By anoiting Travolta and K. Alley as the Ying Yang twins, I think you are totally discounting the work of Bruce Willis in LWT and LWT2. His work blazed the way for those Etrade ads….Recognize

For me writing, editing etc, is, if not exactly fun, always enjoyable. At least if I'm doing it wrong, I'm happy, and pleased with my, so far, six novels.
Now writing queries is not fun so I don't do it. Hmm, maybe that's where the BIC comes in.

Wonderfully honest post. :D

I'm 14, and I'm acutely aware that sitting in front of a computer screen with aching eyeballs, waiting for words to pop into my head is not what the typical teen is doing in their afternoons.

But it's what I do, and I love it, despite the agonizing and the fretting and the aching eyeballs that are screaming for eye-drops.

I posted a post about the elusiveness of inspiration awhile back (http://wp.me/pCSPr-9F), and I'm going to have to edit it to add a link to this post!

I write for a living (not novels)/work from home and sometimes I'm relieved when inspiration leaves me so I can concentrate on my WORK, like, work-work. Stuff that pays the bills, even though it's not nearly as much fun. Sometimes I have to remind myself that balance is necessary and I must enforce boundaries to restore that balance.

Like when I haven't WORKED all day (or all week) cause I've been workin' on the novel. Or I start to feel the distance between my husband and me because I've been workin' on the novel. And maybe this means I'll never finish, or I'll never be published, or whatever. I'm okay with that.

I have a file of 'story ideas' that strike me when I'm doing something else. I've juggled more than one writing project at a time, but I don't prefer it. I like to focus on one and get it done, then move to the next. I work faster that way. Plus I'm able to have just one story in my head all day and work through plot holes, visual missing scenes, or realize a mistake I made. Anything new pops up, I jot it down in my 'future book' file and keep trudging with the current one. Life is distracting enough without my creativity pulling me apart.

Great post, although to be fair, if you have a laptop, you can write outside on beautiful days. (I've found it sometimes helps me to do so, because it takes away any resentment I might have toward missing the weather.)

My writing process doesn't work like this very often either, something I've been thinking about lately because I haven't had a Eureka moment for a while. Sometimes there are scenes that flow out of your fingertips and are beautiful and perfect, but the rest of the story around it requires a lot of hard work and BIC-time.

@Linda Godfrey: LOL! I used to be a substitute teacher, and middle schoolers are why I decided to become a librarian instead. Even if I've put them behind me, that's a good adage to remember.

DMMIJGTSATBCSUITOS. that's definitely my working process too. at least there's an acronym for it now! yay!

B.I.C. must be adhered to at least once a day and something must be accomplished which will advance either the novel in progress or another writing project (short story, blog, or another novel.) That's my writing work ethic.

I'm embarking on the revision trail, and I'm starting something new - different genre, which is a great incentive to stay in that chair.

I have to admit that I like going for walks, and getting in touch with the 'outside world'. I get some great ideas simply by observing. Walking also remedies the side effects of too much B.I.C.

Writing time is a gift I give myself. I don't like to waste it.

Thank heaven I'm not the only one.

"If writing is always fun you may be doing it wrong."

Ha! This is the best line I've read in a long time.

BIC-wonders what I can accomplish 40 minutes b/4 LOST starts?

I actually recently blogged about this very topic in response to feeling frustrated with my writing group because I feel very much on a different commitment level than most people I know who love the idea of writing.

I decided this: If you want to be a writer, you must write. I think this should be handed out to every English, Poetry, and Creative Writing major on a little business card with gold foil and deckle edge. It is not enough to envision someday being published. You can say, “I really need to start writing that novel/screen play/short story.” But until you actually sit down and write, you are not writing.

Regardless of how much time, hobbies, and sanity that must be given up, I wouldn't have it any other way. I think that not everyone is truly cut out for this, and that is absolutely ok. Not everyone can be electrical engineers either. Or spinal surgeons or world class chefs. When did writing become an "everyman" profession?

I'm so inspired and awe struck by those people who sit down and do it, every day, no matter what, and even after the first book is sold and published are still willing to sit down and do it all over again.

I've gotta disagree with one thing... the weather being nice. One of the best parts about being a freelancer and wannabe novelist is that my office can be anywhere, and when the weather is nice, that's outside. I can sit on my porch in the sunshine, watch the kids run around, and still write. Which is why, even if it doesn't usually pay well, it's still the greatest job in the world.

Great post, Nathan. Writing is painful for me. Painful. But there is nothing else I'd rather do. And it IS baseball season, so that's saying a lot.

Actually, writing is always fun for me. It's the revising that kills me!

Yes, writing/revising/querying/waiting is hard. But so is life. If you want it bad enough, you'll have to do the work.
Thanks for the post, Nathan. Brilliant like always.

Isn't writing at its worst more fun than reading query letters?

That Golden Gate photo is giving me vertigo. And thoughts of Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes. When I should be thinking about WRITING! Hitchcock was right about blondes.
And JohnO, it's International Orange. Really. That's the color of the paint. Somewhere in between Nathan's shirt and the Curtis Brown logo. Don't ask me why I know that. More interesting but irrelevant research, probably.

Oh; and here I just thought the dang thing would write itself while I was off earning a living.

My bad.

......dhole

OMGTWISNTBICGOBINTW: "Oh my god the weather is so nice today but I can't go outside because I need to write."

That's why my scheduled writing time is after dark. (Or lunch break, where "outside" means "surrounded by cement".)

Henceforth my sole writing utensil shall be BIC brand ballpoint pens.

absofrickinlutely Nathan. I'm fortunate that I can write ANYWHERE and ANYTIME however I also write everyday..so the laptop is my best friend...ya gotta get possessive about your writing time...it's your work!

Breeze

I'm nearing the end of a 100 day commitment to work on the rewrite of my trilogy every day. I'm in the middle of doing some really hard work, putting in a lot of hours. BIC is the only way I'll finish on time. It's good to remember that everyone has to do it.

Well, it sure as hell isn't always fun for me, especially since I've been seating my butt in the chair (or on the couch) and writing every work night and all day on weekends. I've yet to scream 'MONKEYS!" on the street... or anything else, for that matter. i do think balance is important. Like, getting out on that lovely day for an hour before you start writing, but having the discipline to go back inside.

Oh, and using an Alphasmart when writing to avoid the temptation of the internet. :-)

But what if you can't sit on your butt? ;)

http://boxingoctopus.blogspot.com/2010/04/in-defense-of-sitting-on-your.html

My 'eureka' moment came the day I realized I could harness the immense amount of stubborness I inherited and put it to good use. Butt has been in chair ever since. :)

So true Nathan. I'm always saying BIC.

Also, Write Here. Write Now.

Am I the only lunatic here that actually enjoys revising and editing?

Related to Anon@2:43, the need for creative downtime...writers need patience. We think of the need for patience when dealing with querying and subbing but I think it applies to the actual writing as well. Sometimes you have to be patient and give the ideas time to come. You have to be patient and not rush through revisions because you are so ready for the book to be finished. It doesn't get finished that way, not properly anyway.

I see writers who rush the process, and it's a pity. They don't have the patience to make their book as good as it could be. Thoughtful work is often time-consuming.

This is one I wrestle with all the time.

I prefer the term: BICHOK--BUTT IN CHAIR, HANDS ON KEYS.

And yeah, IWRBPAFIMEBIW--I would rather be poking a fork in my eyeball but I am writing.

AACK.

Definitely agree with Other Lisa. I think one of the points of confidence as a writer is knowing that your brain is always working even when you're doing something else and not feeling the pressure to come up with an idea on the spot. Nothing solves a thorny plot or narrative challenge like a little time taking a walk or sleeping or whatever unlocks your brain. It's a tricky balance between forcing yourself to sit down and just write and letting ideas marinate and being patient.

It reminds me of something my husband said to me the other day.
"It's a good thing you're married to kind of a jackass, because you need someone to nag you to finish your books."

I think I'll tell him about BIC; It's less profane.

Ha-ha! I totally agree, and thanks for the reminder! Although I think I need my own acronym: BICID. Butt In Chair, Internet Disabled. Blogs like yours are great, but all the reading and commenting sometimes sucks up all my writing time. I need to develop more discipline in that area.

What, you mean there isn't some magic pill we can take?

Sadly it's true. I've worn my bum bones down to my ribs this week. or rather — up.

When finally I rose from my seat last night, a magpie flew through the gap.

Great post Nathan. It came at the right time for me. Just started a new project, and right now its fun. I need to remember BIC when writing starts feeling like work. Which is probably going to be soon.

As someone else on here also mentioned...I think taking breaks from our WIPs is important in the creative process as well.

Well, I'm off to start another chapter. Hopefully its as easy to write as the last. If not, I will remember BIC. And I will prevail.

Thanks for that. Just what I needed to hear as I'm holding my eyes open with one hand and typing with the other.

YCNSUYFTC: You can not sleep until you finish this chapter.

Done! Goodnight.

Perhaps I’m just delusional, but I really think my procrastination time is as important as my writing time if I balance it correctly. My ideas notebook is all crinkly and half the writing is almost illegible due to treadmill, beach and shower scribbling. There are times when I have to acknowledge things have become farcical (I live in the Middle East and actually watched a soap opera in Arabic yesterday- I don’t speak Arabic) but on the whole downtime can be rather fruitful.

It’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I will admit, however, that there is nothing quite like forcing yourself to push through a seemingly solid wall and making it out the other side. Then you can start on the next wall.

There's a nail quivering in a metaphorical board somewhere, going
"Huh? What was that that just smacked my head with such a powerful vigour?"

Nice article. So what are your writing projects? Sharesies?

There are a few more acronyms I'd sugest, but I'll limit myself to one -
OHOINTRMEW
Oh, Hang On, I Need To Recode My Entire Website.

That's me done.... Oh. Wait.

SUKITTW-W-YDIGPWT
Shut Up, Kids, I'm Trying To Write - What - Yes, Dear, I'll Go Play With Them.

There. Done.

Thanks Nathan , your post reminds me not to get spooked by all the writer /bloggers out there who are constantly purging themselves of fully realised and divinely profound novels etc . The 'butt' should have time to grow and develop long before the ego .

I don't know about other writers but BIC would be a lot easier to accomplish if I had SFF (Supportive Friends and Family). I think I'm the only writer in my family and among my friend circle, so they don't get this whole writing "thing." They don't get why or how you barricade yourself in your house for an entire sunny weekend because you need to get more chapters in. Or why when they call to tell you about their latest drama, you can't always answer the phone. Or why you may be out of touch for periods of time. All this for a "hobby." Sometimes they make you feel bad for not being there or rub it in your face when you missed out. uggghhhh.

I've come to the conclusion that I need more writers in my life. And I'll need to marry an artist of some kind. Someone who understands and can relate to my BIC insanity.

If people can do it really well why is my stuff always awful when I review it? BIC - Butt on seat and COS - Crap on screen!!

The internet was down at work yesterday. So I had oodles of free time and nothing to do. (Essential Japan pays me and often gives me nothing to do.) So I reread my novel, which I'm in the process of editing.

My neighbour was like "Why would you read your own novel?"

Clearly, he thinks a novel just jumps out and gets published on a first draft.

Thank you for this post Nathan!!

and the comments too! Many times I've seen on forums etc where people have said a]they absolutely love writing and it's so much fun etc. b] If you're not having fun you should stop writing!


"If writing is always fun you may be doing it wrong."

This shall be my refute forever more!!

The eureka moment helps and may even be almost essential. But it's of little value if it occurs somewhere remote from the writing desk so that by the time you get there the mood has gone. So, yes, BIC.
The best part is when, after the slog of painfully developing an idea into something that has some momentum, the process of writing itself generates the eureka moments.

I get what you mean! Every time I put together a query letter and press the send button, I always get so stressed that I feel like puking. Man, anyone who thinks writing can be easy has some more thinking to do.

I find writing the rough draft fun. You don't have to force me to sit in the chair on a nice day. I want to do it. If my kids and the dogs and the damn telemarketers that call 700 times a day would leave me alone, it would be even better.

As someone said above, the part that isn't fun is rewriting. That's when I have to force myself to sit down and do it. The writing part, yes anyone can do it. But only the truly devoted (and perhaps talented) can sit down and rewrite it into something worth reading.

Philip Pullman said

I don't know where my ideas come from, but I do know where they come *to* : they come to my desk; and if I'm not sitting at my desk, well then they go away again

I've also seen BICHOK around the interwebs a lot (Bum in chair, hands on keyboard) but I quite like Bryce Courtenay's phrase "bum glue."

Thanks Nathan. You summed up my vibe this morning. I'm up early to revise and...not so into it. But I love Jane Yolen. And she's right. Right? I'm pretty sure. She must be. Right?

I've been suffering from DMMIJGTSATBCSUITOS a lot recently.

It sucks.

I'm sure the greatest strength of a writer should be... talent...

as my Momma used to say- "ten dollars love you long time"... hang on... as my Momma used to say "you can't make a silk purse from a sows' ear"...

unfortunately, my greatest strength is... producing cabbage scented farts so strong my neighbours occasionaly call in the bomb squad. Apparently the stench is so great next-door-but-one thought I was producing mustard gas, and they've started greeting me in the street, not with "Yo Sam", but "Yo, O-Sama"... Maybe I should trim my beard...

Love all the new acronyms. I have adopted Butt in Chair myself. Frequently. But the toughest part of BIC is the closely-related Butt in Chair without Clicking Out of Word to Twitter, Blog, Facebook or Email. BUCWCOOWTTBFOE is complicated by the fact that I love reading entertaining posts like this one on how to write more productively.

If I were a crowd, I'd be going wild right now.

This was perfect.

I must be revising right because it ain't no fun ... at all. Ugh. I want to be done.

Or how about IKTKARHBIRHTW: I know the kids are really hungry, but I really have to write.

@Mary MacDonald--that is a great link to the Write or Die Dr. Wicked software. I'm buying the desktop version and I'm going to post it on my blog. Great find!

Jerkwad zombie vampires. Hmm...

Other Lisa, Natalie, Nathan: this is Anon@2:43. Thanks, you've all expanded on what I was trying to say. It's easy to become so obsessed with the BIC mentality that you burn yourself out. As Other Lisa said, don't rush the creative process. Impatience can suck all the joy out of writing. Give your brain a rest when necessary. Not only will your work will improve, but your overall well-being will, too.

The tricky part is separating the times when you are just being lazy from the times when you honestly need to take a break. It's a lot like a gym membership. There are times when you may flirt with the idea of skipping the gym, but force yourself to go and are glad you did once you get there. Then there times when you know you need to stay home and rest because you're truly exhausted and would probably lift incorrectly and hurt yourself. Separating the two times is where the self-discipline kicks in.

That goes to show my Willpower could use a bump (or two). Or is it my Faith that needs it? No matter, I've not written a single creative string of words other than a couple of transcendental poems (where's that market?).

But that's not what is bothering me today. What is bothering me today is THE ROAD: A Comedic Translation (Part 5) posted on The Millions. Part 5, mind you! Why oh why?

Needless to say I do not see the comedic/entertaining value therein, rather find such work sacrilegious. If they (any 'they') will poke fun at Cormac McCarthy's best work to date... why write at all?

OM...with summer on its way, your OMGTWISNTBICGOBINTW totally got me!! And with the kids bellowing at the top of their lungs it will be hard. I'll just have to exercise BIC. ";-)

Yes yes yes, BIC every night. Even if productivity doesn't rear it's beautiful head, I assume the position!! Thanks again for encouraging all of us.

There's no substitute for hard work.

Another great post, and you couldn't be more right. The best feeling in the world for a writer is that "After BIC" feeling.

Love it. My new motto! May I suggest BIC be coupled with QYB for BICQYB... But In Chair Quit Your Browser.

I need more willpower to keep myself from surfing. I've had to resort to unplugging my internet connection. Also, love the bridge visual - that's exactly what it feels like - Brent

Ooops, I just realized that link didn't work.

Here you go, Nathan. ^__^

"If writing is always fun you may be doing it wrong."

Perfect quote. Sometimes it hurts. When it hurts is when I feel like I'm doing my best work.

And this is why I love this blog. When I'm feeling like a failure, Nathan shows me that I am not alone - that others are going through the same process as me. Thanks!

I can do the BIC. I've been a want-to-be-writer for decades. I just wish I could get past the ugly doubts and insecurities.

Too hilarious! Thanks for making me laugh today. Nice antidote for those days when I spend hours (and I do mean hours) on just a handful of verses.

I'm constantly reminding myself to get my BIC! Sometimes (ok, all the time!) I want my words to come out perfectly in all the right places the first time. Since that never happens, I struggle to get my rear on my zebra-striped chair to write no matter how I'm feeling.

BIC. BIC. BIC. Repeat! Oh, all right I'll get back to writing now. :)

DMMIJGTSATBCSUITOS: "Don't mind me, I'm just going to stare at this blank computer screen until I think of something."

This is me, 98% of the time - or at least, it FEELS like 98%. Realistically? Probably 97%.

Oh well.

Strangely, I've never heard it put like that, but from now on BIC will have a place on a sign above my computer.

Ah, such good advice. Now I just need this telepathically sent to my brain every morning when I wake up.

Mary McDonald,what an awesome site. I'd never heard of Write or Die, but I just went there on kamakazie/evil for ten minutes and it does delete your words! But I got alot out of my brain, so it was wonderful!

Scarlettprose, you are right on. No one wants BGB! Excercize is awesome for inspiration and calorie burning.

Writing for me is like treasure hunting. You do a lot of digging and sift a lot of dirt, but inside you have a hunch there's treasure "in these parts". Then, you hear the metallic sound of iron on precious metal and off you go collecting whatever it is you've found. Sometimes it's close to what you were looking for, other times not so much. But it's all valuable to some degree, nonetheless.

That's why I have to thank you, Nathan, for helping me pull together what I've been trying to say with my latest book. It wasn't exactly from your message, but you mentioned "willpower" and that got me digging around the word. What I found underneath was very, very valuable.

If you dig enough, you find. The more you find, the more you know there is more to find. That not only gets your butt in the chair, it makes you carve out the most precious commodity of all––time––to do it.

Must admit I do not do BIC enough. But for now...eh. Writing's important but not utmost priority. Another 2.5 or so months and there shall be a summer consisting largely of writing. And after, well, we'll see how university goes.

Okay, I'm late to the party (again)- I actually had my BIC in the emergency room yesterday with one of my kidlings (she's fine, and learned a valuable lesson: playing human bobsled in a laundry basket is darn fun...but not smart).

I read that when Sara Gruen was writing Water for Elephants, at one point she literally locked herself in a closet with her laptop for hours on end so she could work on it. It was that, she said, or not work on it at all. Butt in Chair in Closet (BICIC!) worked for her.

When I tell people that I write novels, they get all excited at the sheer glamour of it, which kills me. Once I tell them that I do the majority of my writing in my pajamas, with coffee stains on my notes, my hair in a sloppy ponytail and my ratty slippers on, it loses its charm for them. But not for me. That's what makes it so wonderful. And awful. And everything in between.

Oh- the line about writing being fun all the time? Yeah. Totally on a Post It over my monitor. That's ripped from the fabric of sheer awesome, right there :)

Internet hive mind! (I just posted about this.)

Willpower, stamina, resilience. Just a few of the qualities that help you keep going.
;-)

Hmm. Was waiting for the part about then needing willpower to withstand all the "I regret that" messages or weeks of waiting for no response at all from literary agents...

You are right, of course. I didn't see your post until today but it was what I needed yesterday, a day I suffered through a pity-party. Oh boo-woo.
So today I decided that yesterday was a Personal Day, and today I am back to work. Writing is a job, and you can't get it done unless you show up for work.
Today is a work day.

If writing is fun you may be doing it wrong...he he...or something like that...

Yeap! For me, BIC is the hardest but once I am sitting and write my first paragraph, I am off and I just can't believe I was having a BIC crisis just five minutes ago!

Glad to hear others feel the same! Yay!

So what you're trying to say is that I can no longer use the excuse of being distracted by shiny things? That's it's really just all up to me and my bum and my chair and my computer?

Le sigh.

Am going to need a comfier chair cushion....looks like me and my chair are about to become one.

I don’t quite understand this post. Maybe it is humorous but I don’t get it. Writing has always been fun for me. Although it is a short while that I’m thinking of publishing, writing itself has been my happy place since I was ten, and I’m thirty seven now. I don’t recall one moment that writing was dull or that I would rather do something else. I have to summon willpower to get up and do something else. Whatever you say I’m doing wrong, it’s so delicious I’m going to keep doing it wrong!

You make me feel MUCH better about myself as a writer, Nathan. :] I absolutely love writing and always have, but there are just some days when I simply don't feel like doing it. I get guilty about that sometimes, but your post makes me feel a lot better about that.

And I do have those EUREKA! I'VE GOT IT! moments but they don't come around TOO often. So it is very special indeed when they do. :) And then I write right like crazy.

A. MEN. Writing has been one cardboard cookie after another for me lately. My muse has taken an extended vacay and left me here without her. Unacceptable, I tell you! If I wait for her to be back, there may be 200 books like mine published before I even finish my rough draft, so onward I go. BIC. Yeah, I need to practice more of that. Well, more BIC, less BICIFOT (Butt In Chair In Front Of Television).

Great post Nathan. You captured the true journey of a writer. I can relate to every word.

The last bit of this talk is relevant to BIC:

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

olé!

The complete phrase as I've heard it (and it's rather a mantra of mine) is BIC, HOK, TAM: Butt In Chair, Hands On Keys, Typing Away Madly

Your letter combos are hilarious. As to masochism. Well...yes. But if you can be talked out of being a writer you shouldn't be a writer. Creating worlds where your characters live and breathe is an amazing feeling that can't be matched. All the masochism in the world is worth one moment of that sort of amazing.

One of my favorite quotes on being creative is: "It's tougher than Himalayan yak jerky in January. But, as any creative person will tell you, there are days when there's absolutely nothing sweeter than creating something from nothing." I don't think anyone has said it better than Richard Krzemien. Anyhow, from reading your blog I thought you would appreciate the quote as well.

Take care!

Luc Reid explores this topic in-depth on an ongoing basis at http://www.willpowerengine.com/

just saying... :)

I agree that writing is hard work. And that even the days when all I produce is drivel and where the delete key is my friend, a bad day of writing is better than wishing I had written. I keep my butt on the ball (balance ball, no chair) and fingers on keyboard. Hey, when nothing is going smoothly, I can always bounce on the ball and pretend I'm riding a horse!

Hah!! this is so true! ;)

I must say, I'm so grateful that you and other agents and writers make posts like this. It just reminds me that I'm not alone. I've been editing my MS for the past six months and I've been wanting to jump off a cliff I hate it so much, but posts like this one remind me how much I truly love it and that, like you said, if writing is always fun then you may not be doing it right.

Thanks Nathan!

Thanks for the positive post! It's a refreshing change.

A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future.”
Sydney J. Harri

Well, you've gotten me very excited! It is a great time to be an author! Thanks!

Finally, a positive note!

May you live in interesting times.

Agreed! I, for one, love my Kindle and the Star Trek way it makes me feel. :-)

Is it a great time to write query letters? 'Cause I'm having a whole lotta no fun revising mine right now.

thermocline-

It's not a sunshine era for query letters at the moment, I'm afraid. It's tough to get through right now.

That makes me feel a lot better!

Besides, I like the idea that this is an era where maybe writers can't seclude themselves in a cabin all day long, but they do have control of their 'destiny'--they can use virtual marketing to their advantage. And that's pretty neat.

Thank you, Nathan. You're the first (I've read) on your side of the industry saying, "Hey, guess what? There are no sides to the industry. There's one industry that supplies written work to readers."

For writers, the more avenues to success, the better.

Nathan, I agree 100%. It won't be long before a class of "unpublished" writers will emerge from the clutter, home-built fan base in tow, making a living from e-book sales and proving the established model isn't the only way to carve a niche.

Of course it always comes back to the quality of storytelling.

matt-

Exactly. And I have to say, I'm really looking forward to an era where I don't have to just man the queries, but can find writers who have achieved a certain level of success on their own but need someone to translate that success into a better deal, more $$, and more opportunities. That's where agents come in.

Bless you for posting this: all the negativity was starting to get to me. :)

I agree with you. This is a great time to be an author. Remember film cameras? Oh my I can't go back. It's digital all the way. It will be the same with books. Bring. It. On.

That future doesn't sound so bad to me, with everyone getting a shot at the golden ring. Humans are very adaptable when needed.

I'm not sure I like the idea of mass choice selection. The reading temperature of the public-at-large doesn't always equate with good literature or good writing.

This is something to think about in depth, as I continue revising the WIP.

You darn optimist, you.

I kinda like the idea, like you. But I'm new at this and I'm standing here with my manuscript in hand trying to jump on this train, not knowing where to jump. Not being accustomed to the old way means I'm even more free to take the new way. Does that mean I should jump into authonomy.com and weedle my way up to publishability? Is my query letter mill obsolete?

D. G.: But it also makes available books that appeal to niche audiences. Yes, they won't sell a bunch of copies, nor will they support the author in a full-time job, but the books will be out there.

Nate: I'm glad these changes will make your job more enjoyable. I can't imagine it's much fun to tell a lot of people no, but trolling the web for hidden jewels...it makes me want to become an agent. Well, maybe not, but I'm at least going to look for these treasures and write them up on my blog.

Oh, and I have a question for you, Nate: I had a YA novel published last year by a now-defunct small press; the book has gone on to get uniformly nice reviews and just won an award. I guess it makes sense to go the traditional route for the companion/sequel that I'm about to send out, even if it takes years. What do you think?

I think that's pretty great, too!

Personally, for all it's worth, I think these next five to ten years will prove to be the best era for authors in the history of publishing.

Those who write what people want to read will have the world at their feet. Stories that resonate with an audience will be unstoppable.

Of course, it helps to have one of those stories. Which kinda leaves writers like me living with the usual unproven writer's fear! :)

I agree with you. There are so many opportunities for writers to get published and find readers today, it’s mind-boggling. With my own books available for practically all e-reader devices, I’ve thought about starting up the book promotion campaigns that led to lots of paperback sales for me back when POD was the brand new thing and distribution was readily available for small press books. It was fun to receive emails from people and libraries all across the country that had purchased my books, and to hear that kids were doing school book reports on my middle grade novels. I hesitate to put too much money into a lot of book promotion at this point in time, though, because I know what it’s like to lose access to the distribution channels. Right now, with all the publishing wars over eBook prices and distribution channels, I’m waiting to see how it all shakes out before spending money on more promotion. Instead, I’m spending time editing my latest adult science fiction novel with plans to query literary agents when it’s done.

Despite the many ways to get published today, or maybe because of the many new authors resulting from all those ways to get published, many best-selling authors don’t actually make that much money. Recently, a few YA authors whose books made the New York Times Best Seller List posted discussions of how much money they had actually made on each of their books. They made less money than a lot of low-paying jobs. And best-selling author Cherie Priest - who also has a day job - recently blogged about how she can’t afford too much dental work because she doesn’t have enough health insurance. All of this made me realize that being a best-selling writer today is NOT the same as it used to be even a few short years ago. I think today a writer needs to be much more interested in writing itself than in making money from their writing, in order to have the best chance of ever succeeding at a writing career.

Nick wishes he could be so optimistic. But on a good day, Nick doubts that a changed landscape could land him anywhere near what his brain deems to be "any degree of success". And as of late, I've just lost it. I want to write, but the moment I contemplate doing so, the drive's just gone. Oh well. Suppose my mood'll shift eventually. Hopefully soon, for the sake of my book.

Couldn't agree with you more. I blogged about this from a writer and editor's perspective at http://www.sarahcypher.com/2010/02/04/i-think-so-too/ -- thanks for your hopefulness.

You know, I never really thought about it being super positive, but now I do. I have the desire to put my stuff out there. I want it to be for the right reasons, like the writing really snared an agent and/or publisher who loved it, but I know that's a subjective deal if the craft is decent. And I've read my fair share of published print dreck and wondered why not me when it is not always dreck (okay, the first book I wrote DESERVED the rejection but not all of them)? So maybe if I look at this the way you stated, I can see a way to achieving my dream albeit in a different way than I had envisioned. I also know readers are frustrated, too. This might be the way for all of us to find an audience and for readers to get their paws onto new books that they're excited by as well.

Thanks for this post. I needed it.

I agree. It *is* a great time to be an author.
:)
G.

Yay!
Also an optimistic note tonight from Canongate publishers interviewed on TV. Old style books are great, new style books are great - all books are great.
AliB

I've recently noticed through Internet discussions that at least one literary agency – The Knight Agency – has started building a relationship with very small indie publishing houses. Having many books on the New York Times Best Seller List, The Knight Agency now also has quite a few books, including some new novels written by Deidre Knight, published by Samhain Publishing. This is the first example I’ve seen of a literary agency throwing a huge amount of support behind a very small publishing house formerly known mostly for eBook publication.

JUST what I needed to hear. Over the last year I began to wonder if I made the right decision about becoming a writer (even though there's really nothing else I want to be doing). From reading all the agent/publisher blogs you'd think the age of the author was over. That's so not the truth. Yes, the business is changing and e-books are gaining speed, but that doesn't mean that all hope is lost for us writers. It's actually quite an exciting time.

Thanks for this positive post!

Thanks. I loved this post.

I just want the E pubbers and e readers to get crackin' on providing high quality illustrations for their publications/devices!

Look to your right, see the little guy in the boat reading? Why can't an e reader/pubber produce that... Hell, I'll take it in black and white!

Haste yee back ;-)

I'm going to be the miserable negative bastard and say... what I can see ahead are some gems getting a deserved audience, along with a tidal wave of crap rolling towards unsuspecting readers. Readers who don't care anything about a publishing imprint or even know what it is, are going to care a whole lot more as soon as they've got stung by downloading a poorly edited book. For authors, it's going to mean the risk being shifted from the publishing house to the writer, so writers will *have* to have a self publishing success before they can win a contract. All joy to the extroverts who love nothing more than marketing their work. For thoughtful introverts, who may have huge talents, this new era is going to be much less promising.

michael-

I agree that's the downside. It presents an opportunities to publishers, who can offer readers trusted brands, but it's going to be a challenging landscape for readers to negotiate, especially in the beginning. I'm guessing, though, that word of mouth and go-to sites will arise to propel the cream to success (even if the author of one of those books happens to be an introvert).

But I agree it's not going to be an easy time for the "just an authors," and I hope the average reader will still trust that there are gems among the muck. And try to find them.

@Michael:

I will buy the occasional book based on marketing. But usually it's more a trusted word-of-mouth network that entices me to fork out some cash.

If you write a good story and people tell me it's a good story - I'll seek you out. I couldn't give a rat's arse if you can do great accents at a book store reading or leave a crowd at a literary festival in stitches. First and foremost I'm seeking a good book.

It is great! And let's keep in mind that a book doesn't have to be a bestseller to be a success.

Almost every day I get an email from a reader who reports having a laugh or being inspired by Bastard Husband: A Love Story. My self-published book is the impetus behind my upcoming one-woman show—how’s that for an opportunity of a lifetime?

A bestseller? Not yet. A success? Definitely. It's an amazing time to be an author!

Nathan,

I think one thing that keeps getting over-looked in all this is the assumption that everyone (or almost everyone) is going to have an e-reader. Really? Even if the price-point drops to $100 or a bit lower, that's still pretty steep. And then there are the individual investments per title that will have to make on top of that. It adds up quick.

A LOT of people still buy books used, or wait for the cheaper mass market paperback, or go to the library because those are what are in their budget. The belief that, somehow, e-readers are going to dominate the reading landscape is a bit idealistic. Maybe if/when they get to the point that you can pick them up as cheaply (and use them nearly as universally) as a cell phone it will hold a bit more water, but guess what? There are lots of people (here and around the world) who still can't afford cell service, either, and phones are a bit more critical than books for a lot of folks.

Fact of the matter is you are still going to be seeing old-fashioned codexes dominating the landscape for a looong time. Yes, the more affluent may prefer to go with e-readers, but the technology will be out of reach for many for a long time to come, I think.

As for authors getting their work more-or-less directly to readers via e-readers: no thanks. As both an author and a reader, I *like* that there are gate keepers who both police for editorial as well as artistic quality. Yes, some good (maybe even great) work falls through the gaps, but a lot more dross is filtered out by agents and publishers. You yourself have shown that with your break downs of what you request vs. what you are sent. The ratio is daunting. I don't want to have to become a part-time slush/review reader simply so I can find a decent novel to read -- with everything else in my life, I don't have time for it.

I appreciate the optimistic take on things, but given your well-documented love for e-books & readers already, I think your glasses still have a little too much rose tinting in them. (But that's not to say that mine don't have an over-abundance of cloudy gray in them, either. :)

I'd second that, but it looks like many others beat me to it. So I 44th it.

Amen and man, I love your glass half full attitude. So refreshing.

Marilyn,

I'm a huge fan of Deidre Knight as a writer and as an agent.

The story behind her publishing with Samhain is Deidre's book had problems fitting in with traditional publishing houses. She investigated top epublishers and chose Samhain.
The editor she worked with is now with Carina Press, Angela James.

The book is Butterfly Tattoo and it just came out in print. If you haven't read her work, give it a try.

TKA is in the top five agencies I'm submitting to for representation. Deidre and her staff understand the publishing world is changing, along with Nathan. As writers, this is the kind of agent a writer needs. One who sees the possibilities.

I write in more than one genre: romance, children's and young adult, so I'm going to need a literary agent who knows the industry.

I wish you the best, Marilyn.

Tambra

Hmmm.... you really think leaving it up to the public to decide is a good thing, in terms of quality?

I don't mean to be Debbie Downer (well, okay, I do) but this whole thing makes me instantly think of the music industry. Shows like American Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, etc, where 'everyone can have a go' and the public decides who's good and who's not.

No offense, but American Idol's been going for what- 10+ seasons now?- and we still haven't seen the next Aretha Franklin.

The other thing that concerns me is the part about 'readers having to wade through dreck to find something good.'

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of agents don't exactly seem to enjoy wading through slush piles and thousands of queries to find something good, and they're getting PAID (sort of) to do that.

You think a casual reader is going to be bothered with it? People are lazy enough finding books as it is. I know as a music fan I can't be bothered searching through 20+ pages of purevolume.com to find a good band; why would it be any different for books?

anon-

There are a lot of bad restaurants out there too, but we manage to find the good ones. There are a lot of bad websites out there, but we find the good ones. Etc. Heck, there were a lot of bad bands when Aretha Franklin was big and people found her.

Things will organize themselves. I can't tell you precisely what it will look like, but it will work itself out. Humans are good at organizing things.

And besides - my experience is that people don't often go hunting for what to read. It's more that the book comes to them - they hear about it from a friend, read a review, word of mouth, etc. and they go looking for where to buy it. That won't change.

I like your thoughts - very optimistic and encouraging.

"All any writer wants is the chance to reach an audience...." and my audience is going to be women ALL OVER THIS WORLD!! and perhaps some of their husbands as well.... THAT's what I want! and you know what Nathan? YOU are at the TOP of "the top ten most queried agents!" Congrats!

Great perspective - I was really feeling the pressure of all of the doom and gloom, but this post helps me to keep moving forward!

Although....like Thermocline said and Nathan confirmed, it doesn't seem to be a GREAT time to write query letters.... I've never had so many form rejection in such a short turnaround.

I've often wondered who has the harder role right now, the emerging writer or an established one who is watching the paradigm shift. In a way, those of us trying to break into publishing already understand the new dynamics present and are probably comfortable with them.

You're right Nathan, this is a great time to be a writer.

It is exciting, and keeps getting more exciting.

Actually, I'm not sure I agree with the idea of it being a good thing that authors will have to market themselves and be able to maintain a great web presence to be successful. Not saying I wouldn't put the effort into it and try, but I guess I've worked darn hard to improve my skill and hopefully get up to a point that is publishable, and it makes me cringe to think that I could potentially have a good book that no one would read just because I don't blog well.

Heck, I'm the only person I know without a Facebook page, and I find Twitter to be pretty silly, and I don't have anything interesting happening in my life to warrant either. Though in a fun note of irony, my last story relied heavily on social networking. :P

Anyway, thanks for the positive note. I get what you're saying, and while I agree with some of it, I honestly hadn't been worried about the publishing industry at all, and this actually makes me a tad nervous. At least I can hopefully get into the game before all the changes happen.

What can I say, I'm weird! ;)

In the face of all the doom and gloom, it is nice to hear a little good spin. Hate to hear that about the queries...

Susan Quinn –

There are already quite a few websites that review and offer book awards for indie and e-published books. I think one of the best is the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards. For example, Amity Gaige originally published O MY DARLING and THE FOLDED WORLD through the indie publishing house, Other Press. In 2007, THE FOLDED WORLD was named a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year. After seeing the award, I purchased a paperback copy of THE FOLDED WORLD published by Other Press. Soon after, THE FOLDED WORLD was picked up for publication by Random House. Here’s the website of Amity Gaige that includes her very impressive Bio. And here’s an interview she did with ForeWord Magazine. There are many ways to find great indie and e-published books online, and it’s always fun to find the treasures.

Good post. I like the current environment because as a new author I feel I have so many options now. There was a time when if you couldn't get past the gatekeepers, that was pretty much THE END. But not any longer. I will take my chances with the gatekeepers first, but now I can push ahead knowing that there's a good plan B if I need it.

Nathan or anyone else, have you seen any kind of projections as to when ebook sales might equal print sales? Or do you know of any kind of statistics or research that would help put that projection together? Thanks in advance.

moses-

I think it's too early to know for certain and there are lots of variables involved.

Thanks I needed the lift. Good times lie ahead, and I cannot wait.

Thanks Nathan. I needed to hear this today!
:-)

It really is amazing. At no other time in history has such a host of men and women been able to seek an audience. Nearly every human being has a platform in this new age of information and open technology.

It has pulled our world together in an incredible way as well. Communication is one of the first keys to understanding, and we've unearthed a source of communication with unbelievable potential and breadth.

This digital age for publishing is really another facet of this, although tough to work out in these beginning stages.

I like the "cabin in the woods" scenario, or more to my taste, the "tree house in the tropics." But, yes, there may be more options on the horizon.

How good they prove to be, that's the question. The 70 percent Amazon lure, is so enticing. But is it a case of mermaids tempting the sailors?

While I am excited about this new wave, I find myself nostalgic and sad, too. I love print books. I love the thrill of pulling a book off the shelf, curling up under a comfy blanket and reading by a window. Now, I realize I can do this with an e-reader as well, but it isn't the same.

I really hope some talanted, so far unseen writers get their chance to provide the world with their stories, it thrills me...

But at the same time, I worry about what this new word will mean for brick and mortar stores and their devotees...me.

Wow, Nathan. I've never peed my pants in excitement whilst also weeping with gratitude.

Thank you for this post.

http://thetruthishardtotell.blogspot.com/

Very true. Today it came to me in a vision... If I want to get an agent to love my book and want to work with me it needs to be something extraordinary. So much so, that anyone who reads it will want to shout it's lines from the roof-tops. I think I'm getting it...

Oh, the HAPPY! I like.

What a fantastic, upbeat post! Thank you for this, Nathan!

I'm glad you find the positive in everything, especially since (as you said) there is so much doom and gloom out there.

Thank you for this post. :)

Lovin' the positivity!

I believe the query letter will be a dead form within the next 1-2 years.

Agents will be trolling the indie community on Kindle, Smashwords,etc to find new talent . . . in fact they already are . . .

Tambra –

Wow, small world. One of my writer friends who started out being published by the same small press that publishes my books went on to be represented by The Knight Agency, and another one of my writer friends won a writing contest at that same agency. I’ve known about Samhain Publishing for years, and remember it being known mostly for eBooks, and I purchased a few of Deidre Knight’s earlier books that were published by the large publishing houses to see what her writing was like. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Love this! Thanks for the positive note. I love looking on the bright side of life and publishing.

'Oh happy day . . . oh happy day!' (with gospel clapping please)

Finally I feel that a tough decision between mainstream and indie two years ago has been vindicated.

I think you've got a great outlook on it! How can it be a bad thing that everyone gets a shot?! I do wonder how we'll be able to sort through the bad stuff though! What are your thoughts on that?

Michael @2:45 PM –

There always seem to be writers, both those published traditionally and those published primarily in eBook format, who manage to succeed without massive book promotion. Cormac McCarthy, published the traditional way, doesn’t do much book promotion at all. In 2005, the Fictionwise eBook Author of the Year - for most books sold and highest ratings by readers - was Darrell Bain, a small press author who does very little book promotion. He won over all the famous authors on Fictionwise after someone brought his books to Science Fiction/Fantasy Conventions and they caught on like wildfire, resulting in a large fan base.

Nathan, what powerful and positive words. As a writer and a reader, you've given me hope that amazing works will surface through this calamity.

One more post, and then I better stop for tonight. I realized one more way in which I’ve found indie-published gems on the Internet. Sometimes genre writers will write for small press anthologies even if they’re already writing for major publications. One of those writers is Keith R.A. Candido. He’s written official books based on STAR TREK, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, DR. WHO, SPIDER-MAN, ANDROMEDA and many other well-known TV shows. Here’s his AMAZING Bibliography. Well, he also contributed to an anthology titled BAD-ASS FAERIES, published by a small press, Marietta Publishing. I purchased the anthology because it sounded intriguing, and was delighted to find that Keith R.A. Candido had contributed to the book.

Ooooooops, I’m tired. I meant "Keith R.A. DeCandido", not "Candido".

So it's a great time to be an author, but a bad time to query? ;)

I enjoyed both those posts the first time, and they gave just as much inspiration and positive feelings this time.

And the monkeys was way cool! Really brightened an otherwise gloomy day.

........dhole

word verif: rensuato. Not sure what it means, but I think its my new word for the day. "Hey man, that really rensuato." See if they try to explain it.

Nathan, thank you.

This message carries weight when it's spoken by an industry professional.

I'd love for every writer to feel as hopeful and thrilled and empowered about the future as I do.

To have direct access to readers no matter what - no one can stop you from having access to readers - whether they don't like your work, or they think it's too controversial, or they just don't like you personally - no matter what - you can reach readers - that's true freedom for the writer.

So, what is the vision? People go straight to epub and IF the book catches on, then agents come and take over? That's sounds harder than the impossible query/slushpile. I'm also confused as a reader just how to figure out which books I'll be buying as well. I know everyone will say their work is a masterpiece, so how will I know who to believe? I do see the good, but I'm wondering how it'll all play out. The ideal.

I will keep saying it: It's all about perspective. Mourn the past or embrace the future. Those clinging to the old ways will be left behind. Future generations will be handed a Kindle-type device in the first grade with all their textbooks preloaded. College kids will download textbooks from the university's e-store. By the time they are ready for recreational reading, e-books will be as natural as breathing.

It's a great time to be a writer.

I am new at all of this and my head hurts! I just finished my
8th edit on a book I finished January of 2009. It is as perfect as I can get it and I am very proud of it. I learned how to write a query letter and synopsis by studying like crazy and obsessed over both for months, changing it I don't know how many times until I was satisfied with it(sounds familiar, yes?). I finally began sending it to agents with some marginal success but no taker yet. I've been keeping tabs on the e-reader deal, wondering how this was going to possibly impact not only me but the industry as well. Now I read that queries are soon to be history and I'm suppose to do...what? E-publish it myself and hope that an agent/publisher will stumble across it out of the tens of thousands that will be floating around out there? Yikes.... And to make it more enticing, I need to do...WHAT?? I need a website and/or a blog--and I'm suppose to promote myself shamelesly and by the way, how does one do that? What do I do to promote myself? And who would stumble across an obscure blog that I would create? I am confused and my head feels like it's gonna explode! Hey, I am up for it but HELP!--Sharon

Re: "And to make it more enticing, I need to do...WHAT?? I need a website and/or a blog--and I'm suppose to promote myself shamelesly and by the way, how does one do that? What do I do to promote myself? And who would stumble across an obscure blog that I would create?"

Think of the transition from being a classic "writer in a cabin" to a shameless cyberpromoter (hmm, maybe that looks too much like teleprompter - but hey, I think I like that - a cyberprompter, since you're prompting people to buy your book and associated merchandising) - think of the transition from cabinwriter to cyberprompter, as analogous to "Dylan going electric" -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Dylan_controversy

Cute quote from wiki entry, apropos to the dismay and disdain cyberpromptin' elicits:

"To Robbie Robertson, 'The Dylan's gone electric' debate seemed irrational: "It seemed kind of a funny statement to me at the time, that somebody's gone electric. It was like, Jeez, somebody's just bought a television."[9]"

Great post, Nathan! As someone who's had some success as a self-published Kindle author, I find this to be an exciting time.

My hearts racing, I have to be honest. I'm scared.
I own a kindle, but still find myself buying books. I actually feel bad paying a lower price?
Sometimes it feels like Im stabbing my kind (wanna be authors) in the back.
The future will happen regardless, and am all in for progress--POSITIVE yeah.
BUT...I guess its hard to know where I'll fit in when its my turn (oh I will have my turn) to get published, especially if almost ANYONE who can string a few sentences together will be able to be published in the "e" world.

As we have progressed, so have our means of communication. It was inevitable that books would 'go electronic.' But just as some people enjoy e-books etc, so will many other people continue to read 'real books.' (Me for one) I think things will settle down and books and their readers find their place in the grand scheme of things. When Gutenberg invented movable type, I am sure many people shook their heads and muttered,"It's a fad; it won't last." (BTW, that's what they said about the first car and the telephone) Before the printing press, books were written out by toiling monks sweating over parchments. Things have to change and we change with them. But reading (aha! that's the important thing!) will never die out.

It gets me excited and hopeful. Of course I selfishly wonder how to fit into all of this. I guess I’ll continue slowly.
I can only hope we will indeed get a chance.

I used to have a cell phone.
I used it when our daughter was a teen to stay in touch or when I was traveling.
My daughter and my husband still have cell phones.
But I don't need one unless I am traveling.
In this economy, there is little reason for me to have one and little excuse for the expense.
What was once necessary, is now only "if needed."

You know what. That last response from me doesn’t cut the mustard. What I should truly do is ask…

“But how? How, dear Nathan, can we 1st time authors get our voice out there?”

Sharon -

I know, it's scary, but honestly, I don't think shameless self-promoting is required at all.

You know, Nathan had a terrific post a few weeks ago about choosing the type of promotion that works well for you. Matching your personality to the type of marketing you do. Then it comes naturally and easily and will feel genuine to other people. It might even be fun to promote something you are so proud of, if you promote it in a way that fits your natural style.

My computer is slow as molasses right now or I'd find the link to Nathan's post. But you might search through the posts - it was within the last couple of months.

Personally, I do shamelessly promote myself, but that's just because it's fun. It's not like I've written a book or anything. But once I get around to writing a book, I plan to write the most astounding, incredible, magnificent, awe-inspiring book in the history of Western civilization, and then I'm going to tell a few people about it.

That should do it. :)

Wanda B.:

I do like the idea of self-promotion. But I am I'm bewildered about how the masses find your promotion "out there" amidst the thousands of other promotions. What does one do or write or say to promote--and where? (Yes, I am that clueless. Sorry, folks--be patient with me.) I'm not very inventive, apparently or imaginative when trying to figure this out--it's like learning Latin for me. I like the idea of e-books and paper books--like Debutauthor wrote--all books are great. But I am crass enough to be cautious as far as payment is concerned. I want my characters to be known and loved and I am willing to fight for them, but what is the best way to do this? I have no experience in self-promotion and don't know where to even start. This is why my head feels like it's in a vice! ha! Any ideas? Or am I over-thinking this like I do everything else? Thank you. Sharon

Thanks Nathan, for being positive and realistic at the same time. Push versus pull. Promotion vs demand. Selling versus word-of-mouth. Both seem necessary, but word-of-mouth seems vital. Incidentally, comments on your previous post have just passed the 1,000 mark. Is that a record? John.

Aren't musicians having a much harder time, generally, making a living, since the advent of MP3? You either have to tour to death or resign yourself to being a musician as a hobby, because you can't make enough money selling music. I would think the same thing would happen with books. Part of the problem *is* the noise consumers have to sort through, and it's why, I think, the older acts are still the ones that sell the most. No one knows what else to do...what other music to buy.

I see opportunities as well as risks and agree that the change is inevitable. But even among kids it's not entirely welcomed. My son decided not to apply to Grinnell College, an excellent school, because of their commitment to becoming paperless. "I like to hold my work in my hands," he said. The idea of kids being handed e-readers in school would make him sick to his stomach. There are different learning styles and personality types and he dreams of being a writer in the woods. He hates turning on his computer, doesn't watch much TV, doesn't have text on his phone (well, that's because I wouldn't pay for it, because I couldn't see why a kid wouldn't be texting during class). I'm a marketing professional and can live with what writers will have to do. But it's interesting that all this technology has actually made the world a less tolerant and flexible place for those who might have much to contribute but just don't want to participate in all this noise.

I disagree quite strongly with quite a lot of your posts, but this one is absolutely spot on. What we forget about the past - and it's the case with music as well as books - is that before the current age of the gatekeepers, there were other times when self-publishing had a fairly free rein - and there was a LOT of dreck (my wife's a classical musician - she's always relating stories of new performances of long lost works for 200 years ago "there's a REASON they were lost" she reminds me). We just don't see it now - because actually hostory did a pretty good job of filtering it out. my take is that the quality/quantity bemoaners are actually pretty patronising towards readers - quality will rise - sure what's popular now may have disappeared in 10 years' time; but the genuine masterpieces, even those that go unrecognised, WILL surface in time - in a way they might not have have done a few decades back.

In answer to Claudia, yes, bands have to make their money on the road not in the studio. As a writer I also see that as an opportunity. For me art is about the conversation between artist and audience - that direct communication, the opportunity to look into your audience's eyes and see the effect your work has - that's not a chore, it's a privilege. And if the new model - where what we "value" (monetarily) is not a physical thing, a book, but the whole package - gets writers out of their garrets and in fornt of their readers and reminds them what storytelling is all about, I can't see that as anything but beneficial.

Nathan,

You said:

"...can find writers who have achieved a certain level of success on their own but need someone to translate that success into a better deal, more $$, and more opportunities."

You seem to be describing something very close to the traditional role of a band's business manager.

-Steve

Interesting perspective.

Are you sayin that those of us fortunate enough to be above dreck, but unpublished and unsigned, should give it a shot?

I suppose it's nice to know that if you want to say something, you can, without having to do it the long way.

Totally agree Nathan...I think electronic publishing won't replace the traditional publishing industry, but will simply be another avenue authors can use to get discovered by traditional publishing houses.

We shouldn't confuse the industry with the medium used by the industry. The main thing that publishing houses offer is exposure and evolving the medium won't change that fact. You can get a book printed on your own, but it doesn't do any good if people don't know about it.

This will continue to be the case no matter what medium is used...whether paper or electronic text.

Thanks for not being afraid to be optimistic. Are you going to throw a party when you get to 3,000 followers? 3,000!!!

This is the pep talk I needed. Thanks, Nathan!

Nathan said:

"...can find writers who have achieved a certain level of success on their own but need someone to translate that success into a better deal, more $$, and more opportunities."


Steve commented on this:

You seem to be describing something very close to the traditional role of a band's business manager.


That description could also apply to a pimp or Mary Kay district manager.

Mary Jo

I am not sure Salinger would agree with you. Most writers are not entrepreneurs. Their profession and their craft demand other qualities. The more a writer is a craftsmen (or woman) the less likely he or she will be entrepreneurial. You need to be predisposed to some form of solitude, otherwise it is not going to work.

My first three Kate Shugak novels were paperback originals. The fourth started Berkley's Prime Crime series in hardcover. I.e., they were testing the waters, could I sell or couldn't I? Could I help them generate a profit at a higher price point? Turns out I could (whew).

I can see a business model where publishers test a writer's potential market by bringing out their first novels in eBook format(cheapest production costs), and as the writer's readership increases upgrading them through mass, trade and hardcover (steadily more expensive formats).

No? Yes?

Nathan-

When do you think we'll be able to interact with our e-books, meaning, if we're reading about Henry VIII we'll be able to look at his picture/bio on Wikipedia. Or if we have a character who's a carrion beetle we can link to a u-tube of them burrying a body. I think that will bring a lot more readers into the mix. I can't wait for that day myself, both as a reader and a writer

Dana

Not that I'm in any way, shape, or form part of the publishing world (yet!) but that sounds like it'd be a great idea for publishers...as well as authors. You try out a new author, or an established author who might be venturing out of their tried-and-true genre(s), and see if anything sticks. If it does, then you can put in the additional time and money to do a more traditional printing. And of course as Nathan, or perhaps a commenter, mentioned the industry could something similar with people who are self-publishing on these platforms, or indie-publishing.

Mary Kay -

Actually, I don't think it decribes a pimp. Pimps don't usually require success prior to engaging a worker.

And by engaging a worker, I mean using physical, verbal and emotional violence, very real threats and intimidation, as well as emotional manipulation to force an extremely exploitative relationship that frequently becomes a form endentured servitude or even slavery.

Sort of a different business model.

Yes, it IS a great time to be an author, especially an indie who is self-published to Kindle.

Just two months ago I couldn't find indie books in the top 100 sellers (category) lists on Kindle. Today I see many indie books in the top 100, and a few holding down the #1 bestseller position in their category.

I just checked the hourly charts for contemporary romance, for example (a highly competitive genre), and there are 5 indie books in the top 25! The #2 spot is Elisa Lorello's fantastic book (Faking It) ! McQuestion, Nordin, and Braziel are there too!

You are right -- this is a GREAT time to be an author, and the self-pubbed Kindle authors are quickly building an audience.

I live in a little log house in the woods by a creek with bears and bobcats and other critters - but, yeah, I still have to work me arse off *laugh*

You know, the other day I was worrying how I didn't try to find an agent and maybe I should have, or should do so; how I wasn't sure if I could be selling more books if "I'd just do ...whatever...that big time authors did" -sniffling that not only Oprah hadn't called but I still wasn't mentioned in (insert some place here) *laugh* ....

Then...well, then I went to the bookshelf and pulled down my published book, smelled it, thumbed through it, and then I looked at the contract for the second book and pulled up the cover for it ...and suddenly I felt pretty durn happy . . . soon I'll have two books out and a maybe on a third. All the rest of the "Stuff" is just "Stuff" ...yeah, Good Stuff, but maybe one day I'll have even more Good Stuff ....and if not...well...

I figure - there is always The Next Thing - we want more more more when sometimes just what we have is pretty cool....

Now I'm smiling.

Anon @11:05 AM 2/5/10 –

There are lots of ways to promote eBooks. You can get together with other authors, put interesting information about your books on a CD – book covers, excerpts, free short stories, etc. – with links to the authors’ websites and purchase pages, make 100 or more copies of the CD and hand them out for free at book fairs and conventions. Another way to promote eBooks is to go to places where people who like your genre get together, e.g. science fiction/fantasy conventions are great places to appear as a speaker or book seller if you're a science fiction or fantasy writer. You can bring along a laptop and actually show people the eBook versions of your books. You can also have T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. that feature your book covers created at a place like Café Press and give them out as prizes. You can have pencils engraved with your website very cheaply at places like Oriental Trading and, again, you can give those out for free. Taking out ads in magazines is another way to promote, and you can do this more cheaply if several authors chip in for one ad featuring multiple books. Getting reviews and winning awards on popular websites also helps sell eBooks. And it's very important to have a website.

My last post was meant for Anon @11:05 PM 2/4/10. For some reason, I thought that post came in this morning. I obviously need another cup of coffee. :)

SFixe @8:59 PM 2/4/09 said:
"I own a kindle, but still find myself buying books. I actually feel bad paying a lower price?
Sometimes it feels like Im stabbing my kind (wanna be authors) in the back."

Actually, although this might change in the future, authors usually earn a much larger percentage in royalties on eBooks than on paperbacks or hard covers.

“Shameless” self-promotion? I don’t get it. Why should the word “shame” come into play at all? I PROUDLY self-promote! My book is friggin’ awesome--ask any reader to whom I've proudly self-promoted!

Thank you, Nathan! I'm on a writing residency right now, and this is just the encouragement I needed. :)

Good point, Vegas Linda! Love hearing about your book's success. :)

Marilyn,

In terms of lowering royalty rates, I hope not. If Amazon is willing to give 70%, I doubt Amazon will significantly lower royalty rates at any point in the forseeable future - they're trying to build an empire. And down the road, there will be most likely be competition over authors. I hope so, anyway.

Lovely! I feel the same way.

The industry might be in the process of making huge changes, but I agree that it's a great time to be an author.

With all of the social networking venues available through the Internet, anyone really does have a chance at being noticed and making a name for his or herself. The price wars might have many issues up in the air right now--but what writer writes for the money? Sure, we all want to make a living, but those of us who are realistic weren't writing with huge dollar signs in our eyes to begin with.

Change is good. I look forward to it.

What a great post - when looking for an agent (or a publisher), I think a positive, forward-thinking attitude toward ebooks is going to turn out to be very important to an author.

YES! Positive!

Change is inevitable. I'm glad I finally found a post that said something GOOD about it! Nicely done!

Frankie

You will fail to be surprised that I agree, of course.

Although I do quibble with this:

All any writer wants is the chance to reach an audience and see what happens from there. Just a chance.

I think that most writers also want a lot of money, a yacht, adulation, happiness, and a private tropical island. But maybe I'm projecting.

I've heard the film industry is changing due to digital. Since they can deliver the content to movie theaters electronically instead of shipping it out, more indie films might make it to the big screen before the small screen. Interesting to think about the parallels.

Mira @11:38 AM 2/5/10 –

Ever since I was first published, I’ve received about 3x the royalty percentage for my eBook novels compared to my paperback novels. :)

except of course that the ability to write and the ability to sell are seldom found in the same person

Marilyn,

Good to know - definitely! :)

Thank you Mira. I will find Nathan's post that you suggested.

Thank you, Marilyn Peake, for your wonderful and inventive suggestions!!!! I have copied that and put them on my desktop for inspiration when my time comes to shamelessly promote.--Sharon

It's all good! But learning about the Drunken Monkeys of the Caribbean was HILARIOUS!!!

Thank you, Nathan. Today really isn't so different; authors have always had their challenges. An excellent author, Diana Abu-Jaber said regarding a manuscript she wrote, and re-wrote, and re-wrote, that she finally threw it on the floor and stomped on it. Dues will be paid! It is an exciting time for us. Now, I have to get off my computer, I have a manuscript that needs attention. ;-D

Unfortunately I think this is wrong in so many ways:

what is really going to happen is - the crappy authors and bad books that can find a budget for massive self promotion are going to get all the sales, nasty business tactics will be used to attack nay-sayers and competitors, the general public (that can't really tell a good book from a bad one) will be educated to believe that glitz and glitter mean 'good writin' and best sellers will be featured on the cover of the electronic versions of tabloid rags. Meanwhile, the bottom drops out for most mid-list authors and we end up with a glut of waiters who used to be writers.

The opportunity is there. It's up to authors to capitalise on it, but sweat, persistence, patience and the drive to work late nights don't come packaged free with this opportunity. These assets are what determine the kind of success you'll likely have. Regardless of your budget.

Sharon -

I'm so glad you liked those ideas!

Superman / Wonder Man
Justice League / Fantastic Four
Who’s Who / OHotMU
Crisis on Infinite Earths / Secret Wars

Long time? If the team is right, one month to produce, one month to edit and print. Previews works two months ahead, so if Company X learns about a long range plan from Company Z, they can quickly plot a story and then dialog the story once the pencils are done. Lettering is done concurrently with coloring.

Hello, all.

Torsten: I allowed within the piece that there are such things as imitations, direct homage, etc. We know those things happen. I’m largely talking about events that have story seeds stretching back years (like Blackest Night). In fact, the first piece of set-up for Crisis on Infinite Earths came along in New Teen Titans #21 in July of 1982, years before the actual event started (though Wolfman, who wrote both, was already researching and plotting). Crisis was also announced at a con years prior to publication, and was promoted with an early house ad that called the event “DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths”. The DCU name was later dropped. Secret Wars, on the other hand, had more to do with being a toy line tie-in, as was DC’s Super Powers.

And to Heidi: I did write a bit at Blog@ about the proliferation of talking gorillas on big-time teams (http://blog.newsarama.com/2010/01/27/gorillas-assemble/). My conclusion? Some team books can just be improved by talking gorillas.

And incidentally, I hope you enjoy your new place. Believe me, switching landlords can be a pain in the ass.

Going back even further (long before the direct market), there’s occasionally been speculation that Marvel’s X-Men were somehow a copy of DC’s Doom Patrol inasmuch as both series are about teams of outcast superpowered characters. Given the timing of both series’ debuts, that similarity has been chalked up to coincidence too, although Arnold Drake apparently had some doubts about that…

In other news, Captain Marvel has a cape, can fly… just like…

The utterly inbred quality of modern superhero comics that makes them unintelligible to all but 40 year old comic book guys (takes one to know one…) is far worse than a few plotlines.

Groth & Gerber’s classic interview where Gerber said that the comics creators of 1978 (or so) had virtually Comics Code approved imaginations nailed this.

Here we go again - blame it on old white guys. There is more than enough evidence that all demographics are getting into comics: old/young, new readers/returning readers, male/female, white/black/asian/hispanic, etc etc etc. Super-hero comics are just as easy to understand as any other form of entertainment. What you are really jealous of, is that those “40 year olds” haven’t lost their ability to remember what it was like to be blown away by those images on the page that captured their imaginations as kids.

In other words - get you heads out of the sand people. Which is worse, the people who enjoy their comics? Or the people that read comics and make fun of others JUST LIKE THEMSELVES?

I know that Hank McCoy is supposed to be very feline lately, but his pic up above looks more like the apish version. So Marvel’s got two apes? Top [i]THAT[/i] DC!! (Actually, Gorilla Grodd is pretty unique as Marvel doesn’t seem to have any psychic gorillas. Maybe they’ll put Xemnu on the fast track for the psychic hairy being spot…)

One way Marvel lags is in the prominence of any of their female characters. I count 3 DC heroines (with a possible 4th there in the center) on that cover to their Black Widow. Whither Spider-Woman? Invisible Woman? Storm?

You’ll notice that most of the characters in the Heroic Age - save Hawkeye and the monkey — have movie exposure. There’s a Black Widow movie coming up, something that can’t be said for other Marvel HERoines.

Fans tend to focus on or exaggerate similarities, while ignoring differences. DC didn’t have a “Civil War,” “Secret Invasion,” or “Dark Reign” event. Marvel’s “Heroic Age” promo will be, in practice, less the opposite of “Dark Reign” than business as usual prior to “Civil War.” Even if Bendis, for example, wanted to change his style of writing, he couldn’t. That would be difficult for anyone.

SRS

One indication that the Heroic Age might not be quite what people expect is the use of the Corruptor in NEW AVENGERS #61. Bendis writes him as a pervert who uses his mind control power in, um, unsavory ways. At one point, he tells Bucky, “Kiss the gun, Captain. Kiss it.” He tries to record Bucky killing Steve Rogers with his gun, but the plan fails.

At least one blogger caught the fetishistic use of the power, but most reviewers and fans who haven’t read fetish fiction will miss it.

Later in the issue, Mandrill uses his mind control power to dominate Spider-Woman.

Bendis has used mind control before, most notably with the Purple Man in ALIAS, so he’s probably very much aware of how mind control is used in fetish and B&D fiction. That approach to characters isn’t going to disappear in the “Heroic Age.”

SRS

Nicely said, Mikael.

Let’s not forget the whole death and being unstuck in time and rebirth of Captain America and Batman.

C’mon, folks - Marvel and DC have been ripping each other off since the 1940s. The “long time” excuse in various areas regarding this concept has always been nonsense, since BOTH companies take almost exactly the same time to do anything, anyway. Plans overheard at a golf game or party quickly make the gossip circuit, be it sales figures or printing plans.

I’ve been around the bush often on this point, with Mr. Evanier and many other sage observers of the scene, and I always end up with the same result - WAY too many (dozens upon dozens) near identical moves with individual hero characters, super teams, plots and promos - you name it - to be coincidence.

Yet still many (no doubt because they think it might negatively affect their career), seem to remain in denial on this. But let me also add that for many decades both DC and Marvel also worked out of the same damn New York building! Geez, what more does any rational mind need to make the obvious conclusion there?!

I actually think at this point both of the “Big Two” companies are in the Nostalgia Mining business. They crack open their vaults and start looking for a good vein to pull out and sell to the folks who are still buying. The fact that they’re both turning to “happier, more heroic superheroes” as a selling point is precisely because they’ve got their Nostalgia meters out and have become convinced that “happier, more heroic superheroes” are what people want to buy now. They may be right, though I have my doubts that the writing crews at the Big Two are actually able to play heroic superheroism straight. Part of me thinks that they’ve been spending the last decade reproducing the rhythms of the 90s - a turn to the grim and dark at the beginning of the decade then a shift to a nostalgic look back at the Silver Age at the end of the decade. Maybe they figure things move in cycles and they’re trying to control the cycle for a change. The problem is that the shift at the end of the 90s was an organic one, as writers who wanted to write superhero heroics straight got more popular and became the direction setters for the line. This seems more manufactured and less organic. (Or perhaps I’m just more cynical now than I was 15 years ago).

So no, I don’t think that this is a case of direct copying. I think this is more of the Big Two trying to figure out what’s going to sell next and both hitting on the idea of building up the heroes again (possibly with an eye towards another “turn to darkness” in another decade - oh comics, where would you be without the endless recycling of everything). I think direct copying DOES happen though, but the lag time is a bit longer and the copying is a bit more obvious in that it’s direct plot points rather than “overall theme”. For example, I think that the Norman Osborne stuff going on in Marvel right now is a direct copy of the “President Luthor” storyline that DC did a while back. It’s Marvel pulling a “hey, we can do that story better than DC did”. Similarly I think that the Blackest Night crossover is DC copying the seemingly endless Marvel Zombies books. Because they looked at it and said “hey zombie superheroes - we can do a story better than Marvel did with that”.

Pete Von Shelly is great! And that was really funny.

… it’s really kinda an anti-fart joke. You know, at a deeper analysis:)

[…] Pete Von Sholly has a very entertaining art blog where he posts some hilarious horror/pop culture themed gag strips. (via) […]

I don’t know about the others, but Lockheed is not a pet.

Yes! P-Cat, the Penitent Cat! Gonna miss his lunchbox-like outfit, though.

Lockheed is a pet owner, though.

And it’s not a one-shot, it’s a mini-series.

The Wikipedia entry on Lockjaw has already been updated to include his (its?) role in LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS. The entry mentions “a new frog Thor,” but confusion with Simonson’s transformed Thor will be difficult to avoid. As already mentioned, Lockheed isn’t a “pet”; rather, it’s a sentient alien.

I suspect that if Eliopoulous tries to write actual stories (the miniseries will have four issues, according to Wikipedia), as opposed to a series of gags, he’ll find himself faced with a lot of work.

SRS

Best part of this news was that Ms. Lion will be in it. Spider friends, go for it!

So I wanna know… if Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers fight Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew (guest starring that new Wonder Dog, I suppose), who’d win?

Holy mackerel! It’s the Legion of Super-Pets for the 21st Century!

I thought it was established that Lockjaw was a dog and not an inhuman…

Lockjaw has no ‘owner’.

I wonder if he is insulted to be lumped in with these ‘familiars’.

Who would win? The Super Pets which will be featured in an upcoming issue of … Super Friends? Let’s see… Beppo, Kanga, Ace, Streaky, Krypto, Topo, Comet?…

And Lockjaw is an Inhuman.

Who really cares how it fits into the multitudes of continuities?
It looks delightful as all-get out and I eagerly look forward to reading it. Which, for me personally, isn’t somethinbg I’ve said about a Marvel Comic in a while.
I don’t have a grudge against Marvel or anything, the Stan and Jack universe is the foundation of my understanding of comics.
Contemporary Marvel Comics just hasn’t been publishing anything I’m particularly interested in.
THIS I am interested in.
Way to go Mr. E!

I must buy this!

This is awesome on so many different levels….

And any comic from the big 2 in this day and age that I know I can share with my five year old daughter is worth getting.

Torden: Who would win? The Super Pets which will be featured in an upcoming issue of … Super Friends? Let’s see… Beppo, Kanga, Ace, Streaky, Krypto, Topo, Comet?…

Torden, this is GOLD. Comic GOLD. Even better: there needs to be follow-up series where the superpets are amalgamated. Like … Krypto-Jaw, or something.

Technically Pet Avenger could either mean He or she is an Avenger who is a pet or someone who avenges a pet. Could go either way.

Either way, I’m glad so many people are excited about this. I’m having a blast writing this. It will be one story carried over 4 issues and not just a series of gags. I’ve been working real hard to have the right mix of drama, comedy and excitement.

I just hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations.

Hey! How come Lobo (Red Wolf’s partner) isnt’ a part of the group? Didn’t he survive Secret Invasion with the rest of the other Skrull-replaced characters? Or are the other animals not willing to trust him because of the Skrull issues …. I hope you have a page dedicated to this somewhere within the mini.

Or is there a limit to the number of canine characters allowed within the group?

I was also concerned of the lack of Zabu as well, until I caught mention of him in the CBR interview.

Honestly I couldn’t fit EVERY animal in. There will be others making appearances that push the story along or mean something. If I get the chance to do more, some of people’s favorites will appear.

Lockweed has to be disqualified. He/she is a X-man. Of sort.

~

Coat

So is Wolverine.

The fact they’ve got Ms. Lion in there I swear is practically enough to make me buy this just for the heck of it.

just FYI… The picture is (to the best of my knowledge) is a gorilla. A Gorilla is not a monkey. A good rule of thumb is Monkeys have tails. Gorillas are apes.

Ahem… apes are not monkeys. Calling an ape a “monkey” is like calling a hominid a “hairless ape”. It implies lower intelligence and ability.

(I once supervised a bullpen of 100 chimpanzees banging away at workstations. The first lesson we learned was to refer to them only as “chimpanzees”, not as “chimps” or “monkeys”. We were then shown a video of an insulted chimpanzee attacking a side of beef. I had a nice salad for lunch that day, and found a less stressful job in retail a few months later.)

Don’t you dare re-title this post Heidi. I want to see how many people “monkey” pile you for this.

Chimpanzee That, Monkey News.

[…] Sometimes I worry the next generation won’t know the difference between monkeys and apes: Heidi MacDonald at PW Beat doesn’t help. (But she was pointing readers to some cool Hal Foster Tarzan images, so I guess I’ll forgive her. This time.) […]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhahahahahahahaaaaa. Here I thought I would be the ONLY one to mention it. My faith in humanity is now restored.

Look guys. I know the difference between apes and monkeys. I know the difference between greater apes (chimps, bonobos, orangutans and goriallas) and lesser apes (gibbons and siamangs.) I know the difference between baboons, macasques and mandrills, Old World monkeys and New World monkeys, marmosets and tamarins and capuchins, aye-ayes, lemurs, sifakas, indris, guenons and uakaris and sakis.

But yelling “Apes!” is not as funny as yelling “Monkeys!” and this just how it is.

I enjoyed reading this book. The adventures never seem to end.

Best of luck with tour Grace.

Cheryl

That's cool to hear that Grace believes writing is her calling and she is doing what she believes she should be doing. She seems really happy doing what she loves.