This is what a successful writing career looks like

It's not JK or EL

Hi friends,

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me talking about this amazing article in The Cut about Megan Abbott. Abbott is the author of TEN books of or relating to crime fiction. Her books are beautiful and tense and exciting and page-turning and a triumph every one. In this weekend’s article, in The Cut’s Get That Money series, Abbott reveals what financial success looks like to her.

She’s a big star, writing wise. She’s a staff writer on HBO’s The Deuce. Three of her books are being adapted for TV right now. All of her novels have been optioned for film or TV. (And she explains in the article what that actually means.) One can assume that her book advances are not nothing.

So, does she live in LA in a huge mansion with an infinity pool? Does she go on 27-city tours in a limo? Does she throw out more caviar than she can eat?

Nope. She still worries about health insurance (which she gets by being a member of the Writer’s Guild of American, writing for TV). She’s a saver by nature, which might be the true key to anyone’s success. And she still lives in the same one-bedroom apartment in Queens. She didn’t quit her full-time job until her SEVENTH book, Dare Me, came out. SEVENTH.

Maybe you find all this depressing. I hope not. Maybe you find all this unfair. I hope you don’t feel that way either. Writing books is hard. Selling books is fickle. We all want to be compensated for our work. (I FIRMLY believe you should not write for free, or for “exposure.”) But publishing is not a meritocracy. You don’t deserve more or less than Abbott’s success, or anyone else’s for that matter, because your book is “better” or “worse” in comparison.

And we can’t forget to put our money where our mouths are. Think authors should make more money? Then buy hardcover books. Abbott says in the article:

What’s most valuable in this article is the perspective it provides. She doesn’t reveal any dollar amounts here, but you can get a sense of what kind of lifestyle a successful writing career can afford you. It’s apartment in Queens money, not mansion in LA money. And that’s great! But it’s also save for a rainy day money, because there is no guarantee of continued success.

This should scare you a bit. It scares me, as a writer and as an agent. It makes me want to work hard and do good work and hope for the best. That’s about all you can control. It may mean you don’t get to quit your day job for a long time. It may mean that you’re able to pay off some debts, but that’s about it. A successful writing career may just mean the opportunity to keep writing. Publishing doesn’t owe us anything. And while I do think there are some changes that could be made to benefit and protect author’s earnings more, such as increasingly fair ebook royalties, publishing is a market driven industry, and the market doesn’t care how early you have to get up in the morning to actually get some writing time in.

Writing books is the worst get rich quick scheme there is. So few people get rich writing books, including us agents. But if you manage your expectations, educate yourself about how the industry works, how the money and opportunities actually happen, you’ll be several steps ahead of writers who put their heads in the sand and wait for fame and cash to be thrust upon them.

Because, as Abbott says:

Wishing you success, whatever that means to you,

Kate

P.S. Send me your questions for Q&A Thursday, in the paid edition of this newsletter. Tell a friend!