by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
There was an article in the New York Times recently, entitled Writer’s Cramp: In the e-Reader era, a Book a Year is Slacking.
Obviously, this is a provocative title. I don’t think a book a year is slacking. I just don’t think we can make a living off a book a year if we’re midlist authors. (Actually…I know we can’t. Unless your book deals are a whole lot better than mine are.)
Not everyone can write several books a year. If you write 175,000 word historical sagas, no, you probably can’t write three or four books a year. If you write nonfiction (the type that requires a lot of research and fact-checking), probably not.
For the rest of us time-challenged writers (which means everyone, probably) I wanted to let you know that writing several books a year doesn’t take that long. As I mentioned in this post, if you can write 3 1/2 pages a day, you can write three or four books a year. Even if it takes you a long time, thoughtfully considering each word and making each word resonate with meaning, you can probably manage a least two if you stay focused during your writing time.
So what’s it like to write that many books a year? I can let you know what it’s like for me. This is the first time I’ve really analyzed it, so it’s interesting to break it all down (for the record, since the start of 2012, I’ve written one full book and I’m now passing the halfway mark of the second. I do edit quickly and I do have either my publisher’s editors or freelance editors go over my work after I edit it.)
Good things
*You write every day and you don’t lose any story continuity.
*You don’t forget or stumble with your character’s individual voices.
*You think about your story more during the day. Plot ideas, small scenes, even just words occur to you during the day in reference to the story.
*You don’t ever get bored with what you’re writing.
*You just jump right into the story every single day. No wondering where you left off. No feeling like you’ve lost the story thread.
*Frequently you’ll get story ideas for the next book in the series while writing the book.
*Readers don’t have to wait very long between books.
*Obviously, your income is higher.
Not so good things
*The way the publishing cycle goes, you can end up with two books with nearly the same deadline (this would be me, now.)
*If your deadlines are spaced fairly far apart, it still doesn’t mean that you don’t end up with two books running into each other. I nearly always am working on edits for one while drafting another.
*If you’re writing different series each time (this is exactly my situation this year), then you have to get your head quickly back into the game with each book/different series.
*If you’re writing the first book in a series, it takes a little more time….you’re establishing characters and settings.
Downright lousy things
*There’s a sense of burnout sometimes. It means you have to work harder (and if that seems counterintuitive…yeah, it is. But it works. I don’t know why, either…)
*Once in a while there’s a feeling of extreme panic. I’ve committed to what this year?! And the accompanying feeling of complete inadequacy, of course.
But.
All that being said, I wouldn’t give it up because of the easy rhythm of it. I might prefer three instead of the four I’ve completed in the last 12 months. But ultimately it works really well. You never get that stale feeling from not having written for a while.
This being said, it’s also important to make sure we’re not mindlessly churning out junk. We’ve got to think of our reader first. I’d hate for a regular reader of mine to be disappointed by one of my stories. I’d also hate to discourage a new reader from reading more of my books. I’m hoping for a trusting relationship with my readers that lasts for decades.
There can be so much of a rush to publish that the story is full of holes, is too derivative, or is full of typos and other errors. There are editors that can help us with those things, but it’s a lot better in the long-run if we revise before the manuscripts get into our editors’ hands.
What’s your writing pace like? Do you set yourself a word-count goal or a timed goal? Do you write more than one series? Would you?
Too bad I don’t gather links for my weekly round-ups for Friday, due to sheer laziness and on the time I usually post it (in the morning)–because this would definitely be on it.
If only I can keep this pace.
An excellent, thoughtful post on the pros and cons of writing more than one book a year. I loved your advice in this one! Writing continuously helps me keep pace too and I love it.
I’m the kind of writer that, ideally, I’d have about 4 or 5 books coming out a year. In the last year alone I came up with enough books to do me for over 30 years if I only did one a year, so that kind of pace threatens to frustrate me.
However, I haven’t yet managed to develop the discipline or confidence to put serious work into getting multiple books done in a year. It’s something I want to work on, since I’ll just get frustrated with myself otherwise. I just can’t stand the idea of not writing.
I think my biggest fear is that there just won’t be a market for so many of my books all coming out at once, or that my publisher and I won’t be able to properly promote them.
Elizabeth – Thanks for sharing your experiences. I honestly have no idea how you manage it; I really don’t. I would actually love to step up my writing pace a little but the fact is, I have a “day job.” So I’m not in the position to write a lot faster than I do. Maybe someday…
And you make such a well-taken point about that balance between being productive and churning out junk. Writers owe it to themselves and their readers to put forth their best efforts when they’re writing. Readers will be quick to notice it if the writer doesn’t.
Hi Elizabeth. This is off topic, but I wanted to say “Thank You.” I’ve been following your blog and you have great postings and encouraging remarks. I recently e-published my book and will have the print copy out soon. A cozy is done and will be out in the future, but the first is a humorous book I did a while back, and wanted to get out first. Again, thanks for your writing. I’ll keep following you in the future. – Karen
What a great account of your writing life.
I’ve yet to get out there. But, I’m wondering if I could put out 4 books a year, but then I’d have to find my pace.
Teresa
I think it’s the editing that takes me longer than writing the first draft. I’d love to produce 2 books a year. What’s hard for me is summer but at this time in my life I’ll gladly give more time to my kids and sometimes I’m too exhausted at night to write.
Great post!
Great insight into your writing life. I work on multiple books each year, aiming to publish 4 – 7. I find one of the hardest things to deal with is overlapping tasks. I am usually outlining one book in a series, drafting a book in another series and revising/polishing a book in my third series.
I find the only way to push through is focus time on one thing at a time.
I think it’s important to push the boundary so that you test what you are capable of, not just settle for what you’ve always done.
Hi Elizabeth – I guess you get in to the rhythm .. unless your brain forgets a deadline?!
It does make sense the way you handle your books etc .. once on the road with one, the second follows more easily and then the third ..
Definitely no junk though ..
You’re so good at sharing with everyone .. thanks – cheers Hilary
I totally admire you and your stamina. I only wish I could foster some of it for myself.
As you know, I write nonfiction, scholarly editions, and academic texts. I’m currently writing a series consisting of 9 volumes, in addition to journal articles, speeches, and presentations. Last year I published 2 500-page books (1 of which was co-written with another author) and 1 300 page book, in addition to a heavy traveling schedule, research trips, speaking engagements, family responsibilities, and outlining new volumes and an upcoming fiction book. Honestly, I am close to burning out.
As Margot mentioned above, I don’t want to start churning out junk. While it’s important to be productive every day, a pleasant vacation and personal time can do much for inspiration and mental stability. Ah, sitting on a secluded beach in Tahiti, sipping on pina coladas, and feeling the salty air and the sun on my face would do wonders for me right now. A person can dream, right?
My pace ground to a halt because I was cranking out books so quickly for a couple years. Of course, several were already written when the first one came out.
You forgot to mention all of the other stuff you have to do, too, like being a wife and mom! I really admire everything that you do. I don’t even have kids and haven’t managed all that you do! Having a deadlines probably helps, too, right? It’s a good motivator when you know you MUST get something done by a certain time.
I fall short of a book year – I’m doomed!
Good thing I’m not in this for the long haul.
You’re my new hero! I write 5-6 days a week, and I have both a word-count and a time goal. I truly don’t know how you do all you do. I’m sure your life is more hectic than mine, yet I think mine may be filled with more continuous interruptions than yours. I know I never have time to be bored with anything.
Though some of my favorite authors are prolific, other favorite authors publish far less frequently and it doesn’t matter to me as a reader because I’m happy to get what I can from them. So I think that though I’m going to push myself to do better than I am, I’m not going to fret over my pace compared to anyone else. I have been slacking, but only because I’m not keeping up with what I know I can do, not because I’m nowhere close to what the media says I should be doing in order to make a living off my writing.
I think that’s one of the advantages of self-publishing — if you need to slow down, you can.
Of course the disadvantage is that you can slow down even if you don’t need to.
But the possibility of more income will always help deal with that….
(Also, those stories in your head have to come out sometime. They get backed up if you don’t keep writing.)
Wonderful post, Elizabeth. It agrees completely with what I was reading today by Lawrence Block in his Telling Lies for Fun and Profit. Thanks for sharing your insights – BIG thanks!
And for Paul – I think Lawrence Block would think, worry about that later. Your publisher probably won’t try to publish them all at once, and that will stabilize your income even so. So go ahead, scare yourself good!
Sorry about my late responses to comments–I chaperoned my daughter’s safety patrol trip to an amusement park yesterday and it was a full day–8 hours in 90 degree temps. I went home and went to bed!
Chihuahua Zero–You’re nice to say so! And…sure you can. You’ve got school to work around, but the nice thing about school is that there’s so much writing involved (at least that’s what I see in my kids’ assignments) that you’re already warmed up. But you might have to split it up–you know, a page over breakfast and a page when you’re getting a snack after classes, and a page after homework. That kind of thing. Splitting up a day’s writing is frequently what I have to do, too (my schedule mimicks my kids’.)
Heather–Thanks! I think it just makes it so much easier on the *writer* to stay fresh. Which, ultimately, makes it easier on the reader!
Paul–Start small, just to get the habit. Shoot for maybe a page or page and 1/2 a day and even plan on splitting up the time that you write it into morning/afternoon or morning/evening or afternoon/evening. I do a little over half of my 3.5 pages in the morning before my kids wake up, and the rest in the carpool line at 1:45. But I’d start small, get the habit in check, then gradually increase it. It’s no fun to set ourselves up for failure, for sure.
You know…I think the market is out there. *Especially* in the digital age. I write a very particular type of book, don’t market directly to readers, and it manages to find an audience. These books usually don’t come out all at once–publishing takes *forever*. So 1 of the books that I wrote a year ago is coming out June 5.
Laura–I’ll have to rerun my “writing in summer” post. Yes, it’s a real adjustment. I have older kids now (15 and 10), but they still want Mama to drive them all over town to the pool or to meet with friends! I write very early in the summers, usually…or I write longhand at the pool. I look like a total nerd at the swimming pool writing, but I’ve gotten over it (don’t think my kids forgive me for my nerdiness, though..ha! I’m likely a constant source of embarrassment.) :)
Margot–Your day job is a demanding one, too! My dad was a teacher, so I know. The problem with being a teacher is that there is always something to *grade*! You never feel like you have time away from the job.
Good point about the readers–they’re savvy. I think writers sometimes forget how sophisticated dedicated readers are…it shows when they write critical reviews!
Hilary–Oh, my *memory* is shot! Absolutely shot. I’m completely absent-minded on this writing schedule. So *everything* goes on my calendar…and I sync my calendar with my phone so I carry it with me everywhere. Even the dog’s heartworm meds are on the thing…everything.
If we write series, it’s MUCH easier. So much is already established with book 2 and book 3 (or in my case, book 4) in a series that it makes it a cinch.
suz–Congratulations! That’s fantastic news! I’m so glad to hear that you’ve found the blog helpful. :) And you’re writing cozies, too..yay!
Diane–And that’s probably ideal–have books waiting in the wings to come out!
Laura–Thanks! I didn’t mention it because I try hard to make sure the two don’t collide–my family tends to get VERY jealous of the writing if it takes me away from them. I have it all done by the time the kids get home and WAY done by the time my husband is home from work. Yeah, they don’t like to see me on the laptop…ha!
Yes, the deadlines can be terrifying (although I know my editors would work with me…but really, it’s a whole production team that’s waiting–marketing, art department, etc.) but motivating. And I’m now writing books on my own, too…of course, they come second to the ones I’m already paid for!
Alex–I hope you change your mind about that! And I know all the other stuff you do…a book a year is remarkable, considering your brutal schedule.
Journaling Woman–Seeing how quickly you did A-Z, I think you’d be a natural for that pace!
P A Wilson–Yes, they always overlap. I’ve found that I can edit on one and draft another, outline one and draft another…but I’ve tried several times and failed to draft 2 books for 2 different series at the same time. That DID burn me out.
Pushing ourselves is a good idea. And maybe also knowing when to back off! It takes me a while to realize that something I’m doing isn’t working for me.
J. Hall-Swadley–And with nonfiction and scholarly/academic? You really can’t keep the same pace. There’s just SO much research and fact-checking that goes into it. In fact, the pace you’re going right now is brutal. I rarely do personal appearances since it’s tough for me to leave my family, expensive, and–well, it stresses me out, since I’m such an introvert.
I think your next project needs to be a coffee table book on exotic beaches! Ha! I’m with you on the pina coladas. :)
Jaleh–My favorite writers publish a book a year…and I totally understand! But my son, on the other hand, is not as patient of a reader as I am. He asked me to DM one of his favorite authors on Twitter to see if they were working on the next book! (No worries…I explained to him how long it took for books to hit the market and that I wasn’t DMing anyone!)
Carol–The interruptions are annoying! During primary time with the elections, the phone rang so much that I took it off the hook (figured the schools had my cell phone number.)
Di Eats the Elephant–I have that book on my bookshelf! Love it. :)
You’re right about the publication schedule–they’d have to trickle it out. The closest my books have ever come out in a series are 5 months apart.
The Daring Novelist–Exactly. I’m planning on self-pubbing a book in November–if I can! I think that my schedule with Penguin slows down after August.
Yes, if I don’t get the stories down on paper, they still come. And the characters start talking to me (I’ll think, oh, Lulu would think this is so funny! It makes you feel like you’re losing your mind!)
You are really an inspiration, Elizabeth. Do you have set periods of time during the day when you write? And set times when you work on other things? Sometimes it seems like I have so much to do that I can’t fit it all in. I wonder if setting a schedule for doing writing, then a time period for each other thing on my list would help — and if I’d even be able to adhere to it.
I am sloooooow – but I’m starting to realize that part of my problem is fear of the next step. Once I jump that hurdle, hopefully I’ll pick up.
I still don’t know if I could do 4 in a year – 2 maybe!
Helen–I do have a schedule that I try to stick to–I’ll write first thing in the morning when I get up (and I get up over an hour before everyone in my house). Then I write again in the carpool line outside the high school. :) Once it’s part of the routine, you don’t have to think too much about it.
Wow, four in a year. I am in awe. I have to stick to a time span to write in or my monkey-mind makes me unproductive.
Excellent summary, Elizabeth. I enjoyed seeing how another author copes.
I too write 3 books a year. I love doing it, but I don’t enjoy the overlapping and jumping in and out of different stories, for the editing, proofing, etc.
Maybe there is one more point to mention in the Good Things list: I find I do the actual writing for each book more quickly ie hours spent are fewer, because I don’t have to re-read and backtrack as much and know where I am in the story.
When I wrote as well as having a day job (brutally hard, isn’t it?) I had to reorient and re-read before contining, so each book took more actual author hours.
Happy writing, everyone!