tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post5496039534587782600..comments2024-03-27T08:18:53.376-07:00Comments on JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.: This is Not Your Mother's Publishing Career (part 3) Josh Lanyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-20673559196452406942015-09-11T09:07:46.510-07:002015-09-11T09:07:46.510-07:00I'm glad you're finding MOM useful.
I was...I'm glad you're finding MOM useful.<br /><br />I was lucky in that my burnout happened at a point where I could take a year off. I needed that, and I'm not sure I would have recovered fully without it. At the same time, I'm not sure there has ever been another such point in my life where the forces aligned to where I could afford to not produce new work because there was so much happening in my backlist. <br /><br />The lesson for me was I have to guard my creative energy the very best I can. It's not always easy.<br /><br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-3881492929088393532015-09-11T08:12:06.309-07:002015-09-11T08:12:06.309-07:00That noise is insane. I want to be friendly with o...That noise is insane. I want to be friendly with other authors on, say, Twitter -- follow them, retweet meaningful things to my followers -- but I also don't want to encourage incessant promo. I feel a cull coming on. :)<br /><br />Thanks for your advice on pacing production and releases. Besides quality and overwhelm issues, I recently finished reading MAN, OH MAN and have taken your burnout experience to heart.Mia Westhttp://miawest.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-62788186330388239762015-09-10T06:53:43.823-07:002015-09-10T06:53:43.823-07:00Sure! And the earlier you are in your writing care...Sure! And the earlier you are in your writing career, the easier it is to produce in volume. <br /><br />There is no rule about how fast someone can or should write. That said, when I see authors getting huffy over people pointing out that mass production is probably not quality production, I recognize someone who is defensive because they know in their hearts they're sacrificing quality for quantity.<br /><br />But in this new publishing paradigm, that's kind of what it takes to survive. <br /><br />"Good enough" is the mantra for many successful writers who have come to rely on mass production. <br /><br />That's an observation, not a judgment. <br /><br />But we also have to remember that *there is a reason* publishers do not put out every book in their pipeline the minute it's ready to go. :-D <br /><br />You want to pace yourself. Because it is ultimately to *your* advantage to do so.<br /><br />You want the release of a Your New Book to be an event, not the Weekly Reader. :-D <br /><br />The other part of pacing yourself is something entirely new -- and that is you want to avoid having your promo lost in the blur of constant white noise. Promo is increasingly irritating to readers and even other authors because it is UNCEASING. And it's starting to have a cumulative effect of making readers blind and deaf to it--just out of self-protection. <br /><br />But it is so much easier to do what you have been doing for the past five years rather than stop and rethink, so authors keep dragging that cart down that well-worn track, never noticing that the town picked up and moved eighty miles north. ;-D Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-71140869096451669582015-09-10T06:34:00.934-07:002015-09-10T06:34:00.934-07:00I am a big fan of multi-platform publishing. Both ...I am a big fan of multi-platform publishing. Both in who I choose to publish with and where I choose to sell my self-published work. <br /><br />Like the Marines say: Diversify. Diversify. Diversify. <br /><br />Oh wait. Maybe that's Wall Street. ;-)Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-32268228771480389982015-09-09T20:18:09.842-07:002015-09-09T20:18:09.842-07:00Thanks so much for this conversation. As someone w...Thanks so much for this conversation. As someone who came into romance as a self-publisher in the past two years, I've operated under the widely given advice to publish often. I've never considered that that release schedule might overwhelm my readers. I agree that it could -- I've had that reaction as a reader lately with a couple of rapidly-released series. But I find myself eyeballing two audiences.<br /><br />The readers who support me now are amazing. They've been patient with my missteps as I figure out the strengths that will shape my brand. They're reading along as I write the first series of my heart (one of many, I hope -- I wouldn't mind being promiscuous that way!). They're awesome, these readers, and I think of them every day.<br /><br />But I also think about the folks who will find my books years from now and be able to dive into completed series.<br /><br />So I'm writing my current stories for my current readers, but publishing on an intense schedule to be ready for those future readers. Does that make sense?<br /><br />So many good points in these posts and comments. In thinking about promotion and author/reader contact, it's interesting to think that social media and other online interaction capabilities might make a writing career more comfortable for introverted writers while still giving them more reader contact than they might have had in the '90s, '70s, '30s, or earlier.Mia Westhttp://miawest.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-74738321933524088992015-09-09T19:35:23.846-07:002015-09-09T19:35:23.846-07:00"With so many human beings in the world, it&#..."With so many human beings in the world, it's a pretty fair bet that any given author has not reached every single person who wants to read her story but just doesn't know it yet."<br /><br />This resonates so strongly with me and is one reason I distribute widely across platforms. When I think of the authors whose names I didn't know but whose books really spoke to me, I feel so lucky to have found them -- especially since many of those finds happened before the Internet existed. :)Mia Westhttp://miawest.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-8707276616880703172015-09-04T06:33:59.772-07:002015-09-04T06:33:59.772-07:00Well...probably I take longer! I write relatively ...Well...probably I take longer! I write relatively little these days. This year I've done a short story, a short novel, a novel and I'll do another short story. So that's only a fraction of what I used to turn out in half as much time.<br /><br />It's a great question.<br /><br />You can't really compare a series to a single book though. Fatal Shadows is as bare bones as it gets, and really A Dangerous Thing is pretty simple too. But the overall effect of a series is layers and nuance because every book builds on the previous books (and even, to some extent, the readers' hopes for what is coming) so the overall effect is much stronger, more intense.<br /><br />Which is why readers love series. When it works, it's like visiting old friends.<br /><br />No single title can compete with that effect, unless we're talking War and Peace maybe? ;-D<br /><br />And it doesn't really have to do with length when it comes to series. The Dangerous Ground books are novella length but the overall effect is layered and complex because there are five books there and every book explores another aspect of history, character, relationship.<br /><br />Books like Boy with the Painful Tattoo or Stranger on the Shore are probably more layered, more complex than anything I wrote in those early years (certainly the H&M series is more nuanced than the AE series, but the AE series hits a more universal emotional chord--Adrien's struggles are the struggles of a younger person whereas Kit's struggles are that of a more mature adult dealing with life changes in career, etc.)<br /><br />I think probably what happens with prolific authors like myself is you feel like you've already covered certain territory and it's just no longer of interest, so you use a kind of shorthand with it. <br /><br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-6809047257825799332015-09-03T16:44:56.090-07:002015-09-03T16:44:56.090-07:00"But by necessity the books cannot be as laye..."But by necessity the books cannot be as layered, detailed, nuanced as they would be if we all had a year or 18 months to work on a single novel."<br /><br />I was just thinking about this the other day, Josh, wondering if you take as long to write your books today as say when you wrote the Adrien English Series or Holmes/Moriarity Series? It's always the multi-layered nuance that draws me to your books, but I have seen a difference from those that came before.<br /><br />Thank you for this post - most enjoyable to get a peek inside what works/doesn't work for the author! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592631870392401595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-54002445568712718462015-09-03T07:50:13.699-07:002015-09-03T07:50:13.699-07:00"I'm not saying that you should tell a ra..."I'm not saying that you should tell a random stranger (cause that's really what an author is, at first) your entire life story and personal manifesto. But don't be afraid to try and be as engaging as you would be to any person with whom you are trying to make friends. "<br /><br />This is it in a nutshell. What it all comes down to are people trying to connect. And all the regular rules must apply. Plopping down amidst strangers and blabbing nonstop about your books is just the same as if you were pitching Amway to them. <br /><br />Because books affect people so strongly, I think authors are sometimes placed in the uncomfortable position of Father Confessor or psychiatrist. We hear things we should probably not be hearing. And I think mostly we learn to put it into perspective, but it is always refreshing to hear from someone who wants to have a pleasant conversation. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-54305436145511744292015-09-03T07:42:31.020-07:002015-09-03T07:42:31.020-07:00"I know this is going to sound kind of annoyi..."I know this is going to sound kind of annoying, but it might be that resigning oneself to not seeking money might actually be one of the most effective ways to deal with the problem of burnout and the subsequent depression it brings."<br /><br />Yes.<br /><br />And this is where I think writers must be honest with themselves. Because so many people talk about their love for writing--I couldn't do anything else! Even if I never earned another penny. But then the rest of the time they're frantic over not earning, bitter about the "hacks" who do earn a living, angry with NY publishing for not seeing their genius, furious at women for hogging up all the readers and spoiling the genre, etc. <br /><br />You have to be honest with yourself, and if you really do want and need to make money writing, then you must face that fact and plan accordingly.<br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-21069576014449639862015-09-03T07:38:31.027-07:002015-09-03T07:38:31.027-07:00Among your many insightful points is this: "...Among your many insightful points is this: "I often wonder if the urge to tell stories and violent mood swings are somehow comborbid conditions."<br /><br />I do think a lot of us go into writing to work out our own questions -- sometimes our own demons. <br /><br />Art is always personal. <br /><br />And the clash of personal with the commercial often leads to horrendous collisions. <br /><br />It probably always did, but thanks to social media we now all get to witness these collisions. Whereas they used to be conducted in private or in letters to the editor or in early morning duels. ;-D <br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-15357910692797545932015-09-03T07:31:31.504-07:002015-09-03T07:31:31.504-07:00On the bright side, humans are good at adapting, a...On the bright side, humans are good at adapting, and the more you write, the better you get at it. At least in theory. I think most writers are attempting to hone and refine their craft, so those writers certainly improve as they go along.<br /><br />But by necessity the books cannot be as layered, detailed, nuanced as they would be if we all had a year or 18 months to work on a single novel. <br /><br />But reading has ALSO changed, so frankly spending a year layering and nuancing would be wasted effort in the day of Goodreads dancing penis gifs. :-D <br /><br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-8062519258324178822015-09-03T07:25:15.964-07:002015-09-03T07:25:15.964-07:00Yes! When I read a terrific new book, I do absolut...Yes! When I read a terrific new book, I do absolutely make a note of the author. In fact, I usually go and check out the whole backlist. Because if there's any chance the other works live up to the one I just enjoyed, I want them all.<br /><br />Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-51081269539748028852015-09-03T07:22:59.015-07:002015-09-03T07:22:59.015-07:00Thanks, M!
This is such an important point. So of...Thanks, M!<br /><br />This is such an important point. So often writers mistake promotion for interaction. They're not really the same thing. And readers are pretty sensitive these days to the difference. <br /><br />Sincere interaction is still effective because it's REAL. It is all about forging connections and that's ultimately what you want to do as a writer -- whether through the stories or through your contact with readers -- you're trying to connect. You're trying to communicate. <br /><br />But the message has to be more than BUY MY BOOKJosh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-4877892411716292922015-09-03T07:15:41.895-07:002015-09-03T07:15:41.895-07:00I've bought a lot of those free and .99 books....I've bought a lot of those free and .99 books. In fact, I still buy them now and again. They could be fabulous. I honestly don't know because I never seem to get around to opening them. And I think again it gets down to the fact that I have a very limited amount of reading time (and don't we all?) and there are too many books I know for sure I want to read. So I stockpile like everyone else. <br /><br />I think the cheap and free pricing is one of the biggest rabbit holes authors fall down. If you sell 10K or 20K books at .99 it's not unreasonable that you would expect a considerable bump in your backlist, but that doesn't happen anymore because readers now collect cheap fiction for a rainy day that will never come. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-88798152906546533562015-09-03T07:10:36.028-07:002015-09-03T07:10:36.028-07:00So true. There is an inherent collision course in ...So true. There is an inherent collision course in this kind of dynamic between the authors who have been around long enough to have started to trust that they can earn their living through their work versus the authors who've just arrived starry-eyed and full of hope--and carrying reams of never-previously-published works they hope to crank out as quickly as possible to build that all-important backlist so they can earn THEIR living.<br /><br />:-D<br /><br />Of course none of us want to think of this way and we all want to be encouraging and supportive, but it's a publishing microcosm reality. There is more supply than there is demand.<br /><br />And it will get worse before it gets better.Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-47286837444354635152015-09-03T07:05:55.532-07:002015-09-03T07:05:55.532-07:00LOL Good to know!LOL Good to know!Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-66114843311320865292015-09-03T07:05:38.805-07:002015-09-03T07:05:38.805-07:00So the clicky links are a hit! :-DSo the clicky links are a hit! :-DJosh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-44956412233677580482015-09-03T07:04:59.171-07:002015-09-03T07:04:59.171-07:00Thank you for commenting, Karen. :-)
I think th...Thank you for commenting, Karen. :-) <br /><br />I think there is a lot of misconception about what a writer's life is like. First of all, many readers would be astonished to learn most writers earn as little (or less) than they do. Yet the myth persists that all writers are rich and spend most of their day hobnobbing with other writers and drinking cocktails. ;-D <br /><br />I think there's also a general feeling that writing must be such a fun job that just getting to do that ought to be recompense enough. :-D<br /><br />But really...professional writing is more like the difference between someone who rents a horse to go riding on Sunday versus someone breeding and training racehorses. :-D<br /><br />If you do it for a hobby it is relaxing and fun. If you do anything for a living, it becomes an entirely different thing.Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-88519259613989676482015-09-03T06:59:59.681-07:002015-09-03T06:59:59.681-07:00Thanks, Brandon.Thanks, Brandon.Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-57531401047940884472015-09-03T06:59:44.555-07:002015-09-03T06:59:44.555-07:00Thank you so much, Sylvia!Thank you so much, Sylvia!Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-46860568204537928342015-09-03T06:59:19.006-07:002015-09-03T06:59:19.006-07:00This is very true. Although I used to be staunch i...This is very true. Although I used to be staunch in my belief that word of mouth could not be faked, and now I suspect it actually kind of can. But whether it ultimately succeeds...that remains to be seen. What is "ultimate success" in a business like ours.<br /><br />Once upon a time, like you, I thought four books was a huge amount for a year. Then I had a 14 book year (including 4 full-length novels). So now a four book year seems like a blessed relief. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-82730624329650343752015-09-03T06:56:15.831-07:002015-09-03T06:56:15.831-07:00The weekly, almost daily flood of new authors and ...The weekly, almost daily flood of new authors and new titles is frankly overwhelming. And behind that tsunami is a second wave of authors "deciding to take the plunge!" guaranteeing several more years of publishing swampland before reality finally begins to sink in. It sounds so heartless, but publishing is kind of heartless. That's what I've always liked about it. :-P Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-61098369779875080102015-09-03T06:49:04.509-07:002015-09-03T06:49:04.509-07:00MANY HAVE TRIED. ;-DMANY HAVE TRIED. ;-DJosh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-14217849754487220742015-09-02T17:34:00.848-07:002015-09-02T17:34:00.848-07:00Aw. I like every one of you here. I think maybe I&...Aw. I like every one of you here. I think maybe I'll kick Josh out and take over the blog. <br /><br />Just. Kidding.<br /><br /><br /><br />lbgregghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00035654172170063636noreply@blogger.com