Thinking to Inking is TWO and to celebrate we're taking a look back at some of our favorite posts and giving away lots of swag. Make sure to check out the rafflecopter at the bottom of the post and enter to win!
One of the original monthly posts we introduced is our YA book picks. We started the series because we wanted to share some of our favorite reads with our fellow YA writers, but what surprised me is how many books I've discovered from the posts thanks to my fellow blogmates. Below are just a few of my favorite books that Triona, Jenn and Lauren have introduced me to. Click on the title to jump to the original review. Enjoy!
LEGEND by Marie Lu
ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell
WHAT'S LEFT OF ME by Kat Zhang
FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell
IF YOU FIND ME by Emily Murdoch (okay, this one was mine. But it's so, so good that I have to throw it on this list in case you haven't read it yet.)
LETTERS TO THE DEAD by Ava Dellaira. This one actually wasn't reviewed, but it's one of the books we're giving away compliments of Lauren. After Lauren mentioned how much she loved it I had to check it out, and man was I glad I did. Easily one of the best books I've read this year.
Huge thanks to Lauren, Jenn and Triona for keeping me well read. Hope you guys enjoy their picks as much as I have! You can check them all out here.
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Monday, June 16, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Thinking to Inking Blogversary: Secret Quirks of Teenagers
Thinking to Inking is two years old this month! To celebrate, we're highlighting some of our favorite posts and giving away all kinds of fun swag (scroll down for the Rafflecopter!)
One of my favorite regular blog features here at Thinking to Inking is "Curious Lives of Teenagers." Lauren (who is a high school English teacher) periodically asks her students questions of interest to writers and then posts their responses anonymously. The answers range from silly to morose to insightful, but they give an excellent glimpse into the teenage mind.
I thought this post from last year about her students' secret quirks was particularly useful to the YA writer. Who doesn't want to add more individuality to their characters?
Curious Lives of Teenagers: Our Secret Quirks?
When asked what they thought YA writers would want to hear from them, my high school students suggested that the writers should know the things teens do to make individual teens unique. The students thought a sampling of real-life quirks might help flesh out characters/ inspire new side characters for writers with writer's block. How considerate. These quirks are anonymous, and the kids have given permission for you to use with abandon. So here are their secret quirks/ a bit of silliness for a Wednesday afternoon:
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One of my favorite regular blog features here at Thinking to Inking is "Curious Lives of Teenagers." Lauren (who is a high school English teacher) periodically asks her students questions of interest to writers and then posts their responses anonymously. The answers range from silly to morose to insightful, but they give an excellent glimpse into the teenage mind.
I thought this post from last year about her students' secret quirks was particularly useful to the YA writer. Who doesn't want to add more individuality to their characters?
Curious Lives of Teenagers: Our Secret Quirks?
When asked what they thought YA writers would want to hear from them, my high school students suggested that the writers should know the things teens do to make individual teens unique. The students thought a sampling of real-life quirks might help flesh out characters/ inspire new side characters for writers with writer's block. How considerate. These quirks are anonymous, and the kids have given permission for you to use with abandon. So here are their secret quirks/ a bit of silliness for a Wednesday afternoon:
- I shower with my socks on
- When I was little I used to "cook" things in my belly button
- I eat Oreos with lemonade
- I look in two different mirrors with two different lightings to see if I look okay
- I will read for hours and try my best on tests, but I never do my homework
- I secretly watch the science channel
- I jump over every sidewalk crack so I don't break my mother's back
- I eat lemons whole
- I have to brush my hair 100 times before leaving the house every day
- I set my alarm for 6:36 am, take out my retainer, and go back to sleep until 6:44
- I put ketchup on my Mac & Cheese
- I feel the automatic need to wink at people when I don't know what to say in passing
- I hint at people to invite me places
- When I go to restaurants, I ask waiters with mustaches for pickles
- When I was little, I stuffed my American Girl dolls into a doll-sized tent to see how many would fit in
- I'm waiting for my own Godot
- I lose weight to get concert tickets
- Things Rick Astley will never do: #1-Give you up #2-Let you down #3-Run around #4-Hurt you #5-Make you cry #6-Say goodbye #7-Tell a lie #8-Desert you (fyi you've just been Rick rolled)
- I eat Doritos with peanut butter
- I like turtles
- I rub my fingers through my hair to think
- When I eat apple strudel, I eat the filling first, then the pastry part
- Eye contact makes me feel uncomfortable
- I read Dictionaries in my free time
- I can have fun with anything from a broken highlighter to an empty wrapping paper roll
- I like to make people feel as uncomfortable as possible by saying really awkward things. If someone is talking about what they will eat for lunch I will then interrupt with a random statement such as "aborted fetuses are surprisingly interesting" and then I will walk away
- I like rubbing people's earlobes
- I have to drink one and a half glasses of milk before bed every night
- Quirk?..I'm perfect.
And finally, a hint for writers from one precocious student: "To make any title better add a question mark at the end." (See title above. Did it work?)
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Monday, June 9, 2014
Thinking to Inking Blogversary: How Much Do Authors Make?
Thinking to Inking is two years old this month! To celebrate, we're highlighting some of our favorite posts and giving away all kinds of fun swag (scroll down for the Rafflecopter!)
When I considered which posts have been my favorites, I thought immediately of some of the nitty-gritty business posts that Stacy has done. Her willingness to share details is refreshing in an industry where many people play it close to the vest.
Her post on how much authors can realistically expect to make is a great example. Read it below, or check out the original post here!
How Much Does an Author Really Make?
A week ago a blog post was forwarded to me, answering just the question I pose in my post: how much does an author really make? The author was incredibly generous with the information she shared, including the advance amount she received from her Big 6 publisher, the % she earns per book (print vs. digital), and where she's netted so far from an income standpoint.
Unfortunately her post was removed after it went viral because it included proprietary contract information. I won't share the numbers she posted for that reason, but I will share the broader message and open it up for discussion: don't write just for the money.
Here are a few things to take into consideration when doing the math and planning for your writing future.
1) You have to pay back your advance before you start receiving royalties.
An advance is NOT a bonus. It is exactly as the name states: an advance on future earnings. Many authors will not sell past their advances, meaning they will never receive royalties for their books. And for those who do sell past their advances, it can be a long time before they start to see those royalties hit their bank because it takes time for books to gain momentum. Net: what you receive upfront may be the only money you see for a while, or ever.
2) Advances are becoming smaller and rarer.
Publisher's Marketplace announces advances using the following terminology:
"nice deal" = $1 - $49,000
"very nice deal" = $50,000 - $99,000
"good deal" = $100,000 - $250, 000
"Significant deal" = $251,000 - $499,000
"Major deal" = $500,000 and up
Skim through the announcements, and you'll see that most debut authors fall into the "nice deal" range. But you'll notice that some don't have anything next to them, because the author didn't receive an advance. And if you do some Googling, you'll start to see that $4,000 - $15,000 is a realistic range for a debut author signing with a larger house. For smaller houses, advances are typically smaller, if they exist at all.
Yes, some authors get nice sums of money up front when a publishing house wants to make a bet that a book will be a big hit (especially if they're bidding against other houses). But most of the large deals are not tied to debut authors. And there seems to be a consistent message from the publishing industry as a whole that the industry is moving away from them, at least to some degree.
3) Royalties rates range, but don't expect a high take home percentage.
This is where things get sticky and proprietary to publishers, so truth be told I'm intentionally not posting the figures. If you quickly Google, you can get a decent sense of the averages.
Royalty percentages vary depending on whether your book is sold in print, ebook, or hardback. You will earn a smaller percent on physical book forms because the publisher is absorbing higher costs (and thus higher risks). Ebooks, therefore, typically pay higher royalty rates, although note that because something like a hardcover book has a higher retail price tag, your absolute earning per book may be similar because the percent is taken from a larger base.
In short, only a small portion of each book sale will go into your pocket. This means you need to sell a lot of books to really start raking in the dough. And in an increasingly fragmented market, selling a million books is no easy feat.
4) Don't forget that agents share 15%.
Agents work hard to get you a great deal, and their average reward is 15% of your advance and all subsequent royalties. Most people would argue they earn it in spades by getting you that great deal, but it's an important piece of the earning puzzle that should be accounted for - whatever you bring in automatically gets a 15% haircut if you're repped.
5) So how much does a "successful" author make?
According to my research, an average mid-list author will make an income in the mid-five digits ($50,000-65,000). But it will take time to get there, because success doesn't happen overnight. And the reality is that many of us won't actually get to that place (see point #1.)
There are other factors that can influence your overall earning potential as well, like your proliferation as an author. If you're releasing a book a year and are reasonably successful, then your earning potential increases. If you release a new book every two years, you'll likely see the number go down.
Yes, some authors rake in the money. They get huge advances, sell millions of books, and close movie deals. But they are the exceptions, not the rule. I'd go so far as to say they represent < 1% of the writing community. It's a fact that we all should recognize when making choices about our writing careers.
So maybe I won't quit my day job anytime soon, but I still consider myself a success.
I started writing because I had a story to tell. Whether or not I sell a million books or a hundred books shouldn't cloud my view of accomplishment. I said I'd write a novel, and I did. I said I wanted a publishing deal, and I got one. I said I wanted to see my book in print, and it will hit store shelves next January. For those reasons, I'm calling my writing journey a success, and I will do my best to keep that in focus regardless of the size of my royalty checks. I'll also keep writing because it's something I love to do.
And here's the honest thing: even though I've done the math, am very aware of the financial realities and consider myself a pragmatic person, there is still a little part of me that thinks I could possibly maybe someday be one of the exceptions. It's the same part of me that buys the occasional lottery ticket, won't walk under a ladder, and eats black eyed peas on New Years Day.
Because there's always a chance.
Happy writing, and may you all sell a million books!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
When I considered which posts have been my favorites, I thought immediately of some of the nitty-gritty business posts that Stacy has done. Her willingness to share details is refreshing in an industry where many people play it close to the vest.
Her post on how much authors can realistically expect to make is a great example. Read it below, or check out the original post here!
How Much Does an Author Really Make?
A week ago a blog post was forwarded to me, answering just the question I pose in my post: how much does an author really make? The author was incredibly generous with the information she shared, including the advance amount she received from her Big 6 publisher, the % she earns per book (print vs. digital), and where she's netted so far from an income standpoint.
Unfortunately her post was removed after it went viral because it included proprietary contract information. I won't share the numbers she posted for that reason, but I will share the broader message and open it up for discussion: don't write just for the money.
Here are a few things to take into consideration when doing the math and planning for your writing future.
1) You have to pay back your advance before you start receiving royalties.
An advance is NOT a bonus. It is exactly as the name states: an advance on future earnings. Many authors will not sell past their advances, meaning they will never receive royalties for their books. And for those who do sell past their advances, it can be a long time before they start to see those royalties hit their bank because it takes time for books to gain momentum. Net: what you receive upfront may be the only money you see for a while, or ever.
2) Advances are becoming smaller and rarer.
Publisher's Marketplace announces advances using the following terminology:
"nice deal" = $1 - $49,000
"very nice deal" = $50,000 - $99,000
"good deal" = $100,000 - $250, 000
"Significant deal" = $251,000 - $499,000
"Major deal" = $500,000 and up
Skim through the announcements, and you'll see that most debut authors fall into the "nice deal" range. But you'll notice that some don't have anything next to them, because the author didn't receive an advance. And if you do some Googling, you'll start to see that $4,000 - $15,000 is a realistic range for a debut author signing with a larger house. For smaller houses, advances are typically smaller, if they exist at all.
Yes, some authors get nice sums of money up front when a publishing house wants to make a bet that a book will be a big hit (especially if they're bidding against other houses). But most of the large deals are not tied to debut authors. And there seems to be a consistent message from the publishing industry as a whole that the industry is moving away from them, at least to some degree.
3) Royalties rates range, but don't expect a high take home percentage.
This is where things get sticky and proprietary to publishers, so truth be told I'm intentionally not posting the figures. If you quickly Google, you can get a decent sense of the averages.
Royalty percentages vary depending on whether your book is sold in print, ebook, or hardback. You will earn a smaller percent on physical book forms because the publisher is absorbing higher costs (and thus higher risks). Ebooks, therefore, typically pay higher royalty rates, although note that because something like a hardcover book has a higher retail price tag, your absolute earning per book may be similar because the percent is taken from a larger base.
In short, only a small portion of each book sale will go into your pocket. This means you need to sell a lot of books to really start raking in the dough. And in an increasingly fragmented market, selling a million books is no easy feat.
4) Don't forget that agents share 15%.
Agents work hard to get you a great deal, and their average reward is 15% of your advance and all subsequent royalties. Most people would argue they earn it in spades by getting you that great deal, but it's an important piece of the earning puzzle that should be accounted for - whatever you bring in automatically gets a 15% haircut if you're repped.
5) So how much does a "successful" author make?
According to my research, an average mid-list author will make an income in the mid-five digits ($50,000-65,000). But it will take time to get there, because success doesn't happen overnight. And the reality is that many of us won't actually get to that place (see point #1.)
There are other factors that can influence your overall earning potential as well, like your proliferation as an author. If you're releasing a book a year and are reasonably successful, then your earning potential increases. If you release a new book every two years, you'll likely see the number go down.
Yes, some authors rake in the money. They get huge advances, sell millions of books, and close movie deals. But they are the exceptions, not the rule. I'd go so far as to say they represent < 1% of the writing community. It's a fact that we all should recognize when making choices about our writing careers.
So maybe I won't quit my day job anytime soon, but I still consider myself a success.
I started writing because I had a story to tell. Whether or not I sell a million books or a hundred books shouldn't cloud my view of accomplishment. I said I'd write a novel, and I did. I said I wanted a publishing deal, and I got one. I said I wanted to see my book in print, and it will hit store shelves next January. For those reasons, I'm calling my writing journey a success, and I will do my best to keep that in focus regardless of the size of my royalty checks. I'll also keep writing because it's something I love to do.
And here's the honest thing: even though I've done the math, am very aware of the financial realities and consider myself a pragmatic person, there is still a little part of me that thinks I could possibly maybe someday be one of the exceptions. It's the same part of me that buys the occasional lottery ticket, won't walk under a ladder, and eats black eyed peas on New Years Day.
Because there's always a chance.
Happy writing, and may you all sell a million books!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
A Walk Down Memory Lane
It's day four of Thinking to Inking's birthday month and the celebrations keep coming. Thanks to everyone for posting and tweeting about our anniversary and giveaways!
June is all about throwbacks where we highlight some of our favourite blog posts from the past two years. On Monday, I wrote about blogmate Stacy's publishing adventure. Every Wednesday, each contributor will talk about their favourite blog post from their own blog adventures.
Over the years, I've learned a lot from my work as a blogger for Thinking to Inking. Tips of the trade, what's new in the industry and growing with my blog-sisters. But at the beginning, it was a bit nerve wracking. How to you make yourself known in the blogsphere? Who's going to read it? Will people like it?
With my background in film and television, I had an idea to interview authors for a segment called "From Book to Screen (and back again)". I would reach out to authors that have either had experience in script writing or who had recently had their novels optioned for film and television projects and ask them questions about their experience. I had no idea where to start or if anyone would say yes.
As luck would have it, I was at the 2012 LA Festival of Books when I stumbled upon the "YA to be Continued" Panel. There, D.J. MacHale happened to be speaking. Not only was he the author of the New York Times #1 bestselling Pendragon book series, he was also a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies including Flight 29 Down and Are You Afraid of the Dark.
After his panel, I sheepishly approached him and asked if I could interview him for our new up and coming blog. I totally expected him to blow me off, but he smiled, looked at his watch and said "I'm done shortly here, why don't we meet in a few hours."
I was flabbergasted. The interview was informative, fun and so easy going. Most importantly, it set the stage for our little blog that could. Since then, I've had the privilege of interviewing great writers including Jay Asher, Holly Goldberg Sloan and Lauren Kate to name a few. But it all started with D.J. MacHale and that's why I've chosen my interview with him as my favourite post.
Click here to check out the original From Book to Screen (and back again) interview with D.J..
If you haven't already checked out our giveaway below, definitely take a look. Lots of great prizes to be won!
Monday, June 2, 2014
Two Years and Counting!
Stacy wrote it perfectly last week - what an incredible two years it's been for this little blog that could. To think, it all started with four wide-eyed writers who met at the Big Sur Writing Workshop back in Spring 2012. I'm so proud of all these talented ladies and want to thank all our dedicated readers whose support and comments are what keep us posting along.
Today marks the first day of Thinking To Inking's Birthday month and we're counting down some of our favourite posts from blog days past. I thought what better way to start than to recount one of my favourite posts from fellow blog mate Stacy. I remember the day she emailed all of us to let us know that there was something major brewing. Only a year out from our weekend in Big Sur and she was the first of our crew to land a publishing deal for WHERE THE STAIRCASE ENDS with Month9Books. We laughed, we cried, and since we are all in different cities, we virtually hugged and jumped for joy while sharing glasses of emoticon champagne.
Click here to check out Stacy's post on "How She Got Her Publishing Deal". Always humble and honest, Stacy does a great job of mapping the perilous and exciting road on her journey to publication.
Also, don't forget to check out our rafflecopter below. It's live which means you've got a great chance to win great prizes! Come back every Monday and Wednesday this June for more trips down blog lane and chances to win.
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