1. As a fellow musician, the idea of using tempo, rhythm, and sound in composition has always resonated with me. If reading a sentence aloud doesn't please the ear, throw that sentence in the pit (or at least give it another pass or two).
2. I was beginning to think no one but the big names really makes a living from literary fiction. Every author bio I see these days ends with "teaches writing at whatever the hell university."
If it's not too much to ask, what percentage of that living is from book sales vs speaking engagements? Have you had much luck optioning your work for film adaptations or any other creative licensing schemes?
100% of my income is from advances and royalties. I have been paid the occasional honorarium here and there, but I think the biggest one was $600. It’s not a significant portion of my income.
I’ve also had several film/TV option, including one current and very active one that looks like it might actually get across the line and become a film (knock on wood), but options are usually very small payments initially and you don’t see significant income from those until/unless the film gets greenlit, which is a very long and complicated process, and most film projects unfortunately never make it that far.
That's incredible and I love to hear it. Best of luck getting that option across the finish line! I read an article, probably a decade ago now, by a full-time author who made much of his money through film/tv options. In his case, I believe he never optioned entire works, but somehow (if my recollection can be trusted) would only option single plot lines or characters from his stories. I have no idea how that works. At the time, I had nary a novel draft to my name so it didn't feel particularly relevant. I'd intended to go back and reread it once I thought the content might be more pertinent to me, but of course, I can no longer track it down. Oh well.
Interesting! I assume he was writing sone kind of series with recurring characters, so he could grant options for screenwriters to make their own plots for his characters? That’s a cool take on it.
Very interesting. Thanks for this.
I really enjoyed this. A lot of writers here on Substack are playing with audio and music and connecting it to their fiction.
Enjoyed start, gonna finish
I say this all the time in 1/5 as many words, I fuckin' swear.
This essay rules for a number of reasons:
1. As a fellow musician, the idea of using tempo, rhythm, and sound in composition has always resonated with me. If reading a sentence aloud doesn't please the ear, throw that sentence in the pit (or at least give it another pass or two).
2. I was beginning to think no one but the big names really makes a living from literary fiction. Every author bio I see these days ends with "teaches writing at whatever the hell university."
If it's not too much to ask, what percentage of that living is from book sales vs speaking engagements? Have you had much luck optioning your work for film adaptations or any other creative licensing schemes?
I’m glad you liked the essay!
100% of my income is from advances and royalties. I have been paid the occasional honorarium here and there, but I think the biggest one was $600. It’s not a significant portion of my income.
I’ve also had several film/TV option, including one current and very active one that looks like it might actually get across the line and become a film (knock on wood), but options are usually very small payments initially and you don’t see significant income from those until/unless the film gets greenlit, which is a very long and complicated process, and most film projects unfortunately never make it that far.
That's incredible and I love to hear it. Best of luck getting that option across the finish line! I read an article, probably a decade ago now, by a full-time author who made much of his money through film/tv options. In his case, I believe he never optioned entire works, but somehow (if my recollection can be trusted) would only option single plot lines or characters from his stories. I have no idea how that works. At the time, I had nary a novel draft to my name so it didn't feel particularly relevant. I'd intended to go back and reread it once I thought the content might be more pertinent to me, but of course, I can no longer track it down. Oh well.
Interesting! I assume he was writing sone kind of series with recurring characters, so he could grant options for screenwriters to make their own plots for his characters? That’s a cool take on it.