NYT Bestseller – The Truth About Writing
There are really so many misconceptions about writers, what they make, how they do what they do, that it’s laughable.
Not all writers parade around in bunny slippers, dashing off a book in a weekend between watching reruns of Supernatural. And writers usually don’t make an astounding amount of money. Not even those that hit the golden hallowed ground of New York Times Bestseller.
See what I mean – a first-hand account with actual royalty statement, compliments of Lynn Viehl at GenReality. Out of a $50k advance (only two-thirds you get before the book comes out, 15% percent of which goes to pay the agent) she netted less than half. Of the $40k+ royalty for a top 20 NYT bestselling book. She got zero in her paycheck (because she has to pay back the advance).
Writers don’t write for the money. Most of us write to keep our sanity, because we really do have other people’s voices (our characters) talking incessantly in our heads.
So how long, exactly do you need to work at this before you start making anything at all? It depends. That’s the straight up truth.
Read this and you’ll understand: How do You Know When to Quit over at Murderati. You stop when you can’t go anymore, and for most writers, the process is far more invovled that the end result you see on a bookstore shelf. We spend months, sometimes years, of our lives on stuff you read in a week or less.
The truth about writing is this, and I’m only telling you because I know a lot of people want to write the Great American Novel someday: Writing is a lot of work. Hard work. The majority of time you are rejected. Persistence is key. Talent is important. Learning and improving your craft a constant given. But timing, opportunity, just like the singer Susan Boyle in the link you’ll find in the Murderati link, that is the critical element that makes it all come together.
