This week we’re talking about Myths in Publishing.  My fellow Babes have covered this topic enormously well, opening even my seasoned eyes to a few misconceptions. Or perhaps I should say my eyes were opened to some bad behavior due to misconceptions.  Some of you have really been stiffed for dinners and drinks by other writers because they thought you made tons of money? That would be rude even if you did make tons of money.  I always feel a little awkward even if the person I’m with insists on picking up the bill.  I can’t imagine just assuming they’re going to pay my way.  Wow.  I could spend this entire post commenting on several of the other myths previously busted by the Babes, but instead, I’ll address one of my own.

The hardest part of a publishing career is getting your first book published.

MYTH!

True, getting your first book published (at least for the majority) is tough.  Really tough. It took me nine years and several rejections from both publishers and agents, before I sold my first book—and that was to a small publisher. It took three more years and six published books before I sold to a major NYC publisher.  Once upon a time, I, too, believed that the hardest part was getting my foot in the door. But in truth, it’s even more of a challenge to keep your foot in that door.    

A year or so ago, I read a blog post where an un-pubbed writer blasted a pubbed writer for whining about a deadline.  At least she’s got a deadline. Inferring the pubbed writer was ungrateful for her good fortune.  Not true.  I’m sure the pubbed writer was extremely grateful to be under contract. But being under contract means being under pressure to produce an entertaining tale on the clock. Before you’re published, you can take all the time in the world to create your masterpiece. Once you sign a contract, you’re under the gun to write and turn in a story on an agreed upon delivery date. These days, publishers are pushing authors to write a minimum of two books a year.  That’s six months to write a 90,000-100,000 book. Only it’s not really six months, because you spend part of that time promoting your current or upcoming release. Also, once you turn in that contracted book, you’ll be getting it back several times—revisions, line edits, galleys. Which means you’ll have to stop work on the next contracted to book to address the previously written book in various production phases—each phase having its own deadline. On top off all of that a published author needs to maintain a website, a blog, and is advised to participate in various social networks and self-promotion ventures.

So, yeah.  There’s a major time crunch. And yes, sometimes we whine about the pressure and lack of time. I know I do. That doesn’t mean I’m ungrateful, it means I’m human.

In addition to all the above, which entails a boatload of dedication and hard work, once that contract is over, you have to start all over again. You have to pitch a story to the publisher and hope they’ll buy it. Just because they bought the first and second book, doesn’t guarantee they’ll buy the next.  Maybe sales on the first two didn’t meet their expectations. Maybe the sub-genre you’re writing is no longer hot.

Bottom line, no matter how many books you have published, you’ll be forced to prove yourself and talent time and again. In my humble opinion, it doesn’t get easier, it gets harder. Fine by me. I’m up for the challenge. Although that doesn’t mean I won’t whine a little now and then. Remember, I’m human.