5 things you CAN control as a traditionally published author
Most of my author friends are, like me, traditionally published, and one theme that comes up again and again in conversation is: frustration. And a sense that we don’t have control over our careers.
Published authors often feel at the mercy of the publishing house’s decisions with regards to marketing and sales, as well as staffing changes, budget cuts and shifting priorities.
As the author, when we sign that contract we are essentially ‘selling’ our book to the publisher. Which means they can do what they want with it afterwards!
And sadly, it often feels as though they don’t DO much at all… 🤨
The ONE thing I wish I had known before I got my book deal →
There are a million stories on Substack (the new haven for pissed-off authors to have a whinge) from authors who feel let down by their experience being traditionally published, and it’s always so upsetting and hard to hear.
Upsetting, but also - the brutal truth is that it’s just the way the business works. And your book is just a product - one of many, many other similar products, and the publisher’s primary responsibility is to maximise profit for their shareholders.
But this post isn’t going to be about what you can’t control as a traditionally published author, because, like I said, there’s already more than enough of that on Substack.
Today, I’m going to attempt to be more positive instead, and talk about the things you CAN control.
1) Your attitude
I’m starting with one of the most difficult things of all, but it’s something that I really do believe is fundamental to get to grips with if you’re going to survive life as a traditionally published author: your attitude.
Your attitude towards publishing, your attitude towards your own success, your attitude towards your fellow authors, your attitude towards your reviews, your sales figures, your writing… it goes on and on.
Being a published author is honestly so bloody hard on your self-esteem and mental health. I don’t think I can accurately describe what it’s like - it’s the sort of thing that you only fully understand when you have to experience it yourself.
When you feel chewed up and spat out by publishing (as sadly, many authors do!), you really have two choices: either fall apart in despair and wallow in bitterness and self-pity, OR brush yourself off and keep going. Remind yourself that you are not alone, that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that the most successful authors have long and winding careers. Ones which rarely take a linear path. There will ALWAYS be ups and downs and a setback is just that - a setback. NOT the end of your story.
So take some time to grieve whatever ambition has been lost (for the moment), and then get back to what you’re meant to be doing - writing your next book!
Also, remember that you are NOT your book. You are not just one book. Your book is an entirely separate thing from you - it’s something you’ve created, but it’s just ONE thing.
There will be many more things you create and each one is its own opportunity to create the kind of success you’ve been hoping for.
It’s also good to remember that what you see on social media from other authors is rarely the complete picture.
I think cultivating and maintaining a positive mindset is one of THE most difficult aspects of the job, in a similar way to most creative industries. My partner is a professional singer-songwriter and it’s just the same in his work: endless knockbacks and disappointments.
But you have to find ways to adjust, and to cope, otherwise you may as well give up.
If you are looking for some help with your mindset, then I’d really recommend checking out Sophie Hannah’s Dream Author coaching programme.
Her advice on dealing with the ups and downs of author life is excellent.
2) Your relationship with readers
I am quite evangelical about building a direct relationship with your readers. I think this connection is the most powerful thing you have and can truly make or break your career.
If your readers grow to love and trust and feel as though they ‘know’ you, they will follow you wherever your writing takes you.
But if they don’t really know who you even are, then there’s no loyalty there, no reason for them to remember you if in the future, you move publisher, re-brand, take a break or even decide you’d like to try the self-publishing route.
Many traditionally published authors don’t bother to invest much time in developing their relationship with their readers.
They might do some token social media from time to time, but they don’t think about setting up a newsletter, for example, preferring to leave email marketing to their publisher.
But honestly, especially when it comes to newsletters, I think this is a mistake.
Your publisher is meant to invest in the books they’ve bought from you, but not so much in YOU, as an author. So handing over your newsletter list to them is really risky.
As we’ve already discussed, many things change at publishing houses. Imprints close or get absorbed, editors leave, senior leadership teams evolve and when things like this happen, authors are often negatively affected.
It’s at this point that you may want to start discussing with your agent moving to a new publisher.
But if your existing publisher has built up a mailing list on your behalf of 1000 of your most-dedicated fans, what happens when you leave?
Nothing. You have to leave that mailing list behind, because you don’t ‘own’ the data, or the right to contact those people.
Despite the fact they wanted to hear from you!
So please, don’t offload this stuff to your publisher.
Please treat your writing career like the small, fledgling business it is, and think strategically and professionally about this stuff.
Your relationship with your readers is your most powerful marketing asset - cherish it! Nurture it! Develop it!
Invest time in it and it will pay dividends in the future when / if you choose a different publishing path.
3) Your brand / online presence
And on a similar note… one thing I really think authors can take control of is their own online presence or ‘author brand’.
Your publisher - honestly - has almost zero interest in this.
They don’t care what you look like. They don’t care ‘who you are’. They care about your book, its place in the market, and the response it gets from readers (not the response YOU get from readers - an important distinction).
Unless, of course, you get cancelled. Or suddenly become famous. LOL.
Why do you think publishers don’t routinely offer their new authors media training, despite perhaps getting you spots on panels or interviews with newspapers etc?
It’s because they don’t actually care how YOU, the author, are perceived. Especially if you write fiction.
Perhaps in non-fiction, it’s less of an issue, where your own brand is a powerful marketing asset for the publisher - but often when you are offered a non-fiction deal it’s because you have already worked so hard to cultivate your own personal brand.
Author branding is such a huge topic and I can’t do it justice here, but I do think the onus is on you to start thinking about who you are as an author when you get your book deal, and treating your author career like a business.
Which means, among other things, setting up a website and that aforementioned all-important mailing list.
How to build an author website: a step-by-step guide for authors →
Here are a few prompts to get you thinking about your readership and how you can build an online presence that would appeal to them:
What gender is your ideal client?
What age range do they fall into? (this is an important consideration as many older readers don’t use social media, but they are likely to use email)
What level of education have they achieved?
Do they have children?
How much money do they have?
If they do use social media, what platforms are they most likely to be on?
Which websites do they visit the most?
Where do they shop?
Where do they get their book recommendations from?
Where do they buy their books?
Why do they enjoy your books? What is it about them that they enjoy?
Are your authors in book clubs? Where do they like to read?
Do they read your book for pleasure, business, self-help or something else?
Are they busy people, constantly pressed for time, or do they have time to fill?
What other authors do they enjoy reading? And what do those authors’ websites look like?
What other media do your readers enjoy? Podcasts? Newspapers? Magazines?
Once you’ve got a clearer idea of who your ideal readers are, you can work towards tailoring the content of your author website to appeal specifically to them.
Remember: always, always think about your readers. Without them, your career doesn’t exist!
4) Your literary citizenship
Oh I love this term!
In case you’re not sure what it means, allow me to enlighten you. It basically means supporting your fellow authors and the literary community in general through engagement, reviews, social media support, mentoring and more…
Basically helping out your fellow authors. S’nice, right?
And even though, of course, the aims are usually altruistic, the truth is that this kind of work can really help lift you up when you’re feeling down.
How I deal with professional jealousy as a writer →
Not only because it reminds you that you’re not alone, and that there are many authors out there who may also be struggling with the rollercoaster of publishing, but also because doing stuff to help other people out just feels really good.
On that note, I have to confess that I am not the best at ‘conventional’ literary citizenship.
I am a really slow reader, which means even though I get sent tons of proofs, I don’t get the chance to blurb as often as I’d like.
I actually talked about this on Insta recently!
So I try to be a good literary citizen in other ways. For example, this blog! And my free resources for authors. And my Debut Author Club.
All of these things help me ‘give back’ but also feel part of a community that so desperately needs to exist in order to support everyone in it.
None of this has anything to do with your publisher, or your publishing deal, and everything to do with building a sustainable, positive career as an author.
Becoming a ‘known’ figure within the community will ultimately benefit you in myriad ways as your career progresses.
5) Your writing
I had to save the big, most obvious one until last!
So, the MAIN AND MOST IMPORTANT thing you can control, as a traditionally published author, is your Actual God Damn Writing!
So obvious.
Yet so true.
For those who have not read my blog before, you might not be familiar with my absolute favourite writing mantra which is:
WRITING IS ITS OWN REWARD
Writing was something you did before you got a publishing deal, and unless you are completely insane, you didn’t do it because you thought it was a great way to get rich.
You did it because you loved writing.
And you wanted to create something.
And that’s a beautiful thing. And the main, and most important thing: that no matter how your ‘career’ develops, and no matter what shit publishing throws at you, your writing will always matter most of all.
Your writing offers you endless possibilities. That’s the beauty of it.
No matter how many copies your trad-pubbed novel sells, you can always write another. And another. And another.
You can re-invent yourself, change your name, move genres, switch to non-fiction for a change, self-publish…. The possibilities are endless and the writing is always firmly in your control.
Once you have finished writing a book, no one can take that away from you. That’s YOUR achievement. And it’s a ginormous one, and you did it all by yourself.
Publishing can’t touch that fact. Ever.
So well done, and keep writing.
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