tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post8596220931856355734..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Business Matters by Catherine CzerkawskaKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-82991897154225333612015-02-19T18:12:39.613+00:002015-02-19T18:12:39.613+00:00You're probably right about festivals and such...You're probably right about festivals and such, Catherine, though it would be helpful to have some actual statistics one way or the other. If freebies like festival appearances don't work well for the average writer, are there any types of appearances -- school visits, bookshop or bookclub talks, for example -- which work better?<br /><br />Frankly, I have trouble getting my head round this sort of activity anyway. It seems like such a gargantuan waste of time and energy. But that's just me.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-44539352821638560122015-02-19T14:52:52.368+00:002015-02-19T14:52:52.368+00:00I'm not really talking about giving books away...I'm not really talking about giving books away, Lee. I reckon that can work. I believe Fifty Shades started out as fan fiction - free on a fan site where it was very successful. I've occasionally done freebies myself on Amazon and they too can work in terms of paid sales thereafter. I think I meant the way in which - just as an example - many big commercial book festivals now expect writers to attend and speak for nothing, not even travel expenses. The word of mouth exposure of such things is minimal. A handful of copies sold, of which the writer gets pennies. It's perhaps why such festivals now tend to involve mostly celebrity non-fiction. Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-41473231683295238562015-02-19T09:39:12.114+00:002015-02-19T09:39:12.114+00:00Of course business matters (I come from that sort ...Of course business matters (I come from that sort of background, and the gene seems to have been passed on to a number of my kids), which is precisely why I keep business and fiction writing separate. Those who go through a creative writing course need to be prepared to make a living at any sort of writing BUT fiction. The lucky exceptions are just that -- exceptions.<br /><br />I'm not sure I agree about freebies and exposure (for those who otherwise sell their books, obviously), and Harlan Ellison can probably afford to make the demands he does). After all, Fifty Shades started out as a freebie, as well as The Martian. I've no idea why they caught on so dramatically, but surely word-of-mouth played a significant role. Exposure is no guarantee, but it does seem to help. In some cases.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-86302261987895045812015-02-18T20:47:50.857+00:002015-02-18T20:47:50.857+00:00Great post, Catherine. But had to turn the video o...Great post, Catherine. But had to turn the video off, at least for today, when I saw that it featured Harlan Ellison. Maybe some other day.glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-77633713556943833002015-02-18T16:50:20.069+00:002015-02-18T16:50:20.069+00:00Good one, Catherine. I am quite surprised universi...Good one, Catherine. I am quite surprised university writing courses don't teach the business side - I thought only people like me (who started before these courses were available) had to learn it all by trial and error... mostly error! Do you think a generation of business-savvy authors would be good for publishing?Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-10687940000048730512015-02-18T14:28:10.075+00:002015-02-18T14:28:10.075+00:00That's true, Elizabeth. It is such a switchbac...That's true, Elizabeth. It is such a switchback and yet when you start out, you tend to think that when you've made it, you've made it for good. Once you've found yourself sliding down a few snakes, right to the bottom of the board, you realise how wrong that perception is. I like the business side of things though - which is why I wish I knew more. I watch programmes like Dragon's Den and the Apprentice and all Alex Polizzi's series - knowing that it's all exaggerated for television, but still fascinated by the business stuff and the occasional nuggets of wisdom. Bit late to start doing courses now, but if I were younger, I would. I don't do my own tax return though - I pay an accountant every month, and he does it for me. Even sorting out the paperwork for him is the biggest headache of my year, although I'm quite careful about record keeping! Which reminds me that it'll be coming up soon ... Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-74714667801106490662015-02-18T14:15:12.356+00:002015-02-18T14:15:12.356+00:00Terrific post, Catherine. I loathe and detest the ...Terrific post, Catherine. I loathe and detest the business side as well - but I've had the same agent for nearly thirty years, and she takes off a lot of the pressure. I also do my own tax return, which focuses the mind wonderfully. What beginners fail to realise, more than anything, is that income can fluctuate wildly. You can go from the higher tax bracket one year to the breadline the next; no guarantees, no security, so you'd better make sure you take out that private pension... Loved the rant, as well!Elizabeth Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16773078844943829786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-45273295175767476992015-02-18T13:45:20.037+00:002015-02-18T13:45:20.037+00:00You are so right about the Revenue, Valerie. And y...You are so right about the Revenue, Valerie. And you're right about those anticipating the six figure advance and the bidding war as well. I suppose occasionally it happens, which only feeds into the myth and the subsequent angst. Like most people commenting on here, I learned things slowly and am still learning. Last night, I was invited to speak to a local businesswomen's association and apart from the pleasure of speaking to such a friendly group of people what struck me most about them as a self help/business networking group was how positive they were - so refreshing to find people who didn't think 'business' was a dirty word but were generous in supporting each other - and various charities as well. Susan - I don't understand those artificial divisions either. I know some universities where those studying computer games, for example, are never linked in any way with those studying film and media. On the other hand, a university such as Abertay seems to specialise in putting people from different disciplines together. So it can be done. It's just that people seem to be too entrenched to experiment.Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-75685887877728920552015-02-18T13:43:52.256+00:002015-02-18T13:43:52.256+00:00It's for these reasons that I don't think ...It's for these reasons that I don't think I'd ever give up the day job, even if I were to start earning again (my last decent cheque was about 7 years ago). You couldn't pay me a big enough advance to induce me to give up my salaried desk job. Half a million pounds, you offer me? Well, after tax that's more like a quarter... that's perhaps seven years of non-extravagant living, and I'm a slow writer. It might be two or three years before my next book, and who's to say that one will do as well? Even worse, once your advances start to fall, then your whole stock starts to fall, so a lower advance this year often means being dropped like a stone next year. Not good news for anyone's mortgage repayments.<br /><br />If you write full time you are far, far braver than I'll ever be.Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-7631769084899564812015-02-18T12:18:16.007+00:002015-02-18T12:18:16.007+00:00So very true Catherine as ever! Sadly some creativ...So very true Catherine as ever! Sadly some creative writing students expect a bidding war, and at least a six figure advance, as a natural consequence of doing some workshops. I know because I've lectured at MA level and heard this from students. Also some 'creative' people (you know, they did an internet quiz which said they were) think business is a durrty word and beneath them. This forms a barrier to many people realising this need until too late. On the other hand some of us gradually 'fall into' being professional writers and the need to grow some business brains catches up with us unpleasantly, usually through the Revenue who'd rather chase a poet for £6 than a massive corp for £6billion. Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-33836395645380961162015-02-18T11:49:58.391+00:002015-02-18T11:49:58.391+00:00All very true, Catherine. My original approach to ...All very true, Catherine. My original approach to writing was about as un-businesslike as could be imagined, and that was fine <i>before</i> I started publishing. But once you start making money - even a small amount - you have to develop some kind of business sense. I'm now learning about that the hard way. I still don't know nearly as much as I probably should, but experience is a very good, if sometimes strict, teacher!Mari Biellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14221256993468150226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-17574902191371046022015-02-18T10:43:52.136+00:002015-02-18T10:43:52.136+00:00Catherine, I bet the wisest of those students than...Catherine, I bet the wisest of those students thanked you - in their minds - long afterwards. Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-91121411380657816792015-02-18T10:29:29.604+00:002015-02-18T10:29:29.604+00:00Great post, Catherine. A demonstrably reasonable r...Great post, Catherine. A demonstrably reasonable rant. And the Harlan Ellison outburst is terrific.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-41196936281343898182015-02-18T09:44:29.910+00:002015-02-18T09:44:29.910+00:00Great post. Like Catherine, I learned most of this...Great post. Like Catherine, I learned most of this the hard way - and still probably don't know a lot that I should know.<br />These artifical divisions created between art and science, art and business, don't really help anyone.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-72046231432285605222015-02-18T09:38:16.639+00:002015-02-18T09:38:16.639+00:00Very interesting post Catherine. Food for thought ...Very interesting post Catherine. Food for thought indeed.Wendy H. Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04022089775887274043noreply@blogger.com