Last month I listed 3 things I have done to look after myself as a writer, as in buying a great standing desk (from @daveyboydanger on twitter - see my post for 21st October), joining a gym and going on a writing retreat.
I have been thinking about 3 more things writers can do to look after themselves. You might not want to do all of them, but they all helped me.
1. Find a lovely agent.
I know some professional writers don't have agents, and say they manage perfectly well, and don't like giving a percentage of their earnings away, but I just am so glad I have mine. I couldn't cope with doing deals and I don't have the networks my agent has. She is a wonderful person, and she also works with another wonderful person who sells foreign rights when a publisher hasn't bought them, and I could never make the connections they can. I am particularly lucky because my agent was an experienced editor, so she gives me editorial suggestions too. Most of all, writing can be lonely, and it is easy to doubt yourself, and it is so nice knowing you have someone lovely and kind and supportive and knowledgeable, who loves your work and is rooting for you. If you haven't got one and want to know how to get one, keep an eye out on twitter and read The Bookseller to see when new agents start up. I submitted to my agent as soon as I read a tweet by The Bookseller about her setting up her agency. Here is where all children's literary agents are listed: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/store/9781472947611/children-s-writers-artists-yearbook-2019
and here is where other agents who also deal with adults and children are listed.
https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/store/9781472947499/writers-artists-yearbook-2019/
You must choose someone you like and trust, and who likes and trusts yours well as loving your work or it won't work. And if you don't find anyone, don't despair, as you have the option to
2. Join The Society of Authors (click on link to get to their website)
If you don't have an agent, this is even more important, as they will check contracts for you.
They are also a wonderful campaigning union for writers and definitely work very hard for us and deserve our subscriptions. Recently online I have seen lots of authors talk about how stressed they are about their finances and the uncertainty about when they are going to be paid, and especially if they don't have an agent to chase up money and argue for them, this can be so awful. So many wonderful writers say that they can't cope working as full time writers, or even carry on writing at all, because of the pay, and that doesn't seem fair when children's books are such an important source of wealth for the publishing industry, and when we need writers to come from all parts of society, not just those with money or supportive partners. So thank you to The Society of Authors for pleading our case and giving evidence and trying to make our lives better.
3. Find an accountant you trust and who understands about self-employed writers.
I hate this aspect of my work. I find being self-employed and organising money really hard, and filling in forms fills me with dread and a panicky, irrational feeling of doom. So even when I wasn't earning enough money to pay tax, I still paid a friend who is an accountant to do my accounts, just to be sure that I was sending in the correct forms. I just felt it wasn't worth the fear and stress, and that I was better employed getting on with writing. I felt so proud when I eventually did finally have to pay some tax as a self employed person, and extremely grateful that I knew my accountant would tell me how much. I do know some people do their own self -employed assessment forms, and feel rightly proud of themselves, but I know it just isn't worth the stress to me, that I am not good enough at it. My accountant Mike has helped me claim for things I wouldn't have thought of, like research trips and the books I use for research, and teaches me to see myself as a business, so I think he saves me not only anxiety, but money in the long run. I'm hoping that I will earn more so that he can be as proud of me as I am of him!
I have a great accountant - but here is an excerpt from 'Black Books' and Dylan Moran's struggles with doing his accounts which I hope will make you laugh. This is how I feel when faced with accounts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk1BY3muyAk
1 comment:
I can agree with all of this. I was lucky enough to have an agent from the beginning and certainly would not have sold so many foreign rights and film options as I have without them. I wouldn't know where to start.
I've also been a member of the SoA for decades. All workers need a trade union, sisters and brothers.
I'm about 50/50 with you on the accountant. I can't afford their fees now, but did get this sterling advice from one ages ago: "Almost anything you spend when you step out of your front door is a cost you can set against tax. Is there ANY research value to trip you're making? Bus, rail, taxi, plane fares, petrol - if even part of the cost is towards research, then it's a travel expense.
Reading material for train or plane? Travel expense. A sandwich or other meal eaten while travelling for business (which includes all and any research)-- travelling expense. Clothes, hairdo/cut for public appearance: half the cost is a business expense. Go somewhere on holiday but spend some days working, researching? -- half the cost is a business expense.
Cds, books, magazines, videos, newspapers are all business Xs -- you have to stay current: it's a business expense.
Computers, bags to carry them, paper, ink cartridges, notebooks, pens, folders, files, filing cabinets, chairs, desks -- don't miss a penny. If you can argue that a purchase is wholly or partly in pursuit of your business -- even if the book you're researching never gets written -- you can set that expense against tax.
All memberships of professional bodies: SoC, other writers' associations and yes, the Scattered Authors. Attendance at conferences.
This has been a public information announcement. I hope all writers reading this blog already know it, but I post it just in case someone was in the lavvies when it was last made.
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