Question of the day: when I pitch a query to a magazine, is it helpful to have my agent do it for me? I.e., is it more likely to get accepted if it comes from her?
My immediate gut answer to this is a resounding "no." I've written probably somewhere in the hundreds of articles and never once has my agent pitched one for me. The reasons for this are several: 1) most magazine articles pay, at most, several thousand dollars (the bigger magazines usually pay about $2 a word, and few places assign more than 2000 words these days, and rarely do you even get 2000 words), so really, it's not worth your agent's time to nab a couple hundred dollars from these pieces. 2) There is absolutely no reason for your agent to be your go-between. Editors aren't interested in dealing with a middleman: they want to deal directly with a polished, professional, fun, breezy writer - adding your agent into the mix just complicates things. 3) As I alluded to in #2, agents are unnecessary in this process: what lands you an assignment is coming up with a unique, kick-ass idea, crafting that into a wonderful query, then emailing it to the appropriate editor. An agent can't help you do any of the above better than you can on your own.
That said, I *do* think an agent (and/or your publicist) can help open doors when it comes to the biggies: The New Yorker, The Atlantic, even something like Modern Love in the NY Times (though I know people who have been published in that column by simply emailing in their essay, and I also know others who succeeded with the help of their publicist). Unlike the service magazines like SELF or GLAMOUR or whatnot, these magazines are harder to break into than the toughest NYC private school (which these days, can be harder to get into than Harvard...seriously), and having an agent demonstrates (fairly or not) that you're already a cut above some other writers. (And I don't mean to imply that service magazines aren't hard to break into. They are. I tried for years to crack GLAMOUR and did a joy dance when I finally did. I only mean that there's a leap, in terms of exclusivity, from these huge national magazines to the even more upper-tier, more literary mags.)
So, for the most part, my long answer to your short question is that no, you don't need your agent to land you a gig. Save that 15% for a celebratory gift when your query gets accepted.
What say you, readers? Ever used an agent to land you an article?
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Friday, September 07, 2007
The Early Bird Gets the Book
Question of the week: Congrats on your sale! Um, not to sound like an idiot, but what's a pre-empt?
You're not an idiot! A few people wrote me to ask this very question, and when I was starting out, I didn't know the answer either.
A pre-empt is when one publishers jumps in before all of the others and says, "I'll give you X amount of money to take this off the table and refuse other offers." The publisher thus "pre-empts" the other bidders.
I asked my agent all about accepting a pre-empt vs. going to auction, and she explained it thusly: with a pre-empt, the publisher will usually come in with close-to-their highest possible bid, let's say, for simple numbers purposes, 50k. If you were to hold an auction, the bids would start much lower, let's say, 10k. As people bid up and up, you may or may not reach the original pre-empt offer. You can also conduct a "best bids" auction, in which publishers don't necessarily bid "against" each other in the traditional sense, rather they all toss in their highest possible bids and hope that they come out on top. In our case, my new publisher came to us and said, we'll pay X, to which my agent said, "how about you pay X+Y and we'll take it off the table." (This was an editor I was dying to work with, and both my agent and I agreed it was worth it to take our chances.) The editor called back, and the deal was sealed.
So that is a pre-empt. Remember that I'm not an agent and this is just the best that I can figure it all out - I might have gotten some of the details wrong!
Anyone else out there gotten a pre-empt? If you have, why did you decide to go with it? And for those of you shopping around your ms or hoping to one day be published, which would you rather: a pre-empt or an auction? (You know, in a dream world! I should note, to for disclosure, that most books sell on one offer, not at auctions or pre-empts...I don't want to pass along misinformation here.)
You're not an idiot! A few people wrote me to ask this very question, and when I was starting out, I didn't know the answer either.
A pre-empt is when one publishers jumps in before all of the others and says, "I'll give you X amount of money to take this off the table and refuse other offers." The publisher thus "pre-empts" the other bidders.
I asked my agent all about accepting a pre-empt vs. going to auction, and she explained it thusly: with a pre-empt, the publisher will usually come in with close-to-their highest possible bid, let's say, for simple numbers purposes, 50k. If you were to hold an auction, the bids would start much lower, let's say, 10k. As people bid up and up, you may or may not reach the original pre-empt offer. You can also conduct a "best bids" auction, in which publishers don't necessarily bid "against" each other in the traditional sense, rather they all toss in their highest possible bids and hope that they come out on top. In our case, my new publisher came to us and said, we'll pay X, to which my agent said, "how about you pay X+Y and we'll take it off the table." (This was an editor I was dying to work with, and both my agent and I agreed it was worth it to take our chances.) The editor called back, and the deal was sealed.
So that is a pre-empt. Remember that I'm not an agent and this is just the best that I can figure it all out - I might have gotten some of the details wrong!
Anyone else out there gotten a pre-empt? If you have, why did you decide to go with it? And for those of you shopping around your ms or hoping to one day be published, which would you rather: a pre-empt or an auction? (You know, in a dream world! I should note, to for disclosure, that most books sell on one offer, not at auctions or pre-empts...I don't want to pass along misinformation here.)
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Print Run Posturings
So, I was cruising the forums at Backspace, and stumbled upon this fabulous blog entry by best-selling author, Tess Gerritsen, in which she talks about the impact of print runs and what they mean for making the best-seller list. It's funny: before my book came out, all of my friends were like, "Oh, I can't wait to see you on the NY Times list!," and I'd just snicker because I knew it was such an impossibility. And as her blog indicates, yeah, it pretty much is. To make the best-seller list, you have to sell thousands per week. (I believe that 2k in hardcover is what I've read, though I might be wrong - correct me if so.)
From what I understand about print runs, which, btw, means how many books the publisher prints of your book (I know that's basic info, but some people might not know), the initial print run is basically based on how many pre-orders they have from their sales team. So - if the sales team has gone out there and sold the hell out of it, and Barnes and Noble wanted, say, 50,000 - your print run will sizeable. And this, when it comes to best-seller lists or really, even for your book to do well at all, is a tricky situation, sort of a self-fulfilling prophesy, if you will. Because if your print run is, say, 100,000, your book is going to be well-stocked in stores, so people will gravitate to it, simply because it will land in their hands, and because publishers will have a bigger incentive to buy co-op space, advertising, etc for it. But if, for some reason, the sales team screws the pooch, well, your book is screwed too because no matter how much promotion you do or if the buzz spreads like wildfire, if it's not in stores, it's simply not going to sell, much less reach the best-seller list. So the books with huge print runs are already given a huge leg up.
But - and this is where it gets interesting - these BIG books also have a lot more to lose, both for the author and the publisher. As Gerritsen notes on her blog, the books that have enormous print runs might have poor sell-throughs (the number of books sold compared the number of books printed), even though in total, they might have sold more than a book with a smaller run. Following? For example: a book with a 100,000 print run might sell 50,000, which is an okay sell-through, but a book with a 25,000 print run might sell 20,000, which is a much better return on the publisher's investment.
It's an interesting situation, and I don't know which I'd prefer. Probably the shot to at least make the best-seller list, but with these huge print runs comes a lot of pressure, and even though you have the machine of the publishing house behind you (which, incidentally, you really MUST have to reach the upper echelons of sales...I can't think of any book, barring perhaps, Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants, that took off without a HUGE publisher push and gobs of marketing/co-op money), you can certainly fall flat on your face. And the downside to that is that no one is going to give you a big advance again. In this industry, you don't get a lot of chances to prove yourself.
So which would you rather: start small and work your way up or start with a bang and hope to soar?
From what I understand about print runs, which, btw, means how many books the publisher prints of your book (I know that's basic info, but some people might not know), the initial print run is basically based on how many pre-orders they have from their sales team. So - if the sales team has gone out there and sold the hell out of it, and Barnes and Noble wanted, say, 50,000 - your print run will sizeable. And this, when it comes to best-seller lists or really, even for your book to do well at all, is a tricky situation, sort of a self-fulfilling prophesy, if you will. Because if your print run is, say, 100,000, your book is going to be well-stocked in stores, so people will gravitate to it, simply because it will land in their hands, and because publishers will have a bigger incentive to buy co-op space, advertising, etc for it. But if, for some reason, the sales team screws the pooch, well, your book is screwed too because no matter how much promotion you do or if the buzz spreads like wildfire, if it's not in stores, it's simply not going to sell, much less reach the best-seller list. So the books with huge print runs are already given a huge leg up.
But - and this is where it gets interesting - these BIG books also have a lot more to lose, both for the author and the publisher. As Gerritsen notes on her blog, the books that have enormous print runs might have poor sell-throughs (the number of books sold compared the number of books printed), even though in total, they might have sold more than a book with a smaller run. Following? For example: a book with a 100,000 print run might sell 50,000, which is an okay sell-through, but a book with a 25,000 print run might sell 20,000, which is a much better return on the publisher's investment.
It's an interesting situation, and I don't know which I'd prefer. Probably the shot to at least make the best-seller list, but with these huge print runs comes a lot of pressure, and even though you have the machine of the publishing house behind you (which, incidentally, you really MUST have to reach the upper echelons of sales...I can't think of any book, barring perhaps, Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants, that took off without a HUGE publisher push and gobs of marketing/co-op money), you can certainly fall flat on your face. And the downside to that is that no one is going to give you a big advance again. In this industry, you don't get a lot of chances to prove yourself.
So which would you rather: start small and work your way up or start with a bang and hope to soar?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Milking Money From Fiction
I'm an aspiring literary novelist, and have been for many years. All this time, I've also been freelancing unrelated (and un-literary) nonfiction work, both in the form of books (low-paying) and magazine articles (high-paying). My freelance work has been just a job to me -- I've mastered it enough to do it half-asleep, but I only do enough to keep the bills paid and buy time for my "real" work that I put everything into.
Now that I'm selling my novel, I feel ready to show my "real" self to the world, and never again go back to those nonfiction articles I only did for money. So I've begun to sell some of my short stories, but while I regularly got 4-digit sums for nonfiction magazine features, I'm discovering that magazine and web outlets don't seem to pay much at all for serious fiction. What should a writer in my position do to shift successfully to fiction?
First of all, congrats on selling your book! That's a big accomplishment.
Second of all, I don't have much advice that you're going to want to hear. I feel your pain - I do - I certainly understand the tug of fiction and the monotony that one can feel (but not always because, hey, some magazine assignments are interesting and informative, etc, etc, etc,) with the freelancing gigs. But the truth is that fiction just doesn't pay well, and often times, the only way to keep a steady flow of incoming coming in is to make compromises with yourself and with your career.
I can't tell you how many best-selling authors I know who didn't quit their day-jobs until their third or so book. Because then, and only then, will you (hopefully) have an influx of royalties, as well as money from new advances, coming in. It sucks to say and to hear, but it's the truth. Even if you get a 100k offer, that's 85k after your agent's cut, then say, 50k after Uncle Sam is done with you...and that's your income until you crank out another novel. Short stories and such? Well, unless you're writing for top markets - Esquire, The New Yorker, etc - you're just not going to bring home a lot of bacon.
I wish I had better news. I wish I could say, "kiss all that soul-sucking work goodbye," but I can't in good conscience do so. Sometimes, it's called a job because it IS one. So the best advice I have to offer is to keep writing - the more books you sell, the more money you have to potentially pad your back account.
But readers, am I too conservative? What advice would you have for transitioning to fiction full-time and not going hungry?
Now that I'm selling my novel, I feel ready to show my "real" self to the world, and never again go back to those nonfiction articles I only did for money. So I've begun to sell some of my short stories, but while I regularly got 4-digit sums for nonfiction magazine features, I'm discovering that magazine and web outlets don't seem to pay much at all for serious fiction. What should a writer in my position do to shift successfully to fiction?
First of all, congrats on selling your book! That's a big accomplishment.
Second of all, I don't have much advice that you're going to want to hear. I feel your pain - I do - I certainly understand the tug of fiction and the monotony that one can feel (but not always because, hey, some magazine assignments are interesting and informative, etc, etc, etc,) with the freelancing gigs. But the truth is that fiction just doesn't pay well, and often times, the only way to keep a steady flow of incoming coming in is to make compromises with yourself and with your career.
I can't tell you how many best-selling authors I know who didn't quit their day-jobs until their third or so book. Because then, and only then, will you (hopefully) have an influx of royalties, as well as money from new advances, coming in. It sucks to say and to hear, but it's the truth. Even if you get a 100k offer, that's 85k after your agent's cut, then say, 50k after Uncle Sam is done with you...and that's your income until you crank out another novel. Short stories and such? Well, unless you're writing for top markets - Esquire, The New Yorker, etc - you're just not going to bring home a lot of bacon.
I wish I had better news. I wish I could say, "kiss all that soul-sucking work goodbye," but I can't in good conscience do so. Sometimes, it's called a job because it IS one. So the best advice I have to offer is to keep writing - the more books you sell, the more money you have to potentially pad your back account.
But readers, am I too conservative? What advice would you have for transitioning to fiction full-time and not going hungry?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
I Want More Peanuts!
I have been contributing regularly to a magazine for about a year. It pays me the least of any other publications to which I contribute, but I love it the most. Right now, they pay me about one peanut. I'd like to ask for two peanuts. How do I go about this professionally and in the right way with the editor? Can I even go there?
Yes! You can and should go there, in fact. But asking for a raise seems like one of the most daunting things that we do, right? I mean, it's one of those pulse-pounding sweat-inducing tasks that we put off at all costs. Why? Because we're so grateful that someone is handing us work that we don't want to seem ungrateful, nor do we want to offend the person offering said work.
But.
Here's the thing: in any job, you'd get raises as time goes on and after you've proven yourself a valuable commodity. Writing is no different. If you feel that you deserve a raise, well, then figuratively march yourself into your boss's/editor's office and ask for one.
Here are some tactics as to how to go about it:
1) Say something like: "You know how much I enjoy writing for you. However, I earn more money writing for your competitors and was hoping that we could discuss a boost in my rate."
2) Be prepared with a number to offer. I think the best tactic to do so is to figure out how much you need or want to earn per hour for each article, and then suggest the word rate that will get you there.
3) Be kind and gracious yet still professional and firm. One of the best negotiating tips that I've read said, "Pretend that you're negotiating on behalf of a friend. You'd never allow her to get paid poorly, so do everything for yourself that you'd do for her."
4) Don't take it personally or worry that you'll be fired for asking for a boost. Most editors are actually PREPARED to raise rates if they can - the author just has to ask. And if they like you, they sure as hell aren't going to ditch you for asking. They might not be able to raise your rate, but seriously, you'll almost NEVER lose the job just for asking...and if you *do* lose a gig over getting money that you deserve, is this really an outlet you want to be associated with? (Other readers can chime in here to agree with me!)
So, those are my thoughts. Other writers out there who ask for raises, how do you go about it?
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Dying To Ditch the Day Job
My trusty google alert dinged me with this wonderful review from Romance Reader at Heart, which said that, "Every woman should read this book."
I also got a lovely review from the Jewish Reporter, which said that after reading TDLF, "readers may find that they, too, can disregard their own talismans now that they have a guide for finding their way."
Oh, and I don't know that I ever mentioned this, but the Philadelphia Inquirer picked TDLF as one of their five summer reads! Coolio!
If you haven't picked it up, what are you waiting for?? Buy it now!
Question of the day: I am currently involved in a search for a literary agent. I finished my novel six months ago and began querying immediately. My query receives a good response rate, as many agents have requested partials and fulls of my manuscript. However, I find myself increasingly hopeless about actually obtaining an offer from an agent, as many have sent me rejection letters (albeit usually with some positive slant - though I can't help but think they're placating me as they do everybody else with some positive words in closing). Anyway, I was wondering if you have any advice for someone trying to embark on a career as a writer. I'm anxious to leave my current job, but nervous to enter the world of freelance writing and/or odd jobs and an uncertain stream of income. But part of me thinks my mental health will suffer if I don't make this move soon. All I want to do is write! I wanted to wait until I secured an agent before making this big move, but the process is taking much longer than I expected.
First of all, hang in there. As I've said many times on this blog, there is very little instant gratification in this business (not that you're looking for it), but establishing a writing career is a very, VERY long process, and if you don't have the stomach for what could be a decade-long process, this probably isn't the career for you.
Second of all, it sounds like your agent search is going well, or at the very least, you have a strong query letter, since you're getting good responses. Have you taken a fresh look at your material lately? Or had an objective source take a fresh look at it? Perhaps there are tweaks that can be made that you're not aware of that will strengthen your work and take it from good, but not agent-worthy, to outstanding.
Third of all, I'd be very wary about quitting your job (if you're your sole provider or don't have a hefty savings account) just because you've landed an agent. I know that this isn't what you want to hear (and I'm sorry!!), but getting an agent is by no means a lottery ticket: just ask a lot of us whose first works didn't sell. Then, once you've spoken to that group, go talk to another group of published authors whose work DID sell, but barely covered their annual grocery bills. I've said it before here, but the average fiction advance is somewhere in the 10k or less ballpark. Yup. 10k. Not exactly the ticket to luxurious living, even if you live in the cheapest town in America.
Fourth of all, if your job is killing you, maybe you can find something writing-related outside of work that will help fulfill you. A critique group. A fiction class. Anything that will make you a stronger writer while also beating back the workday doldrums.
Fifth of all, if you're hellbent on leaving your job to write full-time, I'd line up clients long before you say "sayonara" to your boss. I don't know what your area of expertise is, but say, for example, that you're capable of doing corporate work...well, I'd contact some small businesses in your area and try to secure them for future work. This will a) ensure some flow of income after you leave and b) reduce your (sure to be high) stress level once you do leave and are frantic to take on more clients.
So...that's my advice. Readers, what say you to this writer who is dying to leave the daily grind?
I also got a lovely review from the Jewish Reporter, which said that after reading TDLF, "readers may find that they, too, can disregard their own talismans now that they have a guide for finding their way."
Oh, and I don't know that I ever mentioned this, but the Philadelphia Inquirer picked TDLF as one of their five summer reads! Coolio!
If you haven't picked it up, what are you waiting for?? Buy it now!
Question of the day: I am currently involved in a search for a literary agent. I finished my novel six months ago and began querying immediately. My query receives a good response rate, as many agents have requested partials and fulls of my manuscript. However, I find myself increasingly hopeless about actually obtaining an offer from an agent, as many have sent me rejection letters (albeit usually with some positive slant - though I can't help but think they're placating me as they do everybody else with some positive words in closing). Anyway, I was wondering if you have any advice for someone trying to embark on a career as a writer. I'm anxious to leave my current job, but nervous to enter the world of freelance writing and/or odd jobs and an uncertain stream of income. But part of me thinks my mental health will suffer if I don't make this move soon. All I want to do is write! I wanted to wait until I secured an agent before making this big move, but the process is taking much longer than I expected.
First of all, hang in there. As I've said many times on this blog, there is very little instant gratification in this business (not that you're looking for it), but establishing a writing career is a very, VERY long process, and if you don't have the stomach for what could be a decade-long process, this probably isn't the career for you.
Second of all, it sounds like your agent search is going well, or at the very least, you have a strong query letter, since you're getting good responses. Have you taken a fresh look at your material lately? Or had an objective source take a fresh look at it? Perhaps there are tweaks that can be made that you're not aware of that will strengthen your work and take it from good, but not agent-worthy, to outstanding.
Third of all, I'd be very wary about quitting your job (if you're your sole provider or don't have a hefty savings account) just because you've landed an agent. I know that this isn't what you want to hear (and I'm sorry!!), but getting an agent is by no means a lottery ticket: just ask a lot of us whose first works didn't sell. Then, once you've spoken to that group, go talk to another group of published authors whose work DID sell, but barely covered their annual grocery bills. I've said it before here, but the average fiction advance is somewhere in the 10k or less ballpark. Yup. 10k. Not exactly the ticket to luxurious living, even if you live in the cheapest town in America.
Fourth of all, if your job is killing you, maybe you can find something writing-related outside of work that will help fulfill you. A critique group. A fiction class. Anything that will make you a stronger writer while also beating back the workday doldrums.
Fifth of all, if you're hellbent on leaving your job to write full-time, I'd line up clients long before you say "sayonara" to your boss. I don't know what your area of expertise is, but say, for example, that you're capable of doing corporate work...well, I'd contact some small businesses in your area and try to secure them for future work. This will a) ensure some flow of income after you leave and b) reduce your (sure to be high) stress level once you do leave and are frantic to take on more clients.
So...that's my advice. Readers, what say you to this writer who is dying to leave the daily grind?
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Can This Damn Thing Earn Me Some Dough?
I'm curious if you make any income from your blog? If so, can you tell me a little bit about how that all works? Seems like a "hot topic" in the freelance writing world these days.
Er, no. I don't make diddly from this monstrosity. If only. :)
I don't think that blogs have become a hot topic because of the possibility of income. Rather, they're all the rage because they allow writers a bit of self-expression without any editorial constraints, and they're also an excellent promotional and marketing tool.
That said, I do think that HUGE blogs, like PerezHilton.com (um, not that I read it, like, four times a day), generate income from ad sales. But unless you're bringing in hundreds of thousands of hits, I'd say this is unlikely.
But then again, I'm not sure. Anyone else out there have any other thoughts?
Er, no. I don't make diddly from this monstrosity. If only. :)
I don't think that blogs have become a hot topic because of the possibility of income. Rather, they're all the rage because they allow writers a bit of self-expression without any editorial constraints, and they're also an excellent promotional and marketing tool.
That said, I do think that HUGE blogs, like PerezHilton.com (um, not that I read it, like, four times a day), generate income from ad sales. But unless you're bringing in hundreds of thousands of hits, I'd say this is unlikely.
But then again, I'm not sure. Anyone else out there have any other thoughts?
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Foreign Rights Dinero
I was just wondering, since your publisher sold your book rights in Spanish, do you see any money from that deal? Or does it all go to HarperCollins?
Good question, and for it, there's a quick and easy answer (which I already emailed back to you). But I'm posting it publicly anyway because I think it's important that people know what to expect when they get their contracts, AND that they read said contracts.
The answer is that yes, I see do see money from the deal - generally, the author sees 50-80% of the money from the sale. The even better news is that the money that Harper keeps works toward fulfilling my advance. I also get royalties for every book sold. Foreign rights royalties usually fall somewhere around 10%, give or take a few points.
See? Quick and easy, as promised.
Good question, and for it, there's a quick and easy answer (which I already emailed back to you). But I'm posting it publicly anyway because I think it's important that people know what to expect when they get their contracts, AND that they read said contracts.
The answer is that yes, I see do see money from the deal - generally, the author sees 50-80% of the money from the sale. The even better news is that the money that Harper keeps works toward fulfilling my advance. I also get royalties for every book sold. Foreign rights royalties usually fall somewhere around 10%, give or take a few points.
See? Quick and easy, as promised.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Finding Financial Success
My question today is regarding pay rates. I have freelanced for the past two years (part time) for a trade magazine and have been getting steady increases with every article that I write for them. My problem is that I am currently freelancing full-time now, and trying to get my feet off the ground by sending queries to other magazines, but the bulk of my writing (about four articles per month) is still for the trade magazine. At $450 per article, that's only $1800 per month. When I read the other day that your first year you made around $35,000, I was wondering how you managed to do that. Obviously you were either writing more articles per month than I am or getting paid more for the ones you were writing.
So now the question...If I'm going to be able to make the kind of money I'm hoping to, how many articles per month should I be writing? How many queries should I be sending out each week? How fast should I be able to finish an article of say around 2000 words? Should I be concentrating on FOBs and not so much on feature articles at this time?
Obviously I'm not going to quit writing for the trade magazine right now, since I have steady income (though paltry), but I would like to know what I need to do (in your opinion) to get "up to speed" to see an income of about $35,000 this year.
Good - and complicated -questions. To answer your first one, during my first year freelancing, I took on a variety of work, and certainly, the bulk of the 35k that I brought in was NOT from magazine work. As I've mentioned in the past, to really earn a living at freelancing, most writers expand their business beyond the mags. So that year, and for about two or three years that followed it, I also did a lot of PR and marketing work for small businesses, as well as worked on retainer for one of the larger PR firms in the city. This supplied me with a steady stream of checks and also gave me time to keep pitching mags, which was what I really wanted to do.
How do you get to your desired income level? Well, in addition to expanding your client list with some corporate work (if possible), I'm going to suggest something scary. But it has worked for SO many writer friends I know. And that's to pare back on the trade writing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard of writers who are tied to lower-paying jobs finally saying, "This isn't my end goal, and I need to focus on that end goal, and in order to do that, I need to ditch the ball and chain that's tying me down." And once they do this, their careers really soar. The problem with these trade assignments is, I assume, that they're cutting into the time that you'd spend pitching other places, AND they might lull you into a sense of complacency...after all, you have this steady stream of work coming in, do you really need to get your ass out there and find new markets? In your case, I don't know that you need to cut ties entirely, but maybe take on one or two less stories a month. Or, better yet, only pitch (or accept) those stories that already cater to your area of expertise and thus will take less time to write. I started doing this a few years ago: these days, I rarely tackle a story for which I know squat. It simply takes too long for me to research. Instead, I pitch (and accept) articles for which I already have a list of contacts, am already familiar with the general research, and already have a relatively good idea of the tips that need to be provided. And this saves an enormous amount of time.
Which gets back to one of your questions: how long should it take you to write a 2000 word story? Really, there's no concrete measure of this. What I think is a better question to ask is: how much per hour should I be making so that this story is worth my time? When I was doing PR, I got paid about $100-150 an hour for my time. (Keep in mind that I live in NYC, so these rates are probably higher than standard.) So this set the bar for what I needed to earn with my magazine work as well. If a $300 dollar FOB took me 4 hours, it simply wasn't worth it. But if a $2000 feature took me ten hours, then it was. See where I'm going with this? If that 2000 word story takes you weeks on end to write, it's probably not earning you enough to be worthwhile, even if it seems lucrative upon accepting it.
Your final question deals with FOBs vs. features. I've advocated pitching FOBs in the past because I think they're an excellent way to break into the major markets. So sure, definitely devote some time to those pitches. But again, I think it's really about being able to juggle a variety of things: pitching FOBs, writing a few trade articles that won't suck up all of your time, drumming up some well-paying corporate work, and networking with editors and other writers. Freelancing is really about being a master juggler - you need to have a lot of balls in the air in order to be successful. It sounds like you're well on your way - getting those crucial first clips are key, and congrats on that! Now, just brainstorm ways to expand your business and make better use of your time, and you'll be hitting your target income in no time.
So...how did some of you guys make that leap from fledgling writer to being able to pay the bills? I know there are a lot of successful freelancers out there...chime in!
So now the question...If I'm going to be able to make the kind of money I'm hoping to, how many articles per month should I be writing? How many queries should I be sending out each week? How fast should I be able to finish an article of say around 2000 words? Should I be concentrating on FOBs and not so much on feature articles at this time?
Obviously I'm not going to quit writing for the trade magazine right now, since I have steady income (though paltry), but I would like to know what I need to do (in your opinion) to get "up to speed" to see an income of about $35,000 this year.
Good - and complicated -questions. To answer your first one, during my first year freelancing, I took on a variety of work, and certainly, the bulk of the 35k that I brought in was NOT from magazine work. As I've mentioned in the past, to really earn a living at freelancing, most writers expand their business beyond the mags. So that year, and for about two or three years that followed it, I also did a lot of PR and marketing work for small businesses, as well as worked on retainer for one of the larger PR firms in the city. This supplied me with a steady stream of checks and also gave me time to keep pitching mags, which was what I really wanted to do.
How do you get to your desired income level? Well, in addition to expanding your client list with some corporate work (if possible), I'm going to suggest something scary. But it has worked for SO many writer friends I know. And that's to pare back on the trade writing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard of writers who are tied to lower-paying jobs finally saying, "This isn't my end goal, and I need to focus on that end goal, and in order to do that, I need to ditch the ball and chain that's tying me down." And once they do this, their careers really soar. The problem with these trade assignments is, I assume, that they're cutting into the time that you'd spend pitching other places, AND they might lull you into a sense of complacency...after all, you have this steady stream of work coming in, do you really need to get your ass out there and find new markets? In your case, I don't know that you need to cut ties entirely, but maybe take on one or two less stories a month. Or, better yet, only pitch (or accept) those stories that already cater to your area of expertise and thus will take less time to write. I started doing this a few years ago: these days, I rarely tackle a story for which I know squat. It simply takes too long for me to research. Instead, I pitch (and accept) articles for which I already have a list of contacts, am already familiar with the general research, and already have a relatively good idea of the tips that need to be provided. And this saves an enormous amount of time.
Which gets back to one of your questions: how long should it take you to write a 2000 word story? Really, there's no concrete measure of this. What I think is a better question to ask is: how much per hour should I be making so that this story is worth my time? When I was doing PR, I got paid about $100-150 an hour for my time. (Keep in mind that I live in NYC, so these rates are probably higher than standard.) So this set the bar for what I needed to earn with my magazine work as well. If a $300 dollar FOB took me 4 hours, it simply wasn't worth it. But if a $2000 feature took me ten hours, then it was. See where I'm going with this? If that 2000 word story takes you weeks on end to write, it's probably not earning you enough to be worthwhile, even if it seems lucrative upon accepting it.
Your final question deals with FOBs vs. features. I've advocated pitching FOBs in the past because I think they're an excellent way to break into the major markets. So sure, definitely devote some time to those pitches. But again, I think it's really about being able to juggle a variety of things: pitching FOBs, writing a few trade articles that won't suck up all of your time, drumming up some well-paying corporate work, and networking with editors and other writers. Freelancing is really about being a master juggler - you need to have a lot of balls in the air in order to be successful. It sounds like you're well on your way - getting those crucial first clips are key, and congrats on that! Now, just brainstorm ways to expand your business and make better use of your time, and you'll be hitting your target income in no time.
So...how did some of you guys make that leap from fledgling writer to being able to pay the bills? I know there are a lot of successful freelancers out there...chime in!
Friday, January 12, 2007
The Bottom Line
I'm am ravenous (I love that word) for knowledge of the publishing industry! I have 3 stats that I'm curious about and just would like some ball park figures? 1) How many books sold would constitute a successful first book? 2) What would constitute a nice yearly income of a successful author starting out? I know this is a tough question, but I need to have some idea as I plan my career. I cannot find anything on the internet! 3) What would constitute a nice advance for a first book?
Side note: I, too, love the word ravenous! I remember learning it in one of those SAT books and using it as often as possible.
Anyhoo.
Ah, great questions that every writer wants to have concrete answers to. If only I had them, and if only there were concrete answers. But alas, there aren't. Here's why.
1) What constitutes a good numbers of books sold? Well, that all depends on print runs and expectations. (FYI: Diana Peterfreund ran a recent poll on her blog to assess general print runs for new and established authors, and I'm anxiously awaiting her results.) If, for example, you have a 10,000 print run, and you sell all of them, well, then this is a fantastic sell through number and your publisher will be pleased. If, say, your name is Nora Roberts, and you only sell 10,000, your publisher is pissed. I think the thing to focus on instead, rather than number of books sold, is the sell-through and the percentage of books printed to books sold. That's what your publisher will focus on too.
2) What is a good income for a writer? Well, again, there's nothing concrete to say here. Why? Because what's more important is what's a good income for YOU. For example, I live in NYC, perhaps the most expensive place to live in the country. (Yeah, yeah, I hear you SF-ers - I know your rents are high there too.) So, what just covers my mortgage is going to be a FAT income for someone in Topeka, KS. Similarly, I probably wouldn't get by on that Topeka writer's income. Not to mention the whole other slew of factors: are you supporting only yourself? Are you the primary or secondary breadwinner? Do you drop dough faster than P. Diddy? And on and on. But I will say this: speaking from experience, it is certainly possible to earn 6-figures as a writer. But it probably won't happen the first year out (I think my first year freelancing, I earned something like 35k), and it probably won't happen if you don't spread your skills as far as possible. What I mean by that is that most 6-figure writers I know don't write exclusively for magazines - they might do corporate work or they might write books or whatever. That said, most writers don't make 6-figures. In fact, there was a recent survey as to what the average freelance writer makes, and I *believe*, though I'm not sure, since I'm citing this from memory, that the figure hovered somewhere around 40-50k.
3) Again, what would constitute a nice advance and what would constitute an advance that you'd dream of are two very different things. The average book advance is - breathe deeply - less than 10k. Yep, really. (Insert tears of sorrow here.) You're not going to get rich - most likely - writing books. At least not your first one. And probably not your second one. Write books because you really passionately want to, not because you're going to end up in an Aaron Spelling-like mansion. If you land a huge advance, it's the cherry on top. But don't count on it.
So...anyone want to add in specifics that I've overlooked? Maybe there's more concrete info out there than I think?
Side note: I, too, love the word ravenous! I remember learning it in one of those SAT books and using it as often as possible.
Anyhoo.
Ah, great questions that every writer wants to have concrete answers to. If only I had them, and if only there were concrete answers. But alas, there aren't. Here's why.
1) What constitutes a good numbers of books sold? Well, that all depends on print runs and expectations. (FYI: Diana Peterfreund ran a recent poll on her blog to assess general print runs for new and established authors, and I'm anxiously awaiting her results.) If, for example, you have a 10,000 print run, and you sell all of them, well, then this is a fantastic sell through number and your publisher will be pleased. If, say, your name is Nora Roberts, and you only sell 10,000, your publisher is pissed. I think the thing to focus on instead, rather than number of books sold, is the sell-through and the percentage of books printed to books sold. That's what your publisher will focus on too.
2) What is a good income for a writer? Well, again, there's nothing concrete to say here. Why? Because what's more important is what's a good income for YOU. For example, I live in NYC, perhaps the most expensive place to live in the country. (Yeah, yeah, I hear you SF-ers - I know your rents are high there too.) So, what just covers my mortgage is going to be a FAT income for someone in Topeka, KS. Similarly, I probably wouldn't get by on that Topeka writer's income. Not to mention the whole other slew of factors: are you supporting only yourself? Are you the primary or secondary breadwinner? Do you drop dough faster than P. Diddy? And on and on. But I will say this: speaking from experience, it is certainly possible to earn 6-figures as a writer. But it probably won't happen the first year out (I think my first year freelancing, I earned something like 35k), and it probably won't happen if you don't spread your skills as far as possible. What I mean by that is that most 6-figure writers I know don't write exclusively for magazines - they might do corporate work or they might write books or whatever. That said, most writers don't make 6-figures. In fact, there was a recent survey as to what the average freelance writer makes, and I *believe*, though I'm not sure, since I'm citing this from memory, that the figure hovered somewhere around 40-50k.
3) Again, what would constitute a nice advance and what would constitute an advance that you'd dream of are two very different things. The average book advance is - breathe deeply - less than 10k. Yep, really. (Insert tears of sorrow here.) You're not going to get rich - most likely - writing books. At least not your first one. And probably not your second one. Write books because you really passionately want to, not because you're going to end up in an Aaron Spelling-like mansion. If you land a huge advance, it's the cherry on top. But don't count on it.
So...anyone want to add in specifics that I've overlooked? Maybe there's more concrete info out there than I think?
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