I am often stunned by some of the misconceptions people have about people who write books. In today's blog I will attempt to correct some of the commonly mistaken ideas about those who put word to paper.
Misconception #1 - All authors earn lots of money with their writing skills. As I pulled my billfold out of my back pocket to pay for my lunch at a local fast food restaurant, I made a joke about finding enough money to pay for my meal. The clerk laughed and said, "you don't have to worry about that, you're an author. You've got plenty of money." I didn't tell her I had received my quarterly royalty check for my most recent book published by a traditional publisher the previous week. That check was for less than one hundred dollars. The fact is if one is looking for a way to make lots of money, he/she would do well to look in another direction. My wife and I feel good about how well our Davis Morgan mystery series has done over the last couple of years, but if we were dependent on the funds from those sales to support us, we would be in sad shape. It's true there is a small handful of American writers who are making big money, and a few others earning a living with their writing skills, but most of us are doing well to break even.
Misconception #2 - Any author who has completed a well written book will have no problem getting a publishing contract. It's sad, but nevertheless true that quality of writing, while it is important, is no longer the most prominent factor in getting a book published. A long time literary agent once told me that one could put together the best book ever and it still might not be published if he was not presenting it from a solid platform. Perhaps he was slightly over stating the case, but I don't think he is far from being right on target. Agents and publishers want to sell books, so they are most interested in a writer's potential to sell books. That is why media personalities, mega church pastors and such have little problem getting their books published even when their work may be inferior to that of the struggling writer who has something to say and has said it well, but still can't get anyone to read his work. Whether we like it or not, platform is usually number one on the concern list of agents and publishers. That, of course, is why social media is so important to writers.
Misconception #3 - The author who gets a contract for his book from a traditional publisher will have no problem getting his work in bookstores all across the country. My publisher uses the same distributor the larger publishing houses use to get the work of their big name authors on bookstore shelves, but the stores will most often stock the books of the big names. It will usually take a lot of work by the author to assure that his book will be widely available, and if he doesn't apply himself, he probably will only sell a few books to family and friends. That leads us to the next misconception.
Misconception #4 - Once an author's book is published by a traditional publishing house, his responsibility to that project is over. My wife's book, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHILD'S TEACHABLE MOMENTS, was published by Moody Press back in 1989. It was picked up and distributed by a major ministry and, I believe, sold somewhere between thirty and forty thousand copies. To accomplish that, she did one radio interview and one book signing. That was thirty years ago and the marketing was done almost totally by the publisher. Today the author is almost always left to plan and execute his own marketing plan. The work has just started when the book is published.
I hope I have given you a brief but realistic view of what it means to be a writer without discouraging your dreams. Despite everything I've said, I love being a writer and I am thankful that at this time in my life I have the freedom to do exactly what I want to do.
Misconception #1 - All authors earn lots of money with their writing skills. As I pulled my billfold out of my back pocket to pay for my lunch at a local fast food restaurant, I made a joke about finding enough money to pay for my meal. The clerk laughed and said, "you don't have to worry about that, you're an author. You've got plenty of money." I didn't tell her I had received my quarterly royalty check for my most recent book published by a traditional publisher the previous week. That check was for less than one hundred dollars. The fact is if one is looking for a way to make lots of money, he/she would do well to look in another direction. My wife and I feel good about how well our Davis Morgan mystery series has done over the last couple of years, but if we were dependent on the funds from those sales to support us, we would be in sad shape. It's true there is a small handful of American writers who are making big money, and a few others earning a living with their writing skills, but most of us are doing well to break even.
Misconception #2 - Any author who has completed a well written book will have no problem getting a publishing contract. It's sad, but nevertheless true that quality of writing, while it is important, is no longer the most prominent factor in getting a book published. A long time literary agent once told me that one could put together the best book ever and it still might not be published if he was not presenting it from a solid platform. Perhaps he was slightly over stating the case, but I don't think he is far from being right on target. Agents and publishers want to sell books, so they are most interested in a writer's potential to sell books. That is why media personalities, mega church pastors and such have little problem getting their books published even when their work may be inferior to that of the struggling writer who has something to say and has said it well, but still can't get anyone to read his work. Whether we like it or not, platform is usually number one on the concern list of agents and publishers. That, of course, is why social media is so important to writers.
Misconception #3 - The author who gets a contract for his book from a traditional publisher will have no problem getting his work in bookstores all across the country. My publisher uses the same distributor the larger publishing houses use to get the work of their big name authors on bookstore shelves, but the stores will most often stock the books of the big names. It will usually take a lot of work by the author to assure that his book will be widely available, and if he doesn't apply himself, he probably will only sell a few books to family and friends. That leads us to the next misconception.
Misconception #4 - Once an author's book is published by a traditional publishing house, his responsibility to that project is over. My wife's book, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHILD'S TEACHABLE MOMENTS, was published by Moody Press back in 1989. It was picked up and distributed by a major ministry and, I believe, sold somewhere between thirty and forty thousand copies. To accomplish that, she did one radio interview and one book signing. That was thirty years ago and the marketing was done almost totally by the publisher. Today the author is almost always left to plan and execute his own marketing plan. The work has just started when the book is published.
I hope I have given you a brief but realistic view of what it means to be a writer without discouraging your dreams. Despite everything I've said, I love being a writer and I am thankful that at this time in my life I have the freedom to do exactly what I want to do.
RSS Feed
