GREG HERREN WRITES THE TRUTH
Thanks to Becky (thanks, Becky!) I now have the top-secret address to gay novelist Greg Herren's blog. Well... LiveJournal, if you want to get picky, but still the same thing.

(Which reminds me that I still owe Greg something -- more on that later -- and had better put my brain in gear. Don't you hate putting your brain in gear?)

Anyway, while skimming his entries I came across this from a few weeks ago. You aspiring writers out there should take note, because it's the absolute truth.

UPDATE: Screeeech! I have a brief clarification I'd better make before I get in trouble. I am not dissatisfied with my publisher or editor, so don't read that into this entry. I just want to second what Greg wrote about the financial nature of the industry. Writers wait a loooong time for royalty checks (outside my advance, I still haven't seen any money from Trust Fund Boys, which hit the shelves a year ago), and almost all of us pay our own way when we do publicity... which is the main reason you haven't seen me in your town on a book tour. So don't expect to get rich quick, and don't expect to be whisked around the world as soon as your book is published.

In other words, don't quit your day job. Unless you're him.