Switch Hats and Back to Work

      Less than 3% of all published authors ever make a living at writing. Writing words is cheap. Publishing books is expensive. A person had better have all of his ducks in a row when he deals with an agent or a publisher. There are many items on the to-do list once you finish the writing portion. To start with, the editing, that you do all by yourself, is very time-consuming. Keep a large bottle of antacids handy. Outlines... stories about your stories; you reduce your 3 or 400 page novel to three pages to entice the agents, publishing boards to continue their interest. Writing back-cover ads to grab readers in 25 words or less. When choosing a book to buy, the average reader spends 20 seconds. You have 20 seconds to grab that person's interest - to handcuff them to the book. Word counts that change moment by moment in editing. The word counts must be accurate. Table of contents with their chapter descriptions that must keep a reader going through the dead spots that every book has. Most writers are good for about three chapters. Then the inspiration dries up. You must develop and express your marketing plan(s) to the agent and publisher. Yes, you are the main marketing executive of your book, on top of all the other titles you carry on your back. Give the agents and editors your current lecture circuit itinerary. Social media: websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter. How many thousands of subscribers, likes, followers on that wonderful social media. Professional photos of yourself. Business cards for all the important people you know and are endorsing your book. Be able to give several very valid and alluring reasons why people should and will buy your book over that famous person's book next to yours. Don't forget the video of you speaking like a world-famous orator to convince some stranger(s) how well your book will sell. Sell yourself constantly. Thanks to Steve Laube, literary agent, for all this info. My answer to these exciting facts is that horrid facts never discourage the talented. 

     I tell you all this not to discourage. I tell you this to let you know there are potholes in this profession that are common to the craft - not just to you. Armed with this info, you will not be surprised by these demoralizing holes in the road. Writers must be a one-man or woman corporation that has boiled their normal two-thousand employee force down to - uno, you, or, if you are fortunate to have the funds, hire an editor or a general assistant to handle social media, etc.

     Personally, I write because I love to write, and I'm very good at it. I hate writing like someone else, or copying the style of current trends. I strive to write different - like me, yours truly. Furthermore, I may not get published again, but that is not the end of the world for me. My pay is that I get to write for God in a very non-God society, and it makes me feel empowered. I was born stubborn and a little over-sure of myself. God cracks his whip on me occasionally. You'd better include some armor in this brutal writer's market.

     Famous writers lush over their prolific artistic talents with the written word. How they excelled in their formative years by their pens. In the third grade, I was reading Mad Magazine. In the sixth grade, I hand-wrote a 364-page novel. My teacher took it from me and shredded it in front of the class for not listening to her diatribe. She didn't deter my writing. I was well aware that the novel stunk. Growing up, I read such classics as the annual DC Superman Edition, Batman, a lot of the Marvels, and still managed to get the award for reading 25 library books during the school year. I loved Tom Sawyer and all the other Mark Twain classics. I read all the Horatio Hornblower collection. To this day, I read and collect military and war books. I sound like a nut. Keep a little of your own personality. Don't sell everything God blessed you with. I picked the toughest market and the toughest genre to write in to thank my Lord for everything he has done for me. Other genres are tedious. I harbor no regrets in choosing to abandon the secular market, where some told me that I would have success. However, success to me is measured in service to God, love of family, and service to my country.