Feb. 24, 2006
Like most writers, I have an internal dialogue/monologue going on. Imaginary conversations with people, if you will.

I have a new editor for a publication, and I sent off my first piece to him today, and I had a conversation in my head with him.

"Oh, I've heard about you. You're the novelist."

"Yeah, that's me."

"Most of us here want to write a novel someday."

"Well, good luck with that. It's hard to make it work. It's a tough, tough business."

"Exciting, though."

"Sure, but I haven't really figured out how to make money at it."

"Maybe you will with this next one."

"Maybe."

Sigh. I'm actually feeling pretty optimistic about it, but the fact is, this IS a tough, tough business. There's a lot of competition, a lot of background noise, the profit margins are actually quite low for everybody concerned, especially the novelist, and the costs of marketing and promotion eat into that in a big way.

Once upon a time I thought all I had to do was write a good book and publish it and I'd be all set. I found out how hard it was to get a book published. Then I found out how hard it is to get people to buy it. Then I found out how much work is involved in getting those relatively few to buy it.

It's an odd treadmill, in some ways. I'd love for authors with more success to speak out--PJ, Joe, Eric, you out there? Does it get any easier?

It's like, well, the writing doesn't really get easier, but you have more of a track record to draw on to carry you through the project.

Presumably over the course of several books you build up some sort of audience that's interested in your future books, especially if you can get books on the shelves on a regular enough basis.

Sometimes I feel like I'm practicing football, slamming my shoulders against the tackle sled as hard as I can, saying, "Yeah, it moved! I'm sure it did!"

Only sometimes I think that sled is a boulder. Or worse, the Great Wall of China.

"It moved! I'm sure it did!"

Best,
Mark Terry