How to Effectively use the Search Feature?

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Fictional Cowboy

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Hello,

I hate needless threads, too. I love researching and utilizing search features. However, I'm having difficulty getting to know this one.

I type in the keywords of what I'm looking for and it brings up wild results.

Can someone please give me a lesson on how to use the AW search feature correctly and effectively?

The topic I wanted to research (instead of starting what I'm sure would be a repeat thread) was "How much can authors expect to make on their advances for their first book? Second? Third?"

In short, I just want to understand the pay scale for authors. (I already understand that there are no "set in stone" figures and that there are innumerable variables to consider but, I'm just looking for a little understanding and some examples.

How can I pull up related posts and threads without getting a plethora of unrelated posts just because they have the word "advance" in them somewhere?
 
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Make sure you use the Google custom search (at the bottom of the page - keep going past the quick reply box and it's under the "posting rules" bit).

The one at the top right of the forum isn't as good.
 
Fictional Cowboy

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I appreciate you taking the time to show me that. I never would have seen that search feature at the bottom otherwise. And yes, the AW search feature is definitely not "as good."
 

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Yes; use the Google search. The built in search function is a bit overwhelmed by the size of the post database—posts/threads go back to 2004.

Also: always look at FAQs; you might start at the Publishing FAQs and Resources for some more places to check and basic information about trade publishing.


Keep in mind that advances are very much affected by not just the book and publisher, but by the genre/kind of book.

And by whether the author receiving the advance has an agent. Tobias Bucknell surveyed a lot of SF authors about advances; the data is old, but still useful.
 
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Fictional Cowboy said:
The topic I wanted to research (instead of starting what I'm sure would be a repeat thread) was "How much can authors expect to make on their advances for their first book? Second? Third?"

In short, I just want to understand the pay scale for authors. (I already understand that there are no "set in stone" figures and that there are innumerable variables to consider but, I'm just looking for a little understanding and some examples.
Click to expand...

I realise this has little to do with the question you're asking, and that you said you understand there are no firm figures: I just wanted to make sure that you also understand that while we can produce figures which show the average amount earned by writers, or the average advance for writers with and without agents, and for writers working in different genres, none of this means anything when applied to individual writers, or even individual books.

Every book is different; every writer is different. One book might have no hope of ever being published by a reputable publisher; another might be so good that almost any publisher who sees it will want to sign it up, and would pay well for having it on their lists. We all think our books are in the latter category, not the former: but the only real way to know the earning potential of a specific book is to send it out on submission, and to see what offers come in.
 
Fictional Cowboy

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Old Hack said:
I realise this has little to do with the question you're asking, and that you said you understand there are no firm figures: I just wanted to make sure that you also understand that while we can produce figures which show the average amount earned by writers, or the average advance for writers with and without agents, and for writers working in different genres, none of this means anything when applied to individual writers, or even individual books.

Every book is different; every writer is different. One book might have no hope of ever being published by a reputable publisher; another might be so good that almost any publisher who sees it will want to sign it up, and would pay well for having it on their lists. We all think our books are in the latter category, not the former: but the only real way to know the earning potential of a specific book is to send it out on submission, and to see what offers come in.
Click to expand...

Absolutely understood in advance. A hundred figures could be given in response and every one of them could be off based on all the variables involved. I don't have any delusions of grandeur when it comes to writing. Ballpark figures and/or possible examples were all I was looking for - and found.
 
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