Hens Lay Eggs
food for thought
Another year closer to retirement
My son, Brian, is embarking upon the next phase of adulthood: fatherhood. That means I’m going to be a grandmother. Brian and the mother-to-be have already determined what my husband and I will be called: Nonna and Papa.
I prefer Nonna to Granny, so I’m not going to complain.
Having just celebrated (not really celebrated) my 58th birthday, I’m at the age when being a grandparent isn’t unusual and retirement looks better and better every day. However, I’m not quite ready for retirement.
A good bit of my weekdays is filled with hustling for work. Being freelance, I’m always hustling. I embody the hustle culture, even though I draw firm boundaries between work and personal life. I’m always on the lookout for new projects.
The desire, urge, or even need to continue working is imbued in my psyche. That strong, driving work ethic is part of my personality, even though I do idleness really well. (My husband can’t handle idleness.) Work fulfills a deep-seated need to contribute and be productive. It’s a need I don’t really see in younger generations; however, I suspect every generation before mine thought the same thing about my generation.
So, what type of work do I seek?
I primarily look for editing gigs. I enjoy working with authors to improve their writing. Editing a book manuscript is my happy place. That’s where I excel.
There’s a certain pleasure in helping an author improve his or her written content. The trick is to do so without overwriting the author’s distinctive and unique voice. That becomes extra tricky when an author dwells overmuch in passive voice or “telling” mode. I must fight the inclination to rewrite entire paragraphs to suit my idea of what should be there and restrict myself to margin comments and small refinements to guide the author’s own revision.
Editing and rewriting are not the same.
I do accept rewriting projects, something others call book doctoring. In this sort of project, the author provides drafted content and I rewrite it, expand upon it, and improve it so it’s fit for public consumption. This gets invoiced at a higher rate than editing.
I also seek out writing projects. I ghostwrite fiction and nonfiction, but not the same kind of documents. For nonfiction, I’ll write blogs and articles. I conduct fast, laser-focused research to write with authority and intelligence on diverse topics. For fiction, just about anything goes, but I don’t write scripts or screenplays. There’s a bourgeoning industry of online, somehow interactive stories that run as strings of text messages. They’re primarily geared toward teens and young adults and are filled with hyperbole and melodrama. They’re not my style and I don’t do those either; I’m probably just too old or old fashioned for them.
When ghostwriting fiction—these are difficult-to-get projects, and I excel at those, too—I expand my repertoire beyond my normal fiction writing tendencies (romance, fantasy, westerns). I’ve worked on a fictionalized biography, young adult fantasy, mystery, and historical drama. A few have been screenplay-to-novel adaptations. These projects are great fun, and I’d love to get more of them.
As I edge closer to retirement, I also become more choosy in the projects I bid on and accept. The past decade has been instructive in teaching me what I do best and what I prefer most—and I tend to do my very best work when I work on what I prefer most. I don’t apply for everything that comes my way; I don’t accept everything either.
That’s the advantage of age and experience: I know what I do best and I’m happy to do it. I’m no longer exploring different career avenues because I’ve found my groove. It doesn’t mean I’m complacent or averse to learning new things or refining my skill, but it does mean that I bring enormous experience and sharp, spot-on instincts to every project I tackle.
And, really, isn’t that the benefit every grandmother brings?
Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing
First, let’s settle one question: If you self-publish, then yes, you are published.
There’s a lot of confusion with regard to publishing. The information to clear that confusion is readily available, but for whatever reason, a lot of people don’t bother to do their own research. I’ll break it down and make it easy.
There are three basic options available to the author wanting to be published: traditional publishing, self-publishing, and vanity or hybrid publishing. When it comes to determining a publishing option, follow the money and decide how much of the work you will do yourself.
Understand there is no need to pay for publishing.
Traditional Publishing
When one thinks of publishing, this is what comes to mind for most people. In the last several decades, the process of becoming published through traditional publishing company (e.g., Random House, Penguin) hasn’t changed beyond the transition from analog to digital. The author must follow the rules set by the publisher with regard to approaching the publisher and the package being submitted. It’s safe to say that authors pursue traditional publishing.
Many traditional publishers do not accept unsolicited submissions. This forces an author to approach literary agencies in the hope an agent will agree to represent his or her interests and sell the manuscript to a publisher. Just like publishers, authors pursue representation.
There are a lot of predatory individuals and companies claiming to be literary agencies. To determine whether the agency is legitimate, follow the money.
An agency that charges for its services is predatory. An agency that directs you to pay for publishing is exploiting you. An agency that insists you pay their editors to have your manuscript edited makes its money from editing, not from selling manuscripts to publishers. Such predatory agencies have no incentive to represent your manscript to traditional publishers.
The hard lesson for many authors to learn is that no publisher or literary agent is obligated to accept the manuscript. Because a traditional publisher pays the author, the publisher decides what to accept and whether and whether to publish it. The publisher also hires all the necessary talent required to make the work marketable.
The publisher may provide some initial marketing to launch the book, but the author should not expect sustained marketing efforts. Marketing, as a rule, is the author’s responsibility.
Self-Publishing
There are only two ways to guarantee your book will be published. One is to publish it yourself. When you publish your own work, you are the publisher and therefore responsible for everything a traditional publisher does. This includes hiring the services to make your book marketable.
Many authors unfamiliar with the publishing industry don’t realize this and believe they must do everything themselves, regardless of whether they have any skill at any of the tasks needed. Other authors know they should hire those services, but choose not to do so for reasons ranging from hubris to financial hardship. Self-publishing authors who save their money and budget for the professional services they need support the gig economy by hiring freelance writers, editors, designers, artists, and marketers. In general, those authors also produce much higher quality books than the authors who don’t hire these services.
The issue comes down to you can do it all yourself, but you probably shouldn’t.
There’s subtle difference in self-publishing and vanity/hybrid publishing. If you self-publish, you pay of the services you need to produce a quality book, but you don’t pay to publish the book. If you hire a vanity/hybrid press, then you pay for the services you need and you pay for them to publish your book.
The lack of quality control in self-publishing means the world has been flooded with substandard books. It gives self-publishing a bad reputation, even though many self-published authors produce top quality books that rival anything produced by a traditional publisher.
To make sure you hire a reputable professional, check portfolios (here’s mine) and LinkedIn profiles (here’s mine). Review work samples and speak to previous clients. Referrals are great!
Vanity or Hybrid Publishing
This third option causes enormous confusion. One might rightly call self-publishing a vanity; however, vanity publishers cloak themselves in the mantle of traditional publishing but require authors to pay to be published. Hybrid publishers also require authors to pay for the services they need and to pay to publish.
There are two basic differences between vanity publishing and hybrid publishing. A vanity press will no disclose its predatory practices: it attempts to pass itself off as a traditional publisher. A hybrid press open discloses its service as a one-stop shop for publishing: get all the services you need in one place, and the company will also publish the book.
The vanity press preys on the hopes and ambitions of authors and provides low quality service. A hybrid press encourages the author’s ambitions and provides professional quality services: they care about the products they produce.
It’s a subtle but crucial difference that may be difficult to discern. To help confused authors determine whether a company offering to publish their work for a fee is truly a hybrid press or an exploitive vanity press, Writer Beware offers a valuable service alerting authors to predatory companies. Another service that may be helpful is Editors and Preditors.
Paying to publish is not necessarily “bad.” For instance, it’s a viable option for a business executive who wants to impart the lessons of his or her expertise and establish himself or herself as an authority in the field. A professionally produced book boosts credibility and may also serve as another income stream. Someone wanting to memorialize a family history is also another common scenario when it comes to paying to produce a book in a limited quality for distribution to family members. There are many other reasons why one would choose this option.
The Upshot
There’s no one right and true way to publish your book, just as there’s no one right and true way to write your story. There are, however, best practices that have been proven to reliably produce quality products. Those best practices involve a team of professionals: the writer, at least one editor, a graphic designer, and a book designer. When it comes to publishing, the many variables involved in producing a book influence the book’s quality.
But remember …
Regardless of whether you pursue traditional publishing and all the cachet that comes from being one of the chosen few, embark upon the adventure of self-publishing, or hire a publishing company to produce your book, sales and marketing are your responsibility.
CAVEAT EMPTOR!
Yes, there are companies that specialize in book marketing. Just as you’ll find when searching for a publisher or hiring professional services, many book marketing services are scammers. Do your due diligence to ensure you hire a reputatable professional.
Hen House Publishing provides author assistance with the following professional services: ghostwriting, editing, proofreading, and book design.
Every word counts.
#henhousepublishing #editingservices, #ghostwritingservices, #proofreadingservices, #bookdesign
I have a dream.
No, this is not a belated post lauding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., although his accomplishments certain deserve recognition and celebration. This post is about me, you, and everyone else.
Each of us has a dream. Most of us entertain multiple dreams at the same time.
When I was young, I dreamed of being a veterinarian. I loved animals. I still love animals. However, I learned I was squeamish and those veterinary dreams faded. If you can’t handle blood, then a career as a veterinarian is doomed.
As I got older, I dreamed of working in the publishing industry. I wanted to work for a publishing company as an editor helping to bring wonderful stories to the world. Unfortunately, that dream required physical relocation to New York or California where the publishing companies were located. Relocation wasn’t feasible, as I’d gotten married two weeks after graduating college and my new husband was the primary wage earner in our new family. Since the internet wasn’t a thing yet, remote work wasn’t a possibility. Another dream was set aside.
I found work in retail sales. I hated it. I interviewed for jobs at a local newspaper, but to no avail. Later I was hired to work in the marketing department of an architectural and engineering firm. I thought my career had finally begun. At least I was earning more than state minimum wage which in 1990 was $2.50 per hour.
Not long after that I learned that my job as a professional in marketing was not viewed as professional, but clerical. To the principals of the firm, I was a mere secretary. I continued perusing the classified ads for job listings and doing my best to keep an ear and eye out for opportunities. I managed to get a few interviews, but received no offers.
I wanted to write, but writing stories was viewed as frivolous, a cute hobby, not something serious because, without a steady paycheck, it didn’t put food on the table. I ceased writing stories for about 20 years; there was more important work to be done, work that addressed the pragmatic necessities of life. I had another dream, this one equine-related. I dreamed of showing and breeding my own stallion.
Years later I got a new job as an executive secretary. I wasn’t happy there, either, but I did what was necessary to help pay the bills. The dream of showing and breeding horses didn’t pan out: it was too expensive. With two children and a small farm, we had lots of bills to pay. I didn’t write. I also entertained a new dream, a new goal: a master’s degree. That dream at least had the virtue of being somewhat practical in that it was expected to propel me into a better job with a higher salary.
I left that job and was hired by an association management firm. Nobody really understood what I did there, but it involved a weird mix of tasks one might now expect from a virtual executive assistants: everything from taking meeting minutes to organizing conferences to producing newsletters, magazines, and manuals. During this phase, I published Rowan, the first branch (aka book) in my Tree of Life series.
I never did earn that master’s degree, another dream abandoned to the forces of pragmatism.
During those long years in association management, I resumed writing and published a few more books. That first year of publication I earned $150 in royalties—enough to be encouraging, certainly not enough to embark upon a career as a full-time author. But the dream that I could earn money with what I’d always been taught was a frivolous hobby was revived.
I lost that job in November 2015, but dreaded the idea of going back into the corporate world. I decided I had valuable skills built and refined over the past 25 years that I could “take on the road” as a freelance professional. I could build a new, sustainable career writing and editing content and designing documents for clients while writing my own stories, too. The dream ignited and I dove right into the flames.
As of today, I have published over 30 books and have ghostwritten several more.
I had a dream and that dream evolved into something I hadn’t envisioned all those decades ago. I now work in the publishing industry as my own publisher and in providing publishing assistance to clients. It’s fulfilling work.
Our dreams evolve. They change. Some of them die, and perhaps we develop new dreams to replace them. Sometimes our dreams shrink to be come feasible, and sometimes they grow and expand beyond our original goals.
But have I achieved my dream? One might think so. Have I fulfilled my dream? No. My dream has changed, and I’m still working to make it happen.
What’s your dream?
Author
Hard boiled, scrambled, over easy, and sunny side up: eggs are the musings of Holly Bargo, the pseudonym for the author.
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Karen (Holly)
Blog Swaps
Looking for a place to swap blogs? Holly Bargo at Hen House Publishing is happy to reciprocate Blog Swaps in 2019.
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