Thread. On #agents 1. I was following a thread and noticed that many think you can never approach a publisher without an agent, but many indie publishers - even some surprisingly big pubs are indie - will accept unagented authors. Here -@Mslexia & helpful to authors in ALL areas
2. It's possible - I've written & tweeted elsewhere about how dialogue is key - to be agented & still do some solo books & projects. That's what I do, but it's agreed, planned AND we talk over projects & books which are not agented AND all contracts are looked over, agency or not
3. The notion that your agent is only about one book. Hmmm. Ideally, it's long haul, feast or famine, dialogue, and planning. A lot of writers WILL tell you that their agent invested in them long term - time and labour. Writers can do it back: it's a two way street!
4. Writers can and do change agents. For some reason it's not talked about, but it's actually really common. The key is that it is amicable. Sometimes, it does not work out because directions diverge, for example; someone else might then become a much better fit. That's FINE
5. I read constantly how agents are the gatekeepers. CLEARLY, there are issues we need to tackle increasingly boldly in the industry, but my experience has been - I KNOW this irritates people - one of openness to ideas. It's not easy, but I DON'T want people scared off querying.
6. I may be horribly wrong here, but agents don’t simply send everything out to big 5; they are sending to the right editor for the book - and that may be at a small house. It’s a question of working relationships
7. There are - increasingly and a good thing too - writers about who publish on their own in self-publishing, work on some books with agents, and also publish with indie publishers separate from their agent. It all needs to be open and discussed, but it is possible and exciting
8. If you have found an indie publisher, be aware of whether they have a policy of not working with agents OR say openly that they're not keen. What if you, as author, subsequently become agented? Be mindful that this will need careful navigation so you don't miss out on opps
9. What might an agent do for you in addition to sending you book out to editors? FOR STARTERS: Negotiate deals, film, audio, translations; look over contracts, help you with ideas, morale, direction, welfare, guide and shape your books: they may be VERY hands-on editorially
10. I'm hardly THE QUEEN OF BOOKS, but I'm 8 in by autumn of 2023 and have a variety of roles, so if I can help answer any questions related to this thread, fire away and I will pick 'em up this evening. x
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Thread. I know some #writers research & query at the weekend, so here: on independent - indie - #publishers. Clarification: authors who self-publish (good option) also call themselves indie, but here I'm referring to independent publishers. Get a drink and snack. I'm going in
1. Indie publishers are sometimes called indie presses or small publishers or small presses. What is this thing? A publisher that operates on its own, & is not part of any large corporation or conglomerate. They may be tiny - but not all; Bloomsbury; Canongate, for example
2. A lot of indie publishers allow you to query your book without an agent, but not all. Some may be open to queries year round and some have defined submissions windows - or occasionally a surprise submission window. Be on your toes: these are NOT always advertised in advance
You wouldn't BELIEVE who comes to tell me their problems in ##publishing and #writing so red flags I cannot point at enough even with my most MASSIVE POINTY STICK 1. If you're told this is your one shot, your opp, run for the sodding hills 2. No dialogue? Get out of there
3. If the person or people you might work with on your book repeatedly & openly criticise other sectors of the industry, TREAD CAREFULLY SHOUTY CAPITALS. I don't mean all the epic folk who work to effect change, but something harsher and sharper; bombast 4. This one is crucial
4. If you feel nervous in contact, or frightened even, do NOT suffer this one alone. Share how you feel with someone you trust and if you're a union member, ask for advice. It may be a formal complaint is needed 5. If you're told everyone else is happy, what's the issue with you?
Thread. 10% of authors earning nearly half all author income. That's startling, isn't it?
This is going to be a long thread and it's personal because I thought it might be helpful to show you what I have done. I am going in hard with information on £ but also ideas. Ready?
1. By the end of 2023 I'll have had 8 books published and one in translation. I have been writing since late 2015 & in print since 2016. I've had 2 major columns in that time, pieces in the national press and, tallying it, 32 other stories, features, reviews & non-fic pieces
2. My income from writing alone averages about £3,000 a year and the bulk of that is not from books, or royalties, but from columns, features and the like. I have never got funding or a grant. I teach part-time because unless you're very lucky, you've got to keep the day job
Okay. I’ve dithered about this but we need to speak frankly. I’ll have had 8 books published by the end of 2023. I’ve never even made half that in a year. Just one reason why, unless you’re doing well financially, I advocate a portfolio career; gigs that come from the books.
So financially, in order
Teaching
Mentoring
Columns and features
Guest lectures & event talks
Manuscript review & appraisal
Editing
Writing books
All those things exist (admittedly I have a teaching background but at secondary, ESL & adult literacy) because of the books. That’s what I mean by portfolio. I think there ought to be frank guidance on how & where to look; to hustle.
On where you fit in #writingcommunity WELL, since I had my revelation about being a portfolio worker and the one big creative project (ie career as only partly about books), I've been much cheerier about this, and producing plenty. Still, where does my work fit in? Read on
The answer is that I don't really, but then I never have so I figure I'll just engineer something. I write literary fiction, & I hear it like poem or song; the words have colour, heft and shape. Writing is a physical experience for me. Why? Fuck knows. The experience is glorious
It FEELS like an experiment to me, but I know from things I haven't been able to access in the industry & from feedback I've entreated, that it's not seen as experimental...by folk who cherish experimental writing, read it, award it prizes & talk about it. I read those books too