Wena Poon Event

Snap!  Wena Poon, author of Lions in Winter  talked yesterday about professionalism, mirroring yesterday’s blog.

Wena argued that book writing is as much to do with creating a product for consumers as it is with creativity; especially if we want to be published.

She posed two questions.

1. Can an artist be a businessman?
2. Can a businessman be an artist?

She then pointed out that the Arts has a long history of patronage. Michelangelo was particularly talented at melding the creative with the business world. Machiavelli is another who springs to mind.

The business of publishing remains unknown for many writers, something that I believe is our own fault. Ms Poon divided the publishing process into five categories.

• Writing
• Publishing
• Marketing
• Distribution
• After-sales Service

Here’s how most writers view the process

• Writing 80%
• Publishing 20%

The reality is more like this

• Writing 3%
• Publishing 2%
• Marketing 35%
• Distribution 35%
• After -sales Service 25%

This can be something of a shock for writers. How can our efforts count for so little? The truth is that publishers have enormous backlogs of  submissions  and have a comparatively small quota to fill. They have a business to run and that’s how we need to think about our writing- a business.

Consider this: publishing houses rent square footage from bookstores. The cost of books displayed face-on to customers is far greater than that charged for spine-on displays. All of this costs serious coinage. We don’t just write and the books magically appear in the stores.

Of course, each writer must work out for themselves how far they are willing to exchange their art for business. As Wena pointed out, there is a perverse dichotomy to how people view writers. One part of us believes that writers cannot make a living through our craft. The other side believes that to do so is to whore ones selfand cheapen our art. Frankly, if I can make a living out of doing what I love, then it’s no one’s business but mine.

She wrapped up with these thoughts. Entertainment is not frivolous. People pay to be entertained- and they pay very well if they think you will entertain them well. We are competing with movies, gaming, Internet and T.V., industries that understand about competing for the dollar. Know your customer (fan base) and treat them with utmost respect. They can make us or break us.

Wena Poon will be back in Singapore for the Singapore Literary Festival. Make sure you see her there.

Two types of Freelancer

Freelance writing pays the bills. We can, to a certain extent, pick and choose clients but clients have the last say on our writing. We have deadlines to make, set topics to cover, and we need to ensure a  voiceless delivery. Creative writers are different. We can write what we like, follow trains of thought to their illogical ends, take our time and edit (or not) as we see fit. If you believe this, then you need to wake up to reality.

Creative writers, especially ones who want to get published, need to be aware of publisher’s requirements and their audiences tastes. As far as timing is concerned, if we want someone to publish our work, then we must ensure a steady supply of good material. And it is possible to sit overlong on a piece, editing it to an early grave.

Sure, we need to be happy with our work but we also need to be aware that a good publisher will give quality feedback and critique that is just as important as how we “feel” about our work. Creative writers can learn a lot about professionalism by adopting the work ethics of those writers working as journalists, freelancers and other contract writers. It”s not a bad thing to be organised and working to a clock, especially if it’s a self-imposed one.

The truth is that creative writers are freelancers. There are competition deadlines, publisher’s deadlines, even our muse can be pushy enough to prompt a deadline. There are contracts to think of, audiences to acquire, techniques and plots to hone. To become an author isn’t just about putting one word miraculously and perfectly after another. There is a real world of business out there that can swamp us and depress us if we do not acknowledge it and deal with it.

Inject a degree of professionalism into how you write. It can relieve a lot of unnecessary tensions.

Online Writers Tools

Here’s a list of writing tools that you may find helpful in the quest for the perfect story. They include the practical- word processing, the creative- mind mapping and the structured- character questionnaires. Any feedback on these will be welcome.

A mind-mapping tool. Try using it to get your plot back on track. http://bubbl.us/

Spread the word on your work. Keep connected. http://twitter.com/

Write and store online. http://docs.google.com/

Haven’t tried this one but it sounds good. Write a chapter and once you’re happy with it, it can be posted as a pdf. If you choose to, allow somebody else to write the next chapter.http://www.portrayl.com/

For when the words are stuck. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

Two sets of character questionnaires designed to make you think more deeply about your characters. One set is by Marcel Proust. Downloadable as word.doc format.  http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106