Writing is a Business

I am asked frequently about what is one piece of advice that I would give to aspiring authors or a younger me. It’s that writing is a business, and you need to treat yours like one. Writers write books and get royalties, right? Yes, but there’s a whole business side to the process that I didn’t really grasp until I received my first publishing contract. Here’s what I learned.

1. Writing is hard work. It takes time and practice to hone your craft. You have to put in the time to get the best results. And your first draft is NEVER the final one.

2. Editors, agents, and publishers are looking for books they can sell.

3. Not every person who reads is going to buy your book or even like your book.

4. It is hard to hear not-so-positive reviews or critiques of your work. But to improve your craft, you need to learn what you can from feedback (and learn to ignore the trolls).

5. No matter how big your publisher is, you will still need to market your books and build your author platform.

6. It is hard to go it alone. Find your crew who understand the process and the writing life. Your writer friends will celebrate with you and help cheer you up. The best thing I did was to join Sisters in Crime and other writers’ groups.

7. You need to research the business and financial (tax) aspects that affect you and where you live. You may need a professional to help you with the record keeping, business licensing, and other advice.

8. Once you have publications, you need to consult your attorney about what to do with the rights and royalties after you are gone. You need a will if you don’t already have one.

9. When I treated my writing as a hobby, it was hard to get family and friends to understand that this was more than a fun project. Now, I schedule the work and appointments like I do at the day gig.

Writing is tough sometimes and writing for publication is often an adventure. But there is nothing better than seeing your name on the cover when it finally launches into the world.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Sandra Rathbone

I’d like to welcome Sandra Rathbone to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Not giving into self-doubt. The Imposter Syndrome is a such a real thing. Marketing your book is also a challenge.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with great characters. It’s my favorite part about writing.

Something you’re really good at: Drawing cartoons and playing the violin.

Something you’re really bad at: Anything athletic. I love watching baseball and the Olympics. I’m lucky to be able to walk and do a bit of yoga.

Last best thing you ate: I had a plate of corned beef, bratwurst, knockwurst, sauerkraut, pickled slaw and German potato salad at the German Festhaus at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA.

Last thing you regret eating: I had a cheese chili hotdog at a ballgame in Asheville. It was so messy. Good, but messy.

Favorite music or song: Fascination Street by The Cure

Music that drives you crazy: I am not a fan of bluegrass music, which is funny since I’m from Asheville, NC. Bluegrass is huge there.

Favorite places you’ve been: Savannah, GA (Love Leopold’s ice cream, the town squares throughout the city, and the riverwalk); Charleston, SC (Love the City Market, the houses on the East Battery, and dessert at the Peninsula Grill; Burnsville, NC (My grandparents are from there.)

Places you never want to go to again: Going south on Highway 17 to Wilmington. We were driving from the Outer Banks to Wilmington. We stopped at a gas station somewhere in between. I entered that place and felt so unwelcomed there. It was the way the locals looked at me as I made a beeline for the bathroom and made another beeline back to our car.

Favorite books (or genre): I still love to read Young Adult and Middle Grade books. There are so many wonderful authors, especially where I live which is the Piedmont Triad of NC. I’m currently reading a YA book from a North Carolina author, Elizabeth Mowery: The Unforgettable Tales of Adeline Bigsby, Book 1: Whispers in the Forest. She, too, writes about visiting other worlds and like Skelee Boy in my books, the main character Adeline (Addie) tries to fit in and make her life work going between the two worlds.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I am not a fan of romance novels. I have tried. Just not for me.

Favorite things to do: I love to watch Classic movies. I am a huge fan of Film Noir from the ‘40s and ‘50s. I love the Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe characters, especially.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Yardwork. I absolutely hate it. My mom would be ashamed to hear me admit this. She is such an avid gardener.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I conducted the NC Western Regional All-State Repertory Orchestra. One of the pieces I conducted was the “Overture to Rienzi” by Richard Wagner. I was told by other Orchestra directors not to do it. I did it. The students sounded amazing. I would do it all over again if could.

Something you chickened out from doing: I was asked to play a violin gig. The music was so difficult. When the gig came up, I had gotten the flu. Most musicians will play while they are sick. I just couldn’t do it. I had to turn it down during the first rehearsal. I wasn’t asked to play for that group again.

The funniest thing to happen to you: My students played a joke on me. I was trying to tune them, but their instruments just wouldn’t stay in tune. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. The room wasn’t cold (a nightmare for string instruments.) Well, it was April 1. The kids were laughing this whole time. I figured it out. Little stinkers would detune their instruments behind my back after I had tuned them.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I was playing violin at a recital in college. I showed up on time. Knew the piece well. Our group wasn’t performing until later. I went to the restroom. Lost track of time. Made a fashionably late entrance as the musicians were waiting for me to join them. My college mates still give me flack about that one.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Don’t stop writing. Please don’t. This is something you need to keep doing.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: This wasn’t a reader, but I was at a festival where I was selling my books. A woman told me that she didn’t allow her kids to read scary books. She said her kids were scared of everything.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I used to write comic strips. The Skelee Boy character came from the comic strips I created.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Originally, Skelee Boy was just going to be comic book series. A friend of mine thought he would do well as a novel. The rest is history.

My favorite book as a child: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

A book I’ve read more than once: Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. Loved that story in high school. Still love it now.

About Sandra:

Sandra's tastes in literature and music can best be described as eclectic. She writes middle grade and young adult horror fiction and enjoys reading rock musician biographies. She is also an avid fan of rock and classical music.

Sandra is an award-winning author of “Skelee Boy: A Skelee Boy Book” and “Skelee Boy and the Demon King.” She also is an Orchestra Director in the state of North Carolina.

Sandra lives in NC with her husband and their "tortie" cat, Charley. When she's not writing you can find Sandra playing her violin and viola as a free-lance musician.

Skelee Boy: Two Worlds is the third book of the “Skelee Boy” book series.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skeleeboybooks

Website: www.sandrarathbone.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/skeleeboybooks1/

X: https://x.com/SandraRathbone6

#WriterWednesday Interview with Sarah E. Burr

I’d like to welcome the multi-talented Sarah E. Burr back to the blog. Congratulations on your new mystery!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Play video games and read manga

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to-do list: Cooking dinner

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Tea, my laptop, and sunshine.

Things that distract you from writing: My dogs, social media, and video games.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Balancing writing time with everything else that needs to get done.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with a “gist” of a new story.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Chips and salsa, the ultimate snack.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Seafood of any kind.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: A gaming chair with designs from one of my favorite games.

The thing you wished you’d never bought: A really uncomfortable pair of shoes.

Favorite snacks: Chips and salsa, popcorn, pretzels, Cheezits…any salty munchy!

Things that make you want to gag: Seafood of any form.

Something you’re really good at: Organizing and planning.

Something you’re really bad at: Saying no to things.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A detective.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Try to sell people things.

Last best thing you ate: Homemade tacos with lots of sour cream.

Last thing you regret eating: Spaghetti Bolognese.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Ziplined in the Jamaican rainforest.

Something you chickened out from doing: Seeing a scary movie in theaters (gotta watch at home).

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: “Protect your joy in storytelling.”

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: “Just write the book. Don’t overthink it.”

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Go for a walk, change your scenery, or step away for a bit.

Things you do to avoid writing: Scroll through social media or clean.

About Sarah:

Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, Book Blogger Mysteries, and Court of Mystery series. She co-hosts It’s Bookish Time TV, a cozy web channel featuring live author chats. When she’s not crafting twisty whodunits, Sarah can be found reading mysteries and manga, playing video games, or strolling around with her adorable rescue pups, Eevee and Itto. Want to stay connected and snag free short stories? Join her newsletter here: https://bit.ly/saraheburrbookssignup.

Her latest, Fatal Sign-Off, book three in the Book Blogger Mysteries, is out August 26th on eBook and paperback: https://books2read.com/u/4Erlrl.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://www.saraheburr.com/

Substack: https://substack.com/@saraheburrbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraheburrbooks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsaraheburr/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb5AnjG2Tdb6ESttl4oQqJQ

Do You Have a Playlist for Your Book?

Think about creating playlists for your book or series. Readers love music, and it’s an interesting way to share another facet related to your writing.

How Do I Create One? Go to your favorite streaming site and login. Most have a playlist or a “Create Playlist” feature. I use Spotify. After I click Create, I name it. In the description field, I usually put a summary of the book or series. Spotify has a “My Library” feature to house my playlists.

Examples

• My Glamping Playlist for the Jules Keene Mysteries

• The Jules Keene Playlist - full of peppy songs that I listen to while writing

• My Favorite Christmas Songs for the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries

• Songs about Writers

• Songs about Writing

What kind of music do you listen to while writing?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Sean O'Leary

I’d like to weclome Sean O’Leary to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: the waiting

Easiest thing about being a writer: I don’t get writers block. All I have to do is go to the desk and work.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Coffee, laptop, notes galore.

Things that hamper your writing: Ah, boring stuff, like paying bills, cleaning, but good stuff too, like great films and books, I can’t drag myself away from.

Last best thing you ate: Lemon Cheesecake.

Last thing you regret eating: Garlic bread.

Favorite music or song: Chet Baker/Royel Otis

Music that drives you crazy: lift muzak

The last thing you ordered online: a desk lamp.

The last thing you regret buying: some dodgy headphones.

Things you always put in your books: sex/fights/plot twists

Things you never put in your books: I’m up for everything.

Things to say to an author: I love your stuff

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I always thought I could be a writer. (There’s nothing stopping you.)

Favorite places you’ve been: Vietnam

Places you never want to go to again: Bali

Favorite books (or genre): The Great Gatsby. The Quiet American.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m up for anything, but if it doesn’t work, I don’t mind quitting early on.

Favorite things to do: Write/drink great coffee. Arabica in Bangkok is great. Travel.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Get insurance. Complain about bad service.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: This was an extract from a review. I loved it: Fast-paced, sleazy, violent. O'Leary doesn't just show you the seedy sights of two of Australia's most famous cities; he drags you down into the gutter along with the losers, deadbeats, and addicts that populate this engrossing tale. I needed a bath with a wire brush and Dettol once I was done with this one.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I got a 2-star review recently, and it started with, this isn’t my usual fare—and went downhill from there.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done? I just started doing screen printing, plus I’m a mad photographer.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: A few short stories got burned and shredded.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: I’ve been in a psychiatric ward for a short time on three occasions. I have schizophrenia.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I wrote a short story collection called ‘This is Not a Love Song’ about failed love affairs, and a few people thought some were true. None were by the way.

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: I bought ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ at Brashes at Chadstone Shopping Centre, and I’ve been editing an anthology called ‘Crime Songs’, and Nevada McPherson-one of the contributors, chose that song as her inspiration.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Rave

My favorite book as a child: The Guardians, a sci-fi book by John Christopher.

A book I’ve read more than once: The Great Gatsby.

Your favorite movie as a child: My parents took me to the cinema to see ‘The Man Who Would be King’ with Sean Connery and Michael Caine. It stayed with me.

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): The Thirteen Ghosts/The Exorcist.

About Sean:

Sean O’Leary is a writer of crime and literary fiction from Melbourne, Australia. He has published five short story collections, two novellas and four novels as well as over fifty individual short stories in journals both literary and crime. He walks through cities, along coasts and on bush tracks. Takes photographs like a madman, does some drawing and thinks test cricket is the greatest game of all.

I write crime novels that are fast paced, action filled stories featuring relentless protagonists who never give up.

I write crime and literary short story collections filled with slices of life that will make you laugh and cry and break your heart.

My crime novels are also translated into Spanish and Portuguese.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.oleary.404569

Instagram 1: https://www.instagram.com/oleary4119/

Instagram 2: http://www.instagram.com/point_and_shoot_88

Threads: http://www.threads.com/@point_and-Shoot_88

#WriterWednesday Interview with Bill McCormick

I’d like to welcome author Bill McCormick to the blog today for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing; Selling.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with story ideas. If you open your eyes, see the world and have imagination, they are limitless.

Things you need for your writing sessions: To leave my house and go to another location whether that’s a café’, library, office, beach or park. If my bed is anywhere nearby or if I’ve a computer with access to the internet, I’ll never get anything done.

Things that hamper your writing: I’ve lived so long in foreign countries that hearing English spoken, even in the background, pulls my attention. I cannot write a word if there are English speakers about! I’m certain that rival writers send tourists to Riga to derail my career!

Something you’re really good at: Storytelling; Research.

Something you’re really bad at: Everything else!

Favorite music or song: The Beatles are by far my favorite artists, but I’ve done most of my writing to Alice Cooper, The White Stripes or 50’s era Miles Davis. Lately, I’ve been writing to Latvian industrial band Tesa. Good stuff.

Music that drives you crazy: Lawerence Welk-era champagne music; modern techno; pop country; any American folk that isn’t Bob Dylan.

Things you’d walk a mile for: A classic noir film showing; Kraft Mac & Cheese (you can’t get it in Europe); or just to see who or what is over that hill a mile away.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Parents who bring infants to move theaters; people who believe the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen; writing a synopsis.

Things you always put in your books: Hitchcockian humor

Things you never put in your books: My first-person narrative of a mime somehow never has enough words…

Things to say to an author: “Sure, I’ll leave a great review on Amazon or Goodreads.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “How come you can’t write as fast as Stephen King?”

Favorite places you’ve been: Riga, Latvia; Odesa, Ukraine; Krakow, Poland. Isle of Skye, Scotland; Mexico City, Mexico. The bohemian Uzipus neighborhood of Vilnius, Lithuania; Iceland’s endless tundra; jagged Alpine mountains; the healing sands of the Mojave Desert.

Places you never want to go to again: Moscow, Russia

Favorite books: Moby-Dick; Of Mice and Men; Ghost Stories of an Antiquary; The Maltese Falcon; The Iliad (Robert Fagles translation); Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; Atonement; Silence of the Grave; The Shadow District; And Then There Were None; The Black Dahlia; LA Confidential; The Big Nowhere; White Jazz; The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; The Hound of the Baskervilles; The Shadow Over Innsmouth; The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt; Billy Budd; Hitler and Stalin Parallel Lives; A Brief History of Time; In the Name of the Rose; Republican Party Reptile; The Quiet American; The Third Man; Livy’s War with Hannibal; Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque; Winning Through Intimidation; Where the Red Fern Grows; Dracula; The Turn of the Screw; Jaws; Camilla.

Books you wouldn’t buy: A cookbook. One of those Gone-With-the-Wind knockoffs with a cover where a muscular, shirtless man embraces a woman falling out of her dress in front of a castle, plantation or sea cliff; Anything having to do with Twilight or Dan Brown.

Favorite things to do: Explore the world; watch a classic film; listen to old time horror and mystery radio programs; go to a concert or sporting event; hike in the desert. mountains or seaside; try a new restaurant; learn something; laugh; listen to an audiobook.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Did I mention writing a synopsis?

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Quit my job and moved to Europe to become a writer.

Something you chickened out from doing: Spelunking caves in Nevada and Carpathia. At 6’4” undulating on my belly through 18-inch crevices in the Earth’s crust isn’t really for me.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Reggie Jackson.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: I saw a surprisingly scrawny Mr. T in a Vegas casino once.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: A tearful reader of LENIN’S HAREM once thanked me for telling the English-speaking world about what happened to her family and so many other Baltic people deported by the Soviet regime. I don’t think any experience in my writing career has ever touched me as much. I think of that woman and her family often.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “The Holodmor didn’t happen.”

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Stalin’s purge of his military is a key plot element in my novel LENIN’s HAREM. The Parex bank scandal, while heavily fictionalized, is the inspiration behind KGB BANKER.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: The CIA operative in KGB BANKER is not me! (Really people I’m not CIA!)

About William:

William Burton McCormick is an Edgar and Dagger awards-nominated writer of thriller and historical short fiction. His work regularly appears in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and elsewhere. Twenty-four of his best stories were recently collected in the book DEEDS OF DARKNESS (Level Best Books), presently a finalist for a Silver Falchion Award for Best Collection released in 2024. He also is the author of three award-winning novels including KGB BANKER (with whistleblower John Christmas), A STRANGE FROM THE STORM, and LENIN'S HAREM, the last of which became the first work of fiction included in the permanent library at the Latvian War Museum in Riga. A native of Nevada, William has lived the last twenty years in Ukraine, Latvia, Russia, Estonia and the United Kingdom for writing purposes. Learn more about his work at williamburtonmccormick.com.

Let’s Be Social:

http://williamburtonmccormick.com

https://www.facebook.com/bill.mccormick.73345/

https://www.facebook.com/William-Burton-McCormick-365316520150776/

https://twitter.com/WBMCAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/williamburtonmccormickauthor/

https://www.goodreads.com/williamburtonmccormick

Building Partnerships

Building strong partnerships in your writer’s life is important. You need a support team. Other writers understand and will help you celebrate the wins and commiserate during the bumpy times.

Find a writer’s group. That is the best thing I did for my writing career. I instantly had a wonderful peer group that shared opportunities, events, and advice.

My first traditionally published mystery credit was from a Sisters in Crime chapter anthology. I met other writers, booksellers, librarians, and a whole bunch of mystery fans from the events that we hosted.

Other writers, especially those in the mystery community, are so generous with their time and advice. They have helped me with blurbs and all kinds of publishing and craft questions.

I have found my critique groups and partners, not to mention folks who plan book events and conference meetups.

Look for writing groups, especially with local chapters. They’ll help you stay plugged into what’s going on in your area. My agent and publishers also have virtual meetings to help their authors network. And if you want to meet people, volunteer to assist with one of their committees or projects.

Writing is often a lonely job. You need a peer group that understands the journey you’re on.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Rosalie Spielman

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Rosalie Spielman to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Going on walks, reading, stitching, watching true crime.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Grocery shopping. It’s rather unfortunate that people must eat.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Water and/or a hot beverage.

Things that distract you from writing: My phone. My kids. (They’re grown, but still distracting.)

Hardest thing about being a writer: Promo. It’s a never-ending task, like laundry.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Ideas. I have too many of them!

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Not happening, ever. Though I have been known to send a minion for ice cream.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Kale and eggplant.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: Recently, it’s a reading light that you hang around your neck. I use it for reading or stitching. Nerdy, I know.

The thing you wished you’d never bought: I bought my daughter a goat Squishmallow, goat socks, and a screaming goat button, only to have her kindly tell me that her college mascot (a ram) is a sheep, not a goat… She still likes and uses them but that was pretty embarrassing for this self-proclaimed “farm girl.”

Favorite snacks: Ritz crackers and dark chocolate, especially covering fruit or nuts. (The dark chocolate almonds from Aldi are a favorite right now.)

Things that make you want to gag: Eggplant.

Something you wish you could do: A yoga headstand.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: How to watch a Reel.

Things to say to an author: “I loved your book!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Repeatedly apologize for a behavior they have no intention of changing. I’ll restrain myself from being more specific…since I’m not moving anytime soon.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Meeting readers who already know who I am. Even after ten books I am consistently stunned to hear people read them.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I would have waited for Welcome Home to Murder to be my debut book.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That my Hometown Mysteries is their new favorite series.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: In a review (so not directly at me), a reader said they were surprised at the quality of the writing since it was published by a small publisher. Back handed compliment much?

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: That the writing process looks different for everyone and that it’s ok that mine is not like someone else’s – do what works for me.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: I would encourage me to start earlier, though I didn’t possess the confidence to even try until I was in my forties.

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Since I alternate between two series, I’ll take a break from writing whatever I’m stuck on and focus on a different book / the other series. Or I write a short story. It’s ok to take a break. Though having said all that…with deadlines, I don’t have time for writer’s block.

Things you do to avoid writing: Social media/promo…still work but not writing!

About Rosalie:

Rosalie Spielman is an award-winning author, mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. In addition to other books and short stories, Rosalie writes the Hometown Mysteries series, set in Idaho. Rosalie has been featured in Bold Journey Magazine, the Moscow-Pullman Daily news, Kings River Life News and Reviews, and Fresh Fiction. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime and the Military Writers Society of America, the latter of which awarded her work a gold medal in 2024.

Let’s Be Social:

For more information on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter, go to www.rosalie-spielman-author.com Rosalie strives to provide you an escape...one page at a time.

Bookshop store: bookshop.org/shop/YouKnowTheSpiel

You Know The Spiel reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/760076150762688

Murder, They Write group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/451857037689554

Instagram: Rosalie.spielman