Author Elsie Chapman on the Realities of Being Published

It’s time for a new interview series… like NOW. No really, actually it’s called NOW (Newly Omniscient Authors). This blog has been publishing since 2011, and some of the earlier posts feel too hopeful dated. To honor the relaunch of the site, I thought I’d invite some of my past guests to read and ruminate on their answers to questions from oh-so-long-ago to see what’s changed between then and now. 

Today’s guest is Elsie Chapman author of the YA novels Dualed, Divided, Along the Indigo, and Caster as well as the MG novel All the Ways Home, and co-editor of A Thousand Beginnings and Endings and Hungry Hearts. She currently lives in Tokyo, Japan, with her family.

Has how you think (and talk) about writing and publishing changed, further into your career?

Funnily enough, reading those old interviews of mine, I still stand by most of the things I said! I think the main difference is I’m just a bit less starry-eyed and a bit more realistic when it comes to the publishing side of things. I’ve also learned the importance of maintaining a healthy perspective in this business, meaning definitely keep hoping for good things to happen (and to celebrate them!), rather than playing the comparison game so that you come to expect them. That just leads to disappointment and it’s hard to keep coming back from that.

Let’s about the balance between the creative versus the business side of the industry. Do you think of yourself as an artiste or are you analyzing every aspect of your story for marketability? Has that changed from your early perspective?

I used to feel so ridiculously adamant about sticking to your artistic vision regardless of trends and what publishers wanted. I figured it was just a matter of timing and finding the right editor. And while some of that is still true (timing’s never not going to be a factor, and it really does take just one editor to want your book), I don’t feel so strongly about the artistic side of things anymore, particularly because I want to stay traditionally published. There’s a happy medium, I think, between writing what you want and writing what might realistically sell, and if you’re lucky, those will be the same thing. 

The bloom is off the rose… what’s faded for you, this far out from debut?

There’s no guarantee an editor will buy another book from you unless sales and numbers back it up. I think this is one of the toughest aspects of the business, how an author can do all they’ve been asked to do but still have so much about publishing be out of their hands. But remembering there’s a huge difference between wishes and goals can help a lot. That’s really just being smart about the business, not negative.

I also don’t worry as much anymore about always being “on” when it comes social media. Having an online presence has become a part of the publishing landscape, but I’m better now about being more careful with my time and saving my creative energy for writing. 

Likewise, is there anything you’ve grown to love (or at least accept) that you never thought you would?

This ties back to what I just said about social media which is, yes, I’m now perfectly happy being selfish when it comes to saving time and energy for myself. The word selfish has negative connotations, but sometimes it’s exactly what we need to be in order to keep going in this business, and for me, I’m more than okay giving up certain aspects of being a published author if it means getting to stay creative and having more time for things that matter (family, working on my own projects, etc).

And lastly, what did getting published mean for you and how was it changed (or not changed!) your life?

It’s really taught me to love writing for the sake of writing, and how to see worth in my own work versus looking for worth in what others think about it. Easier said than done for sure, but I do think it’s important to keep checking yourself so that you’re still loving the creative process and to remind yourself that a lot of publishing—both good news and bad news—outside of that process is out of your control anyway. Getting to be in this business will always feel a bit like a dream, and key for me is just figuring out the reality of staying grounded and maintaining a good headspace so I can keep doing what I love.

Erin Bowman on Your Art As A Commodity

It’s time for a new interview series… like NOW. No really, it’s actually called NOW (Newly Omniscient Authors). This blog has been publishing since 2011, and some of the earlier posts feel… dated. To honor the relaunch of the site, I thought I’d invite some of my past guests to read and ruminate on their answers to questions from oh-so-long-ago to see what’s changed between then and now.

Today’s guest for the NOW is Erin Bowman, the critically acclaimed author of numerous books for teens, including the Taken Trilogy, Vengeance Road, Retribution Rails, and the Edgar Award-nominated Contagion duology.

Has how you think (and talk) about writing and publishing changed, further into your career?

Once you put a barcode on your art, your relationship with it changes. It's inevitable.

I used to write only for me. I wanted to share those stories, sure, but the actual process of writing was a very private one. Now I write for publication and it's changed my entire relationship with the craft. I still love what I do, but it's work. I have to show up and punch the clock, so to speak, even when inspiration doesn't strike. Writing is now my job. Some days it's magical. Other days, it's like pulling teeth, but I do it anyway, because I signed a contract and hey, those bills aren't going to pay themselves.

Let’s talk about the balance between the creative versus the business side of the industry. Do you think of yourself as an artiste or are you analyzing every aspect of your story for marketability? Has that changed from your early perspective?

I think of myself as both. I definitely approach each project with a commercial eye (Is this easily accessible for the average reader? Is this hook strong and compelling?), but at the end of the day, I'm going to have to read the book thousands of times before it pubs, so my heart better be in it. If I don't love what I'm writing, what's the point? So I write what I want to write, and I figure out how to pitch it and talk about it in a way that sounds super commercial—and I figure this out early.

Historical fiction westerns, for example, aren't really a hot genre in YA. But when my agent was trying to sell Vengeance Road, we boiled it down to a revenge story (always popular) set against a gritty landscape with a dash of mystery and romance (crowd favorites). Contagion's proposal leveraged two powerful comp titles: Alien meets The Thing (both well-loved commercial hits).

In short, when I was debuting, I let the pub figure out how to talk about my book. Now I like to know my book's marketable traits before I approach publishers. I'm still writing from the heart (art!), but I've learned how to zero in on the story's commercial appeal and pitch/market with that in mind.

The bloom is off the rose… what’s faded for you, this far out from debut?

I've come to accept that I have very little control over the success of my books. I can't control how many copies they sell. I can't control what readers think of them or how they are received by trade reviewers. I can't control lists or awards or movie options, or being sent on tour or invited to festivals. All I can control is the writing, and—this has been perhaps the most difficult truth to accept—I simply can't move the dial the way my publisher can.

I have invested tons of time and money into certain titles—fancy swag, preorder campaigns, street teams, commissioned artwork, hosting giveaways, sending myself on tour, etc. I'm not sure it's made any real difference. It hasn't hurt me, but it also hasn't made my books break out in any real way. Substantial marketing dollars behind a book, plus a bit of luck and timing is what can make that happen. Some days, I can feel this reality trying to turn me bitter and disenchanted. It's hard to fight that. It's hard to keep writing the best book I can, bleeding so much of myself onto the page over and over, knowing that every single time, luck and timing will do their thing and the stars might never align in a big way.

But I'm also still putting books into the world, and that's a miracle in itself. Seven books in, I'm still very grateful to call this my job. Way more grateful than I was one book in. Nothing is guaranteed in this industry, and I know how many people had to say yes to get each of my books into the world. Each new book deal feels like a monumental accomplishment.

Likewise, is there anything you’ve grown to love (or at least accept) that you never thought you would?

I really love meeting readers and writers. I'm an introvert, so book events and festivals always drain me, but so much of this career is already done alone. It's very solitary. And being at a book event means being with your people. I love chatting with writers who get what its like to have a career in this industry and I adore meeting readers who have connected with my stories and characters. It's truly the best.

And lastly, what did getting published mean for you and how was it changed (or not changed!) your life?

It was my dream to get published, so in some regards, everything has changed in a big way. I've accomplished something huge, something I never really expected to happen. But on a day-to-day level, my life hasn't changed much at all. I still get up and go to work. I do the thing. I chase after my kids. My life as a writer is not glamorous like Hollywood might lead you to believe. Mainly, being published just means that most people think I make way more money than I do.