@lonelyleliel / lonelyleliel.tumblr.com
If the mind wavers, lost and unsure,
How shall the innocent heart find its cure?
The mind whispers softly, "Let’s remain still,"
Yet shadows encroach, bending the will.
The soul, now weary, cannot endure,
Yearning for peace that feels pure and secure.
Clarice Lispector, A Breath of Life
“how did you get into writing” girl nobody gets into writing. writing shows up one day at your door and gets into you
This is more of a problem on Facebook and Twitter, but there are some fellow authors who get a tad... upset when you talk about money and royalty earnings.
Needless to say, my frankness about how royalties work and just how little many of us are earning from our labor has drawn the ire of a few people, even here on Tumblr.hell.
I'm not particularly bothered by this. In my view, they're the same people who won't discuss wages in the workplace because they don't want anyone else to earn what they do. They know the system is unfairly rigged, but they like it that way because they're scared if more people are educated about how things work, they'll lose whatever competitive edge they think they have, thus enforcing the status quo.
Needless to say, I don't care for this view.
I'm very much a "holy shit, two cakes" kind of creator. I also very firmly believe in pulling people up behind me and spreading the wealth of information that was shared freely with me by other like-minded individuals who also believe that the mysteries around publishing are gatekeeping bullshit and everyone deserves the chance to earn money from their creative endeavors, not just the people who can afford to.
Anyway, David Gaughran's 'Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish And Why You Should' is an invaluable resource for indie authors and provides great insight into how publishing and distribution work. It is available for free through the retailers listed on his website.
If you don't want to publish exclusively through Amazon, draft2digital.com does global ebook and also paperback distribution. (I've only used it for ebooks, but I'll be trying out their paperback options for my next book.) You can pair it up with a books2read account to create easy-to-post buy links. Draft2Digital also allows for distribution through library lending services like Overdrive. So that's neat. (NB: if you use d2d, you can't use Kindle Unlimited, so be aware of what links you have active and where if you decide to enroll in KU. You can always opt for wide distribution again once your KU time expires.)
D2D also recently partnered with FindawayVoices.com for audiobook distribution. You can find voice actors there, or you can upload your own files if you already have them. You can submit to Audible through them, too, but you'll earn a pittance more if you upload directly through Audible. Findaway also allows for library lending distribution through Libby and several other global equivalents.
If you need ISBNs, you can buy them cheaper in bulk from Bowker at myidentifiers.com
Individual storefront options like Payhip.com and Gumroad.com are also great ways to allow people to buy directly from you, though I soured on Gumroad after the whole NFT thing and their CEO harassing people on Twitter over it. Payhip is now my preferred storefront, and as an added bonus, they calculate VAT in European countries as well, so that's one less thing for me as an indie author to work out. As an added bonus, Payhip can be directly integrated into your author website if you have one. It's a feature I'll be implementing soon.
itch.io also allows for the sale and distribution of ebook files, though I haven't used it yet.
If you don't have the means to hire a cover designer or the means to do it yourself in photoshop, Canva.com has some decent-ish ebook templates. Just make sure the images and fonts you're using have the right licenses for commercial use.
Editing and formatting are also extremely important, though I know not everyone can afford them. If you can, I highly suggest doing so and shelling out extra to have them format your work across mediums. Ebook formatting is different from paperback formatting, and it can look very strange if you just try to format an ebook into a pdf. It is a skill you can teach yourself (plenty of youtube videos) if you really want to, but I prefer to throw money at my editors, who provide formatting as an additional service. Whatever you can afford to do to streamline the process is money well spent.
Also, do not be shy about using affiliate links to sell your work. Authors lose a solid chunk of money to places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, etc., in distribution fees. Whatever pennies you can scrape back through affiliate links for directing traffic to those sites is hard-earned--and it is literal pennies sometimes. You can also integrate any affiliate links you do have into draft2digital, so they auto-generate, which is handy.
When it comes to paperbacks, BookShop.org offers the best affiliate earnings, and a percentage of the sale goes toward supporting indie bookstores. They do not take that percentage from your earnings, they pay it themselves. Libro.FM is the audiobook equivalent of BookShop.org, and they also give a percentage of sales to supporting indie book stores.
Anyway, I hope that helps someone. Good luck out there.
Also, if you're the person who sent me the irate email about "giving away trade secrets," feel free to die mad about it. 😘
Another day another email from an "influencer hub" wanting to "help" me monetize and promote classes on the basics of how to publish books. Not a writing process class, a literal admin 'how to upload your shit' class.
So here you go.
Your periodic reminder that all of this information is available for free, even if it's sometimes a little daunting to process all at once.
Good news, you can do it all in little steps.
“Any form of human creativity is a process of doing it and getting better at it…[Writers] don’t usually peak in their 20s. It’s usually quite a lot later on.”
— Margaret Atwood
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
— Truman Capote
PSA: Just a friendly reminder that whenever you start a creative project, you will invariably hit a phase where the Thing™️ appears horrendous and you start asking existential questions. But if you keep working, it invariably passes and starts to resemble something less like the devil’s vomit. Doesn’t matter if it’s art, writing, or what–this happens repeatedly. Carry on.
"I am left with nothing but unfulfilled promises and memories of you"
- M.M
“Most of my work consisted of crossing out. Crossing out was the secret of all good writing.”
— Mark Haddon
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
— Ernest Hemingway
I was minding my own business, doomscrolling on Twitter the other day when I found this tweet from Sarah J. Huntington — a writer who sent a bunch of her stories to a friend for comments and received a rather shocking reply.
Here’s the tweet:
Here’s what Sarah’s friend said:
Hi,
Here’s the thing, I loved every story. They were all like twilight zone episodes that never aired or something. But it’s too scary for young adults and run of the bill scary for adults.
Loads of self pubs on amazon. So I reckon your wasting your time. I get that you like to write, but I doubt you’ll sell anything chick. You’ve got a good job so maybe just focus on that. None of that chase your dreams crap. Someone’s got to say it. Let me know what you decide x
Like the thousands of other writers who saw this tweet, I was stunned. Getting mean comments from rando haters on the Internet is one thing. But when you send a trusted friend a piece of unpublished writing, you would appreciate at least an attempt at courtesy.
Many offered their support in the thread below Sarah’s tweet, including some famous writers. Lots of people also shared their own experiences with this type of feedback from their family members and writing professors.
The truth is that many writers are getting this sort of poisonous feedback every day. And for most of us, this isn’t countered by the kindness of a thousand strangers on the Internet.
Being a fledgeling writer isn’t easy. You’re getting yourself into a craft that takes years to master. You have no idea whether it’ll lead anywhere. The insecurity can be overwhelming. The last thing you need is having your (usually clueless) friends inform you that you will never be good enough to be a writer.
At the same time, you can’t expect people to be nicer – certainly not all people. The only real way of dealing with this is to be prepared when it comes. But how?
Failure certainly is a possibility. Not every writer succeeds. As far as probabilities are concerned, it may be even more likely that you’ll fail.
But what would it be like if it happened? Imagine it’s 2030. You’ve been writing for 10 years. A few things seemed promising, but nothing ever caught on. What then?
Would you be ashamed of yourself for wasting all that time? Would you be terrified of talking to your friends about it?
Or would you be proud of yourself? Proud for working hard and taking a chance. Proud for not giving up your dreams without a fight. Maybe failure wouldn’t be such a big deal?
Thinking about failure upfront can free you from many insecurities that you might have about your writing. Making your peace with it will make you less susceptible to other people’s insensitive comments. If you fail, so what?
When you can call yourself a writer? When you first start writing? When you publish a book? This has been subject to much debate and anguish in the writing community.
How about never?
When you call yourself a writer, people (including yourself) will expect you to live up to some sort of standard. However, nobody knows what it is.
The word ‘writer’ means vastly different things to different people.
It also ties your self-worth to your success. When a story of yours isn’t good enough, it implies that you’re not a good enough writer and by extension a good enough person.
The best way to go about this is to talk about what you’re writing instead — like ‘I write sci-fi stories’ or ‘I write a blog post every week.’
That shifts the focus from you to your work. And when people start tearing it down, it won’t feel like they’re attacking your entire existence.
Like I said, writing is hard. But if you can find something enjoyable about the process itself, you will be in a much better position to handle people’s criticism when it comes.
When you’re having fun, what does it matter what people think? If they like it, great! If not, well, you still had fun writing the story.
Haters and rejection come with the territory. Dealing with them is never easy, but it can be easier when you’re expecting them.
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I love this breakdown that OP did. Marvelous work, @writingdotcoffee and thank you for being a supportive and encouraging voice for writers.
I respectfully want to add a comment that I hope will drive OP’s initial comments home because it needs to be said. The response from that Sarah Huntington’s “friend” was not only dripping with emotional manipulation and projection, but also so very, very incredibly shallow. It’s not in the least bit thoughtful nor is it one of those “tough love” replies we often expect friends to give. In the most straightforward sense, this is a blatant, “I want to hurt you by insulting you and your work.” @writingdotcoffee called it exactly what it is: poison, and it’s horrendous. Sarah should drop that friend, ASAP, or at the least that person should no longer be a test reader.
You can’t say “I loved your stories” then say things like “I doubt you’ll sell anything”, “focus on your good job”, AND have the audacity to say “Let me know what you decide”! Tell me I’m not the only one who sees what a toxic attack that is and how it’s so much worse because this person wants a follow up on their damage.
Sarah, you deserve better.
I want to love and live deliberately
I want to be in France - the south and paris
be kissed by my half Spanish girl who paints.
I want to love meaningfully, colored by
strawberries and shifting sheetd
a blunt nailed hand caressing my hair
I want fresh fruit and fresh bread
and white dresses made of linen abd
vintage gold jewelry glinting against my somewhat sunburnt skin,
my neck irresistible, my lips, divine.
I want to find solace from a beating sun in the cool, gilded halls of the Louvre.
I want to be the sun and be loved like the moon.
I want to be the stars in my star's eyes.
I want adorned wrists and my collarbones kissed by my girl of cities
and I want to feel heaven with my eyes locked on an old art print
[ apr. 29, 2020 - 11:06 am ]
writing my final contribution essay for english this morning, almost done with the semester !
In my poetry class, someone asked, “How do you know if a poem is done? Like, how do you know when to stop revising?”
In answer, my professor showed us this:
It was a page in a poetry book that she’d had signed by the author and when she’d handed her copy to him he was like “ahhhhh I can’t stand it” and wrote in the printed copy of the book to change his poem to what he wanted it to be
So I guess the answer is “never.”
From my private meme collection. Since I also work as an editor I often have to remind myself there aren’t actually any rules in writing. I’m happiest when I let myself follow my obsessions, my interests, my fancies and caprices–even if that means it doesn’t “make sense,” or the results are weird, or I never finish it, or no one ever wants to read it or publish it, or it’s 5 words long, or it’s written on toilet paper, or whatever. Sharing for whoever needs to hear this today <3
