tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post3461189858438632559..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: So, you think you'd like to make some money?Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49986400834925553022015-03-04T08:27:31.557-05:002015-03-04T08:27:31.557-05:00great post! it's nice to see the breakdown and...great post! it's nice to see the breakdown and get a realistic view on money from an agent. i especially like the part about not spending the advance until the book is actually published--smart!<br /><br />thanks!Valeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01947188617746257738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-86815941446100976572015-03-03T10:00:56.886-05:002015-03-03T10:00:56.886-05:00Janet,
Would you please comment on royalties?
...Janet,<br /><br />Would you please comment on royalties? <br /><br />If a book sells, for example, $20, how much of that reaches the author's pocket?<br /><br />Thanks,Sunlinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05728720035982433688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29836849785155014222015-03-03T07:36:24.619-05:002015-03-03T07:36:24.619-05:00I worry that we're excluding people with fasci...I worry that we're excluding people with fascinating, diverse points of view because publishing is so difficult to make a living from, even after you get your first deal.<br /><br />Patrick Rothfuss had some hilarious (and astute) advice to new authors: live somewhere cheap, because you're going to be poor for a long, long time. And because you can write when you're poor, but you can't write while working 3 jobs to pay the rent.<br /><br />http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2010/02/fanmail-q-advice-for-new-writers/<br /><br />But when you have kids to feed or ailing parents to care for, not everyone can live off paper bag soup. And I want to read those authors' stories, too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00331026594971237758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51876270125665651222015-03-02T21:28:17.663-05:002015-03-02T21:28:17.663-05:00After reading this post, I'm thankful I chose ...After reading this post, I'm thankful I chose this profession for all the right reasons: glamour and adulation.<br /><br />....oh, damn.Micki Browninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10242144246410661267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80438276240743916612015-03-02T20:49:26.228-05:002015-03-02T20:49:26.228-05:002Ns, I'm so sorry. I've had that experienc...2Ns, I'm so sorry. I've had that experience - indeed, I have it most days even with Penelope. I see her responses to me, and know I fall short for her. I wasn't the best forever home for her, but I try. She deserves better, but I try.<br /><br />It's all we can do. Trying - and learning.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68121825504067854662015-03-02T18:56:04.101-05:002015-03-02T18:56:04.101-05:00I had 2-3 part-time jobs at a time in the year fol...I had 2-3 part-time jobs at a time in the year following graduate school, 1-2 of which were contract work rather than good old W-2 employment, so I know the horror of the semi-self-employed tax return.<br /><br />If I enter the realm of publishing, you better believe I'll be calling up an accountant, and setting aside 30%+ of everything in a tax savings account.<br /><br />And I'll be keeping my day job. I've lived on as little as $12K a year in the past, but that doesn't mean I ever want to do so again.Sam Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12069749673374661798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46867793540427652142015-03-02T17:41:46.273-05:002015-03-02T17:41:46.273-05:00I'll just pop in to add that non-US residents ...I'll just pop in to add that non-US residents need to be particularly mindful of their taxes. If you aren't familiar with your local tax treaties, it is worthwhile to get some (proper) advice.<br /><br />My worst tax season was when my husband and I moved from the US to Canada mid-year. As a result, I had to file eight tax returns to cover all of our federal, state and provincial bases. Amy Schaeferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17263719891092841767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76390892218933368702015-03-02T17:11:04.748-05:002015-03-02T17:11:04.748-05:00Angie, I just love that you have an atelier. I am ...Angie, I just love that you have an atelier. I am jealous.<br /><br />Also, you were right about the bestseller myth. I don't even have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times I've heard, "oh you're writing a book? I've always wanted to write a bestseller - how hard can it be?" And/or "why bother getting an agent? With self publishing now, anyone can earn a living as a writer." Riiiiiiiigggghht.Christina Seinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18411040428007697691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80812493159691675762015-03-02T16:52:08.932-05:002015-03-02T16:52:08.932-05:00Months ago, I read an auhor's blog where the a...Months ago, I read an auhor's blog where the author recommended establishing yourself as a "business" (or at least setting yourself up with a tax ID number as a self-employed small business... Can't remember the exact details). She said this was recommended to keep your writing income separate from other income, thus making it easier to figure out taxes. She also said this would keep you from having to hand out your social security number all the time, since it's needed for contracts, anthologies, etc. Do you think it's a wise idea to set this up and get a tax ID number before getting published? Would it help with taxes and such? Also, is it normal for an agent to ask for your social security number when you sign a contract with hem for representation? (Guessing this is so they'll have it on hand for any future contracts)Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10548812481849329661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21683002124469856362015-03-02T16:28:47.745-05:002015-03-02T16:28:47.745-05:00This community is amazing and we have Janet to tha...This community is amazing and we have Janet to thank for that. <br />Yes we talk writing, we weep writing, we write writing and yet we are able to talk, weep and write about life here too. Thank you all for your kind words regarding my beautiful Bay. Thinking about him today, and writing about him, has had me misty-eyed all day long. The poor guy never had a chance, not by birth, by ownership or by love. I often wonder why he came into my life only to live it and leave it the way he did. I have to believe it was for a reason beyond my own life-lesson. I am still searching for that reason.<br />Donna you are right, his story is part of my second memoir, the first I continue to query. Still getting the nicest rejections ever from that one. <br />Julie, Donna, Colin and Amanda plus all the rest, thank you again. I am convinced Bay did love me in his way, I just never knew how to love him back. Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59099283867062711832015-03-02T16:25:35.348-05:002015-03-02T16:25:35.348-05:00I just got home from a three-day painting shtick, ...I just got home from a three-day painting shtick, a giant resin tiger for a zoo and three nights with a red cat named Zelda. Of course the first thing I did after dropping a suitcase of paint in my atelier was fire up Firefox and read the Shark's week in review, a day late. How cool that she likes to say my name out-loud. There is a story behind that, but I won't tell it here.<br /><br />I'm with Elissa M. I've been painting professionally for 28 years. When people ask me what I mean, I say I've been a tax paying artist for that long. No one knows how to react. They shuffle their feet, artists tell me I’m stupid to pay taxes. I've done a slew of different venues. At the beginning, each new adventure seemed like the big truth. Each one had an epitaph. It’s part of the creative tide. Doesn’t make tax incomes easy but I wouldn’t change if for a steady day job. I think it is the death of a creative to stick to one image of how it works. Writers included. Take Jeff Somers, he said he quit his job and wrote anything. http://jeffreysomers.com/blather/?s=quit+day+job+&searchsubmit.x=0&searchsubmit.y=0<br /><br />Everything I own, I bought with paintings. Creative income is tidal; when it's high tide it's champagne or a Cadillac and white GS, when it's low it's holes in the shoes and it bites. (Carolynn, so sorry about Bay. We had a few dogs that bit. Cats bite too.)<br /><br />Low tide hurts and gets boring then high tide arrives and it's partytime. I think the rollar coaster metaphor is too emotional, too fast. It ends too quickly. I see it more like the tide, constant. Sometimes it deposits treasures on the beach, other times it ravages the dunes. <br /><br />BTW March 21 there will be the biggest tide in 14 years in Normandy and the English channel.... <br /><br />Everyone knows that artists cut their ears off and launch themselves in the nettles when crises hits and they get rich when they die, or their heirs do if they see the treasure. Society dresses artists in a white suit and throws mud at them then criticizes them for the tainted threads. What a load of crap ! We pay taxes and little elves do not make our shoes, or write our manuscripts. <br /><br />Van Gogh was the epitomy of marketing, his sister-in-law created his image, post mortum. She was a smart business woman. She got her 15% and deserved it.<br /><br />It seems writing the bestseller is a lottery-ticket myth<br /><br />Janet's earning breakdown is well appreciated. Maybe the slushpiles would be smaller if more writers knew the economical truth, especially the owing-taxes part. I haven't seen many articles or blog posts like this. I think it is the first one I've ever seen. <br /><br />And Janet says when you started writing, "you didn't think it would be as hard as it is, did you?" I think she needs to add the word "writing well" or "kickass writing". Somers is kick ass and Patrick Lee is kick ass and so is Cameron.angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71961932039737906592015-03-02T15:50:49.329-05:002015-03-02T15:50:49.329-05:00Julie,
That's so interesting about the merle...Julie, <br /><br />That's so interesting about the merle gene. I didn't take the time to research the possibilities when I brought it up here, b/c I just heard you both mention white GS and thought, wow, do those breeds also entertain the merle/double merle gene? I've seen chihauhua's, aussies (like you mention) pit bulls, and great danes, I think. Anyway, it's fascinating, but also understand that's why your boy, Gage, is deaf. They also can have eye issues along with the behavioral issues.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-47509091356059064992015-03-02T15:46:24.122-05:002015-03-02T15:46:24.122-05:00I ought to mention my husband owns his own busines...I ought to mention my husband owns his own business and we are painfully aware of the intricacies of weathering the "feast or famine," mode of the business, and because I help when it comes to reporting income, listing expenses, etc for tax purposes, (you ought to see my spreadsheet!) I'll have the know how if/when I ever get to treat writing as my own small business.<br /><br />Great way to view it, Mr. Smith. :)<br /><br />Carolynn, that read like you might have extracted it from your memoir, but either way, it is a very sad story. I agree with Julie about trying not beating yourself up. You know I have my own horrible dog stories and it's hard not to do b/c guilt can be overwhelming. I let myself wallow in it when it decides to resurrect itself now and again. It's okay to do that, and then try once again to get past it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76724718771606353482015-03-02T15:43:02.010-05:002015-03-02T15:43:02.010-05:00A heart-rending story, 2Ns. :(
I wonder what happ...A heart-rending story, 2Ns. :(<br /><br />I wonder what happen to that owner and his Rot, 1L--or maybe we don't want to know.<br /><br />BTW, my blog's back up and running. Don't all rush at once...! ;)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22852004791553635322015-03-02T15:38:17.069-05:002015-03-02T15:38:17.069-05:002N's
QOTKU has a client by the name of Deb Vl...2N's<br /><br />QOTKU has a client by the name of Deb Vlock. Click on her name and read her animal stories. Hell, read them all. She's an excellent writer and her pet stories might make you feel better. It certainly worked for me. <br /><br />One of the (rare) gifts of getting older is learning the value of compassion.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />AmandaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11543685541225544175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-15801694295628912272015-03-02T15:03:04.351-05:002015-03-02T15:03:04.351-05:00I will add this: I've owned my own small busin...I will add this: I've owned my own small business for years. Started out with a virtual shop on Etsy and doing local craft shows and bazaars. I watched certain sellers on Etsy rocket to "stardom," (we're talking hundreds of sales per day). This was a few years ago when Etsy was just starting out, and it was a playing field that did allow a few people to make a boatload of money. I watched those amazing sellers, and got to know some of them. They were smart, they had business plans, they worked tirelessly, and above all, they were prolific. I kept my own creativity and individuality, but mimicked every successful practice of theirs I could. <br />Soon, Etsy sort of exploded. People read about the guy who'd quit his job and supported himself and his family selling soap. I can't tell you how many people spent a day or two learning how to make soap (trust me, there's a learning curve), opened a virtual shop, and then six months down the line complained that it was Etsy's fault they weren't raking in the dough. They failed to notice that the mega-soap guy promoted his product tirelessly, or that he worked to supplement his Etsy income with wholesale accounts, that he filled a certain niche, or that his labeling and photography were head and shoulders above anyone else’s – because he was an utter perfectionist. No, it was Etsy’s fault. <br />I’ve learned a lot from running a small business. If nothing else, it gives you a nice thick skin (although hey, I can recommend a lovely body butter for that!). I love the idea of considering a writer career like owning a small business. Someday, maybe, if you’re lucky and put a heap of blood, sweat and tears into it, you might be able to live off what you make. But don’t quit your day job.<br />Christina Seinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18411040428007697691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82667489912229448452015-03-02T14:47:29.087-05:002015-03-02T14:47:29.087-05:00What a brilliant and informative post. Thank you, ...What a brilliant and informative post. Thank you, Janet!<br /><br />Carolynn, that story nearly brought me to tears. So heartbreaking, and so beautifully written.Christina Seinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18411040428007697691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2616071154101168482015-03-02T13:58:38.673-05:002015-03-02T13:58:38.673-05:00Like Lisa mentioned, I would use publishing money ...Like Lisa mentioned, I would use publishing money as "fun" money. Even if I was a best-selling author, I can't live on inconsistent paychecks. I need to know that I'm being paid on a regular schedule (which is why working retail didn't go well for me).<br /><br />Also, like Colin was commenting, the "like a small business" comparison was great. I majored in all sorts of business, including Marketing and Entrepreneurship, and I can tell you that I wouldn't create a start up. 80% of businesses fail for a whole boat load of reasons. Some people give up (like the writers after a few (5) queries), some people can not sustain the business for whatever reason, just watch Shark Tank and cringe when you hear how much people put into their businesses. Some people fail to plan. They march forward without a business plan, thinking they are a special snowflake in the market, but their not. Like anything, those who take the time, do their research (primary, secondary, etc), plan for possible scenarios, and who are relentless and passionate about their business, can and will make it.<br /><br />Just like the writers who don't give up.<br /><br />Thank you and have a good day,<br /><br />Rejourneys<br /><br />(Sorry, it felt like the end of a speech).<br /><br />And all you GS people commenting, my heart goes out to you. I have two GS at home and I love them dearly. One is a pansy and the other is a puppy.REJourneyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08636698355820425103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61679657259699048702015-03-02T13:54:00.136-05:002015-03-02T13:54:00.136-05:00Carolynn,
I am so very sorry. I'm sorry for B...Carolynn,<br /><br />I am so very sorry. I'm sorry for Bay and for you. What a tremendous loss. <br /><br />I used to train and show obedience. I had a man call me to train a Rott who was attacking his grandchild. I had the dog sit and when I turned to walk away the dog ran after me and tried to bite the back of my neck. This is a kill move. I turned and put my fist in his mouth to stop the attack.<br /><br />The man fired me because I was being mean to his dog. I told him if he didn't get the dog under control he was going to be on the news.<br /><br />It isn't your fault the dog was this way. Temperament is very much something that is inherited, just as color and working ability is, but temperament can often be trained as well. You didn't know this. Don't beat yourself up. <br /><br />These things happen and they make marks on our lives. Just learn from it. Don't forget him. Let him be what he was supposed to be. Thank you for sharing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05397201685135490220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12295911916877637932015-03-02T13:28:34.498-05:002015-03-02T13:28:34.498-05:00Sorry guys this is going to get a little personal ...Sorry guys this is going to get a little personal and be a little long. Every detail is true.<br /><br />Julie, his name was Bay, bred for color, certainly not temperament.<br /> <br />I remember the late night small gathering on my neighbor’s front lawn surrounding my beautiful Bay. Kneeling on the ground next to him as he gasped for air I gently stroked his beautiful white fur. <br />The pick-up driver, “He ran out in front of me, I couldn’t stop fast enough, I’m so sorry.”<br />My neighbor, “He’s in pain, don’t get to close, you don’t know what he’ll do.”<br />But I knew exactly what he was going to do, he was going to die.<br /> <br />He was going to die because I was petrified he’d break his chain and attack a neighbor’s child. He was going to die because I was afraid of him as were all of my friends. Only my cousin would visit. In my cousin I saw the kind of strength it took to be the master of such a strong and beautiful animal. I did not have that kind of strength in me. I knew Bay was going to die because I was being protected by a greater power who believed that tragedy and calamity would have been my undoing. <br /><br />My father took Bay home to his house, to bury him in the morning. Just before I went to sleep that night I knelt beside my bed, something I had not done since I was a little girl, and pleaded with God to forgive me for not caring for Bay like I should have, for not loving him enough, for not being strong enough. I raised my head and stared at the sky through the window over my bed, forgive me God I said. A shooting star streaked across the sky. My tears instantly stopped because I knew that on that day, that night, at that very moment a greater force held me in the palm of his hand. I thanked God that Bay was taken before something more horrible than my own inadequacies happened. <br /><br />It’s strange really, how the death of a species other than our own can sometimes imprint on our hearts something more lasting than the love of our own. He was beautiful, he was mean and yet as I knelt beside him and stroked his fur, he licked my hand as if he loved me. Bay sighed deeply and died a peaceful death. I was, at the very least, grateful for that.<br />Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56548490979138895122015-03-02T13:18:06.523-05:002015-03-02T13:18:06.523-05:00Great, Donna! That's what I was remembering.Great, Donna! That's what I was remembering. Lisa Bodenheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17809067722921953857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21999819833046182552015-03-02T12:57:43.658-05:002015-03-02T12:57:43.658-05:00Hey Lisa, that person you might be referring to wa...Hey Lisa, that person you might be referring to was Kitty who shared the Cheryl Strayed interview on advances, when WILD was starting to get noticed. And that post prompted Ms. Janet's breakdown here. <br /><br />Strayed received $100K for the memoir, I believe, but of course given Ms. Janet's tutorial, we all know that it probably broke down into four payments (Strayed said as much I believe) and that would be 25K each time - minus her agent's commish($3,750.) Then there's taxes. She would have received a 1099 form her agent, and I guess would file and her taxes would be at a different rate, i.e. maybe 15% (small biz tax?) vs 20% Federal and 7% State for personal. That actually wouldn't even equate to $20K, it would be more around $17.5K, but maybe she just rounded it up like was done here for the sake of not getting into all the varying tax %'s.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87527693954627084702015-03-02T11:43:53.323-05:002015-03-02T11:43:53.323-05:00I have one friend/colleague who writes non-fiction...I have one friend/colleague who writes non-fiction and she calls her advances and royalties "pin" money or fun money. I have 1 non-fiction book published (2007) and it's still earning royalties but small amounts. <br /><br />I read another person (can't remember if it was someone here in the comments who referred to this blogger) who wrote about the advances she received on her well-selling book and it amounted to around $20,000 a year, after taxes, after agent fees, etc. NOT a livable yearly wage. <br /><br />While it's lovely to dream, I also want to keep my feet on the ground of reality. I like having a warm home, a comfy bed, a decent shower, and food in my tummy. <br /><br />I have found out I can't write when I'm anxious about money. Don't know how JK Rowling did it. Lisa Bodenheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17809067722921953857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58719559582375001722015-03-02T11:35:35.229-05:002015-03-02T11:35:35.229-05:00Self-employed artist here. Boy howdy do I know how...Self-employed artist here. Boy howdy do I know how hard the gov'ment makes it to be a small business person. I don't even bother with the home office deduction because it's not worth the hassle.<br /><br />Math makes my eyes cross and my head burst open. No, this isn't a "girls can't do math" comment. I moved around so much as a kid that I never was properly taught mathematics, and it was never instinctive to me. I depend on my tax lady, and my number disability is one of the primary reasons I'll be seeking an agent when my manuscript is ready. No way am I going to venture into the publishing jungle sans guide.<br /><br />Thanks for the breakdown here, Janet. And double thanks for the easy-to-understand numbers. Fortunately I've always known that one doesn't get rich creating things. I'm happy when I make enough money just to buy more materials to keep creating.Elissa Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10727748060605823895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-69220573892514831572015-03-02T11:32:19.868-05:002015-03-02T11:32:19.868-05:00I think there's a general life lesson here, on...I think there's a general life lesson here, one I've learned over years of family budgeting:<br /><br />Don't count on money until it's in the bank.<br /><br />I know that's easier said than done for some, so adapt according to circumstances. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.com