<span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: normal">Jennifer Crusie: Ten Tips for Writers</span>
I just looked at the poll on titles and was really stunned to find out that titles don’t mean all that much to you all. Which casts into doubt everything I’m about to say here since I’d have said that titles were really important, which means I don’t know as much as I thought I did and the stuff below is supposed to be expert advice. Oh, well. What William Goldman said about the film industry is also true for publishing: Nobody knows nothin’.
So keeping that in mind, the advice below is from a presentation Lani and I did to our local RWA chapter (Ohio Valley Romance Writers, wonderful people) called something like Ten Survival Tips for Writers. I don’t remember, it was October. I put them here so you can argue about them and then add your own. Like “Titles aren’t that damn important, so don’t obsess over them.” That would be a good one.
1. Get a support group.
Local RWA groups are good for this. You need people who understand the particular insanity that is writing, people who are willing to talk about conflict and character arc and book covers, people who understand that dark night of the soul where it’s always three o’clock in the morning and everything you’re writing is garbage. But . . .
2. Avoid toxic people.
If you have a friend you can’t tell your good news to because it will make her feel bad, if you have a friend who constantly criticizes you and makes you feel like you’re nothing, sif you have a friend who depresses the hell out of you, she’s not your friend. It’s okay to kick her to the curb. God did not put you here to be her emotional punching bag. You’ll still be a good person if you block her e-mails. Plus, you’ll be happy.
3. Know your story.
Before your support group gets a crack at your story, make sure you know what it is. It doesn’t have to be finished, but it does have to be firm in your mind, or your people, with the best intentions in the world, will screw it up for you.
4. Avoid trends and marketing tips.
People love to ask for marketing trends and other people love to give them and they’re completely worthless. Even if they’re right about spotting a trend, by the time you write the book, rewrite it, sell it, and have it edited and published, the trend will be over and you’ll have wasted all that time writing a story that isn’t even yours. If the workshop name is “Marketing Trends and Tips,” you have my permission to go to the bar instead.
5. Evaluate your worth as writer on your work, not on your ability to publish.
You have no control over publishing. Most of the time people in publishing don’t have any control over publishing. Pegging your self worth to something that nobody has any control over is suicidally stupid. Stop doing that. Evaluate yourself instead on the quality of your writing. It may still be depressing–it’s always depressing for me–but at least there’s something you can do about it.
6. Once you’re published (you poor baby) evaluate your worth as writer on your work, not on your sales.
A lot of good writers have stopped writing because the business made them feel like hell. Innoculate yourself by repeating this very true mantra: “I have no control over sales.” You write the book; you’re responsible for the reviews within reason (see below). Your publisher publishes the book; it’s responsible for the sales. Do not take on the responsibilities of the publishing house; you’re not its mother.
7. Read reviews and reader comments with a pound of salt.
Especially anything on Amazon where any whackjob can post, but really anywhere. There is no standard for critics; anybody can review a book. Repeat, ANYBODY CAN REVIEW A BOOK. Most of those people, you wouldn’t have lunch with. If a review is thoughtfully written by an intelligent person, you may learn something from it, but usually the only thing you learn from reviews is what kind of person the reviewer is.
8. Don’t take responsibility for the bestseller lists.
Best seller lists are about velocity, not sales. They should be called Fastest Selling Lists. And sales are about marketing and distribution over which you have no control. Therefore short term bestsellers have little or nothing to do with the actual book. Long term bestsellers are about the book–long term meaning over a month–because at that point, you’re dealing with word of mouth. But long term bestsellers are extremely rare, so don’t worry about them. Bestseller lists are industry crack, not reality.
9. Remember: Nobody knows nothing.
Whatever was true yesterday in publishing is not true today, which is why everybody is Guessing. If I were you, I’d ignore publishing entirely until you’re ready to sell your book. Then just sell your book, remembering the other smart thing somebody said about publishing: It’s not a business, it’s a casino.
10. Own your greatness.
You are responsible for your own mental health.
The world will line up to tell you you’re worthless, you’re talentless, you’re tasteless, whatever. Don’t do its work for it. A good rule of thumb is that if the voices in your head are saying something you’d never let another person say to you, then that voice is out of line and should be evicted from your brain. Therefore, every day, at least once a day, you must look in the mirror or go over to the
http://www.cherryforums.com/index.php?topic=1060.0 and say, “I am a great writer.” Don’t snicker or blush, just do it, damn it. Self-fulfilling prophecy. Do I do this? No, I don’t have to. I know I’m a great writer. See, I said it. Your turn. In fact, do it now, down in the comments. Yes, now. Suck it up, own your greatness.
And that’s about all I know about publishing. Because I don’t have to know more about publishing. I’m not a publisher, I’m a writer. Thank God.
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