The economy and publishingbuilding a loyal readership and avoiding fiction that is prone to
shakeouts.WHO IS AT RISK
When the next round of cuts arrives, who is going to be vulnerable
to the shakeout? I think it will be novelists who fit the following
profiles:
- those with five or fewer published novels
- those whose first novel was published within the last five years
- those who produce novels irregularly, or at an unusually slow
rate - those who jump between genres, or who write cross-genre fiction
- Full-time writers who live off advances only
- those who frequently change publishers
- those who have had half a dozen agents
- those who chase trends, especially if they have jumped aboard
a bandwagon - those whose work is not original, but merely imitates others
Perhaps you fit one or more of those categories. It is scary to
think that your writing career may be vulnerable, but it is also pru-
dent to be realistic. Nothing is permanent in this business. There
are no guarantees. When the forecast is for stormy weather, it is best
to prepare. But how can one do that?
Let me profile recession-resistant career novelists. These writers
know that their most important relationship is not with their pub-
lisher but with their readers. They care about their readers. They
know what readers like about their fiction, and they deliver it every
time. They also publish in a regular pattern. Their fans can trust
them.
Further, these novelists pay attention to the business side of
their business. They switch publishers only when absolutely neces-
sary, and then treat each new relationship as if it will be permanent.
They also know the ropes. They demand much of a publisher, but
their demands are reasonable. As for marketing, they do their share.
They know that their publisher cannot do it all.