It’s been a while since I wrote my Twitter profile (go on, read it), but it’s one I’m still quite happy with, at least until this week, when a perceptive follower (thanks Derek!) asked what the ‘breakthrough moment’ it mentions would actually look like to me. My first reaction was to reply ‘a book deal’ because isn’t that what I’ve wanted since starting my first novel in 2003? Isn’t that what any writer of full-length fiction really really wants?
But hang on a minute. That ambition was born eight years ago. In that time I’ve written a lot, learned a lot and changed my work status more than once. Then there are the changes sweeping through the publishing industry. Maybe it’s time to take another look at the Holy Grail of the novelist and see if it’s still measuring up.
A book deal, if you ask me, gets its cachet of ultimate accolade on two counts.
The first is recognition, the second recompense. Recognition, that is, of my
work, beyond my personal circle or group of peers. Recompense as a way of
measuring success is arguably part of recognition. Of course it also has the
huge advantage of paying the bills. Signing with a major publisher gets my work out there and the money coming in. QED.
But is it that simple? I’ve met lots of authors who have had book deals which have fallen short of expectation, leaving them still waiting for the breakthrough moment. There are also rumblings from a number of acquaintances with very respectable deals about the money being less and the work on marketing and platform building taking much longer than they expected. And there’s the nub. Every publisher from the big six down asks authors to use social networks, build platforms arrange blog tours and book signings. A contract with a publisher no longer means sitting back and waiting for them to sell the books. Aside from distribution to bookshops, most marketing is in the hands of the author. And big publishers will still make healthy advances, but probably only if you already have a huge public following or some other claim to fame.
Looking back over eight years I can also see I’ve achieved quite a lot already in the way of recognition (shortlistings, prizes, the odd publication) and while in
charge of a commercial golf blog, for a while I even had a small income from
writing. More importantly, partly as a result of work interests but mainly
because I think it’s fun, I have ended up already building a platform here, on Twitter and to a lesser extent on Facebook.
I think you can see where this is leading. I would still like the vindication of
a book deal – and the bigger the better. On the other hand, there are now many
more ways to skin the publishing cat. With the huge success of e-readers, e-publishing is becoming the norm, and in the e-publishing world, the line between commercial and self-publishing is increasingly fuzzy: new models are evolving all the time in which author, agent and publisher may share or swap roles.
To sum up, the audience is out there, the technology to reach it is readily available. The income might be modest, but it would be mine. The future, some might say, is in my own hands. So what exactly am I waiting for?
Ali Bacon / Books and Other Things 
Hi Alison, I think you’re right that writing represents a whole box of treasures to the writer. Fundamentally, I think, we want to express the maelstrom of ideas and emotions within us, in a form that not only draws in readers, but also enables them to decipher our artistry and to feel and think what we wanted them to. The other, pressing challenge seems to be one of time. Time spent marketing is time spent away from writing!
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Hi Derek and thanks for the initial prompt. I agree with the time problem, the trouble is, it looks like no one will do the marketing for us!
AliB
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Well AliB, a writer pal and I once toyed with the idea of a collective of writers who all undertake to promote one another’s work, based on a time commitment of ‘x’ hours per month. The immediate challenges became:
1. What if some works are simply better than others or in a genre for which the promoter has no interest / experience?
2. How could you be sure everyone was pulling their equal weight?
3. How skilled would each promoter be?
Alas, much like saving for the future and dependable politicians, it died a death.
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Hi Ali – thanks for an excellent post. You’ve summed up the same thoughts that’ve crept up on me over the last few years. So much has changed in publishing that earlier ambitions don’t seem to apply anymore.
As you say, the future is in our own hands. That feels rather good to me. I’d say go for it – you’ve nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Good luck!
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Hi Diana
I certainly feel the stigma has gone out of self-publishing and although the work is still more, the gap is not what it was. I’ve had some good feedback on Kettle, so if current leads don’t materialise (I’m back on authonomy, by the way!) I may well ‘go for it’.
AliB
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Hi Derek, Sounds like my idea that our writing group should pool the money we spend on writing comps and set up a publishing house. Actually I think Tyndall Street Press starred as a cooperative. (But don’t let me start on writing comps!)
AliB
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This post is so relevant both for me personally and for the market as it is at the moment. I love promoting my platform here and on Twitter etc but it’s not leaving much time to write so what’s the point of a platform anyway! In truth I’d rather be writing a blog post than working on my wip or my picture book submissions. I’ve submitted very little this year (obviously other things like illness have contributed but…) Like you say, even if you receive the ultimate accolade it can lead to much hard work. A friend who has just been signed for a two book deal is now rushing round the country, for no extra money, to give talks and signings. If we went along the e-publishing route then we’d still be having to do a lot of marketing. It’s a problem. Maybe crocheting could be an alternative choice of occupation!
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Hi Ros
Or in my case knitting? (But I’d still like to think I write better than I knit!) I think I realised how much time I’ve spent on ‘platform’ (aka socialising?) and that I might as well be doing it to an end. I also see a friend who has a book deal and is starting all of this from scratch – very daunting for her. While I am half way there with nothing to sell.
Only trouble is I’m now engaged with a new WIP, so it’s tempting to go into writerly hiding for a while.
We shall see!
Alison
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