I always chuckle when people ask what on earth I’m going to do with all the money from my publishing contract. Um, I earn more working one day a week as a pharmacist. I earned more in my first job after college. Obviously, I’m not doing this for the money.
I write because I can’t NOT write. I write because the stories pop out of me.
Success for me is when readers tell me how the books touched them, saw them through a hard time, or caused them to examine their lives. That’s priceless!
My long-term goal is to grow with each book, write stories that will captivate and encourage, be a blessing to my publisher, sign more contracts, and connect with readers. All so I can continue doing what I love – writing! I’d also like to test the waters of indie publishing at some point. 🙂
I’m like Sarah–I write because I can’t NOT write. It’s who I am. I would have an easier time not breathing.
As far as successful writing, as long as I keep enjoying what I’m doing, then I’m a success. If I sell books, great. If I touch hearts, even better. The satisfaction for me, however, comes in the writing itself.
I have one published book and another under consideration with a publisher. I didn’t need to be published to feel successful, but it certainly hasn’t hurt. 🙂
I don’t need an award; though they’re nice.
My long-term writing goal is to supplement my family’s income with my writing. If I am able to turn it into a full-time career, then I’ll be thrilled; but even if I have to keep working, as long as I can still dedicate time to writing, I’m happy. I hope to be the kind of author who puts out a book or two a year like some of my clients. I don’t feel that’s out of reach for me. The challenge is waiting for the illustrations, since I can’t draw two lines.
Success isn’t defined by money. I think I am successful right now. My blog readers are growing steady. I have a good amount that I get involved with, reply to, and really feel great about what I do in my life. God has really blessed me with opportunities to review books which in turn benefits my Praise and Coffee ministry. So right now success is defined by what God has all ready made possible.
There will always be dreams and getting my novel published is one of them. And then, I’ll seek another dream…getting another book published.
My husband asked me the other day, “What if we spend all this money to get published and nothing happens?”
I shrugged and said, “God won’t waste my effort.”
Yeah, I love what I do, but I think a day job is needed. It’s how story is born.
Success is such a flimsy thing, isn’t it? I’m going through my books, picking some to go into a garage sale. How many of those writers are “one hit wonders”? How many of their books were great, but never reached the standard for earthly success? A whole lot of them.
I am a successful writer. Bold? Yes. Especially since my novel is being tweaked and edited and still no representation or publication.
So, how can I claim success? Because I write every single day. And I refuse to stop,regardless of how many rejections I get.
That is a successful writer.
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