Writers need to learn the business

One blog that I take time to read on a regular basis is Katheryn Kristine Rusch's blog - her Business Rusch posts in particular. These posts center on inside news and changes happening within the publishing industry. If you are a writer beginning, midlist or even well established, it is a must read and must subscribe to blog, IMO.

The latest post deals with the inability of many writers to see themselves as deserving respect and to be treated like adults with something important to add to publishing process. Writers, like many women, are afraid to speak up for themselves, she says, afraid to ask for what they need or want. This head-in-the-sand approach to a writing career worked when traditional publishing houses were able to take care of the business end of things from beginning to end. This is no longer true. A writer/author has to also be a business person if they expect to make a living from their work. We have no choice. Unless we're talking about Nora Roberts, Jean Auel or Stephen King (and I'm sure as rich and established as these authors are they probably already know quite a bit about the business side of things) it is imperative that we wear the art hat and the business hat or we may lose our way in this business.

Some authors have already done this. Take a look at guys like Michael Stackpole or Rusch or romance authors in general. They understand business. Authors who don't make this transition and refuse to try will be taken advantage of which can lead to despair. I'm very glad I stumbled on to blogs like Rusch, Wesley Dean Smith's blog and Stormwolf. The information about how to think like a business person is invaluable!

Writing and reading blogs

I've been keeping up with The Business Rusch blog, reading and writing everyday. My short story I'm currently working on is turning into a novella which years ago I had always thought it would be. I'm thinking I'll pair it down quite a bit before I come up with the finished product. I fully expect to be finished with this short story/novella (I don't know which just yet) by next weekend.

I've had to reformat some of the work I've already published and one of my books finally made it through to Smashwords premium catalog (yay me!) Also I've been listening to the Adventures in Scifi Publishing podcast, specifically Michael Stackpole and Kristine Katherine Rusch episodes - good stuff and very important for authors who are serious about starting or maintaining a viable writing career in these rough changing times in publishing.

Publishing is a lot of work and besides writng I can understand why some writers only want to write. I only want to write but i know that I don;'t have that luxury and never will. If I want to get anywhere I have to do things myself and I've known this and applied it to other areas of my life. So why not writing?

In any case, I'm getting more and more excited as i get to the finish line with this current story. I'm thinking that it might be a short series. It's original title was called The Pumpkin Princess and I might still use that title for the next on in the series - if I make it a series. See how crazy it is when stories morph and change over time? I have a number of projects that have done this. I have two nevels I've written that are unpublishable that are going to be gutted and reused in other upcoming stories. Fun, fun, fun!!