This wouldn't happen to a bigger author...

(publishing envy is real)

My first ever book signing! Waaaay back when.

Do you ever feel like other authors get stuff you don’t? A flashy book tour! Reviews! A tube ad! All the lit fests! Invites to the swankiest industry dos!

And here you are scrabbling together your own publicity by posting pictures of your cat holding your book. Or getting three trains and a bus to the other side of the country to do a lit fest to three people.

It’s so easy to think ‘This wouldn’t happen to me if I was bigger/more important/valued’. It brings up so many feelings in me: jealousy and resentment but also a strong sense of…

What is the POINT? Why am I bothering? WHEN will I get the good stuff? And a child-like scream of ‘It’s not faaaaiiiir’.

What to do?

1. Recognise you are a bit right

The books industry is commercial. It sells things to people. That kind of capitalist setup can never be ‘fair’.

Plus, we know from the S&S PRH merger court case in the US that publishers are just guessing. Look at this extract from an NYT article on the case:

‘No one — not even the top executives in publishing — has figured out the mix of factors that can guarantee a best seller. Markus Dohle, the head of Penguin Random House, said everything in the book business is “random.” The judge described the industry as one of “risk-taking” and said every book was “a gamble.” The publisher of a major imprint called the business “fickle.”’

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/books/prh-penguin-random-house-trial.html

So, the publishers ARE picking some authors/illustrators to back and not necessarily on the basis of merit.

That could be depressing, but at the same time it’s also freeing. It’s not your fault only three people came to your event. Your book isn’t bad. You are not a failing writer. This is part of the game of the industry. It would be the same if we were all musicians or artists or fashion designers.

You are allowed to complain, rant and mourn. But do not think ‘My publishers think I am rubbish/my book is rubbish’. That’s not true at all.

2. Recognise you are a bit wrong

Stuff goes badly wrong for bigger authors too. Every author has a tale of how they did an event to one person who happened to wander into the bookshop that day.

I know some VERY big names who have stories that would shock you of publishers who didn’t get the books to the lit fest, who had promised the moon at point of signing but didn’t back the book at all on publication.

Talk to your friends. They’ll be feeling the same way, I guarantee it.

Plus it IS true that we are all in this together. And, if other authors sell well, it WILL encourage more children to read books, thus meaning your book has an increased chance to sell. (Yes this IS what I tell myself when I am eaten up with envy). We need to increase reading for pleasure. It benefits us all.

3. It might be your turn LATER

This game is LONG. It’s full of ups and downs.

Morpurgo’s War Horse was a mid-list book for many years before it was a hit play/film. Frances Hardinge had a wonderful body of work before The Lie Tree shot her up to dizzying heights.

You never know what is to come. Hang in there. Another person’s journey is not YOUR journey.

4. Publicity is not your job

I know publishers like to make us feel like publicity is our job. They give us book deals then cancel book 4 if book 1 didn’t sell. BUT *shout it* publicity is (mostly) THEIR job not our job. Our job is to write/illustrate brilliantly.

It’s so easy for US to feel like we’ve failed if we didn’t get the top lit fest slot but NO. That’s on them, not us.

Your book might be fantastic and STILL not get high sales. But you did your job, my friend. Be proud of your own role. Someone will LOVE that book.

5. Work out what ‘success’ means to you

We all want something different from this industry.

Ask yourself what success looks like to you.

Write ‘I’ll have made it when [??]’ add your own answer, then stick that over your desk.

It’s so easy to keep reaching for higher rungs on the ladder, and some of that reaching is good. It fires us, motivates us to write. But don’t use that fire to hurt yourself.

If you keep changing the goalposts, if you find yourself saying to yourself

‘I’ll have made it when…

… I get a book published.

… Oh now I want that book to do well.

… And I want that book to win a prize.

… And now I want that book to be a TV series.

… And I want MORE books published.

… MORE MORE MORE.’

I completely sympathise and totally understand BUT you cannot make your success ladder endless, or you will never be satisfied. You’ll win the Carnegie then say ‘why haven’t I won it TWICE?’

You need to stop and remember how far you have already come up the ladder. Try to think back to your original goal, and celebrate your incredible achievement so far.

For me, my ‘success’ is staying in the game. Every year I get to write for a living (and not do a proper job!) is an achievement.

I like to read, paint, walk, travel. I just need enough income to allow me to spend my ‘one wild and precious life’ doing the things I love. And every year I get to do that, I’m winning.

Let me know your success ladder.

Happy writing, chums!

Abie xx