Kathryn Meyer Griffith is visiting again #author #selfpublishing

WHY I BECAME A WRITER

and other Stuff

By Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Author of 22 published novels, 2 novellas and 12 short stories since 1984

This post was originally written in 2011…

right before I discovered self-publishing and then everything changed.

And a 2015 update is at the very end of the post.

Truthfully, what started me off as an author was simply this: As a child, about eight or nine years old (the same time I began to draw pictures in pencil and years before I began to dream about being a singer with my younger brother Jim), I began reading books, science fiction, historical romances and scary books from the library. I had six brothers and sisters and though I had a loving mother and father, a loving family, there was very little money. I can’t say we were poverty poor, but we were poor at times. Sometimes our meals were scarce and we never had extra money for many toys or outside entertainment. I think in my whole young childhood my father only took us out to eat once. Try paying for seven kids and two adults. So we learned to entertain ourselves. We played outside, climbed trees and hid in deep dirt gullies. We sang, howled really, outside at night on the swing set.

I loved to read. The library books were free and plentiful. I’d sit on my bed, especially during the long summer days and evenings (after chores were done, of course) and read one amazing book after another and if I was lucky, with a chocolate snack or cherry Kool-Aid nearby. Those books, those words on the page, took me away to other places, times and worlds. It was magical. I got lost in people-on-a-spaceship-going–to-some-faraway-planet science fiction books. There was this one horse book when I was a kid that knocked me out, made me cry, and laugh with joy at the end it was so real to me and so full of pathos because I loved horses so much. It was called Smoky. I loved that book. Sigh. I never forgot how those wonderful books made me feel…so free. So adventurous. So rich. Like I could be or do anything someday. And when I grew up I wanted to create that magic myself for others.  So…that’s why I began writing.  And when I get depressed over my writing at times, I remember that.

I remember vividly one day at school, when I was about 10 or so, when a big box of Weekly Reader books were delivered and we each got to pick one to read. The smell of those new books in that box as I looked at them, the excitement and awe of the other kids over the books and the reverence for those authors, and I thought: Wouldn’t it be something if someday a box of these books were mine…written by me? Oh, to be an author. People respect an author. It was the beginning.

Then there’s also a second part to the question: Why do I keep writing after 44 years of it? Because I can’t not write. I can’t stop. The stories take over my heart and mind and demand to come out. It’s sort of like birthing a baby (I have one real son and two grandchildren myself). You carry them for a while, a short or long time span, and then once they’re born (published) they go on to be their own individual entities that sometimes continue to amuse and amaze you. Or disappoint you. Whatever.

This is what it’s like to be a published author.

It’s not like anything you would imagine. There’s excitement, the passion and feeling of being right with the world, as the story is being created and the words are tumbling out into the computer; there’s the exhaustion of writing hours and hours, the doubt that your words

 will mean anything to anyone and why am I doing this? that creeps in but that you have to chase away; there’s the pride in seeing the finished book, either e-book or print, and finally there’s the feeling of unexplainable happiness when someone says they read it and liked/loved it. The best response I love to hear is: I couldn’t put it down. The characters were all so real. I got carried away with it. Didn’t want to leave the world you’d created. Wow. That makes the sometimes low pay and grueling hard work all worthwhile because writing is hard work, or, at least, the creating and promoting of it anyway. Hour and hour, day after day, year after year. It’s your life you’re using up, your precious time and you have to truly love it to give all that up…to strangers.

Sometimes people ask me: is it still fun?

Fun? That’s a strange way to put it. Sometimes, rarely, it’s fun. Mostly it’s hard work and lots of solitary time alone. Writers live so much of their life in their make believe worlds they get lonely for the real world, real breathing people and adventures. I know I do. But the writing won’t leave me alone until I write down the words and tell the tale. The easiest way I can put it is when I’m writing or dealing with my writing I feel like I’m doing what I was born to do. Yes, I believe a writer is born to write–like an artist is born to paint and draw; a musician to write or play music. As an artist myself I know I’m not truly happy, or fulfilled feeling, unless I’m writing, drawing or singing. Creating. Though the singing and the artwork have gone more by the wayside as I’ve become older and writing mostly takes all my free time now.  Yes, writing does make me happy. Grin. Except the rare times someone hates one of my books and that happens, too. I’ve finally learned that reading and loving a book or short story is subjective. Some people love my stories, get them, and others…don’t. And that’s okay. We’re all different people.  That’s a lesson a writer must learn. One person’s criticism is not a blanket criticism of all your work or even that one work, it’s just one person’s opinion.

Is it lucrative? This first part I originally wrote in 2o11… before I started self-publishing in August 2012. Now, in 2015, with 9 books self-published of my 22 I am making a good living at my writing for the first time ever. And when I finally own and self-publish the rest of my 22 books (14 are still with a publisher that I make very little money on) I will be making really good money. But here’s my answer from 2011: That’s a loaded question and most writers will not talk about how much they make or a book makes. Maybe, this is just my theory, it’s because most of us make so little it embarrasses us. There’s no way we could ever live on it. It’s icing on the cake, trim on the woodwork, for the mid-level writers anyway. The top (very rare) writers like Stephen King, Dean Koontz and many other writers make a very good living, but most writers don’t. Ever. Oh, in my heyday in the 1980’s and early 1990’s I made fairly good money with Leisure and Zebra paperbacks, because back then the distribution and print runs were so large. I got a smaller percent in royalties but there were more books out there on the shelves and in the stores selling for me. So far the e-books and PODs (Print on Demand) aren’t selling that well, but I get a much larger percentage.  I’m hoping in the next year by having all my old 10 novels out again (rereleased between June 2010 and June 2012) and 2 new books I’ll see a gradual increase in income. It’s an experiment, sort of.  Selling a small quantity each 3 months of 12 or more books might add up to a nice sum. Or so I’m hoping. I’m marketing (a whole new thing in the Internet world these days) a lot, seeking and getting great 4 and 5 star reviews, joining reader and writer loops, guest blogging, etc.  It’s never ending. Thing is I don’t know how much it all helps. Eventually, I figure, I’ll find out. I’m an optimist always. 2015 Update: I made the worst money between 2010 and 2015 with this publisher than I’d ever made. Thank goodness I discovered self-publishing in late 2012 and began switching my books into it. Well, I lived and learned. 

Do I still enjoy writing? This was my answer in 2011 and in 2015 I still feel the same way: Sure. I love it. It’s like breathing, eating, dreaming. It’s become part of me. It’s second nature. It took me over 40years to say: I’m a writer. And really feel like I wasn’t being a pretentious so-and-so or outright lying. It took me all that time and 22 published books, 2 novellas and 12 short stories, and more to come hopefully, for me to feel deserving of the title.  Even without the money, telling stories is what makes me feel…complete. Happy. Hey, look at me I’m a storyteller! Ha, ha, now I just have to figure out a way to make it more profitable, as well.  Thank you.

* Written by the author Kathryn Meyer Griffith on a sultry August day not so long ago (2011)…

2015 update: And I did find a way to make it more profitable because I started self-publishing. As one successful Indie writer recently said to me: Just get the books out there…nothing else matters, except presumably good books, I’d add. The rest will come. And now I have NINE self-published books out everywhere and I’m discovering it does come.   Stay tuned for my next blog…the backstory story Why I Wrote A Time of Demons and Angels here: https://kathrynmeyergriffith.wordpress.com/

My Books are here:
http://tinyurl.com/oqctw7k
My Audible audio books are here:
http://tinyurl.com/oz7c4or
Novels:
Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forge, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire, Witches, The Nameless One short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper, Ghosts Beneath Us, Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, Before the End: A Time of Demons, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection, Forever and Always Romantic Short, Night carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake, Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising and Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation
Websites:
https://kathrynmeyergriffith.wordpress.com/
https://www.amazon.com/author/kgriffith http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KHIXNS

rdgriff@htc.net

  

Hi-Jacked from Brian Klem - The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing (& Traditional Publishing)

Even though the below article from Brian Klem’ The Writer’s Dig 2012 – I found it broke down the publishing world better than I could have said it . . . I’ve read Konrath’s ‘A Newvie’s Guide to Publishing’ and it’s a must read on publishing.

From:  Brian Klem - I stumbled upon this great article from JA Konrath on his “A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing.” The piece focuses on how to make money on ebooks (if you have a minute I highly recommend reading the entire thing), but one section of the article really caught my eye (and should catch yours). Konrath breaks down the pros and cons of self-publishing versus the pros and cons of traditionally publishing. It’s spot on and something every writer should consider before taking the leap in either direction. Here’s that slice:

Q: Should I forsake selling ebooks in order to try and land a print deal?

A: Let’s look at the pros and cons of both sides.

Traditional Publishing Pros

·         Wide distribution and more exposure

·         Most offer an advance, sometimes a large one

·         They do the editing, formatting, cover art

·         Marketing power

Traditional Publishing Cons

·         Take six to eighteen months before publication

·         Price ebooks waaaaaay too high

·         They have power over cover art and title

·         Don’t use the marketing power they wield effectively

·         Pay royalties twice a year

·         Don’t involve you in many of the decisions regarding your book

·         Difficult to implement changes

·         Lousy royalty rates, between 6% and 25%

·         Very hard to break into

Self Publishing Pros

·         Paid once a month

·         You control price and cover

·         Publication is almost instant

·         Easy to implement changes

·         Every decision is yours

·         Great royalty rates

·         Anyone can do it

Self Publishing Cons

·         No free professional editing, formatting, or cover art

·         Fewer sales

·         Less than 10% of current book market

·         Greater potential to publish crappy books

You need to figure out what your goals are, and set them accordingly.

If you feel strongly that traditional publishing is still your route to success, be sure to follow the Guide to Literary Agents blog which continually offers great advice on landing a literary agent. But if you you’ve weighted the pros and cons and believe self-publishing is the best way to get your work published (and for some writers, much like Konrath, it is), check out Abbott Press, the self-publishing arm of Writer’s Digest. It really does offer some great stuff, including a lot of perks other self-publishers don’t.

When is Enough Enough by Ginger Simpson

How many times have you picked up a book you are enjoying, but wondered, "God, when is this going to end?"  I don't care how many trees are on the property, it doesn't matter to me if the pond is bubbling in the back yard if it doesn't involve the character and further the story in some manner.

One of the reasons I've been turned off by some mainstream books is that they go on and on and on, giving you useless information and being repetitive.  This my dear friends is because most major publishers have "word requirements" and you must meet that magic number to be considered for publication.  I've always sucked at writing to word reqs because when my character says I'm done, I'm done.  Luckily, I've found small press, most who encourage you to write from the heart, and give you leeway to create stories of various lengths.  You know you've done something right when the worst review you get is, "It was too short."

  My blog partner here has done some awesome work in my absence, most of them dealing with common problems we all encounter as readers and authors.  If you haven't read them all, I encourage you to take a trip backwards and enjoy her shared knowledge.

Anyhow, the real reason for this post is to encourage other authors to be smart.  There is a niche for each of us in this ever-growing ocean, but just like I've always told my kids...take a few minutes and think about what might go wrong.  If something comes to mind, then plan a different approach.  Usually what you think will go wrong, will.

I believe e-publishing has flourished because of the popularity of the Kindle, Nook, and other readers which make downloading possible at a lower cost.  I also think the reputation of e-published authors has suffered because of so many first time authors self-publish without learning the most common pitfalls most of us know.  I've been writing for almost a dozen years now, at least seriously, and I still learn things from every editing session or every chapter critique I submit to my group.  To jump into publication without a clue, hurts all of us.  I encourage new authors who are writing their debut novels to take an extra month and find a good critique group of people who've learned the ropes.  Don't rely on your relatives for feedback, because most of the time, they don't know anything more about writing rules than you do.

It's funny, I was a reader long before I became an author, and I thought I would really know how to write my own novel.  I was in for a great big shock because although I read hundreds of books, I didn't realize why some were more entertaining and kept me turning pages more so than others did.  I had no idea how head-hopping, POV, cause before affect, and overuse of tags could draw me out of the story...in fact, I didn't even know what most of the terms meant.  I'm happy to say, each book I write, at least in my opinion, is better than the last because writing is continuous journey of learning.  So, don't start out thinking you have everything mapped and ready for success.  If you suck, people will notice.  Sadly, they then won't want to try other e-published books because of one bad apple.  Don't be that apple!

Welcome Lisabet Sarai

Today, our (my) guest is Lisabet Sarai, a good friend and well-accomplished author.  She's sharing a story she wrote some time ago, but the message is so appropriate for right now, she's agreed to let me share it:

Child of the Digital Age

“Auntie Lisabet! Tell me a story about the old days.”

“Okay, settle down then.”

My nine year old grand-niece Ellie sits down cross-legged next to my chair. She removes her ear-buds, strips off her haptic glove and flips up the VR screen on her glasses. I'm flattered that she's willing to give me her full attention. But then, I'm her exotic, glamorous aunt, who lives half a world away and visits once a year, who has lived through things Ellie can only begin to imagine.

“In the old days,” I start, “all books were paper.”

“Yes, I know! My mom has four paper books. She keeps them locked up in a glass case. She won't let me touch them.”

“Well, paper books tend to fall apart easily, and old ones are worth a lot of money. Anyway, back then, I wrote paper books. I had eight print books of my own. Plus I had stories in lots of other paper books.”

“Wow! You must have been rich. And famous.”  These days the release of a paper book is a rare event. Only Pulitzer Prize winners and heads of state author are literally in print.

I laugh and run my fingers through her blond curls. “No, not at all. Back then there were millions of paper books. When you signed a contract with a publisher, you would get what was called an 'advance on royalties' - a few thousand dollars at most, at least for me. Each copy you sold would be deducted from the advance. You had to sell thousands of copies in order to start making any money. Only one of my paper books ever 'earned out its advance', as they used to say back then.”

Ellie looks perturbed. “But – I've read some of your stories. You're a great writer. How come you didn't sell more?”

“Thanks, sweetie. I don't know if I'm great, but anyway, remember, there were millions of authors to compete with. And it took a really long time for a book to be published. My first novel took more than a year, from the time I submitted the manuscript to the time it was actually printed. I had one book that the publisher kept for nearly two years. Then they decided not to print it after all.”

“That's a drag! After all your work!” 

“That book turned out to be one of my first digital publications. So everything worked out in the end.

Anyway, with print books, even if I wrote full time (which I couldn't – I had a full time job), I couldn't publish more than one or two books a year. Everything was so slow – you wouldn't believe it. You had to send a printed version of the book, by postal mail, to the publisher. Then it would usually be months before they read it and gave you their opinion. Then another month or two while you worked out the details of the contract. Months for editing, typesetting, galleys―printed versions of the book that you had to correct by hand, with a red pen, and send back by snail mail... By the time the book finally arrived on the shelves, the excitement was almost gone.

“Also, simultaneous submissions – sending the same book to multiple publishers at the same time―was considered to be unprofessional. So if a publisher rejected your book, you had to start all over again.”

“Bummer. Is that why you began to publish digitally?”

“Not really. I had a regular publishing company, and they were taken over by another publisher who wasn't interested in what I wrote. I tried sending my latest novel to some other print companies, and they didn't even send me an acknowledgment. At the same time, digital books were beginning to become popular. A e-publisher contacted me and invited me to submit some of my writing. After that, more and more of my publications were electronic―even though print books were still common at the time. I discovered that with an e-publisher, I could publish almost as quickly as I could write. The whole cycle was so much faster. The first year I was digitally published, I had four books released. The second year, it was seven. It went up from there.”

“So that's when you started to get rich?”

“No, there were still millions of books coming out. In some ways it was even harder to get noticed. But the money was more predictable, royalties every month or every quarter. And of course, the more titles I released, the more opportunity I had for sales.”

“I don't know why anyone would want a print book anyway.” Ellie does a quick check of her comscreen then sticks it back into her pocket. “You can only read them in one order. You can't add comments or bookmarks. And there's no sound or video or 3-D graphics. Boring!”

“Back then, Ellie, most e-books were just words, too. No multimedia.” Ellie clearly has a hard time getting her mind around this concept. “You had to use your imagination about what things looked and sounded like.”

“But at least you could carry the books with you on your comdev,” she asserts. “And you didn't have to worry that they'd get torn or wet. Or lost. Plus I heard e-books saved the forests.”

I sigh. Ellie has never seen a real forest―only parks and tree plantations. The last remaining natural forests are off-limits to everyone except the scientists.

“Very true. I have to admit, though, that for a very long time, for me, an e-book didn't seem like a real book. When my first novel came out, and the publisher sent me my author's copies, it was like a combination of Christmas, Halloween and my birthday all together. I was so excited!  There it was, in my hands, a real book, with a real cover that had my name on it! I could thumb through the pages and read the words that I wrote. Unbelievable! When I received author copies for my e-books, there wasn't the same thrill. After all, it was just an email attachment.”    

Ellie nods.  She remembers me telling her about email, which has become nearly extinct with the rise of real-time messaging and tele-presence.

“Getting published became too easy―or that's what it seemed like to me. Thousands of e-books were released every month. Some of them were good, but some of them were awful. Everybody wanted to get on the e-publishing bandwagon.”

“What does that mean?”

“Oh, that it was the latest trend. Everybody thought they could make money bringing out e-books. Every week a new publishing company opened its virtual doors. The world was flooded with e-books, and the average quality went down, at least in my opinion. I was still proud of my writing, still excited, but getting published seemed like less of an accomplishment. Practically anyone who could string a dozen words together could get published.”

“Like now,” Ellie says wisely. “My friend Judy published a book last week, all about her new dog. She sent me a copy. She's really bad at spelling. But the pictures were fun.”

“Actually, hon, it was not at all the way things are now.  Back in the old days, the publishers still controlled the purse strings. These days, most of the publishing companies are gone. People publish on their own and then offer their work, for free or in exchange for other content, or on a sliding scale of payment. You can still make a living as a writer, but you have to have a community to support you―people who really like what you write.”

“Can I see one of your paper books, Auntie? Mom won't let me touch hers.”

“Here's my first novel, published in the year 2000―just a few years after your mom was born. This is a first edition.”  Ellie doesn't hear the irony in my voice.

“Wow!” She reaches for the fragile volume. “This is really old. Can I read it?”

“Of course not. You know that my books were written for adults.”

“Auntie, don't be old-fashioned. I know all about sex.”

“I don't think your mom would approve. She's always been a bit embarrassed by my literary career. Anyway, you wouldn't understand this book yet, even if you do know the physical facts about sex.  Erotica isn't just about sex. But I'll tell you what. I'll give this book to you, autographed, for your sixteenth birthday.”

“Oh, Auntie. That's years from now.” She notices my wistful expression. “But thanks. And thanks for the story. Things were really weird in the old days.”  Her comdev gives a barely audible beep. She checks the screen. “It's Judy. Got to go. I'll talk to you later.”

“Okay.” As she scampers off, donning her various sensory prostheses as she goes, I wonder whether I'll still be around in seven years.  Will she'll remember how to read at that point?  And even if she can read, will my maiden tale of a woman's sexual awakening will make any sense at all to a child of the digital age?  

Visit Lisabet's website at http://www.lisabetsarai.com and her blog Beyond Romance, http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com.

Note from Ginger:  For anyone who thinks that erotica is all about sex...it may well have lots more heat, but there is an important message Lisabet delivers in her every work, and she does it extremely well.  She's well-traveled, and I'm fortunate to call her friend as I often seek her wisdom which far exceeds my own, amazing as that may seem.  *lol*






  

That Which Does Not Kill Us...

Before I even started Hattie's Hero, I had an stock image I'd cherished for quite some time that I'd purchased for use.  Years ago, I had a mishap with a publisher, and in the blink of an eye,  my new cover, featuring that image, was stripped from me, and I was banned from the group.  I still can't tell you what happened except that my name was mentioned in an email that was sent to the loop by mistake.  Nothing big...just nice support from other members who realized the moderator didn't set a welcoming tone.   I was new to the group and hadn't had much experience, so the whole thing left a really bad taste in my mouth, and that of the several others who got caught up in the whole mess.  Luckily, the phrase, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger," is true.  I almost threw in the towel, but I didn't.  I'm still here.  :)

Last year at the Muse It Up Conference, I used that awful experience to conduct a one-day workshop on the Pitfalls of Publishing.  I urged, and still do, all authors to research their publishing choices before they sign on the dotted line.  Getting out of a bad contract can be more work than getting a divorce,and there are some publishers who aren't really ready to work on behalf of those they sign.  At best, making a bad deal can make you question your own worth. Thankfully, today you have even more choices because the world of e-readers has encouraged many talented writers to self-publish, and the stigma involved with doing that has faded.  I'm considering that option for Hattie's when I've finished.

I've had three bad experiences.  Not because I'm a bad risk, but because those who contracted me didn't have their ducks in a row and should never have gotten into the business. I fault myself because I should have done what I'm urging you to do. I'm not naming names, just warning new authors who are considering going the contracted route to talk with those in the know--the authors who have gone before you.  If they signed, are they happy?  Would they sign again?  Authors who are involved with the publisher are you best source of real information. They probably won't offer, but when asked, I've never been denied "the scoop."  Don't rely on a second-hand gossip; there's too much of it circulating.

Another helpful venue is using your search engine.  History really doesn't die.  Google (Chrome, IE, or whatever you use) the name of your prospective publishing company and the people involved.  You can find tons of information, good and bad.  I've found that places like Piers Anthony and Preditors and Editors can be just as harmful as they are helpful because they often carry reports from disgruntled authors or very little information at all, as evidenced by Muse It Up Publishing on the P&E site, which is one of mine and seems to be thriving. No matter where you go, you'll find at least one, so don't  rely on talking to just a solo person...expand your horizons.  It's your life, and trust me, you want to be in control of it.

After ten years, I'm still learning the process.  I don't know everything, but I've certainly learned a lot, and there are things I definitely would have done differently.  Number one...I wouldn't have let myself be bullied about using an I-Stock photo that anyone can purchase.  Threats of a lawsuit turned me timid, and I gave up something I loved...not once, but twice.  Well, not again.  I'm happy to share the beautiful cover my talented friend, cover artist, and fellow author, Dawne Dominique, created for me. She's amazing, talented, and reasonable, and probably really busy since she's done all the majority of my Eternal Press Covers and those of others there.

  Presenting with great pride and anticipation... imagine a drum roll.  Now all I have to do is finish the book.  *lol*  Yes, it's another western historical, this time using YA characters who grow into their own through the experiences they share.