Do you have a story you’re dying to share? Do you dream of seeing your name in a bookstore but don’t know the first thing about how to publish a book? In Creative Little Soul’s latest podcast episode, we were delighted to speak with Australian literary expert Georgia Richter. Georgia is a fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry publisher at Fremantle Press and is intimately familiar with the details, conundrums and complexities that go into publishing a book.
In her upcoming book ‘How to Be an Author’ Georgia helps resolve some of the uncertainty around what it takes to be a professional writer and offers an insider’s guide into the publishing and editorial process. Throughout her book, Georgia answers frequently posed questions by writers across all genres and persuasions, including how to find a publisher, the relationship between the author and the editor, the different stages of editing, self-publishing, and how to market and promote a book.
Throughout our interview, Georgia unpacks what she describes as the business of being a writer “which is all the things you need to do when you’re not sitting at your desk”’ If you’re an aspirational author and looking for some insights on how you may advance your chances of publication, read on for an insider’s guide into the fascinating world of publishing.
How important is originality?
Many of us feel we have a story in us, but the knowledge that a similar story has been published in various iterations may hold us back. Some burgeoning authors are worried about appearing derivative or concerned that similar works render their own story redundant. Then again, is striving for complete originality an impossible task? After all, almost all pop songs use the same four chords. Should writers be forgiven for following along the same path as other creatives?
“I think it’s fair to say that every story has already been told, so it’s best to take the pressure off. If you’re really drawn to write something, then you should do it. If you’re interested and engaged by what you’re writing, then your reader will be to.”
How many manuscripts would a publishing house receive?
“We easily receive over 500 manuscripts a year. Reading all of those is quite the job. We publish around 25 books a year.”
Are there trends?
“Different publishing houses would see different tends. Hopefully, the submitting author is aligning their work to the publisher’s speciality. As you would imagine, we are seeing a common theme with climate crisis topics. The other interesting subject matter is memoirs from South Sudanese writers. I believe we’re receiving these stories now because when one experiences a major traumatic life event, it seems to take around 20 years for one’s life to settle down and gain security before being able to reflect and write. There is also an influx of stories from ten-pound poms, people who came to Australia from England for ten pounds in the 1970s.”
“It’s only with distance that you can make sense of something and it’s hard to write about something when you don’t know the ending. People need to have a base level of comfort before being motivated to write. Own voice stories are another trend. We openly encourage and are delighted when own voice work comes through. Next year I’m publishing work by an Iraqi poet, and there are some amazing war poems in that.”
What are the main reasons a manuscript might get rejected?
“It’s often a numbers game, so if you think 500 are coming through we’re going to publish about 25 per year, some of those will be from repeat authors through a range of genres so you’ve got a very small chance of your manuscript being the one that is being picked up.”
“The fundamental reason why a manuscript is rejected is because it has failed to make a connection with the person reading it, and that might be because its found the wrong person. It’s important not to take rejection personally because it’s inevitable, it’s frequent and it’s a matter of trying and trying again until you find the right person who will connect with your work.”
“Other reasons manuscripts might not make it is that they’re undercooked. Meaning they are several drafts way from being ready or maybe the author has chosen the wrong genre for themselves. Sometimes you’re reading a story and think wow this crime author should have written a romance. I think from the writer’s perspective, it’s important to keep trying and be careful in the way you select who you’re sending your work to, which reduces your chances of rejection.”
Do you give feedback when declining a manuscript?
“Most people will receive a pro forma rejection, a ‘thanks but no thanks’. If we see something interesting or promising and we think we’d like to see what else they’ve written, we will let the writer know. Writers should really pay attention when they get that kind of feedback because it’s an indication that they’re on the right track.”
Georgia stated that sometimes writers take to social media to vent their frustration at being rejected. Expressing your disappointment and openly criticising a publishing house in this way is unwise given that the literary world and the Australian publishing scene is a relatively small community. Georgia said that such negative comments are often seen by publishers, which may discourage them from wanting to work with that writer in the future. “It is important to be professional about your writing self and to think of your submission as a job application.”
Understanding the relationship between the editor and the author
There’s no doubt that writing can be a frustrating and sometimes agonising process. The fear of rejection and feelings of inadequacy can mean that many writers simply lack the courage to submit their work to a publisher. For those who do, it’s an incredibly vulnerable position to be put in.
Given the vulnerability associated with writing, it might be difficult for a budding author to have their work critiqued by an editor, even when that feedback is intended constructively. We asked Georgia whether the relationship between the author and editor is ever fraught or contentious.
“We rarely find the relationship to be contentious in this area of publishing. I think it’s because the editor is almost like a life coach. Fundamentally, an editor’s job is to ask the author questions. The editor inhabits the work first as an intelligent reader commenting on areas that perhaps didn’t feel quite right. The writer is then relieved of a certain amount of responsibility because they knew it wasn’t working and are given permission to do something about it.”
Georgia stated that an editor can be an incredibly supportive influence for an author particularly given that writing is often by its nature a solitary endeavour. “They feel as though they have someone by their side. I believe editors to be very conscious that whatever feedback they give will result in hours of work for the writer, so they won’t give feedback without a great deal of thought and care. The editor is simultaneously keeping the future audience in mind because their job is to make the bridge between the author and the reader a smooth one.”
Is there a fear that the editor will change too much?
“Every book is signed on its potential and every author understands that the manuscript they’re submitting is not the manuscript that is going to appear in print in 12 months’ time. A process is going to take place. It will begin with substantive or structural editing, which is where the editor will ask broad questions related to plot and character development. They may for instance, ask whether chapter one should be there at all or whether three characters should actually be one character.”
“Then it will move to copyediting, where there is a much closer focus and finally down to the proofreading stage where it’s being prepared to go to print. The editor’s job is to honour the author’s voice and their vision, and to be a champion of the work. If you’re an antagonistic or confrontational person, you possibly don’t have the temperament to be an editor. Editors are calm people. They’re inhabiting the writer’s voice because they get it and understand the writer’s vision. It’s like you’re both chipping away at something quite rough, honing it in, and by the end of the process, the shape suddenly appears. Each book has its own issue, its own conundrum its own predicament. Every time it’s different.”
Is it realistic to expect to make a living from writing?
“Anyone who thinks writing is going to be a cash cow, or even their bread and butter, will quickly find that’s not going to be the case. If you’re writing for the money, unless you’re Stephanie Meyer don’t go there. Most writes are doing so because they feel compelled to rather than seeking financial gain. We did put this question to writers in the book and asked can you write for a living? And generally, the answer is not really. Pretty much all writers do something else as well. An advance isn’t going to be that large for most first-time writers and royalties on modest print runs are not going to be much either. If you’re earning 9-18 thousand dollars a year as a writer you’re doing just fine, but no one ever lived on that. In the book, we examine other ways writers may earn an income in terms of grants, residencies and awards.”
“COVID-19 is such a dreadful time for writers as well because events and going into schools and festivals are often the bread and butter for many writers and when that is taken away, income can be totally stripped. It’s a really tough time right now.”
Is there financial risk for a writer seeking publication?
“When contracting with a commercial publisher there should be no financial risk on the part of the writer. The writer shouldn’t be putting anything towards publishing their book. If they are, that’s vanity publishing and that’s ok, that’s a choice. But if a publisher is asking you to contribute, you need to think again. A commercial publisher should take the financial risk in publishing a writer’s work, which means if it goes well that’s great for both of you, but if it doesn’t then that’s the publisher’s thing.
Marketing your book
“Being a writer and being a marketer require quite different things of you, so if you an introvert, you might find the second part really stressful. If you are an outgoing individual you might absolutely adore it. We see this with our own writers as they step from the safe, loving environment of editorial to the wide world. It can be challenging in a totally different way. That’s where a lot of the hard work really begins, when the book is out.”
What if the thought of self-promotion and public speaking makes you queasy?
“If you can’t bear interacting with people face-to-face you, do have the blessing of social media, so that might be a way to overcome that. We work with all sorts of writers with all sorts of comfort zones. Although public speaking may seem terrifying for some, with a bit of training there are some things you can overcome. But if you can’t bear it or don’t wish to be in the public eye, it might be that you write answers to interviews and so forth. There are ways around different writers’ personalities.”
“Fundamentally, if you are prepared to be a public person you are going to be more successful as a writer, because people respond to the person behind the book as much as the book itself. Having a relationship with a book shop is a good way to find a community and if you’re a children book author The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is an amazing organisation. You can link yourself to writers’ organisations so you have peers to support you. If you’re not a people person, don’t be a children’s book writer for one because that’s not going to work for you! But maybe you can be a grouchy old person tucked away somewhere if you’re a brilliant poet. Writing is a very forgiving platform.”
You can listen to our full interview with Georgia here. Georgia’s book ‘How To Be an Author’ will be released in February 2021, in the meantime if you would like to learn more about the business of being a writer you can join the fabulous and supportive “How to be an author in Australia” Facebook group here. If you are an aspiring writer or illustrator or simply someone who loves to read, we highly recommend you check out the Fremantle Press Podcast for some fascinating conversations with authors and those working in the publishing industry.
Tune into this episode of the Creative Little Soul Podcast now to listen to us chat with Georgia in depth.