As a solidly mid-list author, I love this list and the explanation. I’m a mid-list writer with one NYT bestseller, which is a very common experience among my writer friends.
My NYT bestseller only got a 25k advance but later earned many times that in royalties in the US. Three of my other books handily earned out their advances, including one that was a bestseller in the UK but not the US. Of my six published novels, only one failed to earn out its advance.
My single NYT bestseller, fortunately, was early in my career (it was my third book, second novel), thereby setting up my next contract and giving me years to write. But over time it has been the mid-list books, foreign advances and royalties (thanks to an amazing agent), and film options that have sustained me. So I’m delighted to read this defense of the mid-list, where most writers I know spend the majority of our careers!
Also, amusingly, one of my books, HUM, a story collection published in 2014 for a small advance of 15k as part of an award series, only began earning royalties this year!
I “went down a rabbit hole” to find this excellent article. Thank you for your insight and wisdom. I subscribed to your Substack. I now have set my goal to become a career novelist by writing midlist books. I appreciate you so much.
I've read both Hum and Glorious Exploits. They fall into the category of "books that make NPR's (or other large publication's) long list of staff picks for 2024."
These are both books that are high quality, but that aren't "prestigious" enough to make lists for the major awards. They might make lists or win lower-level awards (Glorious Exploits won the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024 and the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction, two awards I hadn't heard of before), and they'll probably garner a few reviews in papers like the NYT or sites like The Guardian.
Just wanted to add some info on the two I've read! I agree that they're the lifeblood of "reading culture." They're the sorts of books that avid readers love, because hundreds of them come out every year that meet a baseline level of "quality." You can *always* find a book of this type that you'll enjoy.
Thanks to your mother and Allison Gill's The Daily Beans podcast, I learned about your Substack, and I already love it. While in my 40s, I realized when reading Sir Terry Pratchett's YA novel 'The Wee Free Men' that there were still words in English that I didn't know. Like Tiffany Aching, Pratchett's young witch, I learned susurrus, bifurcate, and brassica, but Pratchett was my teacher. Since then, I pause when I don't know a word and I look it up. Yesterday, I looked up desultory, not for the meaning but for the pronunciation. How often does that happen to other well-read people? My passive vocabulary is better than my active usage! Anyway, I consider a day in which I learn nothing new is a sad day. So, I'm thrilled to be brought into the world of an editor, a career I've long dreamed of but worried it cut into my personal reading time. Thank you, Sean!
I was looking up words just this morning! In fact, one of my checklist items for a good author is if I need to look up their words. I have a great vocabulary, but I adore learning new words.
I heard about you from your mom today on Daily Beans. Say hey to her from me!
Hey I’m back! You got me to check out Ann Patchett, so I just finished The Dutch House. I feel like my whole life makes sense now. Amazing the effect it had on me.
The only one on your list I had my eye on before I read this was Hum. What resources did you use to identify the sales numbers, and to figure out details like word-of-mouth sales of WRUS?
This was fascinating. Thank you for the information. It's so intriguing to hear about how authors have become successful in different ways and how becoming a "best-selling author" isn't always the way to have a great or steady career. I honestly would be so ecstatic to be considered a "mid-list author" because it means people are reading my stories.
Great article! I’d bet on Charlie Donlea hitting it big at some point in the future. He’s so reliably consistent—if he’s able to come up with a high concept novel that gains some momentum, he’ll get there.
As a solidly mid-list author, I love this list and the explanation. I’m a mid-list writer with one NYT bestseller, which is a very common experience among my writer friends.
My NYT bestseller only got a 25k advance but later earned many times that in royalties in the US. Three of my other books handily earned out their advances, including one that was a bestseller in the UK but not the US. Of my six published novels, only one failed to earn out its advance.
My single NYT bestseller, fortunately, was early in my career (it was my third book, second novel), thereby setting up my next contract and giving me years to write. But over time it has been the mid-list books, foreign advances and royalties (thanks to an amazing agent), and film options that have sustained me. So I’m delighted to read this defense of the mid-list, where most writers I know spend the majority of our careers!
Also, amusingly, one of my books, HUM, a story collection published in 2014 for a small advance of 15k as part of an award series, only began earning royalties this year!
I “went down a rabbit hole” to find this excellent article. Thank you for your insight and wisdom. I subscribed to your Substack. I now have set my goal to become a career novelist by writing midlist books. I appreciate you so much.
I just recommended this to three groups I am in.
I've read both Hum and Glorious Exploits. They fall into the category of "books that make NPR's (or other large publication's) long list of staff picks for 2024."
These are both books that are high quality, but that aren't "prestigious" enough to make lists for the major awards. They might make lists or win lower-level awards (Glorious Exploits won the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024 and the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction, two awards I hadn't heard of before), and they'll probably garner a few reviews in papers like the NYT or sites like The Guardian.
Just wanted to add some info on the two I've read! I agree that they're the lifeblood of "reading culture." They're the sorts of books that avid readers love, because hundreds of them come out every year that meet a baseline level of "quality." You can *always* find a book of this type that you'll enjoy.
Such great insight. Thank you for this!
Extremely informative, thanks!
Thanks to your mother and Allison Gill's The Daily Beans podcast, I learned about your Substack, and I already love it. While in my 40s, I realized when reading Sir Terry Pratchett's YA novel 'The Wee Free Men' that there were still words in English that I didn't know. Like Tiffany Aching, Pratchett's young witch, I learned susurrus, bifurcate, and brassica, but Pratchett was my teacher. Since then, I pause when I don't know a word and I look it up. Yesterday, I looked up desultory, not for the meaning but for the pronunciation. How often does that happen to other well-read people? My passive vocabulary is better than my active usage! Anyway, I consider a day in which I learn nothing new is a sad day. So, I'm thrilled to be brought into the world of an editor, a career I've long dreamed of but worried it cut into my personal reading time. Thank you, Sean!
I was looking up words just this morning! In fact, one of my checklist items for a good author is if I need to look up their words. I have a great vocabulary, but I adore learning new words.
I heard about you from your mom today on Daily Beans. Say hey to her from me!
Hey I’m back! You got me to check out Ann Patchett, so I just finished The Dutch House. I feel like my whole life makes sense now. Amazing the effect it had on me.
Ann, you must try Patchett's Bel Canto. She's transcendent! Happy you found her.
American Rapture and Glorious Exploits are two of my favourites from the past couple of years.
The only one on your list I had my eye on before I read this was Hum. What resources did you use to identify the sales numbers, and to figure out details like word-of-mouth sales of WRUS?
Damn, this is a great post. Thank you Sean for this.
What a fabulous and useful look at this side of the industry. Thank you!
This was fascinating. Thank you for the information. It's so intriguing to hear about how authors have become successful in different ways and how becoming a "best-selling author" isn't always the way to have a great or steady career. I honestly would be so ecstatic to be considered a "mid-list author" because it means people are reading my stories.
Great article! I’d bet on Charlie Donlea hitting it big at some point in the future. He’s so reliably consistent—if he’s able to come up with a high concept novel that gains some momentum, he’ll get there.
So pleased to know that that midlist authors are alive and well - thank you.