Finances for Authors

 

[I'm going to preface this blog entry by stating that I am not a financial professional. I am not a certified financial planner, and this is not official advice. I am also located in the United States, so any references to taxes or the like may not apply to you in your own country. Please do your own due diligence.]

Phew!

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about everybody's favorite topic…finances. Specifically, what happens when that book you published goes live and you start receiving those tasty, tasty royalty checks. 

You just got paid. Yay! But…now what?

I look at my being an author as being truly self-employed. I am running my own company of one. I spend probably only half my time as an author writing, and the other half is broken up between social media, administrative tasks, and finances. Tracking how much I spend, where, and on what, has become a major part of my daily routine.

Here are a couple of pieces of info that I wish I had been given, so I hope some of them might be useful to you. But first, I want to explain a few words and abbreviations I'm going to throw around that might be new to you:

Gross: How much you made overall.

Net: How much you actually got to keep.

P&L: Profit and loss. Basically, how much you make and how much you lose. 

ACOS: Advertising Cost Of Sales. In order to make a dollar, how much of that dollar went to marketing?

Let's dive in!

Tracking

It's important to track your income and expenses! First, all the money you spend to make money as an author can be subtracted from your income as a business expense. This includes marketing, supplies, editing, covers, proofing, postage, and yes, even commissioned artwork.

I know, I know, you're probably a writer because you suck at math. That's okay. You don't need to be good at it. But luckily, free software like Google Sheets can do 90% of the work for you, and are a great and easy resource for tracking these kinds of things.

Hopefully, you'll never be audited. But if you are, you'll need all that documentation. Keep track of every purchase and every royalty check. I keep a fairly ridiculous spreadsheet where I track probably far more things than I need to. You can keep a shoebox with notes, it doesn't matter. Just keep it somewhere.

Budgeting

Every morning I look at my ad spend from the previous day, and balance it against the (estimated) income I've made. I then do some simple math: 

Gross Income - Ad Spend = Net Income. I then use that net income and divide it against the gross income to create my ACOS percent. AKA: What percentage of my gross income was spent on sales? 10%? 50%? 75%?

As to how much you should spend on your ads, it's entirely up to you and your goals. I threw money at my series when I was starting out and trying to get a foothold. But now, my stomach for "overspending" is weaker, and I tend to be more conservative. Especially if I think a series is in danger of not landing, and therefore not selling. 

Too many times I've dumped money on advertising and then realized the series wasn't ever going to make it back. Now, by tracking it regularly, I can keep an eye on things and twist the valves as much or as little as I need to.

But maybe you really want to spend a lot. Or maybe you want to spend nothing. That's totally your decision, just keep an eye on it either way.

Also budget in how much you want to spend on other things: like blog tours, discount ad runs, and commissioned artwork. It adds up and it can add up fast.

Now, let's talk about the other big place an author's income goes that you should pay attention to…

Taxes

Yep, that's right. 

You just got a healthy chunk of cash from royalties! Yay! Now, guess what? You have to pay a bunch of that to the government now. Both at the state and federal level. If you make over $600.00 a year, you have to pay these taxes on a quarterly basis. If you don't, you get slapped with a fine at the end of the year.

So it's important to remember that whatever money you've just made from a royalty check, a whole bunch of that is already earmarked to go elsewhere. Do not forget to include your estimated taxes when you build a budget for yourself.

How much you have to pay depends on what tax bracket you're in, and also how much your state charges for income taxes. Both of those vary wildly per person, so I won't bother including any specific numbers. But just remember that you pay your income taxes from your NET income, not your gross. Basically:

Gross Income - Business Expenses (whatever they are) = Net Income. Take a percentage of that net income for federal tax, and then whatever your state tax is, and then pocket that away to pay every 2-3 months. (You can pay your estimated taxes online, it's free and super easy.)

A Quick Bonus

One last quick financial factoid I discovered recently might be helpful to you: you can create a 401k for yourself as an author! 

It's called a "solo 401k", and it's designed for a sole-proprietor (such as yourself) to use some of your self-employed income to create a retirement fund for yourself. The details of this are complicated, but I set mine up in an afternoon. 

If you're interested in saving for a retirement fund, this is a great way to do it–and most people don't have access to this option. (And you can also do it if you also have a 401k through a day job!)

TL;DR:

That's just a glimpse into the kinds of things I try to keep an eye on when I’m thinking about finances as an author. Remember:

Track every penny that goes in and out.

Keep an eye on your budget.

Don't forget you need to pay taxes.

Happy accounting, everyone!

Kathryn Ann Kingsley

As an USA Today Bestselling Author and award-winning designer, Kat has always been a storyteller. She delights in spinning stories of the sweetest nightmares to delight her readers with her unique twist of horror and romance.

With ten years in script-writing for performances on both the stage and for tourism, she has always been writing in one form or another. When she isn’t penning down fiction, she works as Creative Director for a company that designs and builds large-scale interactive adventure games. There, she is the lead concept designer, handling everything from game and set design, to audio and lighting, to illustration and script writing. 

Also on her list of skills are artistic direction, scenic painting and props, special effects, and electronics. A graduate of Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Design, she has a passion for unique, creative, and unconventional experiences. In her spare time, she builds animatronics and takes trapeze classes.

Making the Monetary Climb

These are the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. This particular stretch of rock you're looking at were the Cliffs of Insanity in the Princess Bride. Yes. There's a reason I'm using this photo to talk about author finances. 

It's because most of us have to start at zero income and slowly, painfully climb hand over hand up the sheer face of publishing in an attempt to reach some magical monetary number that will mean 'success' to us. 

The main issue for conquering author finances is knowing what that number is. It can't necessarily be arbitrary. Far too many of us are going to be sorely disappointed if we pick a million dollars out of thin air. We're probably going to fall from the rocks. 

What you want is a formula. And a plan. I can't hand you either. But maybe I can help you build your own.

Formula:

• What's your current monthly income from all sources? (Yes, factor in the birthday and holiday money, even if you never apply that to bills. If you are in a family that has more than one income, factor in the other incomes helping support the family unless you've been told you can't do that.)
  
• What's your monthly outgo? (It's super helpful to take a year+ and factor in all the insurance premiums and emergencies - car break downs, new tires, veterinary emergencies, emergency trips to ailing parents, etc, and then break that down into a monthly amount - this way you build an emergency cushion into the budgeting that will accommodate emergencies.)
• Decide on your drop deads - can you cancel the cable? Or other subscriptions? Reduce eating out? Where are you willing to shift quality of life in order to save some cash?

You now have an idea of how much money you'll need on a monthly basis to sustain a reasonable quality of life and keep the creditors at bay. You may also be depressed at this point. That's fair, but with this information, you can begin building a plan for how many books how often. You'll begin the climb up the face of that income goal. Does this mean that you'll join me in being bummed out every time you get a raise at the day job because the goalpost shifted? Only if you're not banking that income as a base for when you decide you've built your monthly author income to the point that you're ready to take the leap of leaving the day job entirely. Spoiler alert: With a solid savings account, you don't have to match your current day job income exactly before you bail. Depending on your risk tolerance, naturally. You merely have to close the gaps between reduced household expenses, all other sources of income, and your writing income. A year of gap closing with savings seems reasonable to me - you'll have to pick a time frame/risk vs reward scenario that works for your family.

It's also at this point, before you jump the day job ship, that you want to revisit your formula and add in author expenses - editors, book cover designers, ads, and whatever else you need to build a business. It may put off leaving a day job. Better that than finding yourself six months out having to scramble to find a new day job because the money got away from you.

Is any of this fun?

No.

It's a climb. But it is one anyone with determination and a plan can make.

MYOB - How Much Do You Know About Author Finances?

 

ROGUE'S PAWN is out now! This first book in my original Covenant of Thorns trilogy has been re-released with gorgeous new covers. Look for book 2 coming July 26 and book 3 releasing August 16. 

     

Read Excerpt

***

This week at the SFF Seven we're MYOB - Minding your own business! 

Seriously, we're taking a long look at how we manage the financial side of being an author. There tends to be a wide range of strategies for managing author finances. As all authors are primarily creatives (with the small exception of the widget-makers who hire ghost writers to write for them, which is another kettle of stinky fish), not all possess the inclination to crunch numbers and balance accounts.

In truth, while I think all authors should have a thorough understanding of what they should be earning, not everyone needs to be a financial guru of their own writing career. In truth, the most comfortable place for an author - or perhaps any creative - to be is independent of the need to make money doing it. This, of course, requires either family money (marrying money counts) or a spouse with a great salary and benefits. In these cases, writing money is all "gravy" and I know many authors in this position who don't really track that income.

The major downside of this model is it means traditional publishing has favored those with this privilege and also takes shameless advantage of these authors. There can be a lot of funky tickling of the financials, both from publishing houses and literary agencies. Believe me: I've seen it.

Learn to read your royalty statements and hold those who handle your earnings accountable.

The flip side is if you're like me - someone who is supporting their household with writing income. This is the other extreme, where ALL finances are author finances. I track everything scrupulously, to the point of using mathematical models to predict my future income. That's the thing about writing income: it's super unpredictable. Sales wax and wane, often due to reasons beyond anyone's control. Traditional publishing pays quarterly if you're lucky and semi-annually otherwise. There's almost no way to predict what those checks will look like, so I end up behaving like the privileged writer as above - I treat my trad income as gravy.

Self-publishing income is what allows me to pay the bills with writing. That money comes in monthly and, because I can access my sales dashboards in real time, I can reasonably predict how much money will come in. The downside of self-publishing is that the author fronts the investment. KAK covered a lot of the nitty-gritty of self-publishing costs yesterday. Most self-publishing authors can implement the simple math of outflow vs. inflow. That is, what you pay to produce and market the book should be less than the money you make from it. Where it gets into higher math is managing that income so that you can cover the costs of being alive. 

With a salaried job, or even hourly income, the basic budgeting model is to figure your monthly income, subtract your expenses, and the rest is "disposable," meaning you can spend it on stuff you want vs. the stuff you need. But with a fluctuating monthly income, this simply isn't possible. 

So, my basic model is to try to keep enough money in savings to pay for two months of expenses should I have zero income in any given month. (Which hopefully will never happen, knock on wood. My backlist is substantial at this point, so the baseline backlist income is relatively steady.) Once I have that in place, I can pay for some of the things that make us happy. This is VERY important. It's tempting to confine oneself only to needs and funnel any "extra" money back into growing the business. This works okay for a while, but it gets soul-crushing over time. We work hard; we must also play hard. Anything else is unsustainable.

As a creative, maintaining your joy in the work is key!

From my initial announcement, you'll see I'm also republishing some of my trad-pubbed books. I did ten books with Carina Press and now have the rights back to all of them. Those royalties came in quarterly, so I'm eager to see how my income on those books changes for me. So far I only have ROGUE'S PAWN up again. Republishing meant paying for covers and formatting, so a bit of investment on my part. Hopefully it will pay off.

As with all businesses, writing for a living requires a lot of hoping for that pay off. Being smart about crunching those numbers provides the reality. A balance of both is best. 

The Financial Costs of Authorhood

This week's topic: Minding Your Business:

 How I Manage the Financial Side of Being an Author

The downside of being an indie author is that all the upfront financing comes from...me. Upside, I don't have additional layers of people with whom I share my royalties like a trad-published author would (no agents or publishing houses taking a percentage).

Now that I have eight books selling on leading retail sites, I have a fair idea of production and distribution costs. 

• Art can range from as little as $300 to as much as $5,000+. 
• There's an extra $200-$400 for social media and advertising art bundles. 
• Buying art may not include cover design (aka fonts, wraps, lettering, etc.). You might need to hire a designer in addition to the artist.
• Editing costs fluctuate with wordcount and the editor chosen. I've paid an average of $1,000 for 85k-word books and $3,500 for a 125k-word book. No, that's not a math failure, that's a difference in the per-word rate charged by different editors.
• Choosing the right editor(s) for your work is a topic for a different post. 
• Formatting for ebook and paperback is something I outsource. That's a couple hundred.
• While it's worth every sanity-saving penny to me, I am limited to what changes I can make in the future without incurring additional costs. Pro and con there.
• Production costs for print books and distribution costs for ebooks are higher the more graphics included in the novel. 
• In addition to a royalty share, digital distributors charge for file size.  
• Sure, I'd love to pepper artwork throughout the book, but that gets pricey fast.

Easy to see why indie authors may choose to pre-fund a novel via Kickstarter or Patreon, right? And the costs outlined above don't include the hours (aka months/years) spent writing the novel. 

I have not gotten into audiobooks because the upfront costs are too much compared to the odds of recouping those costs, much less generating net revenue. Good narrators are worth every penny. Bland or AI-generated narrators will chase away customers. Expect to pay for quality production (which should be part of the narrarator's cost-per-finished-hour rate), but don't expect this format to become your sales leader (compared to ebook or print). Yes, some narrators accept royalty-share payments, but that's not recommended for either party. A web search will provide many horror stories of why.

Advertising is a relentless money-eating monster. Welcome to the world of small business where making consumers aware that your product a) exists and b) is worth the purchase is critical. Sadly, there is no One Magical Success Formula. Unlike book production costs, advertising costs are ongoing and subject to constant fluctuations. ROI is a BFD and it must be monitored regularly to minimize losses. There are authors who spend thousands a month on advertising, and I am...not one of them. It's not in my budget to pay more for advertising than I do for my mortgage, health insurance, or total monthly cost of living. My income simply doesn't allow for it. 

Side note: Do not take out a personal loan for the sake of advertising (yes, it happens).  

How do I manage these finances? Basic math. Income - cost of living - splurges/savings/crises - book production costs - advertising budget. I use Excel to budget and track monthlies and YOY, though Quicken for Small Business is likely to come on the scene soon.

That Author Life

This week's topic at the SFF Seven is about how we manage our author business. This can get detailed, so I'll cover the basic organizational methods I use.

One thing I notice when chatting with newer authors is that many don't grasp that they are a small business. An entirely new way of thinking about yourself as an author and a brand AND the way you present and sell your product (your books) has to happen, and the methods used are often very different from writer to writer. Because everyone is going to run their business in their own way. It can help to get some tips, though, so you can see what works best for you.

For me, being an author requires days filled with nothing but accounting, mailing items to readers/influencers/etc, sending and replying to emails, and managing my online social presence and Etsy store, among many other things that don't equate to writing words. Thankfully, I've been in the writing world for over a decade and I've sat in on dozens of workshops and panels where these things have been discussed. So prior to this year when my publishing career truly began, I at least had an idea of what to expect, even if the reality hit way harder than I ever dreamed.

If you follow me at all, you know I'm a planner. I'm not sure how anyone can have a business without some sort of business plan and outlook, as well as proper record keeping. Here's a list of some of the things I do to keep track of everything:

1) I created a 5 year plan and broke it down into yearly and quarterly goals that can be adjusted as needed. 

2) I keep a Goal spreadsheet and update it every month-end and quarter. These goals include all my relevant social media numbers (Insta, TikTok, FB group, FB page, Bookbub), Goodreads review count, Goodreads adds, Amazon review numbers, newsletter count, money earned, books sold, and total Etsy sales. I can see the growth for the past 8 months at a glance. It's very informative, motivating, and keeps me focused on where I need to put a little more attention in order to meet my goals.

3) I keep Expense spreadsheets. This part became super intense really fast. I would've had an utter disaster on my hands come tax time had I not started keeping a record of all the expenses of my business. This includes everything from office supplies to character art to Etsy store supplies to necessary subscriptions/memberships and shipping costs. There's so much to track, so I have sheets for several things. I did an event recently and I put all my expenses in a spreadsheet labeled for that particular event. Next year, when I have more than one event, I'll create an Event Sheet. It would probably terrify most people to see the amount of spreadsheets I keep, but all I have to do at tax time is send my CPA my info and my taxes get done. The more organized I am on the front end, the easier things are on the back end.

4) I keep an Income-Earned spreadsheet. I do this by quarters that are broken into individual months since I get paid by my publisher quarterly. However, I have Etsy income as well as editing income, so those totals go in their respective months every month-end.

5) I use Expensify to store receipts. I cannot do clutter, so I don't keep paper receipts. 

6) I keep digital and printed copies of all contracts in proper folders.

7) I'm working on adding my author business info into my will and our family trust.

This is just an overview of things that I can think of off the top of my head. I hope, if you're looking for info on what to do as a new writer, that this helps. This side of the author life can be overwhelming, so my best advice, as always, is to get organized.

Happy writing!

Author drama - is it idiocy or a PR campaign?

 

Idiocy. There, I've said it. When an author (or anyone, for that matter) creates drama for any purpose, PR or otherwise, I question their sanity.

Drama might seem fun, entertaining and diverting, but someone always ends up getting hurt. As the person creating the drama, there's a good chance it'll be you. Or you and others. So, if you create drama to create sales, sure, go have a party if that’s what you need, but remember, it says a lot about you (and money doesn't make you happy … although, it will buy you the therapy you’re going to need).

I guess it might be a good idea to lay out some of the drama found in authoring circles. In my limited experience - because I actively try to stay out of it - author drama includes:

• Using trigger warnings as a marketing tool

• Picking an argument with a reader or other author online

• Making a public plagiarism accusation

• Piling on in controversial topics that are trending, especially regarding big name authors, to gain exposure, or just for fun

And while we're on the topic of piling on, for me, that's the one that makes it all so deplorable (and a 

horrible time sink). Others will jump aboard the drama train, because, well, who doesn't love a bit of gossip? Especially when it's to do with someone we’ve seen in a video once or twice, but don't know, so if we talk shit about them on the internet, it doesn't really matter. I've never actually read the book we're all slamming, but who cares? I can feel the buzz … the endorphin release … for I am part of the mob, and we are righteous in our cancel culture. Ooh, what fun.

But the thing is, those people that you kinda know, but don’t know? They may have done absolutely nothing to put themselves in the fray. And regardless of how outwardly rich, or successful, or self-confident a person may appear to be, nothing about their composition as a human changed when they became famous, their book began to sell, or the numbers in their bank balance increased. They too get that gut-punch feeling when their world falls apart. They too wonder if that dress makes their ass look the size of a small continent. Everyone goes on the internet, and, shockingly, success is not a barrier against … well … anything really. And nor is confidence a shield. Not that it’s only successful and confident people who get caught up in the drama (I’m looking at you, people who forced a teenaged girl off TikTok because she dared to publish a harmony some deemed ‘an abomination’. I actually quite liked it).

Don't get me wrong, PR is a key part of being an author. The market is crowded, and it's a tough business to be in. Authors have to put themselves out there and seek opportunities to find readers, and sometimes it’s hard to know where to draw the line. But sinking into the quagmire of attacking another human being on the internet is, if you ask me, less authoring, and more mean-kids-in-the-playground.

Even if it starts small, drama is impossible to control. Once something's out there, it's out there, and often takes on a life of its own. Which is what you want, if you're using drama for PR purposes. But it will have unintended consequences, and people will get hurt. Alas, drama has become the norm for so many, from politicians and celebrities, to corporations, journalists, and influencers. But just because everyone's doing it, does not mean it's right. 

HR Moore writes escapist fantasy with dangerous politics and swoon-worthy romance. She’s known for pacy writing, plot twists, and heroines who take no prisoners … and she loves a cliffhanger. HR also started FaRoFeb (Fantasy Romance February), a community for readers and authors to elevate and celebrate the fantasy romance genre. 

You can connect with HR Moore here: https://linktr.ee/hrmoore

Taking a Break from Drama

 Funny that we should be writing about author drama this week. Because you'll note that I've been a no-show for a few trips around the ole blog cycle. I'd like to think I had a good reason - but I suspect that's how most author drama starts. With the best of intentions. >>Peers at Twitter. Okay. Maybe not. 

 Anyway - I bailed because I went to Ireland.So accept this writerly drama in the form of a few photos:

This is the Abbey at Cong. 7th Century. Lovely old ruin with a familiar story. Everything was going along just fine for the monks living here until the Vikings landed and started killing everyone and taking their stuff.

    This is at Dún Aonghasa on Inis More in the Aran Islands. It's an old        ring fort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. That cliff I'm sitting on goes        100 feet down to crashing waves - but I swear I am NOT sitting on the         edge of  the world. There was another sizeable slab of stone under my     feet.

 This is Galway. Lovely little city. It is the oldest port in Ireland. There are buildings still standing and in use that were built in medieval times. Recent archeological investigation discovered 12th century castle ruins just beneath the shopping district. Many of the businesses have put plexiglass into the floors to expose a bit of the history. The streets in Galway are startlingly narrow. Because the city is medieval in design, the roads were built for horse and buggy rather than cars. Houses and shops stand right up at the edge of the roads. Two buses meeting and trying to pass can be an adrenaline rush.

This is just an short snippet of the River Corrib in Galway.

Life is difficult, but you don't have to make it worse

 This week we’re talking about author drama: is it idiocy or a PR campaign. And I’ve gotta say, I’m part of an incredibly smart group of authors. Check out their posts, there’s some great advice on how to avoid and extract yourself from amped up situations. 

Me, I avoid drama. It’s bad for the health. I much prefer to stay zen and be supportive. Life isn’t always easy, but that doesn’t mean you have to invite negativity. I looked up drama quotes and this one from Anita Renfroe (who I guess is an author, I might have to check out one of her books) was perfect: 

I hope you have a lovely weekend and enjoy my fellow SFF Seveners’ posts! 

When You're Caught in Author Drama: 3 Steps for Extracting Yourself

Monsoon rains in New Mexico bring green green green! 

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week concerns Author Drama. We're asking specifically if we think it's idiocy or a PR campaign.

So far the opinions this week have run to proclaiming it unwise at best and idiocy at the baseline. I don't disagree. I'm not much for drama in any aspect of my life, so I go to lengths to avoid it. Those of you who've followed me for a long time know I'm all about balance, that - as a practicing Taoist - I'm forever seeking the middle path and a place of equanimity. 

That said, sometimes the drama finds you. 

As with all of life, we are walking a fine line with author promotion. We put our books out there, and we put our SELVES out there, because the author is the brand that readers follow. When we post photos of our lives, our likes, our pithy observations, and so forth, we are doing it because we WANT attention, right? If nothing else, we've been trained by social media to court those clicks and likes and followers, in the hopes that they translate to book sales and readers. 

But we only want positive attention! you might say. Well, yes. Still, there's always the chance that a bid for attention can go too far and tip over into negative attention. These things aren't always controllable. When I see the latest kerfuffle and readers lining up on sides, it's easy for me to sit back and feel smug that they're not yelling about ME. I also have to be honest about myself and realize that they're not talking about me either. It's easy to declaim drama when you're not noticed at all.

What' most important to remember is: most authors who find themselves mid-drama did not intend to incite that level of reaction. What's happened is they handled it badly. They don't have the professionalism, the emotional maturity, the support network, the sheer ability to control themselves, to back away.

That's what it takes. The common wisdom holds, should you find yourself propelled into drama:

1) Step away

No matter what anyone says, you are not required to respond immediately. It's almost always better if you don't  respond until things have cooled. This includes not looking at what people are saying.

2) Apologize

Don't entrench. Don't argue. Don't try to convince everyone that you really are a Good Person™. If you don't know how to craft a good apology (which admits being wrong, makes no excuses, and includes real resolve to change), get help with it. 

3) Don't fan the flames

Resist the urge to respond further. Stick to your statement and apology. Don't succumb to the lure of attention by stoking it just a little more. Actually do the work to correct what you did to upset people.

What happens with some Author Drama cases is that the person in question becomes so enticed by the attention that it all feels good. In extreme cases, it becomes their brand. It's a choice, but not always one that serves the books and the storytelling.

Bitcher Beware

 

Author Drama:  Idiocy or PR Campaign?

There are very, very few good reasons to raise a stink in public. When authors (or anyone in the public space) manufacture drama in order to get attention, they are proving themselves to have the emotional maturity of a toddler. It flies in the face of the governing principle of Don't Be a Dick. 9 times out of 10, the backlash earns curiosity clicks for an immediate gain but destroys any long-term benefits. If the plan is to be a career author (ie, more than one book) then showing your ass is the absolute worst strategy. 

When is it okay to get your open-mic gripe on? When issuing a public caution and you have the receipts to back it up. If you don't have the latter, don't engage in the former. Also, take a page from the School of Comedy, in which punching up is okay when you're calling out authority or using rhetoric to dismantle power structures. Don't punch down. That makes you a bully. 

What's an example of good drama? Fighting for your rights against a corporation or abusive business (E.g.: #DisneyMustPay or #AudibleGate). Again, you must have the receipts or you open yourself to legal problems around defamation. 

If you're defaming individuals on social media purely for the clicks or because your response to a perceived slight is a scorched-earth policy, congratulations, you're a cyberbully and subject to criminal prosecution.

In our litigious society, it's Bitcher Beware. 

Author Drama

 

This week's topic at the SFF Seven is about Author Drama and whether we think it's idiocy or a PR campaign.

This post is going to be super short, because I think about author drama exactly 0%. What drama I've seen has usually been to the author's detriment, whether caused by them or inflicted upon them. I'm sure there are authors who seek drama for PR purposes, people who see ways to cash in on stirring the pot of their choice. To me, that's a pretty terrible tactic and not anything that's on my radar. I don't know how people have time for creating drama for PR purposes. I barely have time to look up from all my writer duties. 

So, I'll just be over here drama free, thank you very much ;)

~ Charissa

Gateways to SFF

 

This dreamy-eyed bookworm grew up in a small, rural town in Canada at the end of the twentieth century.

I devoured the Masters of SF on my mother's bookshelf. I read the treasured volumes in our family bookcase by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, the Grimm brothers, and Hans Christian Andersen. It was a challenge to fit in socially, so I made friends with Anne McCaffery’s dragons, Ursula K. LeGuin’s wizards, and Madeleine L’Engle’s Murry family tessering through the universe. They accepted me for who I was, while providing an escape from an often unloving, unfeeling world. 

When I grew into adult SFF, it was the late 1980s and early 90s. There were no ebooks. There was no BookTok and no Bookstagrammers to find book recommendations. So it was my big sister who introduced me to Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar Tapestry.

Cover of the first Canadian and world-wide edition! (1984)

Goodreads link

I fell hard and fast for the series. Kay wrote lush Mediterranean-inspired scenes, political intrigue that kept me turning pages, and complex characters that made me swoon. And he was Canadian, like me!

Many of us love SFF because its complexity keeps us engaged and feeds our imaginations. To find a series that appeals to our senses, emotions, and intellect—to all the sides of us—is a gift. It gives us hope. It keeps us going in a world that can seem small and dark.

Today, it’s my great privilege to teach SFF to college students. For some, it’s their first introduction to the genres and I love seeing them explore the thought experiments and new worlds in SFF. The stories that resonate best with my students now are Octavia Butler’s literary granddaughters, such as Nnedi Okorafor, Larissa Lai, Cherie Dimaline, and Nalo Hopkinson. These writers combine globally-influenced myths and legends with beautifully crafted characters to tell stories that reflect on our pasts and present.

They show hope for the future while challenging us to be better. They dare us to dream of a world that respects all of us. A world that cherishes our unique contributions to our families and communities—and all the worlds of our imaginations.

This is what I learned as I read beside my family bookshelf and as I grew into SFF as a young adult. I hope I will always remember this lesson as I try to inspire the next generation of readers.

Until next time,

Mimi B. Rose.

ROGUE'S PAWN, Rights Reversion, Hybrid Authors, Dear Hollywood and Gateway Drugs

Available at these Retailers

     

Things have been busy in my part of the world...

So much so that I missed posting for the last two weeks - and I'm posting late in the day today. Madness!

This is my brilliant (one hopes) catch-up post. 

In book news, I got the rights reverted on the ten (10!) books I did for Carina Press. I started with my first dark fantasy romance trilogy, Covenant of Thorns, which meant new covers and new back cover copy (BCC). Done and done, times three. (What about the other seven books, you ask? I'M WORKING ON IT, OKAY?) I'll be re-releasing these three books over the next several months. 

Here's for Book #1, ROGUE'S PAWN:

Be careful what you wish for…

When I walked out on my awful boyfriend, wishing to be somewhere—anywhere—else, I never expected to wake up in Faerie. And, as a scientist, I find it even harder to believe that I now seem to be a sorceress.

A pretty crappy sorceress, it turns out, because every thought that crosses my mind becomes suddenly and frighteningly real—including the black dog that has long haunted my nightmares.

Now I’m a captive, a pawn for the fae lord, Rogue, and the feral and treacherous Faerie court, all vying to control me and the vast powers I don’t understand. Worse, Rogue, the closest thing I have to a friend in this place, is intent on seducing me. He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, enthralling, tempting, and lethally dangerous. He’s as devastatingly clever as he is alluring, and he tricks me into promising him my firstborn child, which he intends to sire…

I don’t dare give into him. I may not have the willpower to resist him. He’s my only protection against those who would destroy me

Unless I can learn to use my magic.

Exciting milestone, to be re-releasing these!

As for the actual topics I'm supposed to address:

What do you see in your crystal ball for publishing? Will the Big 5 become the Big 4 and what would that trickle down cause throughout the industry?

I doubt that the merger that would make the Big 5 become the Big 4 will be approved. Even if it does, there are still other publishing houses that aren't the "big" ones. Also, traditional publishing is only one part of the market and one that's no longer at the forefront of everything. I think there's value to trad publishing still, but I also think most authors will become hybrid, since we want to be able to pay our bills.

Dear Hollywood: Which of your works would you most like to see made into a movie or miniseries What makes it stand out above the rest?

My Twelve Kingdoms and Uncharted Realms series. I really want to see these books as an ongoing miniseries, primarily because I'd love to write the other POVs that are going on simultaneously with the 1st Person POV of these books.

Your gateway drug: the book that made you love SFF

DRAGONSONG by Anne McCaffrey. I found it in my school library in 5th grade and it opened up a whole new world to me. Possibly also the first time I glommed an author's backlist. 

My SFF Gateway Author: Morgan Llywelyn

 My gateway drug: the book that made me 💖SFF

As a wee ankle biter, I learned to read using the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. My dad read them to me until I got old enough to try to read to him (the fact that he napped through most of my efforts while remaining alert enough to help me sound out a word is a testament to his training as a soldier, I reckon). 

Then, I went through my Horatio Hornblower (series by C.S. Forester) phase. ~waves to the Indy~ Oh, and Poe. Can't forget the guy who wrote The Bells, which I imagine is a giant FU to his critics and debt collectors.

Then, school happened with its mandatory reading lists, which, blerg.

The books that finally brought me back into the fold of SFF were anything by Morgan Llywelyn. The Lion of Ireland, Red Branch, The Bard, Epona: The Horse Goddess, Grania, etc, etc. Sure, her Celtic works are typically classified as historical fiction, but stories dealing with magic and gods on earth are also fantasy. So, yeah, I credit her historical fantasies as my gateway, a divine door that's always unlocked and ready to welcome the world-weary to the time of legends and mythology. 

Dear Hollywood, what the hell?

 

Dear Hollywood,

What the hell?

It's been a while, and, to be honest, I'm feeling a bit disappointed. 

In the last ten years, CGI (3D Rendering) has come leaps and bounds. Compare Avatar (2009), and The Avengers: End Game (2019). For months now, I have been wondering...

Where are the dragons?!

I mean, yes, we had Game of Thrones. But I want a blockbuster movie with dragons. I want to feel the roars in my bones with that sweet surround sound, and have my heart soar to the heavens when they fly up through the clouds. I want to see the scales so up close and personal, I can see my reflection in the movie theater seats.

I'm serious. Where are the dragon riders? My dragon shifters? Dragon eggs with their golden ridges and pearlescent coating?

You can't make me sit through two hours of epic superhero battles and monsters from other dimensions and tell me that there isn't space for an epic battle involving a winged friend or foe with a penchant for fire breathing and burning down towns. 

Obviously, this is a problem that needs to be remedied sooner rather than later. So... without further ado, here is my pitch for one of my novels, Lady of the Primordial Tree.

Betrayal, vengeance, forbidden love, and dragons. 

Sofia spent the first twenty years of her life in a quiet, isolated place where she was taught to do one thing: help women and avenge them.

She attributed the death of her mother to her father, and his mysterious past. So what does she do?

Why, only what any logical maiden in a high fantasy world would do! She runs away from home, goes on an epic quest, and meets the love of her life while fighting a sand dragon that bursts forth from the depths of a desert. Later, she meets a sea dragon, and then we find a beast so large and fearsome that she has to escape before the entire mountain palace she is currently locked up in is destroyed.

Don't tell me that would take an audience's breath away. 

I mean, people liked Dune, didn't they?

I'm just saying, it might be time we pass the baton to a woman writing some highly enjoyable high fantasy romance so we can give the other blockbusters a run for their money.

Frank Herbert decided that the most exotic name he could give his bat-like messenger creatures was  "cielagos", and I hate to break it to you, but that's just short for the Spanish word for bat, "Murcielago." You want some unoriginal Spanish to make things seem more "exotic" I'm bilingual, my name is Daniela. 

We want something new, and we want something good.

Dragons are in their renaissance. Strike the iron while it's hot! Dragon Shifters are also coming in hot and heavy, so there is huge earning potential for hundreds of thousands of Fantasy Romance readers. Please don't let us leave the dragon movies in the Eragon Era. I want to see the hues of red light as light shines through the wings, and the glimmer of scales as they slither through the moonlight. Show me the razor sharp teeth with bits of their last meal. Give me a wicked drake making friends with the misfit young adult who just so happens to be the Chosen One.

There are numerous books who have taken these creatures, and curated entire plots around them. Take your pick, and make it happen.

But please, for the love of all that is holy, GIVE ME A DRAGON, NOT A WYVERN.

(Since The Hobbit could not tell the difference, that movie does not count.)

Sincerely, 

A Concerned Reader and Highly Imaginative Author

Daniela A. Mera is an educator by day and writer by night. Her life has revolved around creating new worlds since infancy, when her mother used to turn down the lights and read from fantastical books til she could hardly keep her eyes open. She lives between Nevada, USA and Hidalgo, Mexico, living out her own fantastical dreams one day at a time. 

Sign up for her newsletter to get updates and free novellas or extra book chapters at www.Danielaamera.com 

The Future Is Near

Anyone else enjoy reading the book before seeing the movie? If I know there's a print version I'll definitely look it up before seeing the flick—and yes, the books are better than the movies, but I love seeing the differences in what played out in my mind vs. the theatrical release. 

When I read, I see the story in my head. Happens when I write too. Which is why I get giddy when someone listens to my audiobook and tells me they could see it happening like a movie! That was my goal as I pried this found-family, second-chance romance, sci-fi thriller from my brain! 

So naturally, The Mars Strain would be my top pick for book-to-movie. There would be shots of Jules and her team in the lab, Zia directing the colony on Mars and trying failing to keep Gates and Hannah in line, Jake sneaking around Kennedy Space Center, under the radar, basically going wherever he wants to go because when you know everyone you can, and also heart pounding action as Jake and Jules transport the Strain to the CDC. It would be amazing! 

It's still a possibility. Never say never! 

What's your favorite book-to-movie?

If Wishes Could Make Movies of Books

 Ooo. Books made into movies. What a double-edged sword. We've all seen books turned into movies, some done badly, a bunch done marginally, and precious few done brilliantly well. So as a reader, I have such mixed emotions about books adapted into movies. As an author who'd like to have a book adapted into a movie, I STILL have mixed emotions. Part of this is because one of my SFR idols had a book optioned. The script was written and approved. Shooting started. (Somewhere in there, I hope she got paid.) She even brought the cast to conferences with her to help hype the production. 

I've never seen it. I don't know for sure what happened, but I can guess the production fell apart somewhere. From what tiny bit I know about the business of making films and TV - lots of projects die before being bought. Tons more get bought and never made. The ones that get made might make it into the can, but never again see the light of day. Who knows where that SFR movie died? What I'm trying to say is that while authors might dream of the money that might come with a movie deal, there's more investment than cash and knowing that it could crash and burn at any time is -- hard.

All of that said, if I could see a single book turned into a movie, it would be the first one, Enemy Within. It's just the book I saw most clearly. The plot feels super focused and the romance tight and to the point. It would be tough, though. The CGI would have to be on point for my bad guys. Of course the technology exists to do the job. Witness Star Wars, the MCU, etc. It's the price point that might be an issue. But yes. That book. It's a fun book and a fun story. If you don't count the dead bodies. 

I mean. Space pirates. Enemies to lovers. Everyone out to get the heroine and not even she knows why? What's not to like out here among the spaceships and bug-eyed monsters?

New Fantasy Romance Release: The Storm Princess & The Raven King by Jeffe Kennedy

📚💖As temperatures rise, so does the steam in Jeffe's 4th book in the Heirs of Magic Fantasy Romance Series. Out Now! 💖📚

The Storm Princess & The Raven King

A Broken Heart

Princess Salena Nakoa KauPo thought she was over her broken heart. She’d put her first love and childhood sweetheart, Rhyian, firmly in the past where he belonged. His bitter betrayal of her was locked away deep inside, along with her foolishly innocent hopes and dreams. Now Lena has been thrust together with him, the prince of shadows, the one man she could never resist, on a mission to save the world from a terrible cataclysm. Worse, Rhyian refuses to believe her when she says there’s no hope for them.

An Irresistible Longing

Rhyian is rather accustomed to being a failure. Goddesses know, he’s not magical enough for his sorcerous mother and not alpha enough for his father, the King of Annfwn. It hasn’t helped that he’s spent the last seven years trying to drown his sorrows—and to forget the one woman he ever loved, whose heart he carelessly shattered in a moment of weakness. Rhy knows he has to change to win back Lena’s trust, but how?

A Love That Can’t Die

As Lena and Rhy struggle to overcome the wounds of the past, they and their friends approach the final confrontation with the strange intelligence intent on rending apart the very fabric of their world. And it looks like it will come down to the pair of them to strike the final blow.

But only if they can build a new trust on the bitter past.

BUY IT NOW: Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo

Start the Series Here 

On the Big Screen

 

Happy Sunday! This week's topic at the SFF Seven is Dear Hollywood: Which of your works would you most like to see made into a movie or miniseries? And what makes it stand out above the rest?

Every writer I know has entertained the idea of what it would be like to see their written work translated into film. We create dream casts, envision set pieces, and imagine watching our words and characters come to life. It's a goal that few writers of fiction get to explore.

My choice is pretty obvious: The Witch Walker series. I would love to see it played out on the big screen, expanding the off-the-page scenes and fleshing out all the characters. It would be pretty cool to show the viewer all the tidbits that go missing in many novels.

It's my top choice because it's my first full-length work, and for right now, it's my baby. I adore this world and characters, and I would love to step into Tiressia's broken empire via a movie, show, or miniseries. I don't think I'd be picky ;)

And, come on. Can we give Henry Cavill some really dark, long hair and some matching scruff and call him Alexus Thibault??? Please?? And Harry Styles as Colden Moeshka? 

A girl can dream ;)

~ Charissa

What do you see in your crystal ball for the future of book publishing?

Better not tell you now. 

As a practicing witch, I’ve got more than my share of crystals and other divinatory tools laying around my house. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my tenure in publishing for the last 12 years, it’s that the future of this industry can’t be seen in a crystal ball. 

Its infamous cousin the Magic 8 Ball with its dependable twenty different answers, though… Well, that’s a different story. 

Cannot Predict Now. Concentrate And Ask Again.

Depending on the day, week, year, or time zone you’re in, anyone you talk to in the industry is going to have a different take on where the future of publishing lies as a whole, and what the next big thing is going to be. Break it down further to different genres and their sub-genres and niches, and you’ve got yourself a debate that’s been happening since the dawn of clay tablets with cuneiform 5,500 years ago. 

But for the sake of my argument here, I’ll stick to the last two centuries. 

It Is Certain. Without A Doubt. Yes.

Change is pretty much the only thing you can count on in publishing. In 2013, the “Big 6” became the “Big 5” with Random House and Penguin merging. And most recently, in 2020, Penguin Random House announced their plans to purchase Simon & Schuster, which would have turned the Big 5 into the “Big 4.” 

Buuuuut thanks to the US Department of Justice tossing in an unexpected plot twist, the future of the “Big 5” is anything but certain. How’d they do that? Oh, ya know, just by suing them to block the merger, stating if the biggest publisher in the world Penguin Random House (PRH) was to acquire Simon & Schuster (S&S), the fourth largest publisher in the US - “the proposed merger would eliminate this important competition, resulting in lower advances for authors and ultimately fewer books and less variety for consumers.” 

Very Doubtful. My Sources Say No. 

Less variety and fewer books, you say? Respectfully, I’m calling bullshit. 

Before the pandemic hit, self publishing was up 40% in 2018 alone according to a report published by Bowker in 2019. So when the larger publishers came to a screeching grinding halt with book releases thanks to the ‘Vid in 2020, they left quite the vacuum for readers out there, who were hungry for books while under lockdown. 

And suddenly, readers were discovering more self-published authors and their works. Not only that, they were finding that the stigma surrounding books that are self-published, or only available on Amazon are “less than,” “poorly edited,” etc. - is and has always been - inaccurate AF. 

Reply Hazy, Try Again. 

Think about it this way, with change as the only constant when it comes to publishing wouldn’t it be correct to say that if the industry is worried “about a merged company that publishes perhaps 33 percent of new books, then surely it’s correct to worry more about the fact that Amazon now sells 49 percent of them.”? 

Honestly, this self-published author isn’t so sure. Considering past experiences with the “Big” publishing houses, they’ve proven time and time again that their ability to adapt to any sort of shift in the industry, has been at the breakneck speed of a glacier. 

So do I think the merger of two of the “Big 5” companies is going to have a negative effect on self-published authors? See below. 

My Reply is No. Don’t Count On It. 

If anything, I think despite their less than agile and at times overly obvious “for the sake of it” moves to join this century with efforts toward inclusion of new genres and diversity in both books and the authors who pen them, the fact remains that we’re in an era where consumer consumption is at an all time high. And when all it takes is the click of a button to turn any plan - no matter how long in the making - into complete and utter chaos… Watching large corporations try to keep up with self-published authors' ability to turn on a dime when trends change, is somewhat akin to watching a bear attempt ballet.

For those of us who make our living creating fantasy worlds, it’s certainly an experience to watch as former formidable foes tremble at the thought of authors no longer being dependent upon them to release their works to the masses. 

Until next time…

Stay Wicked, 

Graceley Knox 

Author Bio: 

Graceley Knox is a USA Today bestselling author of over 35 novels featuring wicked paranormal and fantasy romances, and the founder of Paper Myths Media. Graceley has been in the publishing industry for over twelve years in some way or another, wearing pretty much every hat other than that of editor and cover designer. She’s also 100% addicted to coffee and snarky mugs, and is determined to one day have a library that would make Belle cry. As a self-professed book-obsessed word witch, Graceley is fascinated with witchcraft, mythology, lore, and, of course, fantasy worlds! When she’s not caught up in her current hyper-fixation (shout out to her fellow ADHD Warriors!) she’s either writing books or reading them… Or talking about them, or taking photos of them for her bookstagram. Graceley is also a Ravenclaw who’s been known to binge-watch tv-shows featuring strong female leads while cuddling with her fur-babies. 

You can connect with Graceley here: https://linktr.ee/authorgraceleyknox

If The Big 5 Becomes The Big 4, Who Wins?

 What do I see in my crystal ball for the future of publishing? Will the Big 5 become the Big 4 and how would that trickle down throughout the industry?

My crystal ball is hella cloudy on the topic of traditional publishing, mostly because I haven't been paying attention to the latest brouhaha and scuttlebutt. However, because I didn't want to half-ass a post, I did double-check to make sure we're still at 5 major publishing houses. Yep. The merger for Simon's Random Penguin was blocked by the US DOJ on antitrust grounds but, as of December, the parent company of Random Penguin, Bertelsmann, was fighting the decision in court. 

Why did the DOJ block it? Because it would give SRP "outsized influence over who and what is published, and how much authors are paid for their work."

Bertelsmann argues that the merger better positions the company to fight against Amazon's overbearing influence on the market, which would improve distribution and author earnings as a result.

Authors' groups are stridently opposed to the merger because they've seen what's happened as the Big 8 became the Big 5 and the demise/acquisitions of midsized publishers by the 500lb gorillas.

The case is due to be heard in August. 

What is likely to happen if Bertelsmann wins? What always happens with mergers: departments will be consolidated, budgets slashed, staff laid off, and new/renewing contracts adjusted for terms that best suit the company. Never, in the history of capitalism, has a merger resulted in higher pay for non-executive staff and contracted talents. Any gains for contracted talents (authors, cover artists, editors, etc.) have come as a result of labor/talent guilds taking on multinational corporations (MNC). The bigger the MNC, the harder they are to defeat in negotiations. Just look at Bertelsmann's reason for wanting to acquire Simon & Schuster: to be in a better position to take on Amazon. Bertelsmann earned €18.7billion last year. They're not a small company by any stretch. 

No MNC is looking out for their authors. They're looking out for the Intellectual Property they've purchased and how they can maximize profits off of it. Just look at the despicable legal loopholes of Disney refusing to pay authors according to the terms to which they--and the businesses they acquired--agreed. If it weren't for the SFWA, these authors would have no hope of getting what they are due. 

Advances to trad authors have been plummeting for years. Not coincidentally, the timing coincides with the era of rapid acquisitions and mergers in the publishing industry, which also coincided with the mainstreaming of digital books (which rocked the industry to its core). Merger or no merger, this practice will continue.

Anyone thinking the Indie market will be unaffected by the MNC battle is holding to a very short-sighted view. We might see a near-term benefit of being able to raise our book prices while still being cheaper than trad books. At the same time, we will continue to see MNCs invade small-business marketing spaces and drive up our costs of advertising. They're already crowding us out of the few Indie-friendly spaces because those who provide the services are also businesses that need to make a profit, and what profit-generating business is going to leave money on the table? On the other hand, MNCs are utterly inept at adaptability, so any tech-driven advances are still ours to leverage.

How does all this impact readers? Readers will pay more for fewer options with no improvement in quality or diversity.

In short, if the Big 5 shrinks to the Big 4, nothing improves from the author's, reader's, or employee's perspective--unless the courts force industry changes as conditions of the merger. Then things could get interesting. It's super-duper unlikely, but I'm all about fantasies.

If the merger is blocked, nothing changes. Those things that are already inequitable and problematic will continue. Those who are fighting the good fight will continue to do so.  

At the end of the day, Simon's Random Penguin is about prepping for a battle between two Goliaths. The MNCs give zero fucks about authors and readers. As for the DOJ, there isn't much they can do to help the little guys, not with this particular antitrust case.