With Information Comes Power
Thursday, January 28, 2010 Isn't that a line from Superman or something? Anyhoo. Wait, that's responsibility, and it's Spiderman. Okay, moving on.
Question of the day: How do you know so much about the industry and yet you're still only a writer? Wouldn't you personally like to take the next step and become an agent or an editor, or something else within the industry?
This is a great question, and I don't think it's one I've ever been asked. I mean, I sit here day in and day out sharing what I know, and no one has ever said, "Wait, how do you know this and are you sure that it's true!?!" (I'm being serious and not at all snarky in saying this!) Let me first clarify, as I have in the past, that nothing I say here is ever, like, 100% verse: it's always just what I've learned and my interpretation of the industry as I see it. So remember that when you're reading.
That said, how have I come to know so much as a mere writer? Well, I ask A LOT of questions, and I do A LOT of back-end research on my own. You might remember that my agent blogged back in December, and one thing she said about me is that I take it upon myself to understand the industry inside and out. I read blogs, I read websites, I try to understand sales figures, I pay close attention to marketing and other books and other authors, and really, if you press your ear up close enough, there's an incredible amount of knowledge to be gleaned. For example, last week's post about Amazon and rankings and sales figures and sales projections. I truly wanted to understand what Amazon meant in terms of my sales, so I took the time to figure out the patterns and what that meant for my books. That's just one (tiny) example of what I like to do.
I really think that in today's environment, with agents and editors so slammed with work, and dwindling marketing and publicity budgets, and fewer and fewer new authors getting picked up, educating yourself on the industry's best practices is part of your responsibility as a writer. It's not just about putting words down on a page anymore. The rest of it is almost as important too. Like it or not, writing is a business, so I've taken it upon myself to try to peek behind the curtains as often as possible. I'm not hesitant to ask my agent or editor or publicist or other agents, etc, whom I know, questions when I have them. It's just smart business.
As far as the second part of your question - I just have NO interest in becoming an agent or editor. Writing is what I love - the creative and evolutionary process of it. I'd much prefer to place myself in very, very competent hands and let them take care of the rest.
What about you guys? Do you think educating yourself on the behind-the-scenes stuff is part of the game these days? Anyone want to make the leap over to the other side?
Reader Comments (10)
Yeah, I can't imagine being an agent. If anything, I could see myself teaching, but I think I'm just not enough of a people person to do what agents/editors have to do.
Lol first let me become an author, though, before I commit to doing or not doing anything else. :P
(Haha. I think you're thinking of Spiderman: With great power comes great responsibility. Or something like that.)
I feel the same way you do. Learn, learn, learn as much as you can about the industry you want to be a part of, and no, I don't have any desire to be anything other than a writer either. The more you know, the better equipped you are to succeed. It can also make others' jobs easier down the line, giving you a reputation as someone who is beneficial to work with, knows what they're doing, and should be taken seriously.
Thanks for the great post!
Absolutely! Knowledge is power, baby! But seriously, it's market research. Even though some writers shudder at the thoughts, books are a product being sold in a competitive market place, just like cars or shoes or houses or oranges. If you were in any of those industries you would need to have thorough knowledge of al the factors at play. Writing is no different.
And no, I don't want to be an agent. I considered it when I began this "transitional" phase of my life - but I want to write, godamnit!
That seems like an odd question, really. "Only" a writer? I can't tell if it was meant in an insulting sense or not (I'm going to assume not because it's more fun to think well of people), but the questions does seem to imply that being a writer is just a step on a career ladder, which as far as I can tell really isn't the case. If anything, it seems like there are more agents/editors/publishers who are aspiring authors (either as a side thing or second career). It would be interesting to see the actual numbers on that.
Thanks Allison for this post. I just recently found your blog and have really enjoyed catching up. You posts are informative, easy to read, and enjoyable! I think that research is a great tool for any profession. You really need to understand not only your portion of the "job" but also have a keen understanding of those jobs around you to really know how best to support yourself and the whole business in a productive way.
Your post was spot on!
Personally, I've been "dreaming" of being a writer one day but only recently began learning more about the editing side of the house. It's very interesting indeed.
I work as an editor and can imagine transitioning into being an agent someday. I do some freelance writing on the side and think about working full time as a writer, but it's tough to make that leap. Most novelists aren't like Allison. On top of writing, they also work a full time job even with several books under their belt. Allison is like a pro athlete - she makes it look easy, but what she's doing is really very difficult.
I think the entire industry is fascinating from whatever angle you approach it - it has an amazing creative energy and there are so many different interesting people to work with as well. I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing. The important thing for me is to keep growing, learning, and creating. I'm open to change, but I'm also grateful to be where I am.
Sarah-
Thanks for posting that (I think! - I think it was a compliment, but I'm not sure!). But regardless, you raise a very valid point that I don't address here often but probably should: I do this full-time. A lot of writers simply don't have the time to commit to digging around the industry and absorbing it in the way that I have - I can't imagine writing my books while juggling a full-time job, and my hat is SERIOUSLY off to those who do. The bottom line is that you can only do so much, and anything you can glean about the industry - even if it's coming to this blog and learning a few tidbits - is better than nothing.
Thank you for raising that point - I really do think it's an important one, and one of the reasons I AM able to do what I do is because I'm now in the position to do it full-time. In fact, I was filing a magazine deadline this week, and felt harried because I had to juggle both that and my manuscript...and thought, 'How did I used to do this all the time - the mags and the fiction?" It seems impossible looking back on it that I managed all of it, much like writers who have other jobs must.
Allison
Like Sarah, I'm an editor (15 years!) and am now doing publicity for authors as a consultant. I would definitely be interested in agenting, I think. But I just love publishing: everything about it. I've spent years in concept creation, design, production (copyediting, proofreading), dev editing, and now I'm working on marketing completed books, using social media. The more I do, the more I love it. I may even become a publisher this year (small infoproducts).
But, Allison's very savvy about the industry, which means as a writer (and that's enough, believe me!) she's aware of the market and how what she writes will fit into the bigger publishing picture. That's huge. I know a lot of writers who just write and dream about being discovered. That's the dream that gets one INTO writing, but it won't sustain a writer into a writing career. Allison has shown us that. I'm not knocking the dream. I HAVE THAT DREAM. But you have to represent yourself as a writer and to do that you've got to study, research, know where you can fit in.
I definitely think it's an author's responsibility to inform herself as much as possible about the publishing industry -- there's a lot of chatter online from writers who feel like their only job is to write the book, and they "shouldn't have to bother" with anything else. But if you want to be read -- if you want to sell -- if you want to give your book its best possible footing in a crowded marketplace, knowing that the performance of the first book will affect your chances of selling a second -- why wouldn't you learn as much as you can?? (Other than not having the time, which I certainly sympathize with, being one of those full-time-plus-fiction authors Allison refers to.)
On occasion I have thought that being an agent would be the coolest job in the world. Then I remembered I don't like to make phone calls, especially when I fear there might be bad news on the other end. BZZZZT.
Allison, I hope you know it was a total compliment. Writing full time is a result of your hard work and dedication. You have made it to the big leagues. I think it's great you are willing to share so much of what you learn about the industry. Thank you!