Thank you! Glad the piece moved you and happy to share what limited knowledge I have. Hopefully looking forward to sharing more exciting updates in the not-too-distant future!
Amran, this post should be read by everyone who thinks it’s easy to knock out a novel in their “spare time” - or by anyone who has stars in their eyes about writing - the stars remain, if you’re obsessed enough to keep going, as you did (I can’t wait to read your book once you and your agent find a publisher) - but really, the process itself is what makes it so great, even when things go wrong. There are so few things like it in the world, but you do have to *work*, dragging the emotional depths.
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment, Martha! I second and third everything you wrote here. You have to be a little off to pursue this endeavor with the obsession and focus it requires, and even still it's the best job I've ever had.
They're really only required if you want to try to publish with the so-called "Big Five" publishing houses. That's its own can of worms, and there are a number of oustanding indie publishers putting out great work -- and debatably superior work -- which don't require submissions by agents. It really depends on your type of project.
My book is a commercial novel, so I wanted the potential scale provided by the agent and the big house. But there's no right or wrong way to approach publishing your book. As always, focus first and foremost on creating work you love.
Thanks for this reply; I’m learning from you. Someone said to me again yesterday that I should write a book. I’m still not motivated to do it, but hearing that there are agent-less options is interesting.
There are a number of ways to approach publishing, for sure. As with anything, pros and cons. If you want to make meaningful money, you'll need to go to a Big 5 publisher, because nobody else can afford to pay a decent-sized advance. But, if you just want to publish a book, and have the support of a great editor and publishing infrastructure, then indie publishers are great. Your advance will be very small, but you'll be a bona fide traditionally published author with a professional end product.
And then of course there's self-publishing. The biggest limitation there is: how do you find readers? Had I not got an agent I would've self-published my book. And this Substack was how I was finding my readers.
Jane Friedman's website has a ton of great resources on the pros and cons of each route. Definitely research and, if you're crazy enough to write a book, trust your gut.
Honest, exhausting, and inspiring. Inside glimpses like this are critical reality checks; whenever someone tells me I should write a book, I keep posts like this in mind. If you don’t have the true passion within you, your soul will be crushed. Even with passion, it could still.
No matter what happens, I can’t wait to read your book. Good luck with the work ahead. I’m rooting for you.
Thanks, Amy! This is definitely a soul-crushing enterprise. I've done all this work just to get the agent. My lifetime revenues from book writing are $0.00, and my lifetime profits are too negative to comprehend.
But I definitely have the drive. And unlike all those other bullshit jobs I've had, I really do love this one.
Great beginning story. Thanks for sharing! I had similar experiences in the soulless corporate world with idiots who failed their way into decision-making gatekeeper positions. 🙄
Thanks, Dee! The corporate world is such a grim enterprise, populated with the worst people humanity has to offer.
Book publishing ain't profitable, and the work required stretches the limits of your sanity, but damned if it's not the most fun job I've had during my time on this dying planet.
Love the hustle! We all have our stories of almost throwing in the towel, but then an email or phone call comes in pulling us from one brink to another!😂😂😂
Congrats again! Good luck with the next steps. Looking forward to reading your book(s)!
Thanks, Jotham! And yes, there's so many moments where the obvious choice is to throw in the towel and give up. One of the most influential things I've ever read was a post by Tom Wolfe -- author of Bonfire of the Vanities -- that was sent out by CWA. The gist was this: if you're going to be stupid enough to try to write and publish a book, you can NEVER, EVER, EVER quit, no matter what.
This is my wife, ladies and gentlemen. The unwavering support is obvious!
In all seriousness, thanks Boo! Clearly I couldn't have done any of this without you. Exciting times lie ahead, and there's nobody else I'd rather have by my side for them. ❤️❤️❤️
Proud of you, dude! This is great! Can’t wait for the post about selling the novel, editing the novel, marketing the novel, what pub day feels like, and 🤞🏻what it’s like being a NY Times bestseller!
One of the things that I've discovered with this writing thing is to be stubborn and keep fucking trying. Keep submitting. Since you and I met up for coffee just a couple of weeks ago, all my stubbornness has paid off and I'm now looking at two stories that will be published in online lit mags next year.
So happy for you that you found an agent and your book will be published. I can't wait to read it!
Thanks, Kim! And yes! Legit 90% of this game is tenacity and perserverance and stubbornness and hard-headedness. Attributes I have in spades, to my wife's chagrin.
I'm so stoked to hear you're having two stories published! It's a well-deserved achievement. Keep plugging, and here's to many more!
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Am I running out of cheerleader fuel, or just realizing you don't need it anymore and I should retire my pompoms?
I'm truly honored to be a supporting cast member in your origin story. If I EVER make it as far as you have, expect plenty of accolades for the "brilliant cameo" you played in mine. 🥂
Looking forward to our collab. Ready to break stuff when you are!
Thanks, Meg! I never tire of your support, though I can't say the same for you, or the other innocent bystanders in your vicinity.
I'm looking forward to your retrospective and my role within it. Keep plugging away -- the game is 90% perserverance and 10% talent. You have more than enough of the latter, so don't get discouraged by the former.
Re: Xmas collabo, yes! Let's lay waste to the wasteland.
Congrats, Amran! This was a fantastic glimpse into the novel writing process. Can’t wait to read your book, then watch the movie adaptation, and complain that the book was better.
Enjoyed every sentence of this very inspiring post but especially your reference to your children as “two psychopaths who were augmented clones of myself.”
Looking forward to reading your novel! And congrats on landing a blood-sucker!
Thanks, Anne! It's such a surreal feeling to think my novel might be out in the world in the not-too-distant future. Assuming the book makes it to the marketplace, I can't wait to hear your feedback! It makes Field Research seem tame by comparison. :-)
Luckily, no matter what transpires, my psychopathic children will keep me humble.
Wow! What an impressive tale! Loved this inspiring piece and congratulations for learning and sharing the tricks of a writer’s trade! Well done!
Thank you! Glad the piece moved you and happy to share what limited knowledge I have. Hopefully looking forward to sharing more exciting updates in the not-too-distant future!
Amran, this post should be read by everyone who thinks it’s easy to knock out a novel in their “spare time” - or by anyone who has stars in their eyes about writing - the stars remain, if you’re obsessed enough to keep going, as you did (I can’t wait to read your book once you and your agent find a publisher) - but really, the process itself is what makes it so great, even when things go wrong. There are so few things like it in the world, but you do have to *work*, dragging the emotional depths.
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment, Martha! I second and third everything you wrote here. You have to be a little off to pursue this endeavor with the obsession and focus it requires, and even still it's the best job I've ever had.
Re-stacking this comment now!
You are very welcome, Amran. I've come to value all the people who are a little off in this way, whether or not they get published :-)
Love this! And so thrilled for you!
Thanks, Cat! Wild times ahead to be sure, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :-)
I guess if you can get an agent, I can, too. I've been resisting querying them for a while, but apparently I'm a nobody unless I have one..
They're really only required if you want to try to publish with the so-called "Big Five" publishing houses. That's its own can of worms, and there are a number of oustanding indie publishers putting out great work -- and debatably superior work -- which don't require submissions by agents. It really depends on your type of project.
My book is a commercial novel, so I wanted the potential scale provided by the agent and the big house. But there's no right or wrong way to approach publishing your book. As always, focus first and foremost on creating work you love.
Thanks for this reply; I’m learning from you. Someone said to me again yesterday that I should write a book. I’m still not motivated to do it, but hearing that there are agent-less options is interesting.
There are a number of ways to approach publishing, for sure. As with anything, pros and cons. If you want to make meaningful money, you'll need to go to a Big 5 publisher, because nobody else can afford to pay a decent-sized advance. But, if you just want to publish a book, and have the support of a great editor and publishing infrastructure, then indie publishers are great. Your advance will be very small, but you'll be a bona fide traditionally published author with a professional end product.
And then of course there's self-publishing. The biggest limitation there is: how do you find readers? Had I not got an agent I would've self-published my book. And this Substack was how I was finding my readers.
Jane Friedman's website has a ton of great resources on the pros and cons of each route. Definitely research and, if you're crazy enough to write a book, trust your gut.
Honest, exhausting, and inspiring. Inside glimpses like this are critical reality checks; whenever someone tells me I should write a book, I keep posts like this in mind. If you don’t have the true passion within you, your soul will be crushed. Even with passion, it could still.
No matter what happens, I can’t wait to read your book. Good luck with the work ahead. I’m rooting for you.
Thanks, Amy! This is definitely a soul-crushing enterprise. I've done all this work just to get the agent. My lifetime revenues from book writing are $0.00, and my lifetime profits are too negative to comprehend.
But I definitely have the drive. And unlike all those other bullshit jobs I've had, I really do love this one.
Enjoyable read. Congratulations 🎊 🎈 🍾 and good luck 🍀.
Thanks, Deanna! Hopefully the good news and celebrations will continue unabated. :-)
Great beginning story. Thanks for sharing! I had similar experiences in the soulless corporate world with idiots who failed their way into decision-making gatekeeper positions. 🙄
Thanks, Dee! The corporate world is such a grim enterprise, populated with the worst people humanity has to offer.
Book publishing ain't profitable, and the work required stretches the limits of your sanity, but damned if it's not the most fun job I've had during my time on this dying planet.
Truedat
Love the hustle! We all have our stories of almost throwing in the towel, but then an email or phone call comes in pulling us from one brink to another!😂😂😂
Congrats again! Good luck with the next steps. Looking forward to reading your book(s)!
Thanks, Jotham! And yes, there's so many moments where the obvious choice is to throw in the towel and give up. One of the most influential things I've ever read was a post by Tom Wolfe -- author of Bonfire of the Vanities -- that was sent out by CWA. The gist was this: if you're going to be stupid enough to try to write and publish a book, you can NEVER, EVER, EVER quit, no matter what.
Well, I'm plenty stubborn, and plenty stupid.
To be fair, “What the fuck are you doing, you selfish asshole” moments would have likely arisen organically agnostic of circumstances.
Very proud of you and love you very much! Can’t wait to see what the next part of this journey brings.
This is my wife, ladies and gentlemen. The unwavering support is obvious!
In all seriousness, thanks Boo! Clearly I couldn't have done any of this without you. Exciting times lie ahead, and there's nobody else I'd rather have by my side for them. ❤️❤️❤️
I have to admit, I love it when couples get all mushy with each other in an online platform.
This is only her second ever comment, and first in the public domain, so I figured I had to make a scene.
Excited for all that is to come for you my man!
Thanks, Andrew! And likewise!
I have a feeling we're going to be in this game together for a long time.
Proud of you, dude! This is great! Can’t wait for the post about selling the novel, editing the novel, marketing the novel, what pub day feels like, and 🤞🏻what it’s like being a NY Times bestseller!
Thanks, Michael! Man, I hope you're right, because I can't wait to write those posts!
I've said it many times, but having your support and working alongside you has been such a privilege. Here's to many more exciting episodes ahead.
One of the things that I've discovered with this writing thing is to be stubborn and keep fucking trying. Keep submitting. Since you and I met up for coffee just a couple of weeks ago, all my stubbornness has paid off and I'm now looking at two stories that will be published in online lit mags next year.
So happy for you that you found an agent and your book will be published. I can't wait to read it!
Thanks, Kim! And yes! Legit 90% of this game is tenacity and perserverance and stubbornness and hard-headedness. Attributes I have in spades, to my wife's chagrin.
I'm so stoked to hear you're having two stories published! It's a well-deserved achievement. Keep plugging, and here's to many more!
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Am I running out of cheerleader fuel, or just realizing you don't need it anymore and I should retire my pompoms?
I'm truly honored to be a supporting cast member in your origin story. If I EVER make it as far as you have, expect plenty of accolades for the "brilliant cameo" you played in mine. 🥂
Looking forward to our collab. Ready to break stuff when you are!
Thanks, Meg! I never tire of your support, though I can't say the same for you, or the other innocent bystanders in your vicinity.
I'm looking forward to your retrospective and my role within it. Keep plugging away -- the game is 90% perserverance and 10% talent. You have more than enough of the latter, so don't get discouraged by the former.
Re: Xmas collabo, yes! Let's lay waste to the wasteland.
Oh, I'm definitely tired. 😂
Oh, I had my 90/10 split backwards for the last 30 years. There's my problem. 🙄
Oh, yes. 😈
I love a good backstory and especially one with a good ending. Congrats!
Thanks, Julie! Fingers crossed for even more exciting twists and turns ahead!
Congrats, Amran! This was a fantastic glimpse into the novel writing process. Can’t wait to read your book, then watch the movie adaptation, and complain that the book was better.
Thanks, Carlos! I hope your prediction comes true. With any luck, the inferior film adaptation will make an appearance in Spoilers 2.
Enjoyed every sentence of this very inspiring post but especially your reference to your children as “two psychopaths who were augmented clones of myself.”
Looking forward to reading your novel! And congrats on landing a blood-sucker!
Thanks, Anne! It's such a surreal feeling to think my novel might be out in the world in the not-too-distant future. Assuming the book makes it to the marketplace, I can't wait to hear your feedback! It makes Field Research seem tame by comparison. :-)
Luckily, no matter what transpires, my psychopathic children will keep me humble.