Writing One Book A Year: You Need Your Cake and Eat It Too
An agent friend of mine who teaches seminars for writers strongly advocates that writers produce one book per year to build their brand but then laments that when their writers start doing this, the quality of the books often goes down. The agent makes me laugh (in a good way, as in a contradiction, because the agent is a wonderful person and an incredible seminar leader – so no chiding coming from this side). I want to look at this idea that all (writers, agents, editors, and publishers) are fraught with this expectation that they can have their cake and eat it too, which they can. Still, they all need to be aware of the one criterium required of this publishing expectation (write an incredible book and write an excellent book once per year), which only works if the writer annually produces what in the industry is called a breakout book. I will take the side that every book a writer writes should have the components of a breakout book (though not all achieve that based upon factors they can’t control, things I’ve addressed in previous essays). I take my contrary stand that a book should not be released until it is a breakout book, whether it takes a year to write or ten. I’ve just thrown publishing schedules and egos way wonkers, but I accept causing this disruption.
The end-all of the quality of any book falls solely on the shoulders of the writer.
There. I’ve said it.
Two facts remain boldly clear: it is difficult for most books to get published traditionally today, and continuing to be published is a nightmare. It doesn’t get any easier. And it all falls on the writer. Every book released must be a breakout book.
So, writers, what do we do about it? Two things I advise: release no manuscript before it is indeed pristine (that means even if you miss a deadline – oh, my, gosh, I can’t believe he just said that), and make everything that you release pristine only (that means to make every work the best you can make it, possibly following the guidelines I’m including daily in these essays (https://claystafford.com/newsletter) and also the information from all the incredible authors at Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference (https://www.killernashville.com/) if you plan attending that one year.
Sales come from the manuscript and the manuscript alone. They do not come from the size of your advertising budget, the look of your cover, or even your publisher.
Trust me on this. Follow my essays as I share how you take control despite everything working against you. This is a message of both hope and control. You can do it. By developing the skills needed, you have the power.
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