2006-01-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

So you want to be a writer, eh? If I had a pound for every time someone said that to me I'd have, well, a lot more than most writers make from their books, I can tell you.

Getting a book published, and seeing your name in print, is something that a lot of people dream about. What they don't realise is that - as hard as securing that first publishing deal is - keeping your career going (and keeping sane in the process) is even harder.

And this isn't just my experience as a published author with a successful publishing house. I know writers who have written bestsellers who are paranoid that they are going to be dropped if their last novel doesn't live up to the hype their publishers try and create. Despite the fact that so much of the success of a book is down to how the publishers market it (i.e. how much money they spend to get it into the 3 for 2 promotions). The truth is that published authors, with very few exceptions, are at the bottom of the food chain as far as publishers are concerned. Start to complain about the way you're being treated, the size of your advance, or even your cover design, and your days are numbered. And let's face it, there are loads of you out there waiting to bend over and take our places.

So I'm going to spill the beans. Tell it like it is. Leave no stone unturned... You get the picture. And if after reading this you still want to give it all up for a 'career' in publishing... Well, you're as mad as the rest of us.

Don't Give Up Your Day Job