They Don't Tell You This in Writer School
Writing/publishing for a living is pretty much about learning "on the job." You can take all the English classes you want--just because you can write a pretty sentence doesn't make you, for instance, an editor. Some very good writers are lousy proofreaders. Some good editors are not great writers. Most of what I know, though I have a fancy piece of paper saying I did, indeed, graduate with a triple-major, including an English degree, I learned over time, and I learned working for publishing houses like this one.
Writing novels is even MORE about learning through experience. And a lot of things you just don't know until they happen to you.
So yesterday, in the utterly surreal world of being a novelist . . . I shipped off two books to a major studio. Don't get excited. Don't even raise your coffee cup. You see, I've been optioned, at last count, I think four times. Twice some nice money was involved. None of this ended up with a movie or television show. My agent has fielded calls from production companies attached to household names. But in the end . . . I'm here writing this blog, not taking lunch here. Nonetheless, though I am telling you not to get excited, it is admittedly . . . fun.
On this same day that I was sending my book, I learned that I will have the third editor in three books for Magickeepers. This has not been easy. You grow attached to your editors, though admittedly, I ADORED my first editor and my second one I didn't know so well. When you lose an editor, a lot of different things can happen. I am heartened and thrilled that I heard from the publisher's VP that they will make the transition smooth for me. Wow . . . I mean, he meant it, and I could tell. But I have lost an editor before and it made for an orphaned book that, frankly, was treated crappy . . . so it can go both ways. And none of this you learn in Writer School.
I am always somewhat amused when I am cornered at a cocktail party and asked, "Would a publisher buy a book from an idea, because I don't want to waste my time writing a book for a year if I don't know they're going to buy it." Hilarious, right?
So tell me, what is something they didn't tell YOU in Writer School?
27 comments:
Yeah, it's fun, isn't it? My Derek Stillwater novels have been considered by George Clooney's producers and Will Smith's producers and NBC has looked at them and undoubtedly others because my agent works with a film agent. It's fun, but like you, I don't get very excited about it any more. When the check clears, I'll get excited. Until then...
Oh boy, did I ever learn by doing. Maybe the big one is: shit happens.
I mean it. Publishers go broke. Publishers change their mind. Publishers change direction.
Here's one that surprised me and still does a little bit: editors (at magazines and at book publishing houses) change jobs ALL THE TIME. I don't know if they're constantly looking for new opportunities and better pay or a change of pace, but man oh, man, do editors change jobs on a regular basis. It feels like a freakin' revolving door.
"The check's in the mail" is a cliche, but it's a cliche because every writer will hear this many, many, many times and it's clearly a euphemism for "oh god!, I forgot to turn in the invoice" or "hey, we get paid before you do, you stupid writer!"
Everybody's got an agenda and with some surprise, I must relate that at times it appears that "selling books" is not really at the top of the agenda for some publishing houses. Weird, but that's definitely my impression.
No one told me that it isn't all supposed to be FUN, that you have to work as hard or harder than you do at a real job, and hell, that it's actually WORK at all.
I learned that early on though.
Mark:
I've had lines fold, editors leave . . . Editors do change jobs a LOT. Also, since in some houses, it's female-dominated, a lot go out for maternity leave and then opt not to come back, for example (has happened to me twice). You CAN freelance as an editor, so that flexibility makes leaving common, too.
Starbucks:
Yeah . . . I remember when I just wrote for my writers' group and that was it. I was not exaggerating when I blogged once that it was a decade before I really even TRIED to be published. I was content just being creative with my own little group. Publishing in the bigger wide world is a lot more work, and a lot of it isn't fun.
I went to J-school, so here's the big thing writer school didn't teach me: "All the stuff you're learning now will be completely obsolete in 10 years and your career won't even be comprehensible to us. In fact, we'll be struggling right around that time to make sense of what people like you will be doing. Oh, and by the way, this thing called the Internet is a waste of time. You owe me $50,000."
Lurker:
LOL!!!! I was a journalism major (along with English). And yeah . . . WE TYPED our stories on TYPEWRITERS.
I will say, however my journalism prof taught me a lot about perfectionism.
E
I got my English degree in the early 80s, when an IBM Selectric was still considered the tool of choice for professional writers.
They forgot to tell me that someday computers and the internet would come along and change EVERYTHING.
I guess I didn't hear that I needed to go to writers school, LOL, and from the comments it appears that was a good thing. Music school served me well though -- practice, practice, practice three hours per day minimum. What nobody told me? "Often you're going to feel like you're playing Dodgeball on steroids."
Jude:
My father thought nothing would replace the telex and that faxes were a phase. It's amazing in one lifetime what can change.
Jude, we just put my mom's IBM Electric in the garage sale pile.
Experience is a great teacher, although I don't think it's all that great. For instance, while in "writer's school," a/k/a Eng. Lit., no one ever taught me that if you share ideas someone will rip a few of them off. Not that it's a huge lesson, and as they say, copying is a form of flattery, but shit, it sort of sucked.
But in the grand scheme, my futile lesson is nothing compared to what you've shared here. Maybe a career as a master macrame artist ISN'T such a bad idea after all. ;-)
They really were nice machines, SS. I never owned one, but I used them in a couple of different workplaces. If I remember correctly, they cost about $1000 new back in 1980.
They didn't tell me in Writer School that I might work for years with nothing happening, whereas someone else might wake up one day, decide to write a book, get an agent and have the book sell at auction all within 6 months.
I now know not to compare my journey to anyone else, but it would have been nice to be ready for the discrepancy in journeys.
Oh, here's a big one.
THEY never told me there were so many different kinds of ways to make money writing. I had to read "The Well-Fed Writer" by Peter Bowerman to learn that and then figure out some other ways on my own.
They didn't tell me about all the Facebooking, blogging, and Tweeting you need to do. Not that I'm complaining--it beats actual writing!
That burning yourself out is not a good way to embark on a writing career. Or how long said burnout will last.
I think you might be on to something, Alan.
We might all be better off to go back to those Selectrics.
I'm with Alan Orloff - his comment made me laugh...
I love the whole networking process but especially this month I've noticed that I've commented a LOT more on other people's blogs than actually written on my own ms...sigh...
The second thing they didn't tell me about in W. School...
How To Cook...I'm still mediocre so my Uber Demon Boys tell me...sigh...again
Kath:
I don't think macrame is for you. ;-) You're a writer.
Nadine:
One of my very first blog posts (oh, a thousand posts ago) was on not comparing because yeah . . . it can be discouraging!
Mark:
Because I was a book editor, and we ALWAYS hired freelance copy editors, I learned that early on and am VERY grateful.
Alan:
LOL! Yeah . . . the technology piece sometimes drives me nuts.
JT:
No . . . not good. Lay in bed and read for a couple of days. Might be the cure.
xo
E
Ann Marie:
I hate cooking.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Erica, they mean so, so much to me.
P.S. I don't thinks there's a market for macrame anyway, lol.
They didn't tell me in Writer School that my muse would prefer to stay out all night with the other muses and not bother to let me know.
Then, after stumbling home in the early hours, she would not want to work and send me off on my own and tell me she would, "check it over later."
Sometimes I miss working for publishers/printers in San Francisco before I got hooked on writing. It all seemed so simple back then... :)
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