I have big dreams as a writer, and as an entrepreneur.

But I often try to squash those dreams down because they feel too egocentric or too ambitious or too unreasonable. Not sensible at all. And I have always been a sensible girl, taking everything very seriously! I try to be practical and pragmatic and realistic.

But today I read this passage from the brilliant Julia Cameron in  The Sound of Paper, an excellent book to dip into for creative inspiration.

“A great deal of the time we dismiss our longings on the grounds that they aren’t reasonable – and often they aren’t. Where did we get the idea that life was intended to be reasonable? … We have very little evidence that sensible and frugal are actually qualities cherished by the Great Creator … Most of us have a dream that we could set sail if only we dared … Rather than act on these dreams, we often shoo them from our consciousness, saying ‘I need to be sensible. I would never be able to manage that.’ But perhaps we can manage more than we think.”

This passage challenged me, so I am sharing my big dreams with you. Please share yours with me in the comments. Maybe together we can make some of them come true – even if it takes this writer’s lifetime.

• I want to be a brand name fiction author – which means becoming an excellent, commercial fiction writer and all that entails
• I want to be a New York Times bestselling fiction author
• I want to write a James Bond book – maybe be the first women to do so – and have a book launch with a fantastic sports car and hot guys in tuxedos flanking me in a scarlet dress (inspired by the launch of Carte Blanche by Jeffrey Deaver)
• I want my books to be made into action adventure movies, preferably featuring Angelina Jolie, and I want to walk down the red carpet at the premier
• and yes, I want to be on the Forbes list of the highest paid authors

Nothing too ambitious then?!

These dreams may be crazy and ambitious, but I also know the difference between dreams and goals. My current goal is to get the third novel in my ARKANE series, Exodus, finished before July. I know I can achieve that goal.

But our dreams feed our goals, inspire us and keep us focused on the future. I’ve always wanted to be a brand name fiction author, that’s a little guilty secret from years ago, but I am definitely closer now than I was 3 years ago. Back then I didn’t even have one novel. Our dreams have to start somewhere, right?

I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Image: Flickr CC KayveeInc

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There’s a magic moment when the story suddenly emerges from the writing. For me, that happened the other day when it seemed that all the stars aligned and synchronicity blazed and I was writing in the flow, and the story came to life.

This post originally appeared on my fiction blog J.F.Penn.com [Text below the short video]

Let me explain a little more.

Mosaic of the Ark of the Covenant at the Grand Lodge of England

Exodus is my third novel and is based around a hunt for the Ark of the Covenant as the Middle East counts down to a religious war. I’ve been researching the Ark and possible locations for six months, reading the official papers and also the conspiracy theorists.

I have my series characters in place and my secret government agency, ARKANE which investigates religious mysteries. I had a broad outline and had started writing, but the story hadn’t really caught fire for me.

Then a few days okay, that magic moment happened.

I visited the United Grand Lodge of England, the Freemasons Grand Temple in London, and what I saw there crystallized a whole load of ideas. It’s an awesome place, full of symbolism and hints at the secrets that lie within.

Then I went to a spin class and while I was cycling away, the ideas mashed together and the rest of the story fell into place. It fits the research theories and it fits some of the conspiracy theories. My story could actually be plausible, which for me, is essential for a thriller. I won’t give too much of the plot away, but I wanted to share this magic moment and part of how I write a novel.

So I am 40,000 words into Exodus now, but I know where the story goes from here. I just need to get the words down for the first draft and then move into the editing phase. But this is a precious moment, when you know there’s a story to be told, one that will intrigue and entertain people.

You’ll have to read the book to find out where the Ark of the Covenant might be!

[and if you're interested in my fiction, you can sign up for my newsletter at JFPenn.com to get exclusives and early deals]

Do you know what I mean about the magic moment? How does it happen for you?

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It’s much harder to write a book than people think. Because the words never come out the way they sounded in your head. And it takes a long time to get those words out. Many people want to write a book, but most of them give up because it’s too hard. Today’s guest blogger Dr John Yeoman poses one of the question that all writers fear … are the rewards really worth the hard work and endless rejections?

The reward: creating a world

Here’s a dangerous game. A long time ago, I went to a literary festival and asked a newly successful novelist before an audience of her fans: “Was it truly, honestly worth it?” The room fell silent. Everyone stared at me, the heretic who had made a rude noise in church.

“What do you mean?” The author looked at her agent. He studied the ceiling. “If you mean in money terms,” she said hesitantly “of course, not.”

Gasps from the audience. “But in terms of my self-esteem, yes!”

The audience relaxed.

“Not least, I have the pleasure of standing here before you wonderful people today” she glared at me “so somebody can ask me that damn fool question.” Laughter and applause.

Later, I apologized to her. And she apologized to me. “It was actually a good question.” She smiled. “It took me 15 years to get my first novel published and even that was a fluke.”

“But you’ve just received a $150,000 advance,” I said. “Surely that makes it all worthwhile?”

She shook her head. “I had to write and throw away five novels in that time, more than one million words. On an hourly basis, I’d have been better off working at MacDonalds.” Then she sold me her novel.

No, I won’t tell you her name, though you’d know it. Her novel was turned into a film and she now tops the bestseller lists. She might answer my question differently today. But the truth remains: only a few authors make any significant money from their novels. The upside is, if you accept that truth from the start, it doesn’t matter.

Do authors make money?

Is it the truth? Four out of five published novels by new authors lose money and most new authors never earn out their advance (J A Konrath, The Newbies’ Guide to Publishing, 2011). Fulltime novelists in the UK make 33% less than the average industrial wage (The Society of Authors). And most mid-list authors have to moonlight to pay the rent. (Check the tutors at writing foundations.)

[Note from Joanna. This article is based on traditional publishing, but we have seen a lot of authors making decent money from self-publishing, so it is certainly not true for everyone.]

But there’s another ‘truth’.

From the moment they see their first novel on a bookshop shelf, very few authors would choose another trade. Money or not.

In September 1999, I nearly missed my plane when I spotted my first published book on sale at Heathrow airport. I wanted to stop every passenger and cry: “That’s my book!” My wife had to drag me away. I went on to publish eight more books across twelve years, both fiction and non-fiction. One of them, The Lazy Kitchen Gardener – a work of fiction despite its title – netted me around £90,000 ($150,000) in year one.

Has the money been important to me? Of course. Writing is my principal source of income in retirement. But I’d have done it, money or not. Why? For the sheer joy of ‘meeting’ those thousands of readers who have mailed me, signed up for my newsletters and, in recent years, subscribed to my on-line writing classes. I’m still corresponding with folk who bought my first book in 1999.

That explains the mystery of the Blog Dance. I’d long wondered why authors, otherwise sane, would periodically embark on a gavotte of mutual admiration, making guest posts on each others’ sites.

They couldn’t be doing it merely to sell a handful of books at a few dollars each, could they? Or to chase that will o’ the wisp, an extra point on their Google page rank? The ratio of effort to monetary reward would make no sense.

Then I realized, the pay off is not principally financial. It lies in validation, recognition and self-esteem. Whether a bestseller or newbie, a published author creates a fan club and joins a community of peers. They’ve ‘arrived’.

The respect is priceless. Money is a bonus.

A novelist creates a world for the reader. Then the reader creates a world for the novelist.

So is it worth it, truly, honestly?

Of course, it is! If only so you can attend a literary festival one day, stand on a podium and hear somebody ask you that damn fool question.

What do you think of John’s article? Please do leave your comments below.

Dr John Yeoman, PhD Creative Writing, judges the Writers’ Village story competition and is a tutor in creative writing at a UK university. His hands-on course in story writing for profit can be found at:
http://www.writers-village.org/academy

Top image: Flickr CC / Tomas Fano

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The runaway successes we see in the Amazon charts often have years of work behind them. In this interview, I chat with Mark Edwards whose Amazon #1 bestsellers with Louise Voss got them a 6 figure book deal, but only after years of hard work. Mark also gives some tips on how he used the Product Description metadata effectively.

Mark Edwards is co-author of thriller novels ‘Killing Cupid’ and ‘Catch Your Death’ with Louise Voss. He is British and is also a copywriter and marketing director.

In this podcast, you will learn:

• How Mark got into writing and how he finally got a book deal after an indie #1 Amazon bestseller and 12 years of trying. He has been writing for 20 years and got an agent quite quickly but none of his books were sold. In 1999, he was featured on a TV program about aspiring writers and was then contacted by another writer, Louise Voss who was in the same situation. They became friends. Louise got a book deal for several books but Mark was still struggling. They eventually decided to write a book together, a stalker told from the point of view of male and female protagonists. This was ‘Killing Cupid’ which didn’t fit into any specific genre and was rejected. Then they wrote a straight forward thriller ‘Catch Your Death’ but still no one was interested. After all their efforts, in 2006, they gave up, sick of all the rejections.

• 4 years passed and then Mark started reading about Kindle Direct Publishing. Amanda Hocking was taking off. So they decided they had nothing to lose but putting the books onto Amazon. They re-edited them and had covers designed. They published ‘Killing Cupid’ in Feb 2011 and sold 2 copies. Over the next few months, it started to creep up the Amazon.co.uk charts and by end of April it was in the Top 200. Eventually it cracked into the Top 100. They released ‘Catch Your Death’ at the beginning of May and within 2 weeks it was in the Top 100. At the beginning of June, both books shot up the charts and got to #1 and #2 on the Amazon.co.uk store. After all these years, it was thrilling to be selling so many books. It was a vindication of all the years of trying.

• At this point, they decided that getting an agent would be a good idea. It was still a dream to get a book in the shops. Mark & Louise had been networking with a lot of indie writers, like Stephen Leather, so they had a lot of contacts in terms of agents. They signed with an enthusiastic agent and while they were still #1 publishers offered them. Harper Collins did a pre-empt bid of over 6 figures. They turned the first offer down (balls of steel!) and accepted the second offer. They signed a 4 book deal in July 2011 and have a pretty intense writing schedule with 6 months per book. The paperback version of ‘Catch Your Death’ came out Jan 2012 and has done well. It’s the 12 year overnight success story!

• How did Mark & Louise market the book? The book cover was critical and having a striking image at thumbnail size is important. The blurb is the most important thing and Mark is a copy-writer. He continually tweaked the Product Description. He studied the books in the Top 10 and tried to work out what it was about them that set them apart. He rewrote the blurb and literally sales doubled. He simplified the story and hooked people in. People don’t need to know about you. They also did something controversial with the sub-titles, using ‘a gripping psychological thriller’ in the subtitle. There was a lot of controversy around using these types of keywords in the subtitle. People are still doing this but Amazon specifically warn against doing it (see right for the warning). They also put in brackets – for fans of Dan Brown and Stieg Larsen – which was really controversial. The publisher has now changed the blurb but originally it was catchy and optimized.

• They also put ads inside Killing Cupid for Catch Your Death, so the books would feed each other, and people would buy both books. This impacted the sales and sent them up the charts within a period.

• On the pros and cons of being indie vs traditional publishing. The advantages of having a publisher are (a) the editorial input you get which is far superior to hiring an editor. The editorial changes have improved the books and both Mark & Louise appreciate that. (b) Being in bookshops which was always a dream for both of them. (c) Kudos from other writers. You do get a different kind of respect. There is still a stigma to self-publishing, which is unfair but a reality.

• But Mark would happily go back to indie if things don’t work out and is considering publishing his backlist. Louise Voss has published her backlist which is all on Amazon now.

• What Mark recommends for new authors. Self-publish or approach traditional publishing? The risk with indie is that it doesn’t do very well and then the book doesn’t look good to publishers. Mark thinks it is still worth approaching agents and publishers. Try to get an agent, but only give it six months with multiple submissions. Then indie publish and try your luck with direct sales. Don’t wait too long. Don’t spend years trying to get an agent.

You can find Mark at VossandEdwards.com and the books are available online.

You can also follow Mark on twitter @mredwards

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I’ve been a fan of Mark Coker and Smashwords for years now, and Mark continues to deliver value to authors through his distribution platform but also through sharing his vast knowledge of digital publishing.

Free ebook: The Secrets To Ebook Publishing Success

He has just released a free book ‘The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success” which contains a serious number of tips that will help you make your work better, as well as some amazing insights into successful authors who publish through Smashwords.

I learned heaps from the book. It really is well worth your time whether you are indie or traditionally published. Here are just some of things you will learn about.

•  A great overview of the changes in the industry
• Some financials around self-publishing, bootstrapping and resource allocation
• Tips on ebook covers that work

• Metadata magic and why it’s important as well as the algorithms that impact our book sales
• Why writing more books and books over 70,000 words is critical for longer term success
• How trust and brand loyalty work

• Why distributing through one site is short-sighted, even if that site is the biggest bookseller in the world. [OK, so I was one of those authors who took my books off Smashwords in order to try Amazon KDP Select which requires exclusivity. However, next week I will be republishing my books on all platforms based on some of Mark's points in this well-written chapter - as well as how impressed I am with Kobo.]

• Using strategic pricing as well as free
• Why patience is important and the sales behavior of different books – the invisible book, the slow boil, slow builder and breakout book.
• Why you shouldn’t fear piracy

• On long term platform building and marketing
• Word of mouth and how books go viral, or not
• How readers find books and how to optimize your touch points

• It’s not about book launches anymore, it’s an ongoing marketing approach
• Think globally about your book and the expansion of ebook markets
• How to behave as an indie – let’s be generous with each other – this is not a zero sum game

…and much more.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to go and download Mark’s ebook on Ebook Secrets and then spend an hour reading it – and take notes!

Related Resources on Ebook Publishing

* My interview with Mark Coker when we met live in Australia in 2010 – we get enthusiastic about the possibilities for authors

* Interview on Smashwords blog with Brian S Pratt who went from earning $7.82 in a quarter to $25,000 in a quarter, and $200,000 in a year from his books.

* Interview on Smashwords blog with Ruth Ann Nordin, romance writer who went from earning $0 to $75,000 on Smashwords

* Ruth Ann Nordin’s little ebook about marketing available on Smashwords (also free)

* The Smashwords Blog where Mark shares lots of great data

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I am a huge fan of Twitter and an increasing fan of Google+. But I use it more for the business of The Creative Penn and less for my fiction. I also know that there are always issues with time pressure and authors must choose methods of marketing that work for them. Today, J. Steve Miller explains why he’s given up trying to attract social media followers, and concentrates on other ways of promoting his book.

I’m an author who blogs casually – whenever I happen to feel like it. My Alexa ranking stinks, and I like it that way. I seldom tweet. I use Facebook to keep up with my real friends. Yet, I’m self-published and very pleased with my steadily increasing book sales.

I’ve studied and tried the “build a massive following” approach, which works great for some people; but don’t believe it’s the best approach for me, and perhaps most other authors as well. I actually use social media a lot, just not in the way many publishers and literary agents expect authors to use it.

Problems with Building a Social Media Following

First, building a following consumes lots of time.

Social media guru Chris Brogan recommends a minimum of two hours a day. Think of J.R.R. Tolkien, who taught full time and hung out with his family after work, writing books after his children went to bed. Had he spent those two hours blogging and Tweeting, we may have never read The Lord of the Rings.

Second, there’s no proof that building a large following can work for every author.

Granted, it works for some authors, but that’s not the proof we need. Compare social media to the California gold rush. Had I lived in New England in 1849 and read regular newspaper reports of people striking it rich, I’d need better evidence to warrant selling the farm and moving west. I’d want to know, “out of the last thousand people who made the move, what percentage struck it rich?” If eight out of ten, I might move. If one out of 1,000, I’d keep the farm. But that’s precisely the statistical information we lack concerning authors trying to build social media followings.

Third, when I studied low profile authors who sold a lot of books, I found very few taking this approach.

When authors reported on book marketing forums, “Twitter works for me,” I’d ask, “How many books are you selling as a result?” Typically, they sheepishly replied “a few” or clarified that they were defining “success” in terms of how many people they drew to their blogs through Twitter.

How I Use Social Media

Some good studies have been done that relate to the effective use of social media. Drawing on about ten of them, I crafted some principles that guide me.

Principle #1 – “Let others praise you, rather than praise yourself.”

This principle is at least as old as King Solomon, who advised, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.” It also flows from Gallup’s study  of over 17,000 social media users which found that people don’t typically buy products as a result of companies pushing their own products through social media. People doubt our objectivity concerning our own products.

Razorfish found 61 percent of responders relying on user reviews, compared with 15 percent relying on editorial reviews. Unfortunately, trying to sell my books to my Facebook and blog followings is much like editorial reviews – it’s me pushing my own products.

Knowing the power of user reviews, I use social media extensively to give away free copies of my books for early input and early reviews. For Sell More Books!, I offered members of the popular Yahoo Self Publishing listserv a free digital copy for early input as I was still editing. After publication, I emailed those early readers a big thank you, and offered them a free paper copy, requesting an Amazon review if they felt compelled. Social networking allows me to find my niche audiences and get plenty of reviews, as well as allowing them to spread the word on their social networks.

Principle #2 – “Go where people already gather, rather than gather a crowd around yourself.”

According to Shiv Singh, social media guru for PepsiCo,

“The holy grail of social influence marketing is increasingly considered the ability to identify which referent influencers are the most powerful and have the highest impact on brand affinity and purchasing decisions. After you’ve identified them, the next question is, how does a marketer reach these referent influencers that surround their customers?”

Applying this principle to marketing my personal finance book, Enjoy Your Money!, I found the top 200 personal finance blogs and offered free copies to the bloggers for their review. Almost one in four asked for a copy. Eighteen came through with a review and/or giveaway. It was both cost and time effective. My sales tripled and I didn’t have to keep posting several times a week on my blog. Instead, I went into seclusion to write my next book.

Principle #3 – “Address the interested, rather than interrupt the disinterested.”

39% of people surveyed unfriend people on Facebook who try to sell them something. Even if you limit your sales pitches to one of fifty comments, many question your motives for keeping in touch once you start mentioning your books. Rather, I visit forums, blogs and listservs where people are looking for information on the topics I write about. I link to my books in my signature.

Principle #4 – “Consider your strengths and passions, rather than assuming you can replicate any marketing scheme.”

A Gallup study of over two million people concluded that people need to concentrate on their strengths. If your strengths and passions incline you to blogging, Facebook and Twitter, you may do well building a following there. But if it’s a chore that you endure solely to sell your books, don’t be surprised if you make little impact. There are hundreds of ways to market your books. Choose methods that fit your unique passions and strengths.

Let’s Talk!

My approach goes against the flow, and a brief post doesn’t give the subject justice, so feel free to agree or disagree below in the comments and I’ll interact. Thanks, Joanna, for letting me share!

About the Author

J. Steve Miller writes a wide range of books on topics ranging from personal finance to philosophy of religion to writing and publishing. Social Media Frenzy expands on the topic of this post. Sell More Books! helps low profile and debut authors narrow down which marketing methods might work best with their unique strengths and books. Publish a Book! helps authors decide on the best self-publishing company. Over 1500 people a day visit his website for teacher resources on life skills and character education.  He loves hanging out with his family, giving talks, caring for his 106-year-old granny, and doing weird stuff like spelunking. Connect with him at www.enjoyyourwriting.com .

Image: Flickr / AslanMedia

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This interview is a writer’s love-in as Jeff Goins and I get excited about being writers, as well as platform building, branding and blogging. You’ll really enjoy our upbeat chat.

Jeff Goins has a passion for writing, creativity and changing the world. His writing appears in many top blogs around the web and his blog was also voted one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers in 2011/2012. His first non-fiction book ‘Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life’  will be out in August 2012.

• How Jeff got started with writing. If you want to know what to do with your life, don’t look forward, look back. At your passions and what you loved when income wasn’t an issue. He realized that he always wanted to write, and so, about a year ago, he started GoinsWriter to build a platform and attract attention to his writing.

• How many people shy away from claiming the word ‘writer’ or ‘author’ for themselves. What can we do about this? Jeff and I discuss the difficulties with this. The fact we are always waiting, never satisfied, waiting for that ultimate validation. We both recommend ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield, a must-read for authors. He talks about turning pro, a shift inside you where you take yourself seriously. Don’t put ‘wannabe’ on your profile. You’re a writer when you say you are. You can read Jeff’s interview with Steven Pressfield here. We also recommend ‘Do The Work’ which is a shorter version which will kick your ass.

“On the field of the self stand a knight and a dragon. You are the knight. Resistance is the dragon. The battle must be fought anew every day.” From Steven Pressfield, War of Art.

•  Jeff has a great Writer’s Manifesto and he also has a new ebook out soon ‘You are a writer. Start acting like one.’ He personally fights this battle every day and when he loses, nothing is shared with the world. Forget for a moment what everyone else thinks. Forget about publishing or sales, and just focus on writing for the love of it. The outcome doesn’t determine the process. Focus on the craft and anything that comes later is icing on the cake.

• On self-publishing vs traditional. Jeff continues to ‘pick himself’ and independently publish his own ebooks, but he also has a book deal with a publisher for ‘Wrecked’. Jeff’s blog started to take off when he published his Manifesto and the momentum built. Several publishers reached out to Jeff and one had an idea based on something he had written previously. He has found working with a publisher a valuable experience in terms of brand building and legitimacy that still exists, especially for people like his parents who don’t live online (like we do!). There are lots of much easier ways to make money, but this is about creating work that matters and has an impact. The editorial help has also been great as it has stretched Jeff in his own writing. You don’t have to pick one route anymore – you can be a hybrid author.

• How Jeff grew his platform. He hasn’t just come out of nowhere. He spent 5 years failing at it. But then he spent time learning from sites like Copyblogger (also my favorite). He has been blogging on the top blogs, he has modeled success and successfully used copywriting and great content to build a platform. He started again from scratch and built a new site using what he learned, plus guest posting and networking. [Definitely subscribe to Goins Writer and model how Jeff posts - it's an education.] Generosity is important. It’s a kind of social karma. Jeff also emailed people he was intimidated about contacting but it paid off. In a year, he has posted 415 articles, so he is also prolific.

• The secret of the internet, from Seth Godin. Drip drip drip. There is no overnight success. You have to work at it. Stick at it while everyone else falls by the wayside. There is a lot more noise in today’s internet with so many people publishing, but we do have to stand out. Become your own censor and only create (and publish) the best work you can.

• On brand. You don’t have to be perfect, in fact, it helps not to be. You want people to recognize you, especially if you meet them in person. Make sure you keep consistency across the various sites. It’s also important to think of what a brand isn’t – it’s not a random selection of sites with no connection.

You can find Jeff at his site GoinsWriter.com and on twitter @jeffgoins

You can find Jeff’s new book on Amazon here: You are a writer. Start acting like one. (Amazon affiliate link)

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I’m getting a little weary of the hype that seems to suggest authors must either choose traditional or self-publishing, and that in no way could the two ever come together.

I also don’t like the polemic that has set authors against each other depending on how they choose to publish. I know this is an emotional topic and people have many different experiences of publishing in its myriad forms, but I wanted to put my thoughts out there and also see what you are thinking on the topic.

The choice of how to publish must be made per book.

I believe in the empowerment of the author to choose what is right for their book, and their business.

I also believe in the empowerment of the publisher to choose what is right for their business.

Some books are commercial enough that a publisher will pick it up because they believe it can make money for them. Some publishers may publish books because of love, not money but the bills still have to be paid.

Of course there are lots of great books that didn’t get picked up by the industry and many authors who feel disempowered by this rejection. Some authors have had bad experiences and have a justified grudge. But some books are just not right for traditional publishers at the time they were queried. The brilliant thing these days is that those books can be independently published by the author and do fantastically well. The author is empowered to publish.

But that doesn’t mean people should stop querying or aiming for a traditional deal if they want to.

I was on a panel on Radio Litopia the other night, discussing the London Book Fair and the launch of the Alliance of Independent Authors. In the chat room, it was suggested that all successful indies just wanted a book deal, and if they took it, they were somehow crossing a line. That they were betraying the indie ideal and proving that the establishment is all anybody wants.

But this clearly isn’t true either. There are successful indies accepting book deals, but they are plenty of authors leaving traditional to go indie, but who are not getting reported on.

So I think authors need to be empowered to consider their choices per book.

Is this book something a traditional publisher might be interested in?
Is this book something I want to relinquish control of?
Is this a project I prefer to have creative direction on?

Because most authors write more than one book.

Let’s face it. There’s so much creativity in all of us, and we have years of creation and publication ahead.

I am currently writing my 3rd novel in the ARKANE series, Exodus, and I have ideas for several stand-alone as well as more in this series. My current fiction is probably commercial enough for the traditional market, so I may decide to query it, although I am very happy with my indie sales so far.

I am also working on a re-release of my non-fiction book, How To Love Your Job…Or Get A New One (out in May). There is no way I would query that. Firstly because it is from my heart and the book I needed to write four years ago to change my life. The rewrite contains everything I have learned since then. Also, it’s not commercial enough for them and so wouldn’t be worth it. I believe in the book but I definitely want it to be published on my terms.

Lots of books written means lots of choice.

There are authors already managing the hybrid model.

Joe Konrath is always talked about as an example. He has books with Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer as well as his own indie books. Barry Eisler is another famous example, but I’d like to call out several other great authors who are rocking the hybrid model.

CJ Lyons has 16 novels and over the years has been with four different publishers for various books but after looking at her options, she decided to publish some books independently including some from her back-list that she had the rights back for. In September 2011 she hit the New York Times bestseller list with an indie book, Blind Faith, which was then sold to Minotaur. However, she continues to publish indie books, including recent success Bloodstained, currently rocking the Kindle charts at #60 overall as I write. [If you want to learn from CJ, check out these courses.]

Michael Wallace signed with Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer imprint in a 5 book deal for his awesome suspense thrillers set in a polygamist enclave. But he also has 8 more books that he has independently published. Michael writes about the importance of persistence in this article.

Recent news has Boyd Morrison dropped by his publisher in the US, but who still has traditional deals in other markets. So he will be in perhaps the unique position of publishing his next book independently in the US, but traditionally everywhere else. Now that is really the hybrid model!

As I was about to post this, uber-author Jackie Collins wrote a blog post about her decision to self-publish. Clearly she has a a lot of books with traditional publishing but in this case she says “you’ve always got to be thinking two steps ahead of the game.” There are a lot of great nuggets for authors in that post. Definitely go read it.

This is actually the model I would like to have. Some books with traditional publishers and others indie published. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?

I am more aware of thriller authors, since this is the genre I read and write in, but perhaps you have other examples of hybrid authors – or perhaps you are one. I’d love to know your thoughts on this, so please do leave a comment. 

Top image: Flickr Creative Commons navonod

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I started with writing non-fiction because I needed to change my own life. Writing self-help enabled me to do that.

Abandoned fiction

But then I was freed to write with more honesty. To actually investigate the topics that interested me in a story. I started my first novel, Pentecost, during NaNoWriMo in 2009 and now it has sold over 40,000 copies. My life has been changed even further by my fiction. But I know how hard it is, and so does Ali Luke.

I’ve known Ali as a fantastic blogger for several years now and I have been so excited to see her independently publish her fascinating novel, Lycopolis. Both of us will tell you that it’s well worth pursuing your fictional dream.

I write both fiction and non-fiction, and I can tell you now that the easy money is in non-fiction.

Fiction is hard to do well. With non-fiction, you’ll probably be successful if you just can write clear, simple, direct instructions. With fiction, you need to be able to do far more than string together a sentence.

Fiction is tough to sell. It’s easy to find people who want non-fiction content – companies needing web copy, charities needing brochures or letters, blogs needing regular posts. No-one’s going to commission you to write a novel, unless you’re already well-known.

So why write fiction at all? If it’s hard to do, and unlikely to make you any money in the immediate future, is it even worth bothering?

Yes. Yes, and yes again. Here’s why you should start, carry on with, or finish your novel:

#1: You Enjoy It

Your life probably involves an awful lot of activities that you do because you have to or because you should… like going out at 7am every morning for your day job, or washing the dishes, or refraining from eating three slabs of chocolate cake at a sitting.

But there is nothing wrong with doing something simply because you love it. If you enjoy writing fiction – if it brings you alive, makes you happy, keeps you sane – then that’s a good enough reason. It’s more than good enough. And don’t let anyone convince you that it isn’t.

#2: You’ll Grow as a Writer

It’s much harder to write good fiction than good non-fiction. To make a novel really work, you have to master a whole range of elements, from the big picture of story construction and character arcs to the tiny details of choosing the perfect words for every single sentence.

In the process, you’ll become a better writer. You’ll learn far more than you would if you just churned out easy, mindless non-fiction pieces on topics that you already knew inside out.

#3: You’ll Learn Things You Never Knew About Yourself

You won’t just learn about writing as you go through your novel: you’ll learn about yourself. Fiction is a great way to explore your thoughts, emotions and beliefs. The characters, themes and situations that come up in your work will give you a new take on aspects of your life and yourself.

This one might not always be positive (part-way through writing my novel Lycopolis, I realised that I have rather more in common with my antagonist than I’d like!) – but it can definitely be a great way to get a better handle on who you really are, and who you might want to become.

#4: You Can Reach People in Different Ways

I love writing non-fiction; most of the articles I write are aimed at writers, and it’s always lovely to get a comment or email saying how much a particular piece helped someone. But while a non-fiction piece can be useful or even inspiring, it’s fiction that really has the power to get deep into peoples’ hearts and minds.

I’m sure you can think of novels that have stuck with you for years … perhaps ones that you go back to again and again, when you’re feeling down, or ones that completely changed your outlook on something. Stories and characters have the power to engage our emotions, and by writing a novel, you have the opportunity to engage with your readers in a deep, abiding way.

#5: You Have Control Over Publication Now

In the past, publishing a novel meant either submitting to agents and publishers and hoping for a lucky break, or paying for thousands of printed copies and trying to sell them yourself.

Today, ebooks and print-on-demand have revolutionised the publishing industry. If you can’t find an agent who loves your work enough to represent it, or if you simply don’t want to spend months or years trying to get published, you can get your novel into online stores almost as soon as it’s finished.

Of course, the indie route isn’t for everyone, and traditional publishers are still hugely important. But as a novelist, your options are wide open. If you want to see your novel in the hands of readers, you can write in the confidence that you’ll be able to achieve this.

#6: You’ll Never Know What Could Have Been

If you don’t write your novel – if you let that idea turn to dust, if you leave those first few chapters in a bottom drawer – then you’ll never know what might have been.

Perhaps that novel could have been the first step in a whole new career.

Perhaps it would have been a best-seller.

Perhaps you’d have touched someone on the other side of the world.

Perhaps your novel would still be in print five hundred years from now.

Ten, twenty, thirty years from now, you could look back and see what you’ve achieved as a novelist … or you could look back and wonder what might have been, if only you’d had the courage to keep going.

This week, make time for your novel. Go back to those notes, or those first few chapters. Write the first few brave words, or dive back in where you left off. Make a commitment to finish: you could complete the draft of an 80,000 word novel within a year, writing just over 1,500 words a week.

And if you want some support (or if you want to share your own reasons for writing a novel) then just leave a comment below.

Ali Luke is currently on a virtual book tour for her novel Lycopolis, a fast-paced supernatural thriller centered on a group of online roleplayers who summon a demon into their game … and into the world. Described by readers as “a fast and furious, addictive piece of escapism” and “absolutely gripping”, Lycopolis is available in print and e-book form. Find out more at www.lycopolis.co.uk.

You can also watch an interview with Ali about combining writing fiction and blogging for a living here.

My review of Lycopolis:

I’m not a gamer but I was fascinated by the dual worlds of this novel. I enjoyed the fast paced suspense of the ‘real world’ segments of the book but was also interested in how the online gaming part of it worked. I like a supernatural side to my novels and the way the nightmares were enmeshed in the game and the character’s real lives was skillfully done.
*What keeps you reading?*
The book opens with the summoning of the demon but it doesn’t seem to have any impact. Certainly there’s nothing in the real world that changes. But then, page by page, it manifests in different ways even to the physical attack of wolves. You keep reading to find out what happens to the characters, particularly Kay and Edwin, the most sympathetic players. I read this in two sittings so it certainly held my interest!

Image: Flickr CC / Lauren Alyea

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Writers are a funny bunch and the split between plotters and pantsers seems to be an arbitrary one in my mind. In this guest post, Nick Thacker explores why mixing planning with “pantsing” is probably the best route to go for writing fiction. It’s certainly the way I write. How about you?

I write using a formula.

*Gasp!* *Shock and awe!*

I know; crazy, right?

Listen, it’s not like you think. I’ve finished a novel, plenty of other fiction content, and am completing a second full-length fiction thriller, and trust me–I haven’t sold my soul.

In the writing world, as you’re probably aware, there’s a polarizing debate between the “pantsers”–those who write by the seat of their pants, plotting and planning as they go along–and the “planners”–those who like to get every detail, plot twist, and problem/solution researched before they begin to work on thier manuscripts.

The Pantsers usually are classified as the ultra-creative, left-brained abstract thinkers, who strive for genius in the creative space by charging into uncharted territory.

The Planners are commonly considered the analytical, detail-oriented people who appreciate well-researched and flawless plots with fully-developed literary devices and very full Evernote accounts of research material.

I’m somewhere in-between, and I’d venture a guess that you are, too.

I write in a creative way, AFTER I’ve planned out what I’m going to write. I don’t try to get everything down into a “research journal,” nor do I actively try to free-write every day.

For me, writing zen falls somewhere between the Pantsers’ and Planners’ respective camps, and if I had to call it something, I’d say I’m a “Plantser.”

I don’t plan everything

As a church music director, I ran a contemporary worship band (think U2 for God) that employed some of the finest musicians I’ve ever worked with. They were each professional gigging musicians, teachers, or industry pros with years of experience.

I decided to start using “loops” in our worship set–basically a pre-recorded or pre-programmed musical backdrop that would play throughout our songs. Imagine stripping out the guitars, drums, bass, and vocals from a rock band’s album, and what you’d be left with would be a backing track that adds color and depth to your sound.

For the band, there were a few things that troubled them. Mainly, we were all worried that using loops would cause us to have less freedom, as we were constricted to a set structure, tempo, and order for each song.

They thought creativity as individuals and as a band would plummet.

It didn’t.

Strangely enough, when we playing along with some of these songs’ loops, we found that our creativity and overall sound improved DRASTICALLY. We were tighter as a unit, and every member of the ensemble felt as though they had MORE freedom to play licks, leads, and filler material.

The church liked it, and we liked it.

Back to writing

So, how does this apply to writing a novel?

Well, if you plan a GENERAL STRUCTURE for the major sections of your book, and create some simple character sketches, you’ll find that the creative juices start flowing MUCH easier when you actually get into the writing process.

You won’t have to worry about your end goal; that’s already been planned. How you get there, though, in each sentence and paragraph and scene is up to you.

Here’s a list of what I like to plan out:

1. Overall theme/idea (duh)
2. Major characters–hero/heroine, villain(s), supporting actors
3. Plot summary (a general structure to guide the major story question along)
4. Scenes and Sequels (to borrow from my boy Dwight Swain!)
5. General notes on the novel’s direction

As a self-declared “plantser,” it seems natural for me to resist a set structure, yet want to complain when I get stuck. The method I’ve mentioned here doesn’t solve all the problems, obviously, but it does help me feel clearheaded when I approach the daunting task of penning somewhere near 100,000 words!

I’ll expand on the idea of planning/pantsing your novel, and hopefully I’ll be able to guest-post again soon! For now, though, leave a comment with your own thoughts on this approach–do you do something similar? Or drastically different?

About the Author: Nick Thacker is a writer of fiction and non-fiction, and he blogs about writing novels, among other things, at www.LiveHacked.com. You can subscribe to his newsletter here.

Image: Flickr/Jude Doyland

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