Newsletter: November 2024 Edition

Being “Famous”, My Latest Author Interview, and More

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Welcome to the November 2024 edition of my newsletter and the beginning of the holiday season, my favorite time of the year to eat! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I get to spend time with my family and stuff my face with my favorite holiday dishes and desserts. Turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy? It’s food coma time! Three kinds of pie for dessert? I’m dead. Anyway, onward to the newsletter stuff.

Recently, a coworker of mine (yes, I have a day job besides being a writer. You think writers earn a living wage? Ha ha ha ha ha ha nope). Sorry, I got sidetracked. A coworker of mine heard my name on NPR and asked me what it felt like to be famous. And I’m here to say that I’m decidedly NOT famous, not even close. In fact, I don’t have a desire to be famous at all—widely read maybe, but not famous in the I-know-your-face-from-somewhere famous like Stephen King or something. I like my anonymity, but I do enjoy talking to readers and sharing my love for books and literature. My coworker’s comment got me thinking because there’s a distorted perception of what constitutes success or fame when it comes to creative people, particularly writers, putting themselves out into the world.

For every book award I’ve received, there’s a dismal sales report right behind it. For every book festival or TV appearance I’ve made, there’s a book event with two people in attendance right behind it. Being a published writer is truly a mixed bag. There are some great and memorable things and equally humiliating and humbling things that have happened in my writing “career.” And for every Stephen King or Margaret Atwood mega-successful career, there are literally thousands who barely make a decent living. According to a report from the Authors Guild, the median income for all writers in 2023 was about $6,080, with full-time writers averaging around $20,300. That’s not good at all.

There was a time when some writers could make a really good living selling short stories to magazines or landing book deals, but that was decades ago. The days of pre-famous Kurt Vonnegut selling one short story to a magazine for $5,000 in 1958 ($5k in `58 is worth $54,550 in 2024) are long-gone. Good luck finding any publication willing to pay $50k for a short story let alone a book publisher willing to give an advance for $50k to a midlist author.

So, many of you may be asking: then why do you write and publish books, Scott, if the career prospects are so terrible? Because, the writing part of being a writer is my favorite part. I write fiction because I love it. And if there are any of you out there that still enjoy reading fiction, then I hope you enjoy what I write and buy one of my books. That’s all. How do I feel about being “famous?” To be honest, I really don’t know. Anyway, thanks for listening. I guess I just felt the need to share. :)

Recent Author Interview

Here’s a recent Austin Liti Limits interview I did with Ramona Reeves! Her book of stories It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories is fantastic. Watch the interview here:

https://austinlitilimits.com/episodes/episode-57-ramona-reeves.html

My Latest Books

I can’t sign off without mentioning the book I have out now THE CODGER AND THE SPARROW (Paperback from TCU Press, Audiobook from Vibrance Press). It’s a humorous yet moving story about a 65-year-old widower’s unusual friendship with a 16-year-old troublemaker. You can find paperback and eBook retailers here: https://scottsemegran.com/books/the-codger-and-the-sparrow.html. Audiobook retailers here: https://scottsemegran.com/audiobooks/the-codger-and-the-sparrow.html.

I also have a new book scheduled to be released on March 4, 2025 called STARMAN AFTER MIDNIGHT, a quirky novel-in-stories about two beer-drinking next-door neighbors who couldn't be more different. When they discover a naked man roaming their street late at night, they decide to form a posse and investigate. BlueInk Review declares, “Starman After Midnight is effortlessly funny, likably odd, surprisingly moving, and imminently relatable—a genuine pleasure to read.” Find links to preorder it on my website: https://scottsemegran.com/books/starman-after-midnight.html

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all! Please consider supporting this newsletter by buying one of my books for yourself or for a friend or family member this holiday season. Until next time, read more books, support your local library, be good to each other, and above all else: go vote!

Sincerely,

Scott

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