The One Thing I Wish I’d Known Before I Got Published
Over 80% of all people want to write books, and if you’re one of the lucky ones to get published, then you should be over the moon. You are now going to sell a million copies, get picked up by a famous book club, sell the movie rights, and sail off into the proverbial sunset, creating stories for the rest of your life . . . right?
Unfortunately, unless you’re one of the “lucky ones,” probably not.
Most of us who do manage to land book deals accept what we can get, zip our lips, sit back, and take it all as it comes. The highs. The lows. The crippling uncertainty. The annoying questions like, “So, have you quit your day job yet?” Or, “Did you hit the New York Times bestseller list?” We bottle the anxiety. We’re okay with not knowing our sales numbers or understanding how it all works.
I’ve been in this game a long, long time. I’ve had way more failures than successes and have worked in all facets of publishing—as an author, as an editor, a co-writer, a ghostwriter, and working directly with agents and publishers. Now, as a book doula helping other authors birth their books into the world, I work with public figures, first-time authors, bestselling authors, and have been on the receiving end of accolades and accomplishments as an author myself.
During this time, I’ve scoured every corner of the publishing earth, asking about the secret sauce to really “making it” in this business, and I’ve gotten the same canned answers time and time again:
It’s all about luck and timing! It’s really just a long game. Just write a good book and the readers will come. Sales aren’t in your control, so just enjoy the process.
On and on they go.
You know what’s missing from all those answers? Even one iota of how this business really works.
After working on hundreds of other people’s books and 11 of my own, I have narrowed it down to the one thing I wish I had known before I ever tried to get published. While I used to spout off the fact that publishing is a business and your book is a product to sell, that just doesn’t seem like the right answer anymore. Instead, I’ve coined a new one. Are you ready? Here it is:
You have to know what questions to ask in order to get what you want from publishing.
Today, being an author means way more than just writing a good story. In fact, good storytelling is often the last item on a very long to-do list, most of which revolves around:
Sales and marketing Social Media PromotionBuilding a solid author platform
I don’t know about you, but when I decided to become a writer, I wanted to, you know, write. I wanted to sit in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee in my pajamas and peck away at a keyboard. ALONE. Away from humans. When I was done, I then wanted to find professionals to usher my book into the world so that I could get to work on the next book.
You see, I’m one of those “weird” writers who actually like to write. Putting myself out there constantly on social media, building the buzz for each book, and doing whatever it takes, both in-person and virtually, drains most introverts I know, but it seems it’s just the “price” we all have to pay as creatives now, right?
Again, I’m not so sure.
When you become a published author, it’s true you have to figure out a lot of things: what your startup expenses are, where you’re spending money, how you’re making money, how you will launch your book into the world, and how you will make a living at this thing you love. And it’s also true that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to (even if social media makes it seem like you do).
But before you do decide what you actually want, you first have to know how it all works.
If you have a book idea, what do you do first? If you want a literary agent or publisher, how does that work?If you offered a book deal, how do you negotiate or read a contract?If you indie publish, what’s the proper protocol to bring your book to market?
If you don’t know the answers to any of these questions, then you’re not ready to publish a book.
If you’re a nonfiction author, this might make a tad more sense. Because with nonfiction, your book serves your brand, business, or area of expertise in so many other ways . . . but if you’re writing fiction? Well then, good luck. It seems we are here to entertain, not solve world peace, and it’s easier to get someone to buy a house than a $15 book. Go figure.
Order a copy of Rea Frey’s The Other Year today.
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So how does this one tiny sliver of advice—you have to know what questions to ask in order to get what you want—help you on your author journey?
It absolutely changes the game in every way. Here’s how.
When you understand that publishing is a business, it means you can learn everything you need to know. I cannot tell you how many authors have come to me, paid me thousands and thousands of dollars to help them create a book proposal or land them an agent or book deal, and then not know a thing about how it all works in order to get a book published. I would never wake up one day, decide I’m going to be a stockbroker, and then close my eyes and hope for the best. Publishing isn’t about writing a good book. Getting a book deal isn’t about writing a good book. It’s about relationships and contracts and paperwork and negotiations and understanding how it all works. My advice? Find a mentor. Find a few! Do your research before you ever decide to put yourself out there so you are not surprised, left in the dark, or ultimately disappointed along the way. Understand how you get paid. Are you aware of how you get paid as an author? What an advance is, how you earn royalties, what percentage your agent gets, and how often you get paid? Unlike other businesses, when an author only receives payment twice a year, you can see how hard it is to make a living, which is why it is vital to go in with eyes wide open.Before you ever sign on the dotted line, talk to other authors. If you are getting a job, it might be nice to talk to some of the current employees to see what your new boss is like, how much turnover they have, and if you would be a cultural fit, right? The same goes for publishing. Talk to other authors, poke around, and do your due diligence before you sign on the dotted line. Contrary to popular belief, while it seems like you are just sitting around waiting to get picked, it’s really the other way around. There is no publishing industry without your work. So make sure you are choosing the best fit for you.Ask all the questions. The reason I left my previous publisher was because they were not meeting my expectations. I know that sounds a bit diva, but it’s not. I went in with eyes wide open. I asked lots of questions, asked for full transparency, and they told me one thing while doing another. I was not quiet about my bewilderment. In fact, I started advocating for other authors by advocating for myself. No one cares about your career more than you do, and as a friend recently told me, “No matter what you do, the publishing industry is never going to love you back.” You have to care the most about your career. Remember that.
If I could go back and do it all over again, this is what I would do: I would study the industry. I would ask all the questions. I would find authors I look up to and ask them questions. (Don’t worry. We’re a friendly bunch.) I would take it seriously, understand this is a business, and if I want to succeed, then I better understand exactly what I’m getting myself into.
At the end of the day, there are so many ways to thrive as an author. But none of them can happen without you understanding what you are getting yourself into first.
Wherever you are in your journey, take it a single, informed step at a time.
When querying agents and sending pitches to publishers, one of the biggest barriers facing authors is lack of sales and marketing data. In addition, authors are being asked to show marketing and platform success EVEN BEFORE THEY GET PUBLISHED. Authors are being pelted by classes on marketing and social media telling them that they have to do 15 things a day to stay relevant, but they do not know REALLY works and what makes a difference, so they end up wasting a lot of time and money.Acquisition editors and agents have specific things that they need to convince publishers to offer an author a contract. There is so much more to getting an agent or publishing deal than just writing a good book. This 5-week class will give you the tools you need and that agents and publishers are looking for when considering taking on an author.