Published authors and percentage income

[Gary Compton]

Originally Posted by springs1971

Normally I'd think you had a point here, Gary, but he (the lovely Terry) really is a bit - um - hard to read (IMHO) and would, I suspect, hide between his hands as he read the feedback if he was on the critiques board here.

I guess popular doesn't always mean good, but it does mean successful if you take sales as the parameter.

Haha, I've won the argument. He's apparently published. If he'd been self-published he would've hired an editor, had it proof read and made reading it like having a peanut butter sandwich.

[Boneman]

Originally Posted by Gary Compton

Aye it was awful for you but maybe for others it was slendiferous

True: wouldn't do for us all to like the same things. There's nowt so queer as folk... (can I say that these days?)

[Gary Compton]

No you cant say it.

This is a family friendly forum...wait the wife's waving my copy of Hello magazine at me. What he said folk - uh!

Sorry Bonehead I'm wrong but I usually am

[Boneman]

Originally Posted by Gary Compton

No you cant say it.

This is a family friendly forum...wait the wife's waving my copy of Hello magazine at me. What he said folk - uh!

Sorry Bonehead I'm wrong but I usually am

I laughed aloud at that!

[Gary Compton]

I have been diagnosed as often humorous.

The doctor, who specializes in schizophrenia said I was definately funny.

[springs]

All the time? Or only on occasion.... a halfway house perhaps?

[Gary Compton]

Originally Posted by springs1971

All the time? Or only on occasion.... a halfway house perhaps?

All the time

[Boneman]

Both of you?


sorry, thread-killing....

[psychotick]

Hi,

I've actually got some of Terry Goodkind's stuff on my shelves, and I quite like it.

As for six weeks to write a book, that's slow. I wrote a 73k novel 'Pawn' in three weeks. (Unfortunately it's now been a month in editing which is rather slowing things down, but it should be out in another couple of weeks). However, when I checked I found that even that was a slow day at the office. I googled one guy who wrote a 96k novel in two weeks. He had to, something to do with publishing deadlines. I haven't read it or him, so can't say if it's good or not, but it's still impressive.

Cheers, Greg.

[Gary Compton]

That's impressive Psychotick, have you links to your work.

[AnyaKimlin]

I agree it depends on writing speed, but it doesn't take me 6 weeks to write a first draft. I've written three since the start of NaNo and now have a detective series needing rewriting and editing.

I am cursing milk on my keyboard - which means it is now resting in peace. This has been a great discussion.

My detectives are something I am seriously considering self publishing, because it isn't LGBTQ, fantasy or romance and my main two characters are gay. (Oh and I have another gay couple, a lesbian couple and a transexual, amongst others lol) Friends who have tried to get similar works have been asked to tone them down. (My boys are not getting toned down lol)

My main fantasy is butting up against not being futuristic or historical.

My other fantasy should be pedestrian enough and is the story that stands the better chance with an agent.

[Anne Lyle]

Originally Posted by AnyaKimlin

My detectives are something I am seriously considering self publishing, because it isn't LGBTQ, fantasy or romance and my main two characters are gay. (Oh and I have another gay couple, a lesbian couple and a transexual, amongst others lol) Friends who have tried to get similar works have been asked to tone them down. (My boys are not getting toned down lol)

You just need to find the right publisher. Most of the central characters in my historical fantasy are non-straight, and Angry Robot had no problem with that; one of my friends who writes about a lesbian werewolf private eye has been published by small press Queered Fiction who, unsurprisingly, focus on LGBTQ characters.

I would second the comment that speed of writing has little to do with quality. If someone is writing full time and is a good typist, it's no big deal to put out 3-5k of competent prose in a day, which means one can write a novel draft in 4-6 weeks.

For someone like me who is a discovery writer, that initial draft has to be followed by extensive revision, whereas someone else might precede their draft with extensive outlining - either way, start to finish it takes a lot longer than it seems. There's also the time you spend prior to writing the story, jotting down notes or letting ideas mull in your subconscious, even whilst you're working on another project.

If a book written in six weeks is bad, it's probably because the writer is a) not that good in the first place and b) had no time to revise the initial draft to make up for lack of raw brilliance.

[Scarfy]

Originally Posted by Anne Lyle

a lesbian werewolf private eye

Best. Main Character. Ever.

[Mr Turtle]

Originally Posted by Scarfy

Best. Main Character. Ever.

Seconded!

[AnyaKimlin]

Originally Posted by Anne Lyle

You just need to find the right publisher. Most of the central characters in my historical fantasy are non-straight, and Angry Robot had no problem with that; one of my friends who writes about a lesbian werewolf private eye has been published by small press Queered Fiction who, unsurprisingly, focus on LGBTQ characters.
.

Yes both are fantasy/paranormal Angry Robot is prejudiced against this story because it isn't fantasy lol

Things are improving, but the nature of my story means it faces an additional barrier. (It is a full blown cosy mystery set in a small market town). I have already decided I'd rather self publish if it looks like agents/publishers won't accept my characters without watering them down.