How much does a publishing contract cost?

So you're a wanna-be bestseller. No big contract. No agent. Only an unpublished manuscript and dream. Publishers won't give you the time of day because you don't have an agent. Agents won't give you the time of day because they are only picking up clients at writers conferences, and even then, only the ones who have done some things and know some people and have a proven track record with a self-published book are making the cut. What things do you need to do? What people do you need to know? Just how much does a publishing contract cost anyway?

Things you need to do yearly:

1. Attend a workshop
2. Attend a conference
3. Join a local writer's group
4. Join a national writer's group
5. Establish a web presence
6. Book promotion

People you need to know (no specific names):

1.  book reviewers
2. librarians
3. writer's group presidents/ vice presidents
4. established authors with agents and contracts
5. mentor authors

Now let's talk numbers:

Average workshop cost $75-200
Average conference cost $300-500
Local writer's group dues $20-100
National writer's group dues $80-400
Website (not optimized) $100-200
Book promotion $500-1,000

Okay, math people - not me, that's what calculators are for - let's see what this all adds up to. If you factor in just 1 workshop and 1 conference per year, joining 1 local and 1 national group per year, and only promoting 1 book per year, you come up with:

$1,075 - $2,400 / year.....just to put yourself out there in hopes of talking to the right person who will lead you to the right event with all the stars aligned in your favor.

Oh, but it gets better. This blog post is full of sunshine, isn't it?

50% of all published authors (non-NY) make an average of only $500/book. Kinda disheartening.

Okay, very disheartening.

But there is light at the end of this dark, depressing tunnel. It will pay off. The system is set up to weed out all but the best writers. The good news is that great writers are making great money. They put themselves out there, got the attention of an agent, landed the big contract, and now they are living the dream. If you believe in your writing and invest in yourself, then it will happen for you eventually.

The best thing you can do is accept that you will have to spend money (or be a very smooth talker) until you land an agent. Getting the agent is essential. Whenever I think about how much money I've spent versus how little money I've earned so far, I remind myself that this is how much an agent costs. And repeat.

Agents are expensive these days. I still don't have one. And I'm still spending more money than I make as a writer. But I have hope. I pray every day, and I know that writing is my calling. God is going to make a way. Hang in there, writer friends.

Beware of those who try to scam writer hopefuls. If there is any 1 specific area I would recommend spending your limited dollars, it would be attending a conference and scheduling time with an agent.

Until then, I'll pray for you and you pray for me. Keep the faith!

In touch with Tamera Alexander

Who is Tamera Alexander? To be frank, she's my #1 competition in the romance market. As in #1 bestselling on Amazon. Not to mention, she holds the title of USA Today Bestselling author.

One day.....

A writer can dream, right?

Let's meet her formally:

"Tamera Alexander is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous books, including A Lasting Impression, A Beauty So Rare, To Whisper Her Name, and From a Distance. Her richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide, as well as multiple industry awards.

These awards include two Christy Awards for Excellence in Christian fiction, two RITA awards for Best Inspirational Romance, three Gayle Wilson Awards of Excellence, two Bookseller’s Best Awards, and being listed among Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction, among others. 

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville where they enjoy life with their two adult children who live nearby, and Jack, a precious—and precocious—silky terrier."

For more about Tamera, please visit her website at: www.tameraalexander.com

A few things we have in common:

1. We both have Southern roots.
2. We both have two children.
3. We both have a beloved dog named Jack.

 "Bestseller Alexander will delight fans..."
~ Publishers Weekly about A Beauty So Rare 

Blurb:

Eleanor Braddock—plain, practical, no stunning Southern beauty—knows she will never marry. But with a dying soldier’s last whisper, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America—and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor down a far different path—building a home for destitute widows and fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor. 

 

Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground—and a love neither of them expects.

But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.

Buy the Book: Amazon

For a few, precious hours my novel, HOLDEN, ranked higher than hers on Amazon. Still, I'm pleased to be holdin' in there 15 slots away at #16.

Book Royalty

New York has long been considered capital of the literary world, but one of the greatest book influencers of all-time comes from the small, Texas town of Hawkins, catapulting unknown authors to bestseller stardom and leaving quite a windblown wake from all the pages turning so fast.

Sure, it helps a writer's career to be preceded by fame and have some nice connections, but there are also the stories of regular joes who made it to the big time on a twist of fate - writers like Amanda Hocking and John Locke of the eBook platform and mothers, J. K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. My favorite is Colleen Hoover, a single mom and social worker from East Texas, who became an eBook millionaire in just a few months.

All of these prolific authors relied on reviews and word-of-mouth to send their sales soaring. The same remains true for all writers. It's the bread and butter of the industry. Every time my novels hit #1 on Amazon in category, it's been the direct result of a feature of ENT (eReading News Today). I'd like to talk about a book reviewer and influencer of epic proportions, a woman so important in the book world she's been featured on Oprah.

Kathy L. Murphy owns Beauty and the Book in Hawkins, Texas and founded the Pulpwood Queens Book Club in 2000. Since then, she's made history over and over again. Oprah, Diana Sawyer, and Good Morning America are just a few of the many heavy hitters who have covered the world's first and only beauty salon/ book store. Media darling, Kathy, launched her book club - Pulpwood Queens - from her salon, which now boasts 550+ chapters around the WORLD! Their mission is to "promote authors, books, literacy, and reading all while having some BIG TIME FUN!" 

Whatever she does, she does it big. Big book signings, big literacy events, big hair! Okay, I added that last one. Her influence and the club's popularity launch writers careers. She showcases writers and treats them like royalty. I haven't had the pleasure of getting picked up by Kathy and her crew yet, but a writer can always dream. In the meantime, I'm just grateful that there are people like Kathy in this world who are so willing to help little-known writers like me. 

I salute you, Kathy, and all the Pulpwood Queens and other influencers who pick the jewels from piles of rocks and put them on display for all to see. It's no wonder your tiaras are so stunningly adorned!