Kelly McCullough's Blog, page 71
February 23, 2011
Two Books A Year…eep!
So this year I made the jump from having one book under contract per 12 month window, to having two books under contract per 12 month window. Now, at first glance you might say: That's a doubling of your work load, what were you thinking?
What I was thinking was that in each of the previous four years I'd written two books, one on contract, one on spec. And, since I haven't yet sold any of the spec books, though I do expect to, I would be doubling my income with no concomitant increase in work load. Turns out I was wrong.
Over the last decade or so I've tended to work in spurts with gaps of weeks or months between. Since '06 that's produced around 150-160k words per 12 month period, or one adult fantasy and one YA written on spec. And that's been a mostly stress free level of production.
Under the new deal I'm only contracted for 180k per 12 months, which shouldn't have been that much more work. But I also made the jump from contemporary fantasy to secondary world high fantasy and that seems to add about 20 percent more effort to the process. I'd heard something like that from George R.R. Martin at some point, but he was moving from science fiction to fantasy, and I was just changing types of fantasy. Surely it wouldn't that bad…
Add in that the first book went 7k long and that I expect this one to do so as well, and suddenly it's the equivalent of 220-230k of what I was doing before. That's 70-90k extra, or nearly another adult novel's worth of effort. I'm getting it done and not dying, but it's a major change.
The biggest adjustment from one book a year to two is how fast it catches up to me if I take a break. I've often dropped out for a month and a half of downtime at the end of a book, or when I needed to think about the story, or just to spend more time with my professor wife when she's off from the University. Now, if I haven't worked ahead, a month and a half is a 22k word deficit that I have to make up some time in my remaining four-and-a-half months.
When that was on a spec book, it didn't really matter. I could always punt my personal deadline a little further out. I almost never did, but knowing that I could made a huge psychological difference. So, an extra novel's worth of work plus more than doubled pressure. I think I've found a balance that makes it work for me, but it's going to be very interesting seeing how things go when we hit my wife's summer break this year.
What I was thinking was that in each of the previous four years I'd written two books, one on contract, one on spec. And, since I haven't yet sold any of the spec books, though I do expect to, I would be doubling my income with no concomitant increase in work load. Turns out I was wrong.
Over the last decade or so I've tended to work in spurts with gaps of weeks or months between. Since '06 that's produced around 150-160k words per 12 month period, or one adult fantasy and one YA written on spec. And that's been a mostly stress free level of production.
Under the new deal I'm only contracted for 180k per 12 months, which shouldn't have been that much more work. But I also made the jump from contemporary fantasy to secondary world high fantasy and that seems to add about 20 percent more effort to the process. I'd heard something like that from George R.R. Martin at some point, but he was moving from science fiction to fantasy, and I was just changing types of fantasy. Surely it wouldn't that bad…
Add in that the first book went 7k long and that I expect this one to do so as well, and suddenly it's the equivalent of 220-230k of what I was doing before. That's 70-90k extra, or nearly another adult novel's worth of effort. I'm getting it done and not dying, but it's a major change.
The biggest adjustment from one book a year to two is how fast it catches up to me if I take a break. I've often dropped out for a month and a half of downtime at the end of a book, or when I needed to think about the story, or just to spend more time with my professor wife when she's off from the University. Now, if I haven't worked ahead, a month and a half is a 22k word deficit that I have to make up some time in my remaining four-and-a-half months.
When that was on a spec book, it didn't really matter. I could always punt my personal deadline a little further out. I almost never did, but knowing that I could made a huge psychological difference. So, an extra novel's worth of work plus more than doubled pressure. I think I've found a balance that makes it work for me, but it's going to be very interesting seeing how things go when we hit my wife's summer break this year.
Two Birds with One Post
I've just donated an early copy of RESURRECTION CODE to "Con or Bust". "Con or Bust" is a charity organization that provides travel funds to fans of color to attend various science fiction/fantasy conventions, mainly WisCON.
I think, in particular, this an excellent year to get involved in this project considering Moon Fail and its aftermath, which has/will have affected WisCON.
It's a cool project. Go check out what else is on offer!
I think, in particular, this an excellent year to get involved in this project considering Moon Fail and its aftermath, which has/will have affected WisCON.
It's a cool project. Go check out what else is on offer!
February 22, 2011
Self Promotion and Lyda's Question
In her post below Lyda poses the question:
But it does seem to work for some people on some level, and I always end up wondering by what magic is that done?
I think it's pretty straightforward actually, and it all comes down to that word seem . Here's how I think it works (all numbers made up).
If fifty percent of all authors do self-promotion, and a random six percent of all authors cross over into best-sellerdom than three percent of authors who do lots of self-promotion are going to cross over into best-sellerdom purely by chance. Then, at least some of those authors are going to figure that it was self-promotion which made the difference whether it had anything to do with it or not.
Likewise, if you're watching from the outside, you might think the only thing that differentiates them from the herd is that self-promotion, and then leap to the same conclusion. For that matter, I will even concede that some particularly clever bit of self-promotion that hasn't already been done a bunch of times might catch the mood and go viral, but I think that's as much a form of luck as having the book do the same thing.
Great books with tons of self-promotion die. Barely adequate books that get very little push become best sellers. Most of the difference there is luck in hitting the right literary kink for the moment.
We want the industry to make sense, so we tell ourselves stories--we're authors, telling stories is what we do. That book did so well because the author came up with the really awesome book trailer. That one did poorly because the cover sucked. This one over here is a best-seller simply because it's that good.
But the truth is, nobody knows what's going to make a book take off. If there was a real answer, there's be a publisher somewhere that didn't sell anything but best sellers.
But it does seem to work for some people on some level, and I always end up wondering by what magic is that done?
I think it's pretty straightforward actually, and it all comes down to that word seem . Here's how I think it works (all numbers made up).
If fifty percent of all authors do self-promotion, and a random six percent of all authors cross over into best-sellerdom than three percent of authors who do lots of self-promotion are going to cross over into best-sellerdom purely by chance. Then, at least some of those authors are going to figure that it was self-promotion which made the difference whether it had anything to do with it or not.
Likewise, if you're watching from the outside, you might think the only thing that differentiates them from the herd is that self-promotion, and then leap to the same conclusion. For that matter, I will even concede that some particularly clever bit of self-promotion that hasn't already been done a bunch of times might catch the mood and go viral, but I think that's as much a form of luck as having the book do the same thing.
Great books with tons of self-promotion die. Barely adequate books that get very little push become best sellers. Most of the difference there is luck in hitting the right literary kink for the moment.
We want the industry to make sense, so we tell ourselves stories--we're authors, telling stories is what we do. That book did so well because the author came up with the really awesome book trailer. That one did poorly because the cover sucked. This one over here is a best-seller simply because it's that good.
But the truth is, nobody knows what's going to make a book take off. If there was a real answer, there's be a publisher somewhere that didn't sell anything but best sellers.
Shameless Self-Promotion
It's Tuesday, that means that there's a new installment in my continuing pre-prequel fiction over at my LJ.
From time to time, we have an argument of sorts here at the Wyrdsmiths blog about the author's role in book promotion. It's not a real argument because, technically, I tend to agree with those who say that an author really can't do much to significantly boost their sales. I do think getting the word out helps. Whether my efforts to send bookmarks to romance conferences with 40 attendees in Boise or clever tweets can actually boost me from mid-list to superstar isn't really in question. (It can't.)
But it does seem to work for some people on some level, and I always end up wondering by what magic is that done? I'm particularly concerned right now because, as you perhaps may have heard, I have a small press book coming out in the middle of March. (Actually two, since I'm a contributor to WHEDONISTAS, as well.) I feel like I've been telling people about RESURRECTION CODE since the day I signed the contract, but just the other day I got a note from a friend on Facebook who seemed genuinely surprised that there would be a new book in the AngeLINK series.
What am I doing wrong?
I've got less than a month to get the word out. Ideas?
From time to time, we have an argument of sorts here at the Wyrdsmiths blog about the author's role in book promotion. It's not a real argument because, technically, I tend to agree with those who say that an author really can't do much to significantly boost their sales. I do think getting the word out helps. Whether my efforts to send bookmarks to romance conferences with 40 attendees in Boise or clever tweets can actually boost me from mid-list to superstar isn't really in question. (It can't.)
But it does seem to work for some people on some level, and I always end up wondering by what magic is that done? I'm particularly concerned right now because, as you perhaps may have heard, I have a small press book coming out in the middle of March. (Actually two, since I'm a contributor to WHEDONISTAS, as well.) I feel like I've been telling people about RESURRECTION CODE since the day I signed the contract, but just the other day I got a note from a friend on Facebook who seemed genuinely surprised that there would be a new book in the AngeLINK series.
What am I doing wrong?
I've got less than a month to get the word out. Ideas?
February 19, 2011
Signing Updatery
Breaking News: I will now be sharing my March 26th signing at Uncle Hugo's with Neve Maslakovic. I already want to love her book REGARDING DUCKS AND UNIVERSES, for this line in the product description: "On a foggy Monday in 1986, the universe suddenly, without warning, bifurcated."
February 18, 2011
Friday Cat Blogging
Not looking at you!
Totally looking at you! Where my fud?
I'm ready for my closeupzzzzzzzz…
I'z cutness personif… puzin… its own self!
Totally looking at you! Where my fud?
I'm ready for my closeupzzzzzzzz…
I'z cutness personif… puzin… its own self!
February 17, 2011
February 16, 2011
Wyrdsmiths Meeting Reality
For those of you who wonder what we do at Wyrdsmiths, I can tell you that, often, we're very business-like and get down to critique. Lately, however, (maybe because a number of us are getting punchy as we are on tight deadlines), we do a lot of goofy chit-chat -- hence our new motto "Wyrdsmiths: An Engima Wrapped in Bacon" --, industry networking/gossip about other writers and/or editors that we know, and we talk about reading and writing.
Last time, Naomi mentioned that she'd seen this:
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, a graphic novel about an Orthodox Jewish heroine.
and this:
Bad Hebrew Tattoos.
I pass it on to you, gentle reader. Enjoy.
Last time, Naomi mentioned that she'd seen this:
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, a graphic novel about an Orthodox Jewish heroine.
and this:
Bad Hebrew Tattoos.
I pass it on to you, gentle reader. Enjoy.
February 15, 2011
It's Tuesday...
...which means I have some free pre-prequel fiction on offer over on my LJ.
In case you missed the previous installments you can read them in order:
Mouse 1
Mouse 2
Enjoy!
In case you are tuning in for the first time, let me explain. Almost ten years ago, I had four books published in what I called the AngeLINK series. The books take place in a relatively near future where, thanks to a devastating world war, science has fallen out of favor and religions of all stripes have become even more dominant in politics than they are today. My books start in America, but span the entire globe. One of the characters that a lot of people really enjoyed was an Egyptian Sunni Muslim computer hacker named Mouse. The prequel follows his story. But there are also angels, devils, ghosts and mutants called Gorgons in it.
In case you missed the previous installments you can read them in order:
Mouse 1
Mouse 2
Enjoy!
In case you are tuning in for the first time, let me explain. Almost ten years ago, I had four books published in what I called the AngeLINK series. The books take place in a relatively near future where, thanks to a devastating world war, science has fallen out of favor and religions of all stripes have become even more dominant in politics than they are today. My books start in America, but span the entire globe. One of the characters that a lot of people really enjoyed was an Egyptian Sunni Muslim computer hacker named Mouse. The prequel follows his story. But there are also angels, devils, ghosts and mutants called Gorgons in it.
February 14, 2011
Why Science Fiction is Cool
Ten years ago, I published a book in which I imagined something not unlike this. Fellow Wyrdsmith, Naomi Kritzer, saw this article and forwarded it to me with the subject line "Egyptians invent mouse.net." Of course, that didn't EXACTLY happen, and certainly no one has a LINK receiver in their head, BUT I love that most of the technology being offered is actually a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem. That's totally the sort of thing I wrote about, and, as Naomi said, "If Mouse had been born yet and, of course, weren't fictional, he's be all over this."
I totally agree.
Go Egypt!
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