Yes, I know it’s almost a year away. But time flies, as they say, and now is the time to start getting serious. Personally, I’ll start setting aside money now in an account dedicated to my writing career. If I can set aside $100 per month, I’ll have more than enough to go to Gold, and maybe some extra for online classes, reference books, or great novels by our award-winning RMFW writers.
$25 a week. That’s it. What does that really mean? A few Starbucks. Less than $4 a day. Not a lot of money, but it can make the difference between advancing your writing career and just spinning your wheels.
You say you want to self-publish, but you don’t need no stinkin’ workshops? Okay, that might be true, but I wouldn’t bet a career on it. You still have expenses you should plan for, starting with a high-quality book cover. There’s also the fact that a professionally edited manuscript is much more likely to avoid nasty reviews and potentially later catch the eye of an agent or editor. Those pesky typos, grammatical errors, or developmental issues will ruin any chance you have of becoming a bestselling author. And formatting—if you’re not tech-savvy—is worth hiring someone good. I’ve recently purchased several award-winning novels with surprisingly bad formatting. The writing is great, but it’s a shame the formatting gets in the way. Don’t let that be you.
Then there are marketing costs. It doesn’t matter if you self-publish or are traditionally published, you’ll still have to do some marketing. Facebook ads. BookBub. Traveling to book signings. Giveaways on your website or at conferences. Printing copies of your books.
In short, you need money, honey. It’s easier to put it away a little at a time for me, but maybe you have a rich Aunt Agnes who wrote you into her will? Or maybe you have another job that leaves you with lots of disposable income? Not me. I don’t expect any big windfalls, though I’d love a nice, fat advance (yes, I know, it’s a bit of a dream, but I’m sticking with it). I don’t think any writer ever knows it all, and we can all learn more. In my opinion RMFW’s Colorado Gold is the best investment I’ve ever made—and continue to make—in my career.
Think about it. Decide if you think your career is worth the investment, and how much you want to invest.
And Write On!
Such a timely message, Terri! I blame Disney for a lot of this–you know, the Cinderella Complex,. It causes not only downtrodden stepchildren to wish for a Fairy Godmother (or Godfather), but also authors to wish (and wait) for an agent, editor, or an enthusiastic group of fans to wave their magic wands and make us wealthy beyond our dreams. It’s not fair singling out Disney, though. Many movies depict the erstwhile artist, writer, wedding planner, B&B proprietor, etc. etc. who struggle long and hard, but eventually end up amazingly successful. Your advice to take control of our own destinies is right on!
I hear so many writers say “I can’t afford that…” when it comes to conference or other education opportunities, and I just want to say, “But if you really want to sell books, good books, you have to make sure you know the craft – and there are also real costs to self-publishing.” None of it is free – not really. I haven’t managed to find that magic wand, or the EASY button everyone keeps talking about!
As usual, you offer practical advice in compelling fashion. Thank you. I couldn’t agree more with your point about investing in RMFW and Colorado Gold. What a remarkable return.
An investment in RMFW is indeed money well spent. And, Terri, the many writing workshops which you facilitate in Grand Junction are also extremely valuable for those of us who live and work on the Western Slope.
I don’t think any writer ever knows it all, or can’t learn something new. When I started doing the Western Slope Workshops, I had no idea how many writers there were over here. I have gotten so much from the workshops here, and in Denver. I know that if I wasn’t taking the classes, I wouldn’t be growing as a writer. I see the results in the requests for reads from agents and editors that I never would have gotten a first look from, let along a 2nd, before the workshops. Thanks!