tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5535352516011722889.post390492250670473976..comments2023-12-13T23:19:12.919-08:00Comments on WordMaster Communications Writing and Marketing Tips: Professional, Activist or HobbyistTerri mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05084883478386476891noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5535352516011722889.post-69210755975214848932013-06-15T14:36:45.626-07:002013-06-15T14:36:45.626-07:00Well, outside of Indie publishing, fiction writers...Well, outside of Indie publishing, fiction writers are unlikely to make a living writing anyway. Few midlist writers can make it both because the royalties are low and they are often limited to one or two books a year. <br /><br />Traditional publishing has created a situation where the majority of fiction writers are not compensated well enough to allow them to devote enough time to their craft. Then they complain about a lack of quality work. Seriously, it is possible to be a full time traditionally published author. However, the best opportunities for that sort of thing are going to be in the indie world. <br /><br />I do like your term the Taco Truck Method. That would make a great title for a how-to book (indie published, of course) on self-publishing. <br /><br />I don't intend to indicate that the hobbyists are any less serious about their writing than those of us who approach it in a more businesslike manner, or that they produce lower quality work. They just are not going to show a profit. That is fine. That doesn't bother me. <br /><br />What bothers me is that these people who are going into the hole on every book are advising others that the "only" way to do indie publishing "right" is to hire all these specialists. In other words, they are saying I'm spending a fortune with only a dream of recouping it, you should do the same. <br /><br />If they want to be hobbyists, that's fine. Just don't treat that like it is the only way to go. Terri mainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05084883478386476891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5535352516011722889.post-45878967538340212062013-06-15T07:47:02.956-07:002013-06-15T07:47:02.956-07:00This attitude about authors writing for the joy of...This attitude about authors writing for the joy of writing and not for profit actually started in traditional publishing. I know several writers who were told by their agents that they were expected to spend the entire advance for their first book on marketing.<br /><br />I know one author who financed her own book tour for her first book. Now, she lives in New York City and has a house in the Hamptons, so she's obviously not hurting financially, but that tour had to cost a fortune. She scheduled a stop at Clues Unlimited here in Tucson and the only people who turned out for her talk and signing were me and two friends who came down from Phoenix. I expect that kind of turnout was not unusual.<br /><br />I've also seen a tendency for authors pursuing the traditional publishing route to hire content editors before submitting to an agent. As far as I'm concerned, this is crazy talk unless, like you said, the writer doesn't care whether they make a profit or not.<br /><br />My neighbor is like that. He wrote one book. He has no intention of writing another book. He paid CreateSpace for their services to get his book published. He's spent money promoting it, renting booth space to sell it at various events around town, etc. He's happy he has a book to sell. And that's fine.<br /><br />But I'm like you. I expect to turn a profit from my writing. Now that I've seen the return from my first book, I'm seriously looking at following the taco truck method of building my writing career.Elise M. Stonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12548587381862555229noreply@blogger.com