Writerly tales

[deborahjross]

janni put out a call for the sharing of writerly tribulations and triumphs:
So I'm putting out a call for writers--at all stages of their careers--to talk about the roadbumps, the setbacks, the rough times. Because we all need to see that too, and too often we don't. And if we all do this at the same time, maybe admitting to having imperfect careers will be less daunting, too.

Here's what I wrote: I sold my first professional short story in 1982, when my first child was small. It went to an anthology, that turned into an annual event, and the editor really liked my work, so for the next chunk of years, I'd write 2 or 3 shorts and a novel, would sell most of the shorts to that same editor, zilch on the novels.

Then several things happened. I realized I was in danger of becoming a one-editor writer for a fairly specialized market. I joined a local writers group that had a bunch of Clarion grads and other critique-skillful people. I'd networked enough at cons to set a strategy for getting an agent: make up a dream list, get an offer, call the agent at the top of the list.

The critique group tore apart my current attempt at a novel. I went home, cried, screamed, set aside my pride, came back, asked for one-syllable-word explanations, worked my tail off on craft. Eventually, that book (the 6th or 7th I'd written, depending on how you count partials/rewrites) became my first sale. Got the offer (after a 2-year wait), called the agent of my dreams -- hooray! Seems my writer friends had been telling him about me and he'd been waiting for me to have a project he could represent. In the meanwhile, I started selling shorts to top markets like ASIMOV'S, F & SF, the second STAR WARS antho, and lots of others. In other words, I'd broken out of the one-editor trap.

Fast forward through a poorly-selling 2nd novel, a bad decision to not change my byline for the third (this was in the prelude to a personal meltdown that lasted several years, so I was not exactly rational), then a long dark stretch. Sold a few shorts, some of them among my best work, kept slowly healing as I struggled with being a single working mom with a troubled teen.

Then came one of those amazing breaks that sometimes happen. The chance to work on a Darkover novel with Marion Zimmer Bradley, a dear friend who'd stood by me through the hard times. I don't have words for the gratitude for that boost back to writing novels. I would have eventually gotten there, but it would have been much, much harder.

Yes, there have been many frustrations since then, trying to work in my original novels, endless delays with editors (more 2-year waits, now on option books), no luck with several novels written in the "gap" time. But just knowing someone believed in me -- enough to ask me to come play in her world -- still shines as a beacon of hope in my life.

Now I edit as well as write, and occasionally get to be the beacon myself.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

What you say about not changing the byline when the second novel didn't do well, and a similar comment by someone responding to Janni's post makes me pretty fearful: so a poorly selling book is basically the kiss of death for the name on the cover?

I would hate that... I mean, I'd hate for my own name to feel ruined... makes me wonder if I should have about twenty pseudonyms lined up (though I'm not persuaded I'll ever have a marketable novel, in any case, but just imagining that I might...)

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

The problem then, and I assume now, was that print runs were determined in large part by pre-orders from large chains, which used computer tracking of previous sales. So any dip in sales from the previous book results in successively smaller orders. The way around that is a change in author name (so the computer doesn't recognize you). Another way to look at the request for a change in name is that the publisher/editor loves your work and wants to give it a fresh new chance.

Or, if you switch to a less-well-selling genre for a book or two, you may want to start a second name to keep the career figures separate.

Small press, e-publishing, podcasting are, again as far as I can tell, immune. As is short fiction.

Them's the breaks, but the bottom line is to write what's in your heart. Who knows what will happen in the future? There are plenty of writers who keep their names and weather the market storms.

In my case, the name change (from Wheeler to Ross) paralleled not only a switch from science fiction to fantasy (after a gap), but a legal name change as well. If I find it necessary to do it again, I have a couple of alternatives, using old family names, all ready.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Thanks--this is a real eye-opener.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

And what was the story with the third novel? It did get published, I'm guessing, yes?

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Third through fifth were the first Darkover trilogy. After Marion died, I basically had to prove to the publisher I could carry through with the story, her voice, etc. They loved what I did, so I was able to sell 3 more on proposal (1 in print, 1 about to be turned in), as well as 3 original fantasy books (2 turned in, still waiting for editorial feedback).

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that portion of the story had a good ending from a publishing perspective--though Marion's death must have been a horrible thing :-(