Those are some sobering statistics about the publishing industry you quote there. It’s infuriating that celebrities who couldn’t give a damn about reading and writing seem to be the only ones making money out of it!
It’s good that people can now use things like Substack to make some semblance of an income. I guess it means that you have to work hard if you want to make it your livelihood. I am a huge fan of the format. I just read your essay on being in an elevated mood. It was fascinating! I have suffered from being a bit down at times and lacking energy/motivation. Sometimes I have fantasised about being in an elevated state. I guess unlike being depressed, it does have positive aspects. It can be infuriating getting absolutely nothing done ever!
Feeling for you. Like anxiety, depression is also telling us something. Doing nothing might be what you really need to sit in to move through the sludgy blockage in your soul x
Congratulations on getting your book back into the market! Publishing is hard in so many ways - I really felt for you with that cover experience. The whole experience often feels like being stuck on a rollercoaster! I have tried to follow my heart with my stories and once had to pay back a big advance because the publisher wanted me to change details that destroyed key elements of the story - it was the book I was doing as part of my doctoral studies and changing it to try to fit a market would have contradicted my research - but my stance left me struggling because I had to pay money back and it basically destroyed the relationship with the publisher and meant all my other books were deprioritised and I had to start again. (I did publish the book in the end with a new publisher and it was well received, thank goodness, but I can only take one book with me to events now when I've written eight - I'm still figuring out how to get the others back into the market.)
I was really interested in that article with all the figures too - it doesn't quite fit with my experience, because I have found it is possible to do okay and make a decent living in trad publishing without making millions, but that you need to have really good support from editing right through to publicity and to be publishing regularly - every year if possible, which is very hard to sustain. And support can change very quickly and is often out of our control. I feel for so many debut authors who start off full of excitement and then get left behind. It's also a weird industry when we're constantly searching for scraps of information about a) the industry and b) our own books!! Upfront communication can be dire!
I hope you have a great experience republishing this one - the cover you ended up with is beautiful.
I have been trying to get a hold of your book for the past year. I live in France but I wanted a copy in English so every time I passed through an airport somewhere ( even Sydney) not a copy to be found. I couldn’t even find a copy in the various book shops I visited while in Sydney. I finally resorted Amazon. « Thank you for your order, wait time approx 6 months » 😧 I remember thinking this lack of stock is very strange.
Your versions of the covers are so much better! That’s what originally drew me to your book. Prior to seeing your book I was unaware of who you were. I judged your book by its cover, and after grappling with this for 4 or 5 months, bought it. It’s been one of my favourite books since!
Awesome news Sarah. I loved your first version and bought two of them but would love to reread. I’ll pop up to Potts Point Bookshop and alert them to this, if they don’t already know.
Will you be doing an audio version of the new book? I’m about to embark on the Camino Frances 900km walk across Spain for the third time and would love to have you in my ears for some of the longer, harder days.
Oh,and that other cover is very dystopian escape to Marsish - quite hideous! As always you are an inspiration in all that you do and share 💪
Thank you Jane...say hi to the crew at PP bookstore. PS the revised edition isn't new, it just has some updates, where climate info etc has changed. TBH it didn't need massive updates because the theory behind it hasn't changed. Just to manage expectations! x
Well done Sarah, that is a victory and I love your book, bought with the beautiful cover. Good to read the back story and appreciate it even more. I am going to re read it and tell my local bookshop to get some copies of the new edition 💝
Good on you! I hope this updated version gets huge sales a "eat shit, old publishers". As a book lover, keen photographer, art lover etc., I'm obsessed with book cover design. The publishers' v1 was wishy-washy , no contrast between the image and the font, also, I personally cringe when I see anything "soul" - not always a deal breaker. The publishing world is cut-throat, many don't realise, I know a bit about it. I've pre-ordered a copy and I'll place purchase requests of the updated title at the 3 different public libraries I use. You've got this! 💪
I was loaned this book from a friend years ago, and loved it so much, it felt fresh and brave and honest and I was so grateful you could articulate the bi polar experience in such a clear and enlightening way. I will def buy the new copy, it's an excellent book, and one I tell people about often. So happy for you to have the rights back xx
Big love and congratulations Sarah. Navigating all the changes - big and small right now ‘ain’t easy. I will definitely be pre ordering, especially with the new cover and virtuous karma link. More strength, kindness and compassion for you as you move into a lighter, brighter world. 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼💗💗💗👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Those are some sobering statistics about the publishing industry you quote there. It’s infuriating that celebrities who couldn’t give a damn about reading and writing seem to be the only ones making money out of it!
It’s good that people can now use things like Substack to make some semblance of an income. I guess it means that you have to work hard if you want to make it your livelihood. I am a huge fan of the format. I just read your essay on being in an elevated mood. It was fascinating! I have suffered from being a bit down at times and lacking energy/motivation. Sometimes I have fantasised about being in an elevated state. I guess unlike being depressed, it does have positive aspects. It can be infuriating getting absolutely nothing done ever!
Feeling for you. Like anxiety, depression is also telling us something. Doing nothing might be what you really need to sit in to move through the sludgy blockage in your soul x
Congratulations on getting your book back into the market! Publishing is hard in so many ways - I really felt for you with that cover experience. The whole experience often feels like being stuck on a rollercoaster! I have tried to follow my heart with my stories and once had to pay back a big advance because the publisher wanted me to change details that destroyed key elements of the story - it was the book I was doing as part of my doctoral studies and changing it to try to fit a market would have contradicted my research - but my stance left me struggling because I had to pay money back and it basically destroyed the relationship with the publisher and meant all my other books were deprioritised and I had to start again. (I did publish the book in the end with a new publisher and it was well received, thank goodness, but I can only take one book with me to events now when I've written eight - I'm still figuring out how to get the others back into the market.)
I was really interested in that article with all the figures too - it doesn't quite fit with my experience, because I have found it is possible to do okay and make a decent living in trad publishing without making millions, but that you need to have really good support from editing right through to publicity and to be publishing regularly - every year if possible, which is very hard to sustain. And support can change very quickly and is often out of our control. I feel for so many debut authors who start off full of excitement and then get left behind. It's also a weird industry when we're constantly searching for scraps of information about a) the industry and b) our own books!! Upfront communication can be dire!
I hope you have a great experience republishing this one - the cover you ended up with is beautiful.
So true re trying to get information! x
I am in Provence, living in a beautiful village with a boulangerie 100m away 😉 where my neighbour brings me fresh lettuce from her garden.
Oh lovely!!! What town? Book is avail via amazon.fr
https://www.amazon.fr/This-One-Wild-Precious-Life/dp/1785633848/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L5FMW3V7C6KV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BR8qXm6uh9xMAt-Zsuo5O0JvpoWv_3Nhtq2fkoVOnKHGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.KEb0YPj5mNivB3JJEBZJ8USm0Jf3gLavnn_ou-GG36s&dib_tag=se&keywords=this+one+wild+and+precious+life&qid=1714566038&sprefix=this+one+wild+%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1
Thank you
golly - sounds scrumptious
I have been trying to get a hold of your book for the past year. I live in France but I wanted a copy in English so every time I passed through an airport somewhere ( even Sydney) not a copy to be found. I couldn’t even find a copy in the various book shops I visited while in Sydney. I finally resorted Amazon. « Thank you for your order, wait time approx 6 months » 😧 I remember thinking this lack of stock is very strange.
Anyway, I am still waiting.
hmmmm, where are you living now?
So excited Sarah…I’ve just preordered!! 🫶🏼💕
Thanks Suzy x
Your versions of the covers are so much better! That’s what originally drew me to your book. Prior to seeing your book I was unaware of who you were. I judged your book by its cover, and after grappling with this for 4 or 5 months, bought it. It’s been one of my favourite books since!
a rare moment where I'm really cool to be judged by my cover! thx for supporting
Awesome news Sarah. I loved your first version and bought two of them but would love to reread. I’ll pop up to Potts Point Bookshop and alert them to this, if they don’t already know.
Will you be doing an audio version of the new book? I’m about to embark on the Camino Frances 900km walk across Spain for the third time and would love to have you in my ears for some of the longer, harder days.
Oh,and that other cover is very dystopian escape to Marsish - quite hideous! As always you are an inspiration in all that you do and share 💪
Thank you Jane...say hi to the crew at PP bookstore. PS the revised edition isn't new, it just has some updates, where climate info etc has changed. TBH it didn't need massive updates because the theory behind it hasn't changed. Just to manage expectations! x
Well done Sarah, that is a victory and I love your book, bought with the beautiful cover. Good to read the back story and appreciate it even more. I am going to re read it and tell my local bookshop to get some copies of the new edition 💝
I 100 appreciate that!
Well, this is a no-brainer - ordered.....an essential purchase.
Gosh, they take advantage! Why would they think that cover would suit you...
I needed a beautiful for a friend's birthday coming up, so purchased and await its arrival :)
Wow that first cover design. Wtf were they thinking?!
Congrats, Sarah, on getting the rights back! And bless you for providing us, your Substackers, with that discount! Wonderful.
Off to pre-order.
Big love x
And, I wish the sales to be huge. Great idea for all genders as a gift. 😍
Good on you! I hope this updated version gets huge sales a "eat shit, old publishers". As a book lover, keen photographer, art lover etc., I'm obsessed with book cover design. The publishers' v1 was wishy-washy , no contrast between the image and the font, also, I personally cringe when I see anything "soul" - not always a deal breaker. The publishing world is cut-throat, many don't realise, I know a bit about it. I've pre-ordered a copy and I'll place purchase requests of the updated title at the 3 different public libraries I use. You've got this! 💪
I was loaned this book from a friend years ago, and loved it so much, it felt fresh and brave and honest and I was so grateful you could articulate the bi polar experience in such a clear and enlightening way. I will def buy the new copy, it's an excellent book, and one I tell people about often. So happy for you to have the rights back xx
Big love and congratulations Sarah. Navigating all the changes - big and small right now ‘ain’t easy. I will definitely be pre ordering, especially with the new cover and virtuous karma link. More strength, kindness and compassion for you as you move into a lighter, brighter world. 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼💗💗💗👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼