Booklist
In our writing TBR pile:
How to write a Damn Good Thriller (Status: Reading)
Creating Characters (Status: TBR)
Creating Characters: How to Build Story People (Status: TBR)
Author Offerings
Three women haunted by horrors from their pasts. Four men who want to show them there's Nothing to Fear by Lacey Savage
Dragon Slayer now available at Noble Romance Publishing
About Us
Award winning author Lacey Savage (AKA Hunter Raines) pens erotic tales of true love and mythical destiny, peopled with strong alpha heroes and feisty heroines.
Fiona Jayde is an author of kickass, action packed romances and when not plotting murder and mayhem enjoys steamy romance novels, sexy spy thrillers, murky mysteries and movies where things blow up.
We love to talk about writing! Here, we share the "nuggets" we've culled from our huge collections of writing books, and chat about what makes us want to roll our eyes or raise our eyebrows.
Interested in guest blogging on Tips and WIPs? Contact us!
Why Sales Matter
I’m going to veer away from writing advice in this post, but I hope both published and aspiring authors will find something useful to take away from what’s to come.
Why Do Sales Matter, Anyway?
Image by: violet.blue
Maybe you read that heading and thought I was being facetious. I’m not.
A number of very good author friends received their royalty statements from various publishers over the past couple of days. Emotions have been running high, and emails have been flying. A few of my friends — published, successful, talented authors — have threatened to quit writing.
Why?
Because, frankly, their sales have stunk.
Now, let me make it clear that my friends all accept the fact that they’re not in this business to get rich. None of them believe they’re going to write the next Harry Potter and magically become wealthier than the Queen of England. It’s not going to happen. And that’s okay.
But sales matter for other reasons.
1. They provide validation.
As authors, we write when other people watch TV. When our families are out skiing, or having a picnic, or splashing around in the pool. We skip out on girls’ night out, on after-work gatherings, and holiday parties. And at some point, we ask ourselves, “Is it worth it?”
Opening an envelope with a royalty check provides some of that much-needed validation. It lets us know that yes, someone’s reading our stories. Someone other than our parents and our editors (bless them) stayed up late to devour a book we wrote. That’s a mighty good feeling.
2. They let us know we’re on the right track
I write in a variety of genres. (The reasons why are fodder for another post.) But some genres suit my storytelling abilities better than others. And for the most part, readers know this. A quick glance at my sales statement lets me know which books readers sought out this quarter. Of course, there are other elements at play — like the popularity of a genre, for example — but for the most part, authors do best when they’re true to their voice.
Can you imagine Janet Evanovich writing dark horror? I wonder what her royalty statements would look like if she tried.
3. They keep us going
I don’t mean just psychologically, here. Publishing is a business. If an author’s sales are good, that author’s likely to continue writing for her publisher. If sales aren’t quite that hot… well, doubt starts to set in. “Will I ever sell again?” “Will anyone want to buy what I wrote?” “Should I get a job flipping burgers, knowing it would pay better than writing?” (It does, too, in most cases.)
As any author can tell you, we’re a neurotic bunch. We seek external validation, partly because writing is such a solitary endeavor, and partly because, well, we’re needy creative types. Fan mail, a good review, a kind word from a critique partner — those are the things we treasure. But all those feel-good keepsakes go up in smoke the moment we open a royalty statement and realize the book we poured our heart and soul into, the one that had us up writing until 4:00 AM for six months, sold just enough to buy a Starbucks triple mocha latte. At that point we start to wonder, like my friends did…
Is it worth it?
Should I quit?
Most of the time, the answer is a resounding no. We write for many reasons, and the need to tell a damn good story doesn’t vanish because our last damn good story didn’t sell well. We might even be able to put the sales numbers out of our heads and return to our keyboards to tackle the next book demanding to be told.
And we’ll be happy. Until the next royalty check lands in our mailbox, and we start fretting all over again.
Whoever told you being a published author was easy… lied.
Heratbreaking post Lacey! I’m such a voracious reader & it scares me when I read these things. You are not the only author I’ve read about that wonders if it’s worth it. As a reader I dread any writer quitting. Do you think ebooks have made it harder to make a living. This is beyond piracy. I’m talking in terms of them being cheaper but you still wrote your 100K words.
Whoever told you being a published author was easy… lied.
No kidding.
Nice post, Lacey. Yep. Maybe it stinks, but a decent pay check is ONE (very valid) way of measuring whether it’s worth it– the hours and hours at the keyboard, agonizing over plot and character…sleepless nights as a pesky detail either eludes us or festers in our mind.
Have a good weekend, Lacey.
Mary — Thanks for stopping by! Honestly, I don’t think ebooks have made it harder to make a living. If anything, they’ve probably made it easier. I know quite a few authors who make a living writing ebooks full time who would otherwise not be published with more mainstream publishers because they’re too edgy, or “out there” for more traditional houses. It’s just as tough (if not tougher) for NY-published authors whose agents dump them, whose editors don’t pick up their option, and whose lines fold.
Beth — We all start out writing as a hobby. But at some point, most of us make the move to doing this as a career; be it full or part time. And just like with any other career, making money is a critical part of feeling good about yourself and your chosen path. Thanks for weighing in!
Your post came at the right time, Lace. I can’t tell you how much that low royalty statement kills my ego. But you’re right…I would write either way. So we’ll keep struggling and keep pinching our pennies. It’s an interesting career choice. Instead of the corporate rat race every book is like a 10K or a marathon, a personal struggle. *hugs* Thanks for the post, Lacey.