Ann Richardson, Author - My Books and Other Matters
Ann Richardson, Author - My Books and Other Matters
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Writing

The joy of writing

April 13, 2022 by Ann Richardson No Comments

I have always loved to write. Should you give it a try? The answer depends on what you want to do – and be.

Many people think that this is a glamorous activity, but I can assure you that it is not. You sit at home on your own, in your own world. Or in a cafe, with noise all around, but in your head, you are alone with your computer.

You struggle to think how to put your thoughts. Sometimes nothing comes. Sometimes what does come is not worth the candle.

In the old days of paper, you often found yourself with a wastebasket full of scrunched up bad starts. Now, you just press a computer key and everything disappears.

And yet I love it. Because sometimes you say exactly what you wanted to say. And then it is wonderful.

Children and writing

Most of us were expected to write from time to time as a child. I am sure I wrote the usual dull stories of princesses that young girls tend to write. I don’t remember them at all.

Perhaps you wrote something more interesting then.

What I do remember is going to my father’s office one Saturday morning, when he had urgent work to do, but needed to look after me. I was given some paper and pens and was told to sit quietly at a big table.

The idea came to me to write the story of my life (I would not have known the word ‘autobiography’). I had one line for each age.

The whole thing ended with the memorable statement “Age 8: And then I understood what life was.”

For some reason – I didn’t know why at the time ­– my parents thought this was funny. Or, perhaps, charming.

They kept this document safe, and I found it with their papers after they had died, along with the jacks and rubber ball I used to play with at more or less the same time.

Finding a career

I never thought of pursuing writing as a career, for instance becoming a novelist. This was never seen as a ‘real’ career. I also didn’t feel I had enough to write about. And, most importantly, it would not support my husband through his PhD.

But writing can take many forms and, in the end, I found my way. I became a social researcher and wrote numerous reports, articles and, yes, even books on the topics of my research. I liked doing this and others seemed to like what I produced. And so it went on year after year.

When I chose to work freelance, I was asked to do a lot of writing – reports from Committees of Inquiry or for Government departments, more mundane reports and even research proposals. I also found myself doing a lot of editing.

Even after retirement, I carried on doing unpaid what I had previously done for pay, because it was what I liked to do. I even went back to that day in my father’s office and wrote a kind of memoir.

Not that I really know what life is.

The process of writing

So why do I like writing? For as long as I can remember, I just liked the process – I enjoy the challenge of working out how to begin and how to find the right word for any particular context. The rhythm of a sentence is important to me.

I like seeing a piece of writing grow, like a knitter of an ever-increasing blanket or sweater.

And equally importantly, I love the process of cutting it back, namely editing. It is like weeding. Just as a garden can suddenly have a shape and a beauty when the weeds have gone, so too can a piece of writing.

Should you take up writing?

Would I recommend writing as an activity to take on in your 60s or beyond? Why not, if you have the inclination, feel you have something to say and want to try.

Even if you’re not sure what you want to say, it is worth having a go.

You may find a whole new career, writing down stories you told your children or grandchildren or exploring difficult or interesting experiences from your life.

Or you might even find yourself producing a novel.

If you are seeking fame or, indeed, an easy income, it is definitely not a good idea. It is possible to become rich and famous as a writer, but it is exceedingly unlikely.

But it is a great way to challenge yourself and do something that is genuinely creative. And you can do it anywhere and anytime.

Think about it.

 

A version of this article can be found in my book, The Granny Who Stands on her Head: Reflections on growing older (see getbook.at/Stands-on-Head)

It was first published on SixtyandMe.com

 

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Writing

What is “Success” for an Author?

November 20, 2018 by Ann Richardson No Comments

Why do you write?  What do you hope to achieve?  What, in short, is your definition of success as an author?

The last question confronted me recently when a fellow writer, who I met online and do not know at all, wrote that I had been “successful” with my books. I have no idea if she had read any of them, but it prompted me to consider what success would look like. It is not a straight-forward question.

I wrote back with my usual hesitation. “My books do not sell highly,” I replied, “but they are well reviewed—I don’t know whether I would call them a success.” And then I thought about it a bit more, and wrote again with a more reflective response. And she did, too. Let me hold the last correspondence for a moment.

High Sales?

From various writers’ groups, one gets the impression that selling loads of books is the principal goal of most authors. This is not unreasonable. We want people to read our books and we want some income from the process – and those twin aims work in tandem. More readers equal more income.

Some writers go further and write to the market, meaning that they work out what readers are looking for and write to meet their expectations. Some even choose a genre for this reason. Many write numerous books in a series, again to maximise readership. Pile them high, sell them cheap, loads of sales. Everyone is happy.

Well, yes and no. We non-fiction writers have a harder time. There will be some with diet books or self-help books of other kinds, who have a large market of waiting readers. Some even turn these into series of various kinds. But it is much harder and rarer.

Good Reviews?

But a completely different criterion for success is a lot of good reviews. This is also clearly a goal of most writers, if only because good reviews lead to more sales. We tend to spend considerable effort — and, in some cases hard cash (such as paying for reviews via NetGalley) — in order to achieve it.

One can, however, view good reviews as an indicator of success in its own right. Your book may not be highly popular, you may not be making serious money, but there is every reason to be pleased with a succes d’estime.

This is true in other art forms – how much money did many famous painters make? – and should be applied equally to writing. I am not talking here of the hasty five-star review written by a well-intentioned neighbour, but of the thoughtful, reflective review from a complete stranger which indicates that your book is very moving or thought-provoking or whatever.

Winning Awards?

Related to getting good reviews is winning writing awards. There are many of these, I have found. Some are based on an assessment of the book by a panel of serious judges. Others are based on readers’ votes, which sounds fine until you realise that they tend to be more an indicator of the number of friends and acquaintances a writer can muster (not all of whom will have even read the book) than a real ‘favourite’ book.

Alternative Definition of Success

But books can also be successful on other terms, such as the achievement of laudable aims. When I asked why my new e-mail friend viewed my books as successful, she wrote that they were “relevant and useful”. That is certainly one definition and one way in which many non-fiction books will thrive.

A book may be highly practical, for instance explaining how to play the guitar, or, indeed, how to market books on Facebook. If a book does so effectively, it can be deemed a success in its own terms, whatever the sales or reviews.

Alternatively, a book may offer a thoughtful account of the author’s experience of widowhood or dealing with a parent with Alzheimer’s disease. Such books can be moving in their own right as well as helpful to others.  This, too, can be a sign of success, whatever the sales.

My Own Definition of Success

Which brings me to my own position. The more I thought about this question, the more I realised that I would define success for myself as having written something I was proud of.  In my own case, it is writing well about a subject of real importance, with sensitivity and honesty.  It is what I have strived to do all my life.

I write what tends to be called ‘narrative’ or ‘creative’ non-fiction. The particular selling point of my three current books is that they use the actual words of people following a long interview, so that they are comparable to a TV documentary, but in words. Their focus, however, is all over the place, according to what happened to capture my interest. There is no series and certainly no writing to the market.

How do they fare by these criteria?

Sales

With respect to sales, I don’t know what reasonable expectations for non-fiction should be, but I have never considered mine to be notably high.

The first, initially published by HarperCollins in 1992, is about what it was like to be living with AIDS when it was a life-threatening disease with no known cure (Wise Before their Time). It sold many thousands when first published, as there was a lot of attention to the disease at that time. I decided to re-launch it in 2017 for its historical interest – and I will be lucky if I sell 150 copies in the next year.

Wise Before Their Time

My most recent book, published in 2014, is about what it is like to be a grandmother (Celebrating Grandmothers), showing the joys but also the challenges of the role. I thought it would sell well – among other things, it is a perfect present for older women who can be difficult to buy for. But it has sold fewer than 550 copies to date, which is nothing to be particularly thrilled about.

What is “Success” for an Author?

And in-between, there is my book about what it is like to work with the dying (Life in a Hospice). Initially published by a medical publisher in 2007, I had thought it would sell well because I found the subject so fascinating. Alas, I did not reckon with readers’ reluctance to read about death, and it sold only 600 copies in its first five or so years. Re-launched in 2017, it is doing better now, with about 300 sold last year and more this year, due to a BookBub promotion.

Life in a Hospice

Reviews

On the criterion of good reviews, however, my books have fared well. All three have received a large proportion of five star reviews, including many very thoughtful ones. My favourite, written by Sir Ian McKellen in his Foreword to my book on AIDS, says “these true stories are as powerful as any great classic of fiction”. And my book on hospice care was Highly Commended by the British Medical Association, a serious award in my view.

Pride

But most importantly, I feel that my books achieve my principal aim of an honest and moving communication about a subject of importance. In each case, I wanted to develop a real empathy among readers for the people in the book.  It is hard to know, of course, but both the formal reviews and informal comments from others suggest that I have performed this task.  It keeps me going.

Yes, I would like sales—the more, the better.  Yes, I want to get good reviews as they show that others have appreciated my efforts.  But most of all, I need to feel that I have created something I am proud of.

Note:  This was first published by Ingenium: https://ingeniumbooks.com/whats-your-definition-of-success-as-an-author/

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Reading time: 6 min
Life in a Hospice, Wise before their time, Writing

Revisiting Books Written Some Years Ago

March 28, 2018 by Ann Richardson No Comments

Have you ever gone back to read books you wrote some years ago?  Most writers, I suspect, don’t. We write, we publish and we move on.

Some writers say that when they do go back, it makes them uncomfortable to see their earlier, less formed self.  They have learned so much in the meantime.

Indeed, some remove their own books from sale, lest readers think this is the best they can do.

Looking back with pleasure

But there is another response. Some of us return to old books to find ourselves surprised at how good they were. We have also learned much in the meantime, yet our earlier self was unexpectedly thoughtful. It is wonderful to discover.

Last year, I returned to two books I had written many years ago, which were trade-published. I was so impressed with both that I re-launched both for new readers, after getting my rights back (much easier than you think).

Ten years ago

cover of Life in a Hospice

The new self-published edition

Ten years ago, I wrote a book offering the thoughts of hospice staff about working in end-of-life care, Life in a Hospice. It had been published by a highly respectable medical publisher and had a Foreword by Tony Benn, a well loved MP. Indeed, it was Highly Commended by the British Medical Association in 2008.

But I was irritated by the lack of publicity by the publisher (taken over by a major conglomerate) and wondered how relevant it would feel today. Yes, what a delight. I was very touched by the stories and it felt fresh as a daisy!  That prompted me to take back the rights and re-publish it as both a paperback and e-book, but added a new cover.

RESULT: I must have been right, because after selling one or two books a year, it has sold nearly three hundred copies since March 2017. That’s not Harry Potter, but it is good for a book on hospice care.

Twenty-five years ago

cover of Wise before their time

Once topical, now of historical value

That experience prompted me to go back to a book I had published in 1992 setting out the personal stories of people with HIV/AIDS when it was a life-threatening disease, Wise Before their Time. It was long out of print, although there were second hand copies available on the net. I approached the task of reading it with some trepidation, as I could well have been embarrassed.

On the contrary, I found myself incredibly moved by my own book, which I had not read for twenty-five years.

Although the stories have no current relevance, as people diagnosed with HIV can now anticipate a normal life span, they had a historical significance.

Again, I took the rights back and republished it as both a paperback and e-book, again with a new cover.

RESULT: It is selling less dramatically, but selling nonetheless. And it has garnered nothing but five star reviews, which is pleasing.

Conclusions

I am not a young woman, so these books – old as they are – were not written in the full flush of youth. Perhaps if I were able to go back to writings from my twenties or thirties, I would well be embarrassed.

But for those of you who have traditional publications long out of print and wonder whether to just forget about them – think again.

Take them out and have a look. You might be pleasantly surprised. And if you are a member of ALLi, you know that self-publishing is easy.  The next step is obvious.

 

This post was first published by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)  See https://selfpublishingadvice.org/self-publishing-back-catalogue-hybrid-authors-advice/

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Writing

In Their Own Words: A Sampler of All My Books

February 8, 2018 by Ann Richardson No Comments

Once in a while, I have a really good idea. It doesn’t happen all that often, but it is always pleasing when it does. And especially when I still think it is a good idea a few days later.

I had one recently – to create a ‘taster’ book for potential readers to enable them to see if they were interested in buying any of my books. I wrote a very brief introduction and then showed the cover, table of contents and two pages from three or so chapters from each book.

My working title was ‘my book of books’, but I asked around for something better. My daughter-in-law came up with “In Their Own Words”, since all my books consist of people discussing their lives in their own words. Voila, it was done.

This is particularly useful when you write books which are very different from one another, as I do.

A few author friends concurred that it was a good idea and one copied it to develop her own book of books.

You will find a free copy on the cover of my website www.annrichardson.co.uk. Feel free to download it and see what you think.

 

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