the business of writing

I am frustrated sometimes by trying to explain a writing career to neighbors and friends who do not want to hear an hour-long lecture about Harry Potter and the change in the publishing world children's books and adult genre books, etc. Including various sidenote lectures such as advances, royalties, paperback vs. hardback, shelf life, agents, editors, and why this is a real career and I'm not just lucky and no, I can't give your cousin's manuscript to my editor to get it published.

No one re...