Michael Allen - A Writer's Guide To Everything Important - The Omnibus Edition Of Seven Essential Guides For Fiction Writers

We might try out a number of combinations of these, and see how they look in the light of experience. So, for instance, we might say that

S (success) :: T (talent)

Which means that the more talented you are, the more successful you inevitably become.

This is nice and simple, but unfortunately it is complete nonsense. There are lots of talented people about who are not successful (some of them, I dare say, are reading this book); and, conversely, there are lots of writers whose talent is barely discernible but who are very successful indeed. (You have your list; I have mine.)

So, to say that S :: T is clearly unacceptable, and we need to refine our formula a little further. We might try, for instance:

S :: T + HW (hard work)

One can continue with almost endless permutations, such as:

S :: T + HW + WYK (who you know)

And so on ad infinitum. But none of these is ultimately satisfactory, at least to me; they all seem to me to be based on false assumptions.

As far as I am concerned, there is only one formula which embodies the truth about the relationship between writers and success, and that is this:

S :: C

Which means, to remind you, that success varies according to C. And what, you ask, is this mysterious C? Well, it isn’t the speed of light, as in Einstein’s equation E=mc2. What C stands for, in this context, is Circumstance.

And what is the definition of Circumstance?

Circumstance is a factor which some might call chance, fate, luck, serendipity, or karma. But none of those words conveys the necessary flavour of the word Circumstance in relation to writing.

The right and proper definition of the term Circumstance, in the context of our formula for success, is this: everything that you cannot control, or even influence.

Consider the case of Harry Potter. The first person of any consequence, in publishing terms, who read the name Harry Potter was the receptionist in the office of literary agent Christopher Little. But did J.K. Rowling know anything about that receptionist? Of course not. Did she even know much about the agency? I suspect not. But it was that receptionist who drew the book to her boss’s attention. Pure chance.

Christopher Little then submitted Harry Potter to every publisher in London. Only to find that no one wanted the book. Except one firm. And even they had no great faith in it, because they only paid £2,500 for it. And yet this please note, was the reception afforded to a book which has generated hundreds of millions -- whether you’re talking dollars or pounds doesn’t matter, because the income is so huge.

There are, I suggest, not only good reasons for supposing that our formula for success (S :: C) is valid and true, but there are also substantial benefits to be gained from keeping it ever in mind.

The main thing to understand is that there is no point in getting yourself into an uproar over matters that you cannot control. Or even influence.

As far as self-publishing in ebook form is concerned, you certainly cannot guarantee that your self-published ebook will be a massive success in terms of sales. Roughly speaking, 95% of the ebook sales in any given year come from 5% of the books. I’m pretty sure that some of my own short stories have never sold a single copy, but I don’t check on them obsessively. I just put stuff out there and let it go on its karmic way. I advise you to do the same.

I hope that the main message that you will take away from this ebook is that you can’t control the outcome of any writing endeavour, but you can control the process. And controlling the process is the matter to which we now turn our attention.

PART 4: Getting your career under control

This ebook concerns itself with career planning for writers – insofar as such a thing is possible.

As I said at the beginning, career planning – in the usual sense of the term – is not something that a fiction writer can sensibly undertake: there are two many variables which are totally out of your control. If you were in any doubt about that, I hope that the S :: C exposition in the previous section has made the point clear.

However… that does not mean that you can’t make some sort of loose plan of campaign which will help you to achieve your ambitions (or some of them) without making yourself ill in the process.

Sections 4.1 and 4.2, to begin with, provide some useful background. Later in Part 4 I shall turn to the business of setting goals and deciding how those goals can best be achieved.

4.1 The pro-am approach

Demos is an organisation which describes itself as Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank.

In 2004 Demos published a report entitled The Pro-Am Revolution. This can be downloaded free from the internet in pdf format.

And what exactly is a pro-am?

A pro-am, in Demos terms, is someone who works to professional standards, and may well get paid at a professional rate. But the pro-am is no one’s employee. She does whatever work she chooses, when she chooses, for the love of it, and for the satisfaction of doing a fascinating job. But she probably earns her living doing something else.

The Demos report showed that, even ten years ago, pro-ams were making significant contributions in a number of fields, as varied as astronomy, theatre, and open-source software. ‘The 20th century,’ said the report, ‘was shaped by the rise of professionals. But now a new breed of amateurs has emerged….’

I hope that the attraction and relevance of this approach to writing are immediately apparent to you. For myself, I can only say that I was operating as a pro-am for several years before the Demos report appeared.

In 1999 I decided, for a variety of reasons, that I had had enough of traditional publishing; and I could already see that POD techniques meant that I no longer needed either agent or publisher. Instead of treading the well worn traditional path, I started a small publishing company. This I used chiefly as a vehicle for my own work; the books were published in trade-paperback format, using various pen-names according to each novel’s genre.

As a result of long experience in writing, publishing, and printing, I was in a position to ensure that I could write, design, and oversee the printing of trade paperbacks to a fully professional standard.

Did I get rich or famous? No, of course not. But I had a lot of fun, and met some interesting people. I did succeed in selling a limited number of copies of each book, chiefly to the UK library trade. Because of the low set-up cost of modern POD technology, most books generated a modest profit. And I know that the books were read, because some of them were reviewed, and because I received income from the UK’s scheme for paying a small royalty every time a book is borrowed from a public library.

Since 2008 or so, I have abandoned the use of paper publication and have instead issued all my new work, and much of my old, in Kindle format. But it’s still a pro-am approach.

This pro-am attitude currently brings me a regular monthly payment from Amazon. Not a lot – usually in the low three figures – but it’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Last month I got 16 pence from the Japanese branch of Amazon (= about 27 cents US). No idea how this money was earned, but I stuck it in my pocket quite cheerfully. And whatever publication of mine generated that amazing sum, it was, I can assure you, a professional piece of work.

4.2 Ambition: the dangerous motivator

Over a period which stretches back fifty years now, I have met a considerable number of writers; and the one outstanding characteristic which nearly all these writers have had in common is their immensely powerful ambition.