 
A Chat with SPAWN President and Author Patricia Fry  by Jennifer Minar
We recently caught up with highly prolific author Patricia Fry, SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) president, freelance writer, and author of twenty-four books.
In this inspiring Q&A, we talk with Fry about her latest book, the rewards and difficulties she's experienced as a full-time freelance writer, and common misconceptions aspiring writers have about the business of publishing.
What inspired you to write The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book?
I think I've been leading up to writing this book for a long time. I've written eight books related to writing/publishing, you know. This one I call my “crowning glory” as it encompasses so much of what an author MUST know in order to be successful in the publishing field. My inspiration, though, is the author—in fact, the countless hopeful and struggling authors who come to me at writers' workshops, book festivals and via the Internet with their burning questions. While some of these authors want to know how to go about publishing a book, others are concerned with what to do now that they are published. So many authors are disillusioned after a bad publishing experience—an experience that could have been avoided had they only taken the time to learn more about the publishing field and their responsibility as a published author.
I was inspired to write this book in order to help the thousands of hopeful and struggling authors to make more educated publishing decisions. So many authors go into publishing from an emotional place. We don't understand, at first, that publishing is a business and our book is a product. My book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book helps to educate hopeful authors so they can make better decisions on behalf of their wonderful manuscripts.
What have been the most rewarding aspects of being a full-time writer?
I feel blessed to have been able to do what I enjoy doing for so many years. I tell people that I can't not write. And to earn my living through my writing is just an awesome way of life for me. I couldn't have orchestrated a better life scenario for myself. One of the most rewarding aspects for me is the fact that I can be at home. I've always loved being home. Yet, I have so many other options—you know, those options that come with being your own boss. I took a walk on the beach yesterday. I am rewarded every day because every day I get to write. Also, it has been fascinating to watch my writing business change shape and scope over the years with the advent and continuing advancement of technology, for example. I started out writing articles by hand. Then I was given a manual typewriter. An electric typewriter didn't come into my life until I started working on my second book. Wow, I'm sounding like a real dinosaur, now.
The most challenging?
Being your own boss can be tough. I think I'm probably harder on myself than any boss I've had. But I get to do things my way. It took me a while to learn self-discipline. Now I am probably too disciplined. I got up at 4:00 this morning because I woke up and got excited about the writing projects waiting on my desk. I walk every day, but sometimes I find it difficult to leave my office and get out there on the trail.
What would you say are the most important qualities one needs to possess in order to be make a living as a full-time writer?
Self-discipline is high on the list. You must also learn to let the negativity (such as the emotion that comes with rejection slips) go. So perseverance is important. Organizational skills are also valuable. When we work for someone else, we do things on their schedule. When you work for yourself, it is up to you to produce at a level that will generate the earnings you need. It is up to you to organize your day/week in order to successfully meet your deadlines and your goals. Your level of productivity is in your hands.
I frequently meet people who want to start writing, but who are unwilling to make any changes. How much sense does that make? If you live a full life and you want to add something as intense as writing, something must give. I often hear people say, “I want to start a writing career” or “I want to write a book, but I just don't have the time.” I say that it isn't that they don't have the time, it's that they aren't willing to use any of their time for this activity. We prioritize our lives. If you want to add something to your life, you must reprioritize. When I counsel these hopeful authors and writers, the first thing I ask about are their TV watching habits. So many people just don't realize how much time they spend in front of the TV. By examining how they spend their time, most people can figure out ways to schedule time for writing. If not, I suggest that they get up an hour earlier and write every morning. Or stay up an hour later at night.
Once you start writing on even a limited schedule, you will generally discover additional time slots that you can contribute to this activity.
Why do you write?
This is such an important question and one that I ask in my new book, “The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.” I think it is important to know why we write because if we're doing it for the wrong reasons, we will, most likely, fail.
I write to fulfill my passion for writing. The fact that I have figured out a way to earn a living through my writing is a big plus. Where the passion comes from, I really don't know. Perhaps it is an innate (or insane) desire to communicate, to be heard, to share. But it seems as though it is the process of writing/creating that drives me. What's a typical day like for you?
It's 6:30 a.m. right now and I've already been working for 2 and a half hours. I'll walk sometime today—I'm pretty well disciplined to walk each and every day—and I'll probably quit working and leave my home office around 4:00 this afternoon. Of course, relaxing after hours, for me, means reading writing-related newsletters that came via the Internet during the day, reading a writing-related book to review, planning my next work day, proofing pages, studying magazines for possible article ideas.
I wear several hats. I have to be in book promotion mode all of the time. So I try to do some promotion each day. That might include submitting articles to writing/publishing-related newsletters, magazines and Web sites for exposure. I might seek out writers' conferences and workshops throughout the nation where I can be scheduled as a speaker. I love doing workshops and always sell a lot of books that way.
I am almost always working on a book. Right now I'm writing a book of cat stories—something I've wanted to do for a long time. I have a publisher interested and am working very hard to change from “give me the facts ma'am” nonfiction mode to storytelling mode. What a stretch.
I write articles for magazines for money. I just submitted another one on request to Writer's Digest. I try to make some submissions at least a couple of times during the week. While article-writing used to be my main focus, I have to admit that it has taken the back burner in the last several months as I've been so busy with the books and with clients.
Yes, I also work with clients on their projects and I've enjoyed that very much. There are really some wonderful, creative writers out there. I'm currently writing the memoirs of the son of a former CA Congressman. It's probably not for publication, unless we produce it just regionally.
Add to the mix, my work with SPAWN—responding to member and Web visitor questions, researching and interviewing for the SPAWN Market Update, discussing with Virginia (executive director) SPAWN's participation in various events such as the Los Angeles Festival of Books, sending free books to newly registered members, etc.
Since I publish many of my own books through my publishing company, Matilija Press, I am also a distributor. Most days I must turn my office into a temporary shipping room.
Tell us a little about SPAWN.
SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) is a 9-year-old networking organization for people who are interested in and/or involved in publishing. Through our Web site and newsletter, we help hopeful authors, artists and freelance writers make the right choices and the most intelligent decisions with regard to their projects.
I write the monthly SPAWN Market Update which is posted in the member area of the Web site. This is an extremely informative newsletter for our members who are promoting a book, seeking a publisher, interested in changes and opportunities for freelance writers and want to stay informed about the publishing industry. The member area also has a really good search function for members (like Google only it involves several search engines at once). We have a section where members can get discounts on printing, etc. And we provide two ways for members to communicate with other members—through a discussion group and through a forum.
I was one of the earliest members of SPAWN and am now the working president. I had to add “working” because I'm not just a figure head. There's a lot to keeping an organization functioning, as you probably know, Jennifer.
By the way, anyone reading this who would like to have a sneak peek into the member area of the SPAWN Web site, just let me know and I'll arrange it. I think if you see what we offer, you'll want to join SPAWN. www.spawn.org. Contact me for a sneak peek: plfry620@yahoo.com.
If a writer were to glean only two or three pieces of wisdom from The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, what would you like for those to be?
I feel it is vitally important that hopeful authors study and understand something about the publishing industry before getting involved. This study should take time and encompass a great volume of the right sort of information. Read, visit Web sites such as SPAWN's SPAN's and PMA's and read the articles and forum entries. Join publishing networking organizations. Subscribe to trade magazines and newsletters. And before signing any contract (no matter how nice the fee-based POD publisher, for example, seems), study it word for word. Have an intellectual properties or publishing attorney evaluate it. Negotiate for what you want. I can't stress this enough.
One thing that trips up many hopeful authors is the promise that a fee-based POD publisher will make your books available to bookstores nationwide. So many newby authors interpret this to mean, “My book will be available in Borders and Barnes and Noble everywhere.” What it means is that if a bookseller comes around asking for a book such as this, the publishing service will tell them about yours.
The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book goes a long way toward providing the education you need in order to succeed as an author.
The other thing that I want hopeful authors to comprehend is their responsibilities as an author. Unlike writing, publishing is not an emotional activity. It is a business and with publication comes certain responsibilities. Whether you choose to self-publish (establish your own publishing company), go with a fee-based POD publisher or land a traditional royalty publisher (who pays to produce your book and pays you royalties) you, the author, MUST promote your book.
Most new authors believe that all they have to do is write the book and it will be sold in bookstores nationwide for years go come. This couldn't be more WRONG. Getting your book into bookstores is almost impossible. I reveal how in this book—but it isn't easy. Nothing about publishing is easy and I think that hopeful authors need to know this going in.
Ordering information for The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book can be found at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html.
Visit Patricia Fry's BLOG at http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog.
Jennifer Minar is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the editor-in-chief of www.WritersBreak.com. She can be contacted at jminar@writersbreak.com.
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