If you are curious about self-publishing, or if you're wondering how successful anyone might be rebelling against the traditional publishing model, then you must read Joe Konrath's blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing.
Must. Read.
Not only does Mr. Konrath share his personal experiences - including his financial details - but he also welcomes guest posts by other authors who have their own tales to tell. People like Lee Goldberg.
Great stuff, if you're any kind of maverick. Absolute manna from Heaven if you're writing something that you want to have published, and you'd like to make more than a nickel per copy (and maybe avoid all that book signing mess, too).
Go read it here.
Showing posts with label Author Interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Author Interviews. Show all posts
February 7, 2011
September 21, 2010
Texas Book Festival 2010 - List of Authors
The Texas Book Festival is set for October 16 - 18, 2010, and the list of authors has been finalized and published online at the Festival website.
Click on the name of an author in this list, and you'll be taken to an individual bio page, like this one for Meg Cabot.
Click on the name of an author in this list, and you'll be taken to an individual bio page, like this one for Meg Cabot.
August 1, 2010
How They Do It: Ridley Pearson
While the author is being interviewed as he promotes his latest Walt Fleming novel, In Harm's Way, there's some good stuff in here for writers to glean and use. Particularly, his discussion of building character arcs (as opposed to plots) and his ease with using real life folk as the basis for his characters -- particularly his protagonists.
May 19, 2010
Elmore Leonard Interview - How He Writes, and "Freaky Deaky" Comes to the Screen
Deadline Hollywood has a great interview with Elmore Leonard that's a must read. Most of the talk is about screenwriting, his books that went to film (and his thoughts on them), but at the end there's a great tidbit on how he writes.
10 to 6, every day.
Output is 3-4 handwritten pages. No word processor.
He takes his handwritten pages and types them up on his typewriter to get his draft.
Wow.
10 to 6, every day.
Output is 3-4 handwritten pages. No word processor.
He takes his handwritten pages and types them up on his typewriter to get his draft.
Wow.
February 7, 2009
Mario Puzo Godfather Lessons: Comparing the Book to the Screenplay
I love the Godfather movies, even III, even The Saga (you know, the one where they cut and pasted I and II together, chronologically), and sure, of course, the Director's Cut.
But I'd never read Mario Puzo's original work, The Godfather, thinking it would make me like the movies less or that I wouldn't like the book, having seen the movie. Hey, I already knew that Sonny had dark hair in the book -- and James Caan is Sonny to me. I didn't want my head messed with, if you know what I mean.
Then, last weekend, I was at the library roaming thru the AudioBooks, and there was a brand new green box, filled with the unabridged version of Puzo's The Godfather. I'm not sure why I picked it up.
But, boy howdy, am I glad I did. Before I had finished the first CD, I was at the bookstore buying a copy. I could only find paperback, and I'm still not satisfied: I gotta have the hardback. I need it! The highlighting soaks thru the paperback version.
And, for a writer, there is so much to learn here. Plot, character, voice, setting. Amazing stuff.
Like what, you ask?
Well, first ... the book gets you hooked right off the bat, but it doesn't start off like the film. On paper, you're down at the NYC Criminal Courts, with Bonasera the undertaker. Remember him? Next, you're over in Hollywood with Johnny Fontane and his second wife, a beautiful movie star with violet eyes. (I'm still thinking she's an homage to Ava Gardner even if she does have Liz Taylor eyes.) Enzo the baker shows up, another locale, another thread drawing you in. Bang, bang, bang.
So different from the movie. But Mario Puzo wrote both the book and the screenplay and there is master storytelling here. Puzo Lessons begin on the first page: he's got Bonasera's story down in less than 1000 words and then he flips coasts to take us into drunk Johnny Fontane's Beverly Hills mansion. Puzo Lesson on get-er-done: edit down that word count.
I understand the characters more - and I'm barely into the book. I get Tom Hagen more than I ever did, same thing for Kay. Heck, same for Enzo. Puzo Lesson on people: have them all fully dimensional, no matter how secondary they may ultimately be to the plot. Don't skimp on your prep.
Puzo also takes the time to insert wisdom in these pages. Nice little zingers are scattered here, things that are in the Quotation books now. Puzo Lesson: good writing involves a level of wisdom, as well as that old adage "write what you know." Puzo knew NYC because he was from NYC. And, Puzo had learned a number of life lessons during his career as a reporter before this book ever came to fruition. This all shows.
Puzo built a world that so many loved to enter - and still do. How that was built, how those characters were developed, what he thought was important and why, reveal themselves in a fascinating way through this process.
The Puzo Lessons
Maybe part of all this is listening to his words, and then reading them. That does give nuance.
But another part of it is comparing what Puzo built in the book and how he revisited it for the movie. Especially for the first film.
Another nugget: Puzo's interview by Larry King. (He saw The Godfather as a family story, not a crime story. Interesting, right?)
But I'd never read Mario Puzo's original work, The Godfather, thinking it would make me like the movies less or that I wouldn't like the book, having seen the movie. Hey, I already knew that Sonny had dark hair in the book -- and James Caan is Sonny to me. I didn't want my head messed with, if you know what I mean.
Then, last weekend, I was at the library roaming thru the AudioBooks, and there was a brand new green box, filled with the unabridged version of Puzo's The Godfather. I'm not sure why I picked it up.
But, boy howdy, am I glad I did. Before I had finished the first CD, I was at the bookstore buying a copy. I could only find paperback, and I'm still not satisfied: I gotta have the hardback. I need it! The highlighting soaks thru the paperback version.
And, for a writer, there is so much to learn here. Plot, character, voice, setting. Amazing stuff.
Like what, you ask?
Well, first ... the book gets you hooked right off the bat, but it doesn't start off like the film. On paper, you're down at the NYC Criminal Courts, with Bonasera the undertaker. Remember him? Next, you're over in Hollywood with Johnny Fontane and his second wife, a beautiful movie star with violet eyes. (I'm still thinking she's an homage to Ava Gardner even if she does have Liz Taylor eyes.) Enzo the baker shows up, another locale, another thread drawing you in. Bang, bang, bang.
So different from the movie. But Mario Puzo wrote both the book and the screenplay and there is master storytelling here. Puzo Lessons begin on the first page: he's got Bonasera's story down in less than 1000 words and then he flips coasts to take us into drunk Johnny Fontane's Beverly Hills mansion. Puzo Lesson on get-er-done: edit down that word count.
I understand the characters more - and I'm barely into the book. I get Tom Hagen more than I ever did, same thing for Kay. Heck, same for Enzo. Puzo Lesson on people: have them all fully dimensional, no matter how secondary they may ultimately be to the plot. Don't skimp on your prep.
Puzo also takes the time to insert wisdom in these pages. Nice little zingers are scattered here, things that are in the Quotation books now. Puzo Lesson: good writing involves a level of wisdom, as well as that old adage "write what you know." Puzo knew NYC because he was from NYC. And, Puzo had learned a number of life lessons during his career as a reporter before this book ever came to fruition. This all shows.
Puzo built a world that so many loved to enter - and still do. How that was built, how those characters were developed, what he thought was important and why, reveal themselves in a fascinating way through this process.
The Puzo Lessons
Maybe part of all this is listening to his words, and then reading them. That does give nuance.
But another part of it is comparing what Puzo built in the book and how he revisited it for the movie. Especially for the first film.
Another nugget: Puzo's interview by Larry King. (He saw The Godfather as a family story, not a crime story. Interesting, right?)
July 11, 2008
Dean Koontz, Dreyer's Almond Crunch Bar, and You
Over at Amazon.com, Dean Koontz has given writers a little juicy tidbit on writing angst ... not only did he spend hours in deliberation non-writers would dismiss as silly or (ahem) mad, but he did the obviously wise thing to do when faced with a dilemma.
Yes, he did eat ice cream. And, yes, he recommends it.
Personally, I've just found these cute little Ben and Jerry individual cups for a buck, they even come with a little spoon in the lid. Thanks to Dean Koontz, I now find them to be a writing necessity not merely a mindless temptation and I'll be stocking up those little jewels this weekend.
This is not the first time that I have thought: Thank God for Dean Koontz.
PS On a serious note, Dean Koontz's tidbit on the Amazon site is important to read from a writing standpoint - don't miss it - and don't let my fixation on Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream this afternoon distract you from some very good writing information from one of the masters.
June 17, 2008
Great Interview with Janet Evonovich
Click on the title to jump over to a nice, and not too long, interview with Janet Evonovich -- where she discusses writing with humor and promises that "good people do not die in this series!" Whew.
September 2, 2006
Author Interviews Worth Your Time
From Elizabeth George, the mystery novelist and creator of the Inspector Lynley series (currently on PBS) an interview that includes the advice to write an author a note of appreciation for their work, when you stumble across something that really moves you.American Grand Master Lawrence Block has an interview which includes the savvy encouragement to write what you would like to read. Lots more here.
Robert B. Parker, creator of Spenser and Jesse Stone, talked about his writing process: five pages a day, no outline. Yep, that's right: no outline.
P.D. James told Salon Magazine that she loves the way that writing mysteries allows her to bring order out of disorder, and while she mentions many great mystery writers (Chandler, MacDonald, Hammett), her favorite author of all time: Jane Austen - because of this shared love of order.
Carolyn Hart, master of the cozy mystery, joins with the advice to write what you want to read - ignoring the market, as well as how she fell into cozies.
Many more writer interviews are available for free downloading at The Paris Review. The masters are here: Truman Capote, TS Eliot, Dorothy Parker, Shelby Foote, PD James, John Irving.
For more mystery writer interviews, try Houston's Murder By the Book site.
December 5, 2005
Mystery Writer Joe Konrath Talks Money
Joe Konrath is the author of the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels murder mystery series. He has a great website, and a great blog -- and he offers lots of great information on both.
For instance, recently in a blog posting describing his marketing to libraries campaign, he noted:
I earn 55 cents for each paperback sold, $3.44 for each hardcover, and between $5 and $8 for each audiobook.
Joe Konrath is the author of the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels murder mystery series. He has a great website, and a great blog -- and he offers lots of great information on both.
For instance, recently in a blog posting describing his marketing to libraries campaign, he noted:
I earn 55 cents for each paperback sold, $3.44 for each hardcover, and between $5 and $8 for each audiobook.
November 25, 2005
Highly Successful Authors Put In Their Two Cents' Worth on the Money Question
Recently, two very successful authors helped us all by providing commentary on the business end of publishing. Yes, I've eventually get around to posting more about writing - but I need to learn about these realities if I am pursuing more than a hobby here. And I am. Assuming you are, too, dear reader -- you need to know this stuff, too. Sigh, I know, I know.
First: Tess Gerritsen - who writes a great blog, as well as a great book, discusses first books, and book deals.
Second: Sara Donati, who also writes under the name of Rosina Lippi, offers some plain truths on her great blog. You need to keep coming here, she offers publishing info and advice, regularly. And the organization is fantastic.
From Tess Gerritsen (for the full post, go HERE to the 11/08/05 entry):
"First, let's dispose of the "first book" question. Because the answer on that one is, it's a total crap shoot. First book advances are completely unpredictable and involve a lot of hocus pocus, because no one really knows the potential of a first-time author. Some first books get a pitiful advance of a thousand dollars. Then there's Elizabeth Kostova who earned a two million dollar payday for her first book, THE HISTORIAN. Which, incidentally, turned into a very good investment for her publisher, as the book will almost certainly recoup that astronomical advance. Obviously the range for first-book advances is all over the board, and depends on factors as diverse as who your agent is, whether you've got a compelling personal history, whether you're a hot looking stud....
".... It's no secret that publishing is a business, and the goal is to make money. Or at the very least, to break even. If you follow the announced deals in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY or the online website PUBLISHERS MARKETPLACE, you'll start to get an inkling of what multi-published authors are getting. But you can also guess, knowing typical royalty rates, what an author is probably worth in real dollars. With major publishers, hardcover royalties tend to run around 12 - 15% and paperback royalties tend to be around 6- 10% of cover price. So a writer who's sold 25,000 hardcover copies has earned $75,000 in royalties in hardcover sales alone, and his next book deal should certainly reflect that. His next advance should be, at a bare minimum, $75,000. (And we're not even talking about paperback earnings yet, which will be on top of that.) More likely, the next advance will take into account continued growth, and will probably reach well into six figures.
"But once you get into the stratosphere of NYT-bestselling authors, the numbers may no longer be anchored to real sales figures, but may soar much much higher. From my own observations of the business, authors who consistently place in the bottom third of the NYT list (Positions # 11 - 15) are worth at least a million dollars a book, North American rights. We're talking combined hard/soft deals here, since most publishers now retain paperback rights. If you consistently place #6-10, your deals go even higher, into multi-million dollar range. Once your books consistently place in the top third, the deals become wildly unpredictable, because now we're talking Harry Potter and Dan Brown territory. Eight-figure book deals are not out of the question."
From Sara Donati:
"The money an author makes from a given book usually comes in two ways. The advance is the upfront money, 5 or 10 or 200 thousand dollars, or, occasionally, more. The book is published, the book starts to earn (hopefully), but the author doesn't get any money until the advance is "earned out" -- that is, if author X is supposed to get (for example) 10% on a cover price of $20, and she received $10,000 as an advance, she won't get anymore money until 5,000 copies of the book have sold.
"If she takes the $10,000 advance on an unwritten book and can't write it? The money has to be repaid.
"If she gets an advance of $200,000 and the book only sells a total of 1,000 copies? She doesn't have to pay back the advance, but the publisher is unlikely to buy another book from her.
"...A publisher offers you a contract, and an advance. The amount of the advance doesn't have to do with how good the novel is, or how much they like it. A million dollars does not equal an A+. The advance is their best guess on how many copies of the book they can sell. No matter how much the acquiring editor loves your novel, the publishing house does not want to overpay you. End of story.
"...I hasten to add that I do know how much money I make a year in total, all royalties and advances, domestic and foreign. Since I've started publishing novels in 1999, my annual income has fluctuated between 400,000 and 170,000, with the average around 220,000. Something to remember: this will not last forever. Sooner or later, this well will dry up.
"The information about advances and pay outs becomes more important if there's a new contract being negotiated. Publisher X says: well, we'd like to offer you more but her last novel didn't pay out... or Agent X says: look, she's had four novels pay out within a year each, you've got to do better."
Recently, two very successful authors helped us all by providing commentary on the business end of publishing. Yes, I've eventually get around to posting more about writing - but I need to learn about these realities if I am pursuing more than a hobby here. And I am. Assuming you are, too, dear reader -- you need to know this stuff, too. Sigh, I know, I know.
First: Tess Gerritsen - who writes a great blog, as well as a great book, discusses first books, and book deals.
Second: Sara Donati, who also writes under the name of Rosina Lippi, offers some plain truths on her great blog. You need to keep coming here, she offers publishing info and advice, regularly. And the organization is fantastic.
From Tess Gerritsen (for the full post, go HERE to the 11/08/05 entry):
"First, let's dispose of the "first book" question. Because the answer on that one is, it's a total crap shoot. First book advances are completely unpredictable and involve a lot of hocus pocus, because no one really knows the potential of a first-time author. Some first books get a pitiful advance of a thousand dollars. Then there's Elizabeth Kostova who earned a two million dollar payday for her first book, THE HISTORIAN. Which, incidentally, turned into a very good investment for her publisher, as the book will almost certainly recoup that astronomical advance. Obviously the range for first-book advances is all over the board, and depends on factors as diverse as who your agent is, whether you've got a compelling personal history, whether you're a hot looking stud....
".... It's no secret that publishing is a business, and the goal is to make money. Or at the very least, to break even. If you follow the announced deals in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY or the online website PUBLISHERS MARKETPLACE, you'll start to get an inkling of what multi-published authors are getting. But you can also guess, knowing typical royalty rates, what an author is probably worth in real dollars. With major publishers, hardcover royalties tend to run around 12 - 15% and paperback royalties tend to be around 6- 10% of cover price. So a writer who's sold 25,000 hardcover copies has earned $75,000 in royalties in hardcover sales alone, and his next book deal should certainly reflect that. His next advance should be, at a bare minimum, $75,000. (And we're not even talking about paperback earnings yet, which will be on top of that.) More likely, the next advance will take into account continued growth, and will probably reach well into six figures.
"But once you get into the stratosphere of NYT-bestselling authors, the numbers may no longer be anchored to real sales figures, but may soar much much higher. From my own observations of the business, authors who consistently place in the bottom third of the NYT list (Positions # 11 - 15) are worth at least a million dollars a book, North American rights. We're talking combined hard/soft deals here, since most publishers now retain paperback rights. If you consistently place #6-10, your deals go even higher, into multi-million dollar range. Once your books consistently place in the top third, the deals become wildly unpredictable, because now we're talking Harry Potter and Dan Brown territory. Eight-figure book deals are not out of the question."
From Sara Donati:
"The money an author makes from a given book usually comes in two ways. The advance is the upfront money, 5 or 10 or 200 thousand dollars, or, occasionally, more. The book is published, the book starts to earn (hopefully), but the author doesn't get any money until the advance is "earned out" -- that is, if author X is supposed to get (for example) 10% on a cover price of $20, and she received $10,000 as an advance, she won't get anymore money until 5,000 copies of the book have sold.
"If she takes the $10,000 advance on an unwritten book and can't write it? The money has to be repaid.
"If she gets an advance of $200,000 and the book only sells a total of 1,000 copies? She doesn't have to pay back the advance, but the publisher is unlikely to buy another book from her.
"...A publisher offers you a contract, and an advance. The amount of the advance doesn't have to do with how good the novel is, or how much they like it. A million dollars does not equal an A+. The advance is their best guess on how many copies of the book they can sell. No matter how much the acquiring editor loves your novel, the publishing house does not want to overpay you. End of story.
"...I hasten to add that I do know how much money I make a year in total, all royalties and advances, domestic and foreign. Since I've started publishing novels in 1999, my annual income has fluctuated between 400,000 and 170,000, with the average around 220,000. Something to remember: this will not last forever. Sooner or later, this well will dry up.
"The information about advances and pay outs becomes more important if there's a new contract being negotiated. Publisher X says: well, we'd like to offer you more but her last novel didn't pay out... or Agent X says: look, she's had four novels pay out within a year each, you've got to do better."
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