tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post690043967361055100..comments2024-03-20T02:49:17.606-07:00Comments on Between Fact and Fiction: The Price Of Putting Monetary Value On Your Creative WorkNatalie Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978251567306345129noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-21883574960629320162011-11-12T17:17:14.786-08:002011-11-12T17:17:14.786-08:00It surprised me too all the things that I wasn'...It surprised me too all the things that I wasn't expecting that smacked me upside the head. And you're not done yet. Wait till the book comes out. Sheesh.amberargylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05058327741777322247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-63624772756513829822011-11-10T14:36:10.905-08:002011-11-10T14:36:10.905-08:00Thank you for this wonderful post. As always, your...Thank you for this wonderful post. As always, your honest and forthrightness is SO amazing and SO appreciated. As Kristan said, you say what everyone else is thinking (or afraid to say) with such eloquence. THANK YOU! And thanks too for the glimpse of what it's *really* like :)Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14315988741446180628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-57919437343951856912011-11-04T08:49:41.392-07:002011-11-04T08:49:41.392-07:00Great post, Natalie. You know how true it is, the ...Great post, Natalie. You know how true it is, the grass always looks greener...at least until you get up close and see it still needs to be cut, and fertilized, and it will still make you sneeze (at least if you're me). ;-)J.R. Johanssonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02671109654769467131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-69624478784551549482011-11-04T05:51:38.671-07:002011-11-04T05:51:38.671-07:00First time here and I like the simplicity of your ...First time here and I like the simplicity of your page/blog design.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations on receiving your advance, big or small.Peaches Ledwidgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13406881743264774589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-37869668817040238872011-11-03T11:08:02.649-07:002011-11-03T11:08:02.649-07:00I think John Green received an advance of about $8...I think John Green received an advance of about $8,000 for Looking for Alaska, if I remember correctly. He did a whole post on big advances and royalties and all that fun publishing stuff some time ago. It's okay to start out small, and slowly build your way up to the big bucks. I'd rather have it that way than the other, er, way around. I'm not sure I'll ever get paid to write at all. Eh, I pay myself in chocolate anyway.Lisa Aldinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05423334732254639943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-55695316106996918712011-11-03T05:13:13.132-07:002011-11-03T05:13:13.132-07:00There's a saying that I like, "Comparison...There's a saying that I like, "Comparison is the thief of joy." It's completely true, especially in the world of writers and varying deals. Once again, I appreciate your candor.Tara Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11208796472061806391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-13607899497856305042011-11-03T04:59:05.200-07:002011-11-03T04:59:05.200-07:00I also really appreciate your honesty here - I thi...I also really appreciate your honesty here - I think it's a great post. I've tried extremely hard not to think about that gremlin sitting just out of sight on my shoulder back there, but I know he's there waiting.<br /><br />4,700 words in to my first draft, I'll let him skulk about a bit longer before I worry about him too much, but it's been a useful reminder to be forewarned about him!N.R. McLarenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04931379991567946934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-30703953873780393352011-11-03T01:11:21.711-07:002011-11-03T01:11:21.711-07:00I really love your honesty and your willingness to...I really love your honesty and your willingness to expose how human you are to the rest of us. I'm a long way from writing for publication but I can really relate to how you felt.<br /><br />Oh, and I don't think I ever said, "Congratulations! It couldn't have happened to a nicer person!" so I'll say that now.fairyhedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14141089706966852951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-35447347961995235952011-11-02T19:40:11.908-07:002011-11-02T19:40:11.908-07:00Really wonderful post. I am certain you are not t...Really wonderful post. I am certain you are not the only writer to experience these feelings. I really admire your candor and as usual you inspire me. I hope you earn out your advance a thousand fold and more!Lisa Reganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899014095250160853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-10817713986881665732011-11-02T19:09:47.835-07:002011-11-02T19:09:47.835-07:00I signed with a small publisher and got a very sma...I signed with a small publisher and got a very small advance. I grumbled a bit to myself about it at first, but then I realized that it doesn't really mean anything because it's an ADVANCE ON ROYALTIES. In other words, as you pointed out, the bigger the advance, the longer until you got any royalty checks. A smaller advance is not less money. It's just a distribution of the money. That's it.<br /><br />It's hard not to compare things, though, but (again, as you pointed out), there isn't any meaning to be found.<br /><br />Good post!Sonjehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10155606829108266390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-73523548526738056122011-11-02T18:41:05.244-07:002011-11-02T18:41:05.244-07:00THIS. A million times THIS.
Natalie, somehow you ...THIS. A million times THIS.<br /><br />Natalie, somehow you always manage to say what everyone is thinking, or needs to hear. Thank you for putting it into such eloquent words.Kristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771013578685419826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-80115638502979143522011-11-02T18:18:57.350-07:002011-11-02T18:18:57.350-07:00Great post. I also reread this today:
http://shr...Great post. I also reread this today: <br /><br />http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/02/literary-agent-erin-murphy-success-is.html<br /><br />It's a good one, too.Stephanie Perkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01327218987542530574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-251509152787627102011-11-02T17:17:46.304-07:002011-11-02T17:17:46.304-07:00Thanks, as always, for throwing it out there. It&#...Thanks, as always, for throwing it out there. It's always nice to know there are little corners of honesty out there on the interwebz.Bryan Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09555071335245492790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-41908044960712223032011-11-02T17:00:33.688-07:002011-11-02T17:00:33.688-07:00I love your posts, Natalie. They're so honest ...I love your posts, Natalie. They're so honest it's impossible not to get something out of them.<br /><br />It's definitely weird once there's money involved. One thing I wasn't prepared for was how many people on the outside of everything have these ideas about how much "all" books sell for. <br /><br />They think book deal = insta-millions + fame and all the rest, and if you tell them otherwise, you're lying or a snob or a lying snob.Josin L. McQueinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05751043333147850336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-72697409188552492822011-11-02T16:57:22.265-07:002011-11-02T16:57:22.265-07:00Natalie, you are so good at bringing these topics ...Natalie, you are so good at bringing these topics that people shy away from into the light. You're right, nearly every writer I know suffers some kind of guilt. And I know when I sell my novel I will have whatever version coincides with the amount of the advance (or lack thereof). I'm so grateful you're mentioning something here that we all feel odd discussing. And, for what it's worth, it's pertinent to remember that some great books---John Green's "Looking for Alaska" among them---got very small advances and went on to greatness.Salimahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14575733075842373387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-80614090744580523702011-11-02T16:18:07.189-07:002011-11-02T16:18:07.189-07:00This was an honest and heartfelt post. Thank you f...This was an honest and heartfelt post. Thank you for sharing your experiences, it was really helpful.<br /><br />Something I see writers gloss over is the power of the back list in today's e-book and Amazon stocked world. I've talked to several established authors who now earn significant monthly income on their back list from discovery on their current titles.<br /><br />Thee years ago, their back lists did not make hardly any money compared to today.<br /><br />As a reader I follow this trend. I read one of Amanda Hawking's books and immediately went out and bought every ebook she had ever written. There are sometimes where I will do the same for printed books through Amazon (which will order the book if it is out of stock), but that is happening less and less because my Kindle is so much the awesome.<br /><br />I think the ebook trend is going to remove a lot of emphasis from advances to royalties.<br /><br />Sorry, will stop babbling now. This is a fascinating topic.<br /><br />I can't wait to read TRANSPARENT!Lucas Darrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01405530729663443670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-307797692894734072011-11-02T16:17:52.433-07:002011-11-02T16:17:52.433-07:00Thanks for the honesty. We're all human and ha...Thanks for the honesty. We're all human and have good and bad feelings so don't feel bad for yours. I do think about the pressure if you get a big advance. Because to be honest, I'd feel terrible if someone lost money on my book. I'd rather have a smaller advance.Natalie Aguirrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03756087804171246660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-51269743099512148492011-11-02T16:06:01.401-07:002011-11-02T16:06:01.401-07:00I have this theory. Not all amazing art, is ever a...I have this theory. Not all amazing art, is ever appreciated. One of my all time favorite shows, Chuck, never got the money. The majority of the population, for some reason doesn't like it. But, it's still the BEST. So, even though yours might no get the money, it can still be the BEST. <br /><br />Thanks for your usual honesty. ;0)Jenny S. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482342313938669366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-34879485415334307582011-11-02T16:00:25.057-07:002011-11-02T16:00:25.057-07:00I hear you. Being a teacher really helped me in no...I hear you. Being a teacher really helped me in not setting a monetary value on the work that I do:)<br /><br />Shelleystoryqueenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07039684494823420722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-3512661903286597142011-11-02T15:54:53.375-07:002011-11-02T15:54:53.375-07:00Good post. Love your honesty!Good post. Love your honesty!Kate Avery Ellisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16639363051736890588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-46171780677093167992011-11-02T15:51:12.688-07:002011-11-02T15:51:12.688-07:00You write the most amazing posts, Natalie!
I'...You write the most amazing posts, Natalie!<br /><br />I've always said that I would never want a BIG DEAL because the pressure would be too much and I would collapse beneath it. But who knows how I would react if I did sell and it was only a small advance? Something tells me I might not take it that well. We're human and we have human reactions.<br /><br />As always, thanks for the honesty!Jadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02444920778218867295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-63497601037326269042011-11-02T15:50:31.931-07:002011-11-02T15:50:31.931-07:00Very interesting post, Natalie, thank you for your...Very interesting post, Natalie, thank you for your honesty.JeffOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947660745120963286noreply@blogger.com