Author's Notes #3 (October 2023)
Meeting my deadlines, self-publishing authors earning more than traditional, writing routines, author talks, and investigating language
1.
It’s deadline day, and I’m on track for delivery! When She Was Gone will be off to my publishers and my agent later today, where it will have a rigorous edit and be returned to me in a few weeks with the Word-doc equivalent of red pen all over it. At the moment I’m calling this one my Big Little Lies meets Succession story, but I also need to watch a bit more of Succession to make sure this actually fits or I’m off to an early start in misleading readers, which is not the best marketing plan! In my next Writing Journal I’ll be sharing some of the things I learned/remembered about crafting a suspense thriller while I was writing When She Was Gone, and you, my dear Substackers, will be getting all the early exclusives next year as we build up to publication in September 2024.
2.
Self-published authors can outearn traditionally published authors! This was reported yesterday on Instagram by publishing guru Jane Friedman.
The key word here is can – not always. I know of a good number of indie authors who are doing amazingly well for themselves, but there are many more who struggle to find readers. Likewise, the top-tier authors in trad publishing are making a fortune, but many others can’t make any kind of meaningful income this way. I’ve tried both, and I’m interested in the challenges and possibilities of each, so I’ll be discussing and breaking that down a lot more over time here on Substack. Personally, I’ve earned the steadiest income from traditional publishing, but I made the most in one month by a long way through self-publishing.
If you’re looking to learn from the self-publishing experts, I highly recommend the Inkers Con Author Conference which is run by Alessandre Torre and a team of authors who are generously helping fellow indies by sharing their different paths to success. You can’t present unless you’re earning at least six figures annually, so you’re guaranteed to hear from those who’ve cracked the market.
3.
Substack queen Emma Gannon, whose work I love, wrote a really interesting piece this month called ‘Writing is not about the routine: Why are we so obsessed about routines? It’s the least interesting part’ (note: this may be behind a paywall).
As someone who has struggled to develop a consistent routine for myself over the years, I enjoyed her take on why routine can be constricting, as I agree that it can dull creativity. As a messy creative, I also love those who share their similar experiences, as it often feels substandard to admit that your routine is all over the place! However, I’ve also found that the right routine can lessen the stress when looking for time to write, particularly when you’re reliant on publishing as a substantial part of your income. The key, for me, is not to get sidetracked by anyone else’s choice of routine unless it resonates with your own process, and to focus on what gives you the most opportunity to create. I often find that commentary around these areas doesn’t acknowledge life circumstances either. It’s very hard to have an ongoing routine in mid-life when you may be in the thick of caring for children and older parents, or if you have health issues that need prioritising. The best routine, for me, is one that consistently improves productivity, but also where you can be flexible or let it falter without beating yourself up about it, and then get back to it as soon as you can.
4.
I went to some author talks last week at Scribblers festival (a local festival in Western Australia for children and young adults). One of the speakers, AJ (Amanda) Betts, was so good that my writing-averse dyslexic teenager not only bought Amanda’s new book, One Song, and started reading it straight away, but she also began coming up with her own ideas for stories after a long period of not being interested in writing at all. How did Amanda achieve that? She had a brilliantly prepared presentation with lots of graphics to share, and an excellent sense of humour. She was the perfect blend of insightful, self-deprecating and relatable. Teens must surely be one of the toughest crowds, and this was a delightful lesson in how to captivate an audience.
5.
I’m planning a new section of my Substack called Language Matters, where I do a deeper dive into how language is used, abused and manipulated in modern culture. I began to develop a fascination with this during my PhD, and there is a wealth of material to draw from. I’ll be talking about the subversion of words such as feminism and activism, the representation and misrepresentation of ideas through phrases like ‘moral equivalency’ (which I see a lot at the moment in relation to the war in Israel and Palestine), and the multi-layered web of human communication that can leave us tied up in knots and prey to political slogans (‘If you don’t know, vote no’ is a hot take here). I’m hoping there will be a book in this eventually, and I’m looking to develop this side of my work along with my novels over the next five years. However, I don’t know much about the market for such ideas yet – so if you like the sound of it, please leave a comment and let me know! And if you know of someone I should read who’s working in this area, I’d love to hear about them.
SHORT NOTES AND SHOUT-OUTS
For those in Western Australia, the Perth Writers Festival is partnering with Writing WA for its 2024 program of events, and the just-announced line-up features an array of brilliant authors both local, interstate and international. It will be hosted at the State Library, and I can’t think of a better venue for lots of brilliant discussions about books and writing. Early birds can check out the program here and the event itself runs 23-25 Feb 2024.
The BAD Crime Writers Festival in Sydney is about to kick off (1-5 Nov) and the events look fantastic for both readers and writers. I haven’t been to this festival yet, so I’m hoping to make it next year. Speakers include Candice Fox, Chris Hammer, Rae Cairns, Michael Tim Ayliffe, More details here.
In the end, I couldn’t launch my dear friend Natasha Lester’s book earlier this month as I got Covid at just the wrong moment – waaah! But The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is out now, and it’s a cracker of a read: a compelling historical mystery in Natasha’s unique and captivating style, a love story and a searing commentary on sexism set in the burgeoning fashion industry of the seventies, which cleverly incorporates real people and events from that time into the story.
My first new-look reader newsletter went out this month, and it’s very different to my Substack. This one is a quarterly affair packed with my key news, recommended reads and some fantastic giveaways. If you’d like to join in with that one, you can sign up here.
Margaret Atwood is my favourite Substacker right now. Not many can bring such wry humour to a pacemaker fitting, and her tap dance afterwards was sublime! I highly recommend you follow her if you don’t already.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THIS MONTH ON MY SUBSTACK
COMING UP
Writers of the North High Tea is happening at 2pm on 18th November 2023 at Clarkson Library, WA. Come and join me and my writing group buddies Josephine Taylor, David Allan-Petale and Holden Sheppard and we’ll answer all your writing questions and entertain you over delicious afternoon tea. This is a free event but bookings are essential. Tickets here
And that’s it for my October Author Notes. As always, thank you for joining me, I really appreciate your support and hope I’m providing you with lots of creative value. I’ll be keeping my entire Substack paywall free until February 2024, and there will always be plenty of options for those who’d like to read my work but can’t afford to subscribe. I’ll also be working out some great bonuses for those who would like to pledge their support in future. And if you’re reading this and haven’t yet subscribed, hit the button below to get my posts sent straight to your inbox.
I love reading this. And thanks for the great shout-out! I'm so glad your daughter enjoyed my session last week. Thanks again for coming. Can't wait to hear more about your new book!