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Dealing with Writing and the "Real World" |
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Written by Rhonda
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Wednesday, 24 February 2010 14:44 |
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When the publishing world doesn't hand me my articles on a silver platter (like it has for the last couple of weeks), I sometimes struggle to come up with something interesting. So I fall back on the day-to-day struggle of writing and dealing with the real world. This is one of those posts. Last Fall I pledged to consistently write 300-500 words of new fiction five days a week. And I did pretty well, even through the holidays. But lately, I have to admit, I've not been as consistent as I would like or as I have pledged. I haven't lived up to my goal. The "Real World" has gotten in the way - again. Pesky thing that -- the Real World. During the kerfuffle between Macmillan and Amazon and the upswing in e-piracy as topics looming large, I've mentioned that most writers who are "working" writers also have Day Jobs. In fact, MOST writers you read have some source of "outside" income - whether it's freelancing or a "real" job - in order to afford to entertain you (hence the uproars and kerfuffles about writers actually getting paid a living wage). I'm one of them. I've temped, freelanced, substitute taught, and had "real" jobs. I'm currently in a position that I really do love, which is weird, but necessary. It's also eating into my writing time because of a very hard and fast deadline which means crazy hours. This interferes with word counts. It happens. So, what have I done? I haven't given up. Even if I only get a couple dozen words in, I still give it an effort - to keep the habit alive. To keep the muscle memory active, so on the days that I have more time - more breaks, or lunch, I can get my 300-500 words in. I do what I have to do to keep the momentum going. I also give myself permission to write crap, because I know - on the really busy days that's all that's getting written. I've also given myself permission to jump in narrative. I've seen scenes stall and spin out of control, and you know what? It's okay to say, "I'm done with this bit. I need to do this other bit over here for a while". Smoothing out the rough spots is why we edit and rewrite. The point is to keep going even when you're tired and busy - but within reason. Unless you're under a contracted deadline, there's no reason to endanger your health by pushing yourself too hard. I know some writers who've had to do just that, but those are the exception not the rule. Know yourself and your limits. Right now, I have to pace myself to get through the next month, and if that means some days I only write 30 words instead of 300, so be it, knowing it's temporary and that when I come out the other side, getting back up to where I need to be won't be as much of a struggle as if I'd let the "habit" go and started over. So, know that even (especially) working writers find life overwhelming and struggle to keep up - if you're new, you're not alone. This isn't something only you deal with - we all deal with it on a daily basis. Just keep writing - even if just a little bit - and stay accountable some way to getting it done, and somehow it will all get done.
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Support Your Writers (Some More) |
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Written by Rhonda
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Wednesday, 10 February 2010 21:54 |
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As the Amazon/Macmillan trauma is winding down, and yet still getting started, it's time to see some other aspects of this situation. The economic impact comes to mind, as I head out for my second convention in two weeks. Many readers failed to grasp the economic impact in the war between Amazon and Macmillan isn't just two corporations going at each other. This personally impacts many of the authors you know and love. When Amazon took the "buy" buttons off the print and ebook copies of Macmillan's titles, it affected the sales of every author in that house. Now many of the top tier and bottom tier authors won't be affected by this. Who will be affected most dramatically are those authors known as "Midlist" and these are probably the authors you know and love. They're the heart, the soul, and the backbone of these companies. They're also the ones deemed "expendable". They sell enough to be profitable, so they're not losses to be deducted from taxes - but they're not so stellar that they're untouchable. And as with any corporate institution, in six months, this war will be forgotten by Macmillan and Amazon. When the accountants go to look at the numbers, all they'll see are sales dips and won't care why. Some of these authors will not have their next book picked up - hopefully it's not in a series you were reading and stuck somewhere in the middle. Why do I bring this up? If you like an author - and have the means - please continue to buy books wherever you can. I'm pushing my limits to attend to conventions in two weeks to promote new work (as well as old) because - as a writer - I'm all I have. Most of the writers you like that are about to feel the effects of last week probably also have day jobs - like I do. But it's never enough. We all appreciate the solidarity and support the fans, organizations, and other writers have given the Macmillan authors in this time of crisis - but remember, this is just a battle in the war. The other publishers may have this happen to them as well. No writer is out of the woods - whether it's a Big Name Author, Midlist, Small Press, or Independent - when one company is hurt, we're all hurt. Please help us continue to tell stories the same way you'd help disaster victims. With your wallets. Buy books.
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Ebooks, Piracy, and the Glamorous Writer's Life |
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Written by Rhonda
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Wednesday, 17 February 2010 22:53 |
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I had a whole post written up about the "glamorous" life of being a writer, and then I read - with interest - a long, ongoing discussion on ebooks, piracy, and copyright on one of my mailing lists. They all seemed to tie together, and now I'm revamping the column. And it all stems from both a sense of entitlement and this idea that writers are swimming in money and shouldn't care about getting paid for their work. Many of my colleagues and friends spend valuable writing time surfing download sites, eBay, and other sites that pop up discovering places their work is available for free - and seriously ILLEGAL - downloads or have been scanned and are available for sale on an unauthorized cd. And when confronted almost invariably the person responsible says they're "helping" the authors by getting their work out in front of more readers. Unfortunately, what they're doing is stealing the work of hard working writers and making it harder for those authors to write more books. There's a vicious cycle out there. Where these illegal download sites and auctions may, as one article try to show, get an author a handful of readers, they're "invisible" sales. In a way, so are used book stores which are a different argument and topic. The publishers don't see those sales, and those aren't considered when they look to see the bottom line numbers when offering (and retracting) new contracts. The whole Amazon vs. Macmillan brought a bigger focus to ebooks and new technology. The publishing industry is still working to see what the future holds and advocates on both sides of the issue are making passionate arguments. Unfortunately, no one is in a position to see the future. Just remember, when you look at free downloads - know where they're coming from. If you get them FROM the author or legitimate publisher grab and enjoy. If you get them from any other kind of site, please reconsider. Many of us who are struggling to be working, producing writers have a second "day job". Writing to entertain you is not as lucrative as the Stephen Kings, JK Rowlings, and Richard Castles of the world make it out to be. Most of us struggle from day to day. Paycheck to paycheck. Those conventions we come to are paid for out of our own pockets - just like the fans. Respect the work. Respect the writer. When you're enjoying a book, realize that most writers have given up time with family and friends to work a second job to write that book for you. We've provided it as cheaply as the economy will bear, and we don't get paid enough to do it full time. The authors are not the greedy, money grubbing jerks the press and entitled-thinking pirates make us out to be. We're struggling - like most readers. Please don't make it harder.
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Written by Rhonda
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 02:02 |
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I'm sure by now everyone who reads this website has heard about the massive industry kerfuffle over the weekend between Macmillan and Amazon. If you have managed to miss it, can I come live under your rock? I think I'd like it there. Nutshell: Amazon has been selling first-run e-books for $9.99 as a "loss-leader" (which means they lose money on every sale of that e-book in hopes you'll buy more stuff - like a Kindle). Macmillan wants, according to John Sargent, to set an "agency" pricing system that has variable pricing starting around $14.99 and coming down to about $5.99 or less over time - like with print books. Who's right? Who's wrong? Only time will tell. When Macmillan didn't accept Amazon's terms, they pull the "buy" buttons off every single Macmillian title (including subsidiaries - print and ebook). There are a lot of people vehement about both sides of this argument. As a working writer, though not with any of the Big Six, I tend to side with Macmillan -- as do most of the professional, working writers I know. Why? Because Amazon is making it harder for working writers to make a living by demanding their pricing, which messes with people's economic livelihoods. I don't like that. It's one of the reasons I don't shop Walmart if I can help it. Am I agreeing with pricing structures? Yes. Am I agreeing with the numbers? Not sure. Before a few weeks ago I may have been on Amazon's side, but not now. Not that I've put out an independent project and know how much time, effort, and skill goes into the production side of the book. Should ebooks be the same price as print books? No, but even Macmillian isn't saying they should be. Should Amazon be playing the bully when Apple just announced the iPad? No. Competition isn't Amazon's friend at this juncture. Amazon also painting Macmillan and their author's as greedy SOBs trying to cheat customers out of their hard-earned money isn't the way to go either. This is a childish, unprofessional, and unethical argument. Amazon has employees to pay and families to feed, but guess what? So do publishers and authors, and authors are the ones getting the short end of the stick. Authors are, once more, being asked why they should be paid a living and fair wage for their writing (rarely is it called work - except by those who write). We should be happy to have adoring fans who are entitled to have us write what they want on their schedule and without charging for our time, effort, and skill. Well, a pox on that. Most authors I know have at least two full time jobs - being working, professional authors and whatever else they have to do to keep a roof over their heads. Why? Because companies like Amazon and Walmart have cut prices so far that publishers have to have a way to stay in business - how do they do that? By layoffs and paying authors less but still expecting the same amount of work out of fewer people. That's not sustainable. Is this going to be fixed anytime soon? I hope so. I'm watching as eagerly as everyone else to see how this plays out. Right now it's a big pissing match with authors and readers getting shafted in the process. It's a war, and we're the expendable infantry. It's not pretty, but it's true.
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