by Alison Janssen
I mentioned last week that I was able to see my brilliant sister Beth on a panel at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago on "Professionalization in Comics," and ever since that panel, I've had a blog post stewing. Then yesterday, I read a post on JA Konrath's blog that set me thinking even more about this.
Writers, what are your goals?
Wait, maybe I should ask it instead like this:
Writers, what do you want?
Have you asked yourself this? It's important -- you need to know in order to get it.
Have you ranked your wants? Do you know what's more important to you -- a long term career or a big first advance? Think about the following list. Maybe, if you've got a pen and paper handy (you do, right? You're a writer!), rank each on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being doesn't matter to you at all, and ten being oh gosh you'd trade your firstborn:
I want my work vetted by a publishing company, whether big four or indie.
I want my work to be a physical book.
I want my work to be an ebook.
I want an agent to represent my work.
I want to sell movie rights.
I want to be famous. (Author famous, as in a household name like James Patterson or JK Rowling, not tabloid-fodder famous, like Lindsay Lohan.)
I want to live comfortably on the money I make writing a book per year.
I want to continue publishing for the foreseeable future, whether series or standalone.
I want my work read by people I don't know -- strangers who can't claim 3 degrees of separation to me.
I want my mom/significant other/children to be proud of me in my writing career.
I want lots and lots and lots of money for my work.
I want to be paid a fair price for my work.
I want people to have access to my work in whatever format they prefer to read.
I want my work stocked on shelves in every bookstore I visit.
I want my work stocked on shelves in every bookstore, no matter if I visit or not.
I want my work in regular circulation through the library system.
I want to advertise and promote my own work, and be in control and responsible for the publicity campaigns.
I want to sell my own work, and maximize my profit while being responsible for invoices, collections, warehousing, and shipping.
I want to communicate regularly with my fans, either by attending conferences, hosting web forums, or calling in to book clubs, and keep up my communication to maintain a vibrant fan community.
I want a full page ad in the NYT showcasing my work.
I want reviews in the big four (PW, LJ, Kirkus, and Booklist).
I want reviews in major news outlets.
I want to be taught in college/high school English classrooms.
I want to be remembered.
Think about what you want. Research the best ways to make it happen. Be realistic and honest with yourself and others when you talk about your wants. Work hard, and write (and rewrite) at your best level.
None of this will happen overnight. Don't romanticize. Forge your own path, and define what success means to you first, so you can celebrate when you reach it.
