Writing For A Living

by Toby Neighbors

  Chapter 2

  Defining Success

  If you’ve ever dreamed of being a writer, you’ve also dreamed of being a number one best seller. You may have already decided which lists you want to top: the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, or maybe even Amazon’s overall best seller list. You’ve probably thought of who would star in the movie adaptation of your book and imagined what your author events would look like with rooms full of starry-eyed fans hanging on every word as you read from your book. That’s part of the myth of what being a writer must be like, but it isn’t the norm, and if you’re basing your idea of success on an exaggerated truth, then you are just setting yourself up for failure.

  In writing there are a lot of levels of commercial success, but how you publish, what goals you set, and how you pursue your writing depends on your own, personal definition of success. Every writer should know what they want from their writing career—not just goals you want to accomplish, but definite, definable traits that will characterize your career. I call these a writer’s values. We all have values that we use to make decisions on a daily basis. We do what we value, not what we agree with or understand. For instance, you might understand that it will take getting up an hour earlier each day to work on your manuscript, but if you value sleep more than writing success, you’ll sleep in rather than write. On the other hand, if you value artistic integrity you may choose to write your stories despite the fact that they may not be commercially viable.

  Not everyone understands what their values are when it comes to writing. They just have a story they can’t help but tell, or they have a dream they have no idea how to fulfill. But understanding your writing values is an important first step in defining success and achieving your goals. Discovering what you value doesn’t have to be difficult. An afternoon of careful consideration will be more than enough to outline and understand exactly what you want most from your writing career. This doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve things outside of your values; for instance, winning awards may not interest you at all but that doesn’t mean that you won’t ever win any. Still, knowing that you aren’t interested in awards will save you time and money when you receive emails about entering your book in the latest competition for a small fee.

  I know writers who only care about completing a book that they can give to family and friends. Others write in genres that have no hope of reaching a best seller list, but they relate to those types of stories and feel strongly that they are carrying on a great tradition. Some writers want to win awards, or have glowing reviews written by popular book critics. Some writers simply write what is hot at the moment in hopes of making as much money as possible. And still others write to feel the acceptance that comes from having jumped through the hoops of traditional publishing and been awarded a contract.

  Whatever your reasons for writing, it is important to identify your own definition of success. Many people think they value being traditionally published, but they may not ever consider what it means to sign with a publishing house. To sell your book to a traditional publisher usually involves agreeing to sell the publisher the rights to publish your book however they see fit and guarantees them a certain percentage of the profit from the sales of that book, usually for the rest of your life plus seventy years, at which time the work falls into the public domain. Publishers pay an advance on royalties up front, taking a chance that the book might not sell and the company might never earn back what they have invested in the author’s work.

  I’m what is considered a solid mid-list writer. In the days before independent publishing became so popular, traditional publishers would award people with my sales numbers a decent advance. It wouldn’t be riches, but perhaps enough to be considered a modest living, enough to sustain me while I wrote one book a year in the hopes that one of my titles might break out and become a bestseller. In the publishing world we have today, advances have shrunk considerably, and even now, with my indie success, I might not be considered a good enough investment for the traditional publishers to take me on. But my definition of success has never hinged on the traditional route, instead I prioritize three things: knowing that people read and enjoy my books, having control over my books from conception to publication, and making a living doing what I love. So once I knew what I wanted, it was easy to make choices that led me toward my writing values.

  I think most writers care about being read more than anything. I wanted and needed the confirmation that my stories were appealing enough to be picked up and read by people I didn’t know. I’m lucky enough that I hear from readers on a regular basis. I get messages from people all over the world telling me how much they loved (or didn’t love) my books. One day I might get a message from South Africa, and the next day I might hear from one of our military veterans about how they discovered my books while on tour in the Middle East. There’s nothing quite like hearing about my stories from other people. It makes me feel fulfilled and happy.

  Secondly, I wanted full control of my stories, from content to cover art. I learned early in the process that to be traditionally published a writer gives up a lot of control over their book. That seemed like the wrong way to honor the work I had put into my novels. They are my stories after all, and while I can appreciate that publishers have teams of professional artists, marketers, and business strategists that help them decide how often to release a book and how to maximize their investment, I didn’t like the idea of signing away my rights. Success to me meant I could have complete control of my stories. I could write them however I saw fit. I could package them in the way that benefits my career, not the publisher’s bottom line. I understand that a publisher has to do business in a certain way and I respect that, it just didn’t fit my definition of success.

  Finally, I wanted to make a living writing novels. All my adult life I struggled with the conflict between what I wanted to do and what I had to do to take care of my family. I always assumed as a child that everyone struggled with their career, but once I acknowledged that my definition of success was more than just writing books, I was able to really channel my energy to work harder than ever before. Most people would look at my regular routine and roll their eyes as if I wasn’t working hard at all. I don’t use an alarm clock, I don’t get up early or work outside my home, I make going to the gym a priority, and I often skip work altogether in lieu of spending time with my family. What they don’t see or understand are the times when writing is all I can think about. For instance, it is 3:00 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon and all I want to do is write this book. Since I started writing full time I’ve written, edited, and published 17 full-length novels. I write quickly because I want to, but also because I understand that in self publishing each book I release has a short window of opportunity to earn well before my sales start to fall, so I try my best to time my book releases to ensure that my income remains at a level above what I need for my family, my dreams, and of course Uncle Sam.

  Before you can really define your own idea of success you need to understand that there are many levels of accomplishment in publishing, and many do not translate into financial rewards the way you might think. Let me share with you the reality of becoming a writer. Recently the Authors Guild (AG) held a survey of its members to ascertain the level of income for the modern writer. According to the AG, a full time author’s income has dropped 30 percent since 2009, from $25,000 a year to $17,5001. I hope that doesn’t shatter your dreams of becoming filthy rich by writing a book, but I want you to have a realistic understanding of what most authors make from their books. It’s still possible to make a fortune, the odds are just better that you’ll be struck by lightning.

  In the United Kingdom only 11.5 percent of authors make a living solely from their writing2. If you’re a new writer, don’t lose heart. Making money writing is easier than ever before thanks to independent publishing, but making a living is extremely difficult. If money is one of your writing values you’ll need to establish a reasonable timeline. Finding
an audience takes time. The more books you have published, the greater your odds are of finding that audience and making a decent amount in royalties. You might only make enough to go out to dinner a few times a year, but if you stay the course and work hard that amount may grow. You could earn enough to make your car payment, or eventually your mortgage payment. There is nothing quite so sweet as getting those first few royalty checks in the mail (or directly deposited into your bank account).

  Most writers aren’t famous either. You are probably a book lover and perhaps you have a few favorite authors. You may have seen their pictures on their website or even on the back of their books, but would you recognize them if you saw them at the mall, or having dinner at Subway? Probably not. Most writers aren’t recognizable even when we walk into bookstores. The reality is that most people can’t even remember the names of famous authors. You might remember their book title, but names slip away almost as if we aren’t important. And that’s because authors aren’t famous, even if their books are. Other than Stephen King, most authors are not in the national spotlight. When an author’s book is made into a major motion picture, they sometimes get a little attention, but it rarely lasts. If you’re a storyteller like me, then you probably have dreams of seeing your books made into movies or a television series, but those goals are completely outside of your control.

  Do a little research and see just exactly how many authors are happy with the movie deals they got from their books. The reality is that many books are optioned for films but never made. When they are, the author has very little if any involvement with casting or even how the story is changed. Most authors are bitterly disappointed because the filmmakers took a perfectly good story and changed it until it was unrecognizable. That’s a shame, but pretending we’ll somehow be different only sets us up for disappointment. Instead, what we need to focus on is what we can accomplish with our writing and judge our success based on what is important to us.

  As you think about how to define your success, try to stick to the kinds of things you can control. You can’t control how many people purchase your books, but you can do the work to maximize your profits. You can’t control whether you win literary awards, but you can enter as many contests as you like. If being recognized as a writer is what you value, you can promote yourself at writers’ conferences and even put together workshops. You may not be able to guarantee that bookstores will carry your books, but if you want to see your work in print you can pursue a traditional publishing deal.

  A lot of aspiring writers ask me why I chose to self publish rather than seek a traditional publishing deal. I have strong opinions about the fairness of typical publishing deals, but that isn’t the reason I ultimately chose to self publish. The truth is that I had to decide what was most important to me. Did I care more about seeing my book in a bookstore or making a living for my family? Did I want to give up control of my work or take on the full responsibility of publishing myself? Those are the same types of questions I ask the people who are struggling with their own publishing decisions. It isn’t rocket science, and both paths have their pros and cons.

  Traditional publishing allows the writer to focus on making each book they write the absolute best it can be. The in-house editors work to help polish the manuscript while the marketing teams help create covers that are meant to grab readers’ attention. Traditional publishers have a distribution system that allows for the possibility of your book to be carried in bookstores all around the country. They can arrange for reviews from the most popular literary critics and sometimes even other authors. And publishers also ensure that the appropriate books are considered for literary awards.

  Indie publishing allows the author to retain complete control of their work. We can write whatever we want, however we want. We can publish whenever we choose. We can create whatever type of book cover we want. We can make decisions about pricing, book formats, areas of distribution, and then change it all if and when we decide to. We control if, how, and when our books are put on sale or involved in special promotions. And independent authors make a much higher royalty rate than traditionally published authors.

  I’ll talk more about the differences between traditional and indie publishing in chapters 6 and 7. This book isn’t an attempt to convince you to choose one route over the other, but it is important to know your options. The more you understand what writing success means to you, the more confidence you’ll have when it’s time to make the choice between traditional and independent publishing.

  Setting your expectations for success is probably the most important work you’ll do once you decide to write. Those expectations for success will be the guide posts that help you make the decisions that are best for you and for your work. And you can change those expectations for each book. There are no right or wrong choices, only a way to measure your progress and build your career as an author. Taking the time to really think about what is most important to you as a writer will never be time wasted, and once you have your very own definition of success you’ll be ready to press forward toward achieving it.

  Chapter 3

  Best Writing Practices

  Writing is both an art and a skill. We learn how to write in school, but the ability to write well is not something everyone can learn. For non-fiction writers, it takes skill to write in an understandable and engaging way. For novelists, drawing people into an imaginary world and making them care about the characters you create is most certainly high art.

  Publishing on the other hand is all business, and whether you choose to go the indie or traditional route, the more you know the better off you’ll be. We’ll start with the basics that every writer, fiction or non-fiction, should know. I’ve written books about finance, business, education, health, and spirituality as a ghost writer. I’ve written over twenty full-length novels. Both types of writing require similar skills and we’ll go over them in detail.

  There is an art to outlining and while you know the topic of your book before you start, it always helps to know the beginning, middle, and end. A good book should flow naturally from topic to topic, or event to event. And while anyone could outline a book, it takes an author to make that outline come to life.

  Fiction

  Most of my books begin with a concept, be that a character or situation. I often write freely at first, exploring my nugget of an idea to see if the story comes to life. With Wizard Rising I found myself at home alone for the weekend. I had two goals, to catch up on laundry and to write about a boy who discovers he has incredible magical powers. I set him in a world where magic had been consolidated among a few individuals, so when the hero’s powers are revealed he is completely shocked and thrilled at the same time, but immediately pursued by the establishment wizards. The first five chapters came pouring out of me over those two days and I knew the book was something special. But after that initial rush I knew I needed more information about this fantasy world I was writing about. There were minor characters that played pivotal roles in the story and a heinous villain that needed to be developed. I needed to know what was going to happen and that’s where my outline became so important.

  I like to explain the process of outlining with this analogy: suppose I have an empty fish tank and begin filling it with rocks the size of grapefruits. I can probably fit a dozen large rocks into the tank, but is it full? You might think so until I begin pouring pebbles into the tank. The smaller stones fall down between the large rocks until the tank appears to be full. Only then I raise a bag of sand and begin pouring it into the tank. The sand flows down into the tiny cracks among the larger stones and fills the tank. It may seem like the tank is completely full, but then I raise a pitcher of water and pour it into the tank.

  At each stage the smaller items outnumber the larger ones. Even with the tank full of large rocks there are more pebbles than there are rocks. Likewise more sand than pebbles, more water than sand. Outlines are exactly the same. They can be simple or they can be incredibly complex depending
on your needs.

  I always begin with the large rocks of my story, which are the major events that I know I want to happen. I look at the large rocks like the dots on a child’s connect the dots picture. Sometimes I like to leave space between the major events and let the story flow naturally. Oftentimes when I write the characters seem to take on a life of their own. I find the plot having twists and turns I never saw coming. On other occasions I want a little more control, especially when writing a series. I want to make sure I include elements at the beginning that make sense at the end of the book or in the books that come later in the series.

  If I have more than one protagonist I will sometimes write an outline for each, always moving the characters toward the desired outcome. And if I ever get blocked in the middle of a book, I outline more, sometimes even getting as detailed as plotting each chapter to make the creative process as easy as possible.

  When I outline I usually like to get out of my normal environment. I do all my writing on a Mac or iPad, but not always in the same place. And when I outline I often like to get out of the house and make it a special trip. I don’t often write in busy environments, even though with headphones I can write anywhere. But busy places like coffee shops can sometimes distract me from the screen. When I outline I sometimes prefer to write in a journal. Writing with a pen is slower than typing and brings a fresh perspective to my thinking.

  There is no right or wrong process when it comes to outlining, as long as what you do helps you move forward with your story. The outline should be your tool, pushing you forward and freeing your mind to be creative. When you don’t have to remember what happens later in the book, you will be able to focus on what is happening at that moment of the story you are currently writing.