July, 2024Posting a little late, because of a number of life events throughout July and into August – birthdays, trips, house movings, sport finals, illnesses – the stuff of life. I was going to appraise the current fantasy project, but that has slowed over July and the third book is only at 10,000 words so far. More agent and publisher approaches have been made, but no responses so far. So, I’ll take a moment to reflect on my writing business since quitting education at the end of 2022. In the early 1990s, I was lucky to break into publishing and had minor success with the Andrakis fantasy series, enough to consider taking on a writing career full time, but I was well aware of the risks because we had a young family and substantial mortgage, so the change was never financially viable. When I embarked on full time writing, I told family and friends it was likely to be a costly and no-to-low income proposition for at least three years and, being an artistic pursuit, even possibly never any real income. I’ve watched writing colleagues over many years take the same leap, some from full time work and some for whom writing was a large enough income stream to make it their core work. Some have been successful in maintaining a good annual income, either through consistent contracts with publishers, very capable marketing and grafting skills, or a hybrid writing and teaching writing business. A very tiny few are making more income than the average good job. Most, however, are not making much at all. The latest Australian Society of Authors through Macquarie University survey (2022) shows that, on average, Australian authors earn just over $18,000 per annum. Poets earn the lowest average: education authors the highest average. Like any small business, you need starting finance and a solid business plan, a potential market for your product and a marketing plan. I began with $10,000 in the kitty at the end of 2022, a total of twelve writing projects to complete, plans to approach agents and publishers, a small fan base, an existing global book market, and an intention to learn how to effectively market my work.
By the end of July 2024, the kitty is empty. The expenditure was spread across buying cover illustrations for five books, repairing the computer, buying author book copies to on-sell and use for promotion, website and domain costs, attending workshops in person and online, paying for promotional ads on social media, various stationary and printing goods and a new printer, and a bottle of good whiskey. Okay, maybe the whiskey can be considered unnecessary. Maybe. Of the planned writing projects, one novel was completed and published, one poetry anthology completed and published, two manuscripts are currently on offer to publishers, seven manuscripts are completed and awaiting cleaning up and submissions, eight previously self-published books have been re-edited, rebadged and re-published, and three project manuscripts are partially written. I’ve also retrieved the rights to all my work and will most likely self-publish the Dreaming in Amber quatrology early in 2025, if I can sort out cover art issues. For the statisticians among you, the original twelve projects rapidly became twenty-six projects. I get restless. Agent and publisher approaches so far have been unsuccessful, but that’s a mere drop in the ocean as far as how many I have yet to pursue – and I can always fall back to self-publishing. The industry has dramatically changed since I was last involved way back in 2009 – self-publishing has boomed astronomically, bookshop chains have collapsed, publishers seem less interested in small publishing runs for lesser-known authors, the number of people publishing world-wide is phenomenal, the artificial and bogus and plagiarism industry is rife, social media and entrepreneurial marketing is everywhere and is almost everything: it is a different environment. But it has many opportunities too. A friend suggested it’s time to pause the writing and really get on with the marketing and I think they’re right, except that marketing means spending money. I’m happy to share that the writing business so far generated just over $2,000 in the same period as I spent $10,000. So that’s only a $8,000 loss so far. I know businesses that have lost considerably more – umm, maybe that’s not comforting. Nevertheless, now I have to learn to be an entrepreneur and a salesperson. New skills. Moving forward, I have two more writing projects to complete before the close of 2024, and I will begin the marketing training to put the aggressive part of my new business into operation from the beginning of 2025. I’m sincerely glad that I jumped into this part of my life. I will not leave the questions unanswered. I won’t have regrets that I didn’t have a crack at doing what I love. That makes me very happy. I have a roof over my head, food on the table, family and friends, and I live in a peaceful place. And I’m writing. Nice. Very nice indeed.
1 Comment
I have a friend who has been trying to break into writing, and other friends in the book selling and editing industries, so I understand what a tough gig it is to be an author, I hope the next stage goes well.
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AuthorWriting is my passion. Ideas, opinions, beliefs, experiences expressed through language - through words and images - pervade and create my life. Writing is my voice, my soul, my self. My dream is one day writing will sustain my life... Archives
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