My first published book, a Silhouette Romance, came out in May of 1989. My 57th published book, a Harlequin American, will be released in April 2009, or 19 years and 11 months after the first book. In the past twenty years, the publishing industry has changed–and I’ve changed, too. I’m not the same bright-eyed, breathless innocent (barely 30 years old) I was when I first sold.
Back then, I’d have done anything, including give up vital organs, to get a book contract. I was sure that being published was the answer to all my prayers, that seeing my name on a book cover was tantamount to nirvana, and that my life would be happy happy joy joy forever more. I also ate, drank, breathed and dreamed about romance novels pretty much 24/7. I wrote voraciously, sometimes late into the night, sometimes early, early in the morning. I made tons of submissions.
So, what have I learned, and how have I changed?
I’ve learned that a career in publishing is a great thing, but not without its challenges. I’m eternally grateful that I was lucky enough to sell books and sell them consistently enough to actually MAKE a career out of it. But while selling a book did produce some short-lived euphoria, it didn’t really change my life. No book contract can “make me happy.” That’s up to me and me alone.
I learned moderation. If you think about writing every waking moment, you can easily burn out–especially when writing becomes your full-time job. I learned to walk away from the computer after a few pages and call it good, and not be so impatient to finish, finish, finish so I can send something out.
I learned that writing something saleable is a good thing, but writing something just because you think it will sell, even if you don’t really like it, is not so good. On the other hand, continuing to write “the book of your heart” over and over, then getting frustrated over and over because it’s not marketable, is no fun either. The best approach (for me, anyway) is a compromise between your passion and the market. If you’re not enjoying the process, find something else to do, because a writing career is mostly made up of you and your computer, alone in a room.
Finally, I learned to roll with the punches. Bad publishing luck this year will turn around by next year. Discouragement will pass, creativity will spark anew, passion will rekindle. Probably half a dozen times over the years I’ve sworn I was quitting, but then my love for writing would drag me back to the computer. No matter what the publishing world throws at me, I still have stories to tell, words to play with and characters I create and fall in love with. No one can take that away.
P.S. For those who read my previous blog, I did finish my NaNoWriMo on time. And I still haven’t gone back to read it. Scary stuff.
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“The best approach (for me, anyway) is a compromise between your passion and the market.”
Great advice!
I’m still trying to figure this out. When I look at what I write and what actually gets published, I realize *none* of my stories conform to any formula, trend, or the confines of any genre or subgenre. I love writing like that and I haven’t decided if publication means enough to me to try to conform. I’ll experiment over the next few months while keeping an eye on how the recession effects this business.
Kimber–
Clearly some people do buck the trends. They write something so amazing, some editor takes a risk, and it becomes the start of a new trend.
That’s the best position of all. But it happens so rarely. I admire the writers who stick to their guns, though, and write the book of their heart and keep pounding on doors.
Congratulations on 20 years in publishing, Kara! Thanks for sharing your lessons to give us newbies some perspective.
I’m not ready to sell vital organs, although I might have been had I started in my 20’s or even my 30’s. Yet, there is still that yearning for the “success” of publication. As with most things, moderation is key, and I love the idea of finding a balance between one’s passion and the market. Ultimately they need to meet, like each other, and agree to dance.
Believe me, I’m still yearning for that next level of success, too! But I’m not chaining my “happiness” to that next sale. I’m trying to have a life independent of my success in publishing.
It’s so easy to chase and chase the dream that you forget to love the running. Wait, I hate running. Gives me shin splints. Well, you know what I mean. Thanks for the reality orientation, especially about defining your own happiness.
Well, a bazillion people have said it all different ways, but it is about the journey, not about the destination.
Great post, Kara.
ty, Loreth!
Great blog post. Very true. I think it’s hard, especially when you’re new, to think “moderation” because the business can seem so cutthroat that we feel we need to keep pushing, pushing, pushing . . . not so much for more books on the shelves, but pushing to write a BETTER book. When sometimes we don’t know what better is. And your comment about passion and the market is brilliant.
Hmm, dunno about brilliant, as I’m pretty sure I stole the whole concept from someone else. But thanks!
I’m not a good judge of my own work so I never know when to quit, when it’s “good enough” or when I’m in danger of wrecking it!
Great post, Kara. I’m still learning this for myself. As a newbie author, I just want to produce, produce, produce because I’m terrified of losing my momentum. And yet, even though I’m on deadline, I have to walk away at the end of the day and let myself relax. It’s the best way to return fresh and ready the next day.
Lynn–
There’s certainly something to be said for going the extra mile. But I think it’s helpful to learn to turn off the brain. I’ve trained myself to turn it off when I walk away from the computer, so I can actually think about other things. Then, at the computer, I block out everything but the writing.
Works for me!
I still need to learn that trick of blocking out everything else when I’m at the computer. Sometimes I can, but usually the chaos of teenagers in the house bleeds through. I long for the chance to make writing my day job and see it I can balance that with everything else.
Buy earplugs. I don’t have kids, but I have a husband who is home most days and a noisy neighborhood. And a screeching bird.
Kara, I love this post! I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my first sale in November, though you have been much more productive. (My novels: 37 over various genres and names.)
The line I like best: “If you’re not enjoying the process, find something else to do, because a writing career is mostly made up of you and your computer, alone in a room.”
So very, very true.
Barbara! Your books are longer than mine. If we counted up the words, you’d probably win!
Your blog hit home with me, Kara, especially about learning moderation and learning to step away from the computer and call it good. Great advice! My laptop is hooked up on the kitchen counter and someone’s always on it [as I am right now]. I check email “just one more time”, I read one more page to edit, I write one more paragraph.
It’s a drug! But balance IS key and it’s something we need to hear over and over again because the temptation is always there!
Hi, Misa.
Sometimes, when demands on your life make carving out long writing periods impossible, we do have to steal a paragraph here and there! It’s really hard to know where to draw the line. I often carry a mini computer with me wherever I go so I’m not ever really away from it!