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Yay.

Just got word that a major publisher . . . nay, the major publisher in my genre . . . will make an offer on a series I wrote. It will be a six book series, I've written the first one with editing help from Amba.

I can't give out any more info than that since I'm allegedly anonymous here. But let me just say this: yay!

Writing is a weird business. You get up and go to work every day at your writing job and when you're all done you might have earned zero dollars an hour, or a thousand dollars an hour. The odds always favor zero.

We've written 150 books, "K" and I, sold tens of millions, made some good money. And yet, I have to confess: I still don't entirely believe I know how to do this. I'm still insecure about it. Still feel like people will wake up and realize I'm just this idiot who doesn't really have any talent.

This entry was posted by Michael Reynolds, on Friday, March 02, 2007. You can leave your response.

“Yay.”

  1. Anonymous Anonymous Says:
    11:28 AM  

    Congrats! Insecurity gives you the edge to strive.

  2. Blogger Michael Reynolds Says:
    2:23 PM  

    Thanks, man. How are you feeling, by the way?

  3. Anonymous Anonymous Says:
    3:12 PM  

    I am improving. If I had to guess, I'm probably 60% of the old me.

  4. Blogger amba Says:
    12:57 AM  

    Nobody knows how to do it. Because you're always making something you never made before (nor did anyone else) and so the process itself has to be reinvented every time. As Joe Klein wrote (I think I sent you the link), every writer knows fear and wonders if he/she's a fraud or a has-been or a one-hit wonder (or a no-hit wonder). Making something out of nothing is scary shit.

    - amba

  5. Blogger Michael Reynolds Says:
    10:36 AM  

    Annie:
    And yet, to quote Eminem:

    Not a moment goes by
    that I don't pray to the sky
    please I'm beggin' you God
    please don't let me be pigeonholed
    in no regular job.

  6. Blogger .jpg Says:
    3:30 PM  

    w00t! Way to go anonymous!

  7. Blogger Unknown Says:
    8:54 PM  

    The persistent conviction that one is a fraud may well be a universal human characteristic. That's why it's been suggested occasionally that the judging of one's actions in the afterlife (an extremely ancient belief) may be self-review.

    I don't believe you're a fraud (if it's any consolation to you).

  8. Blogger Michael Reynolds Says:
    9:35 PM  

    Dave:

    Thanks, man.

    I had the weirdest moment this evening. I was on the phone with my sister who is suffering from a cancer that is likely to finish her off. Call waiting beeped, I took the call, and it was a second publisher looking to bid on the series.

    I interrupted my sister's bad news to enjoy some good news of my own. If I was a literary writer I could make something of that.

  9. Blogger cakreiz Says:
    2:47 PM  

    I'll jump on and congratulate you too, MTak. I've never considered the precarious nature of the economics of writing, but your explanation makes perfect sense. Sounds a bit like acting or music- feast or famine. I chuckled at your Eminem cite. At least you didn't go 50 Cent on us.

    Perhaps you can now afford a Prius. Just a suggestion... never mind.

  10. Blogger Michael Reynolds Says:
    5:16 PM  

    Kreiz:

    The absolute first thing I did -- and mind you, I don't even have any financials on this yet -- was to do a 3-way comparison between the Benz E, the BMW 5, and Lexus GS.

    See, I'm looking to improve my mileage and stop being an eco-criminal. I figure if I can hit 25 mpg that's a 50% improvement. That's enough, right?

  11. Blogger amba Says:
    1:06 AM  

    Folks:

    He's not a fraud.

    - amba
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