Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #PublishingPaidMe
Most recents (24)
Why would a publisher prefer/choose to endorse and publish a white author's book on BIPOC magic and culture (hoodoo, voodoo, folklore, Afro-Caribbean, etc...) when they could publish a real author of color.
A thread 🧵 #witchtwt #writingcommmunity
A thread 🧵 #witchtwt #writingcommmunity
I was having this conversation while drinking coffee w/ two priestesses who are planning to write a book in the future: BIPOC, books, ghostwriters, con-artists, marketing, and publishers.
#witchtwt #occulttwitter #writingcommmunity
#witchtwt #occulttwitter #writingcommmunity
Before getting into statistics (below) the first reasons why this happens are obviously:
1st MONEY because the big bookstore chains and publishing companies are in the hands of white men who prefer to keep it that way.
1/
1st MONEY because the big bookstore chains and publishing companies are in the hands of white men who prefer to keep it that way.
1/
The payment schedules in publishing are so weird, like my small advance for Iron Widow was split into 5 and I have no idea when my royalties will start coming so if I didn't have alternate income I'd be in poverty despite my book hitting the bestseller lists week after week 😣
OH to clarify, this was a 2 book advance that was split into 5, which I think is relatively normal..? I've definitely heard of people who've had 1 book advances split into 4 or 5 now though 😫
Since people appreciate transparency in this industry: #publishingpaidme 16k USD / 20k CAD for Iron Widow (per book in a 2 book deal), paid out over 2 years on signing, delivery, and publication. Pretty sure I've sold this many copies less than a month since release ;_;
🚨🚨THE BIG HELPFUL UK #SCREENWRITING THREAD Vol.4🚨🚨
And this time it really is big, because this thread is about one of the most important & least talked about parts of being a TV writer in the UK: Money 💵💰💵
And this time it really is big, because this thread is about one of the most important & least talked about parts of being a TV writer in the UK: Money 💵💰💵
Specifically, I'm going to look at three questions:
How do you get paid?
How *much* do you get paid?
And - equally important - how much do you have to *spend* in order to get paid? (Yup, that's right, we're gonna be talking barriers to entry)
How do you get paid?
How *much* do you get paid?
And - equally important - how much do you have to *spend* in order to get paid? (Yup, that's right, we're gonna be talking barriers to entry)
Pretty nervous about this one tbh. In my experience, even among those working in the industry, money remains the great unspoken. It’s not even a question I see asked at Q&As much. But it is the thing I worried most about when I was starting out.
Gonna do my annual thread of (some of) my work this year. It was a weird year but still managed to get a lot done considering we had Rocco home with us for six months. Anyway here goes and I’ll include $.
My story about Dontay Davis, the brother of 3 of the Hart kids, technically ran last December, but I was surprised when it ran in print on A4 in January with this gorgeous spread. I was really heartened to see how so many people connected with it. $800
washingtonpost.com/national/his-s…
washingtonpost.com/national/his-s…
In Jan/Feb, I got my book proposal in top shape and I sold my forthcoming book two weeks before lockdown! That was huge for me, and gave me some financial breathing room in this crazy year. First of 4 advance payments, a little more than $30k.
91. Dario Calmese
Now a history-making photographer for his July/August 2020 cover of Vanity Fair, Calmese is also a multidisciplinary creative with a client list that includes Pyer Moss, Public School NYC and Beyoncé: bit.ly/2RJhQZx #TheRoot100
Now a history-making photographer for his July/August 2020 cover of Vanity Fair, Calmese is also a multidisciplinary creative with a client list that includes Pyer Moss, Public School NYC and Beyoncé: bit.ly/2RJhQZx #TheRoot100
90. Sarah M. Broom (@sarahmbroom)
Broom's powerful debut, the bestselling memoir The Yellow House, has been hailed as a modern classic, winning the 2019 National Book Award for nonfiction: bit.ly/3mIk8GD #TheRoot100
Broom's powerful debut, the bestselling memoir The Yellow House, has been hailed as a modern classic, winning the 2019 National Book Award for nonfiction: bit.ly/3mIk8GD #TheRoot100
89. Kyndra Frazier (@Kyndinc)
Frazier, an associate pastor at one of New York City's biggest churches, works at the intersection of identity, faith and mental health to make the church more inclusive of the LGBTQ community and others: bit.ly/32QbQEM #TheRoot100
Frazier, an associate pastor at one of New York City's biggest churches, works at the intersection of identity, faith and mental health to make the church more inclusive of the LGBTQ community and others: bit.ly/32QbQEM #TheRoot100
Last week, a big American newspaper asked if I wanted to weigh in on the Beirut Explosion.
I lived in Beirut for the better part of 15 years. I wrote a book about my time there. As you might imagine, I have a lot to say.
Ten years ago—hell, five years ago—I might've said yes.
I lived in Beirut for the better part of 15 years. I wrote a book about my time there. As you might imagine, I have a lot to say.
Ten years ago—hell, five years ago—I might've said yes.
Don't get me wrong: I love Beirut. I've lived there for longer than I've lived anywhere else on earth.
But what happened in Beirut last week is profoundly not my story.
I didn't grow up there. I'm not from there. Unlike a lot of my friends from there—
But what happened in Beirut last week is profoundly not my story.
I didn't grow up there. I'm not from there. Unlike a lot of my friends from there—
(and btw I don't say "Lebanese friends," because Beirut is full of Syrians, Palestinians, refugees & residents & citizens & other statuses, up to & including stateless; migrant workers from many different countries; & all kinds of other folks, many of whom need help right now)
Obviously missed this the first time around. I agree: $10/pg should be the absolute floor. Push for $15 every time and maybe we can get this up. I’ve NEVER taken a paying gig for less than $10 and I was a terrible letterer when I started!
As Aditya says, there are well-established letterers doing work for big companies on $20/pg and that’s not right.
Also, back end deals: I’ll only do back end for people I know and trust. Additionally, if you’re getting cut in for say 5-10%, ask for the same cut of the IP.
Also, back end deals: I’ll only do back end for people I know and trust. Additionally, if you’re getting cut in for say 5-10%, ask for the same cut of the IP.
You may not get it, but if the book you worked on is a huge success and you took a chance on a back end deal, why the hell shouldn’t you get a percentage on that Hollywood/Netflix/HBO deal?
Been thinking about platform lately given the need to publish more Black authors. Many platforms require access to power structures. What if as an industry we deemphasized platform esp for marginalized groups?
Some publishers already provide platform-building assistance for their authors e.g. creating online courses, producing podcasts. However, the need is much greater than avail resources.
I’d love to see publishers help all/more authors build their platform instead of expecting them to come ready-made, but at the very least give first priority to Black and marginalized authors.
#PublishingPaidMe Late to the party, but here's the story of my first and only book contract. I still don't quite understand it myself.
I pitched my first magazine story in fall 2002. The piece eventually became a cover for @monthly six months later & launched my career. /1
I pitched my first magazine story in fall 2002. The piece eventually became a cover for @monthly six months later & launched my career. /1
The piece was on Dems & religion and it blew up. (Back story here: washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/novem…)
Overnight, I started getting more assignments, speaking invites, and hearing from literary agents. I signed with one, worked up a book proposal, and she sent it out. /2
Overnight, I started getting more assignments, speaking invites, and hearing from literary agents. I signed with one, worked up a book proposal, and she sent it out. /2
This was late 2005. Half the progressive world was still convinced that Bush won reelection because of "religious voters." My timing was good. I ended up meeting with ten publishers over two days and eventually fielded offers from some 6-7. /3
THIS IS A PERFECT ILLUSTRATION OF SEVERAL SYSTEMATIC RACISM-FUELED FAILURES HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE. Allow me to explain:
Black people are statistically more likely to get rejected by banks for loans for homes and businesses = less black owned businesses, including book stores.
revealnews.org/article/for-pe…
revealnews.org/article/for-pe…
Black authors are less likely to be published for SEVERAL reasons including #publishingsowhite = less black-authored books. Also see:
@kaitfeldmann @CCBCwisc 1/ A THREAD:
I tend not to respond, but maybe it is time I shed some light on this post and my assessment of lack of BIPOC in Kidlit. I am speaking as a #BlackCreator and #PictureBook writer.
This is not throwing shade at agents, or editors...
I tend not to respond, but maybe it is time I shed some light on this post and my assessment of lack of BIPOC in Kidlit. I am speaking as a #BlackCreator and #PictureBook writer.
This is not throwing shade at agents, or editors...
@kaitfeldmann @CCBCwisc 2/ I remember I was told that I will not get published because I do not write picture books the right way. What does that mean? It means, I do not write "The White Way," which is the character tries three times and fail.
I write stories. To get books in front of editors in...
I write stories. To get books in front of editors in...
@kaitfeldmann @CCBCwisc 3/ "THE BIG HOUSE," you have to go through agents. Many agents say, "I didn't connect with the story," or "The voice is not authentic," or "I pass because it is not what publishers want." Then you ask an editor what they want and they reply, "I know when I see it."...
I was hired at the Village Voice in 2010 at 35K & told "everyone" got that. Was horrified to find out a white woman was hired at 42K & a white man (10 yrs my junior) at 55K. I had to quit to force a raise & got rehired a day later. #PublishingPaidMe
When I went to Guardian in '14, started at 25K for 48 columns/yr (about $500 each), no benefits. But I moved up to Writer-at-Large in '15 (50K for about 100 stories/yr, increased to 60K in 2016) + got health ins + a 40K stipend as an NYU grad student #PublishingPaidMe. But...
While I was earning six figures for 1st time at 40, it was by contract (not employment) so lost a lot to employment tax, had no retirement, etc —and only earned it by working two EXTREMELY demanding FT jobs. #PublishingPaidMe
This is the email I wake up to from one of the longest sitting board members of the national literary organization I am in. This is why #publishingsowhite #PublishingPaidMe #bookcriticismsowhite #BookReviewingsowhite
This is the person who is directly deciding what books win prizes, what books get reviewed and who reviews books. This directly affects how much money authors can negotiate for their next book. This is why #publishingsowhite matters. #BookReviewingsowhite
Let's talk about the NYT bestseller list (a thread): People *care* about this list + according to a 2004 study, it increases book sales. Even if it doesn't, I think it's fair to say that authors dream of hitting that list and it matters to marketing.
The list has often been criticized (for sooo many things), and it's a pretty open secret that it's not really a straight/factual accounting of bestsellers if you were to go strictly by the numbers or volume of sales.
So it annoyed me a little when—in response to recent criticism tied to #PublishingPaidMe —the NYT recently tweeted that the list is not "curated." That strikes me as somewhat disingenuous.
This is a thread about amazing science fiction and fantasy novels by Black authors you should read! It’s also a thread about taking a good hard look at how white your bookshelves are.
This morning I was looking for the copy of Rosewater that I recently purchased and placed on a bookshelf, and as I stared at the vast (VAST) rows of fiction in my house, it occurred to me that if I pulled out every novel by a Black author it would not be very many. I was right.
The photo above isn't actually exhaustive (in part because many of my books are still in boxes) and it doesn't show books I have on audio (recently, Dread Nation) or Kindle (recently, War Girls), BUT STILL. This is striking. Basically, my bookshelves are super white.
So, as a side note, some of the shocking #PublishingPaidMe numbers are obviously bad marketing predictions, (mis)informed by a limited sense of what Black writers’ market is. But a lot of the super-high advances for non-celebrities aren’t about actual sales projections... 1/10
but about competition, or the fear of competition— a writer gets a big offer so that the book doesn’t go to another publisher. I think a lot about consensus and diversity— (2/10)
on almost every prize/residency/admissions/hiring committee I’ve been on, no matter the demographics of the committee, it’s much less common for people to agree on candidates of color. Everyone’s individual list of finalists may be plenty diverse... (3/10)
I, a totally unknown white woman with one viral article, got an advance that was more than double what @rgay got for her highest advance. #publishingpaidme $400,000 for How to Fall in Love with Anyone. I've written an essay about this (forthcoming) but I want to say more here:
The advance worked like this: Once my agent took his cut, I received $85,000 a year for four years. Converted to Canadian Dollars that was about $100K, which Google tells me is about what the average physiotherapist in my city earns.
That amount of money was a little more than double what I made teaching full time at a major Canadian university. It changed my life in all sorts of ways, opportunities writers of color almost never receive:
It's been really interesting seeing folks share numbers from #publishingpaidme and #TabletopPaidMe. I haven't been in the industry very long, but I've gotten to see a fair bit of the back-end and I wanted to share my experience.
First, a little background. I'm a 33yo white cis man. I've got a MA and PhD in English Lit with lots of experience in the digital humanities and graphic design and an additional BA in Journalism. I started working part time on design in graduate school about 6 years ago.
When I started off, I was supporting my wife and kids on about 20k a year (the grad stipend at the time). We usually used about 5k of credit card debt each year to stay above water which we zeroed out using our tax refund. Game design didn't pay much, but it really did help.
#PublishingPaidMe:
$1,500 for my 2009 33 1/3 book (the standard advance back then). I spent all that money and way more traveling to Hawaii to research it. Obviously extremely worth it. This book finally earned out THIS YEAR due to a Spotify deal Bloomsbury made for the series
$1,500 for my 2009 33 1/3 book (the standard advance back then). I spent all that money and way more traveling to Hawaii to research it. Obviously extremely worth it. This book finally earned out THIS YEAR due to a Spotify deal Bloomsbury made for the series
$70,000 for 2018's THE WORLD ONLY SPINS FORWARD, split between @parabasis and me. 1/2 on signing, 1/4 on D&A, 1/4 on pub. (Hope this is OK, Isaac.) We spent some of that on research costs and photos. It's sold pretty well and I hope it might earn out in the next year or two.
$130,000 for this. I took less money than another pub offered bc LB's generous payout plan funded the trip: 1/2 on signing, 1/4 on partial, 1/4 on D&A. We spent it all and more. I should be getting my first royalty statement soon and then I'll know whether it'll ever earn out!
The #PublishingPaidMe convos are beautiful. Lately, I keep re-upping @annbauerwriter's 2015 @Salon essay, "Sponsored by my husband". THREAD salon.com/2015/01/25/spo…
I started getting paid to write newspaper & magazine articles in 2005. It's been 15 years. Throughout it all, working other full-time jobs is what paid the bills and allowed me to keep writing.
.@annbauerwriter's essay is beautiful and striking in its openness about class & privilege in creative industries. #PublishingPaidMe
#PublishingPaidMe just showed up in my feed & I believe it's important for many reasons. So, I'm in: White straight cis female nonfiction, author of Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. What #publishingpaidme is complicated in my case; full answer & context in thread below (1/n)
Henrietta was a black woman whose cells, codenamed HeLa, were taken by white researchers w/out her consent. Her cells are still alive; she died in '51. HeLa launched a medical revolution & multi-billion$ industry. Her children were also used in research w/o consent (& more) (2/n)
So, when #publishingpaidme I was a white writer trying to publish a book about a Black woman/family who'd been used in $research by white people without benefit, only harm. I was also writing about the history of the v earned mistrust between Black people & science (3/n)
One of the strategies I’ve used to get initial offers up for my authors of color (so I’m able to negotiate up from something not insulting) is to tell editors very frankly that money is the primary factor in who we’re going to go with #publishingpaidme
A lot of (well-meaning) editors will (rightly) assume that a POC will often choose a house based on safety (which often means who will be the least racist), but it really does change the game to walk in demanding dignity AND to get paid like a white author does #publishingpaidme
I think a lot of publishing higher-ups think that their woke associate editors are all a POC writer deserves, so they don’t authorize high advances. But if you give that editor a monetary requirement? That’s when you really see advances. #PublishingPaidMe
A thread on advance payouts!
Say you have a $60k advance per book for 2 books ($120k total). You don’t receive all upfront. It’s broken into pieces, paid over years. So for this advance, let’s say it’s paid in thirds... #PublishingPaidMe
Say you have a $60k advance per book for 2 books ($120k total). You don’t receive all upfront. It’s broken into pieces, paid over years. So for this advance, let’s say it’s paid in thirds... #PublishingPaidMe
Payout in thirds is:
- 1/3 on signing of contract (40k bc the contract is for both books)
- 1/3 on delivery and acceptance of revised manuscript #1, ie after edits w/editor. ($20k)
- 1/3 on publication of book #1 ($20k)
- 1/3 on d&a book #2 ($20k)
- 1/3 on pub book #2 ($20k)
- 1/3 on signing of contract (40k bc the contract is for both books)
- 1/3 on delivery and acceptance of revised manuscript #1, ie after edits w/editor. ($20k)
- 1/3 on publication of book #1 ($20k)
- 1/3 on d&a book #2 ($20k)
- 1/3 on pub book #2 ($20k)
What does this mean? Well say you sign this book deal in 2020 for a book that’ll publish in 2022. So let’s say the contract is finalized in 2020 that means you get $40k in 2020 for the signing of the contract (and again the contract is for both books hence the double amount)
Wow, this #PublishingPaidMe hashtag! These tweets have me going 😳👀🤯
Anyway, major thanks to all the authors sharing. You guys have been very brave. And big chops to @TochiTrueStory & @ElleOnWords for sparking this much-needed discourse.
These #PublishingPaidMe stats now make this 1% even wilder.
