For the Encouragement of Others

Words similar to that phrase were once common in the French Foreign Legion, used when officers shot cowardly legionnaires in front of their cohorts.

The WRITING discussion list of The Internet Writing Workshop uses the opposite dynamic. Members habitually post successes in order to illustrate "See? You can do it too!"

Here is one of those stories from a writer and member of IWW whose first effort was sold to a national publisher.

From Idea to Print
Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife
by Peggy Vincent

I don't know that I have any earth-shaking advice or comments to make, but I do have some experience to share.

I was a totally unknown writer, except for a very small collection of essays in mostly unknown publications, many of which were online and unpaid. Nevertheless, I had a Cinderella publishing adventure: I landed an agent, an editor in a major NY publishing house, a 6-figure advance, a 20,000 initial hard-cover print run, another 30,000 run when the book was reviewed favorably in People Magazine (after which it landed very briefly in Amazon's top 100 ... and I totally admit I checked on its status about 25-50 times/day), and the near-guarantee of the book's 'forever in print' status in paperback.

I was more blown away by all this than anyone else, except maybe my editor whose job was to sell the book to her publishing bosses and help promote it. Here's what I learned about why it all happened.

1) Scribner wasn't necessarily banking on this particular book ever earning back its improbable advance (and it hasn't...at least not as of end of year 2007). In the words of my editor, "We bought you as a writer of books to come," tho there was no mandatory 2-book deal, nor did I sign any promise to publish only thru Scribner in the future. And, indeed, due to personal and family issues, I have done very little writing since my book's publication...but they're not hounding me for 'the next book.'

2) I had a story (memoir) to tell that could be told by only a very small group of people (midwives). An even smaller number of those people were interested in writing their tale, few of them had the time it takes to write a whole book, and even fewer could actually write in a way that was marketable.

3) Therefore, thanks to Item #2, I had virtually no competition.

4) I had the time (recently retired), and thanks to the IWW and some local classes, I developed some writing skills.

5) The setting was memorable. Berkeley, CA is known, even locally, as The Planet Berkeley. As my NY editor said, "We'd have bought this book even if you'd lived in Nebraska, but those people in Nebraska are really interested in reading about Berkeley weirdoes, whereas those in CA are far less interested in reading about people in Nebraska."

6) My reading audience was ready-made, endless (people will always be getting pregnant), and highly targeted. I don't know if any of this will be helpful to anyone. I do know it hasn't helped me get started on Book #2. At least not yet.