A good friend of mine is a successful writer. By this I mean that if she was single and didnt have to pay for health insurance, she could survive on the money she makes from her books. As it is she needs an office job to support her family. She is also determined and incredibly hard-working and a hell of a writer so I know that someday shell be able to leave the job and spend her nights clubbing and drinking Cristal or whatever it is that successful authors do in their spare time. Fend off groupies?
Anyway part of the reason Im doing so much writing these days- I have already started on the third Feltus book (tentative title – Feltus Ovalton and the Crystal Knucklebone) is that soon Im going to have to find a job and the thought of that makes me cringe. Its hard enough juggling the kids and the house and all the stupid stuff that crops up, like having to meet with my sons principal yet again, or take my car in to have the front tires aligned, and trying to find the time to write. So I figure now, in these few months when Im not working on top of all the rest of it, I should buckle down and write and maybe in some halcyon future Ill be able to this and only this for a living.
So me and my friend were griping, or venting as I like to call it. Shes with a large publisher and Im with a small independent. I like indies. Ive worked for three indie record labels- the biggest of which was Rough “Take the Skinheads bowling†Trade- and I owned my own label for close on 10 years- Dogday “I be running thru these women by the 1000s†Records. But sometimes I do wonder if it would be better to be with a large multi-national corporation who could get me reviews in Publishers Weekly (instead of just a short mention in their list of fall titles; although they were the first to call Feltus a ‘reluctant hero which I then co-opted), New York Times and Kirkus (if they even do kids books?) etc…
I love my publisher. I can call them and get an actual person on the line. They know me personally. They are still excited about my book and its been out for a year, and they still push it at the book fairs and expos, even though its been backlist since January. We trade pictures of our kids. The royalty is great and the advances are not crazy money but theyre not meager either, and kids book advances are never anything to write home about. Except for you- know -who of the long blonde hair and brit accent, kids lit authors tend to be underpaid and even the aforementioned blonde started with a couple thousand pounds and a 500 copy print run. So its not the money. Not at this point. I am happy just to be able to go into a store and either see my book on the shelves (still a lovely surprise) or at least ask them to order a copy. And I can call myself an author, a published author, on my resume, and throw it out there as a line at dinner parties. Youd be surprised how much action you can get. Not really! Although I am quite popular with cuddly librarian types.
I would like to sell a few international rights just so my numerous friends and relatives in England and Italy can find my books other than through Amazon, and if one of those film or TV production deals came through, I wouldnt be unhappy. But basically anything the big guys can do, my little guy can do.
There are pros and cons on both sides but one thing my writer friend said really struck a chord with me. What she said was that I am a priority with my publisher. Theyre in it for the long haul. Theres no time limit on my book because they are trying to grow a catalog, and nurture their authors, much as I did with my rock stars and my gangsta rappers. And that actually turns out to mean everything to me. Now Im really hoping that once Ive delivered this second book to them, theyll want to do another 2 book deal with me.
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