DAVE LOWE WORKSHOP – The Business of Writing
On Saturday 3rd May, Write Linkers were offered a peek between the spreadsheets of a working author with Dave Lowe presenting a workshop on ‘The Business of Writing’.
Dave Lowe has had 14 of his junior fiction and middle grade novels published, with his 15th due for release in 2025. His books have won awards and been translated into seven languages.
After giving a brief overview of the books he has written and their publication (or not) stories, Dave delved deeply into the business of writing, generously sharing his experiences and personal insights across:
- The different ways he has secured book deals (say YES to a lot of things)
- The various revenue streams authors can consider to supplement their incomes
- The breakdown and mechanics of how books can earn money, including payment schedules for advances, ELR/PLR, royalties
- Plus an overview of his own ‘typical’ work day (coffee with friends, walking the dog, housework/cooking, mindless scrolling/wordle, writing admin, and in there somewhere too: writing and editing)
Here’s a sneaky summary of Dave’s income* which he shared with the group on the day, plus bonus insider advice (with thanks to Jamie Willis for sending me a copy of her notes):
- Advances – REDACTED
- ELR/PLR – REDACTED
- Royalties – REDACTED
- Schools/Libraries/Festivals – REDACTED
- Book Week – REDACTED
- Mentoring – REDACTED
- Expenses – REDACTED
And here’s a round up of what Dave says yes and no to, to make the most of creative opportunities and form connections which lead to further work:
YES:
Books, plays, ghostwriting, panels, Q&As, festivals, all paid school visits, articles for magazines (paid), looking at other chapters, anything Jenny Stubbs asks him to do.
NO:
Unpaid book talks, writing articles for free, unpaid library things, looking at full manuscripts.
From a more creative perspective, Dave also offered bonus tips on how to write page-turning stories, sharing the ‘But… So…’ formula, a quick summary of Dan Harmon’s Story Circle (the Hero’s Journey), and a couple of his top book/resource recommendations: Be Funny or Die by Joel Morris, and Kurt Vonnegurt 8 Rules for Writing.
Throughout this choc-full-of-gold presentation, Dave was both candid and self-deprecating. The sheer breadth of experiences and information Dave shared with us ensured there was something valuable in it for everyone. Chatting with others afterward, the variety of takeaways was testament to this. A couple of my key takeaways:
- If you’re in children’s book writing for the money, perhaps consider going into something else
- Get yourself a ‘Patron of the Arts’ (see item 1)
- Importantly, Dave advised that if you want to earn the BIG bucks, the first thing you need to do is REDACT REDACT REDACT and make sure the REDACT is REDACTED. Then, using the REDACT you’ll be in an excellent position to REDACT ALL THE THINGS. Works every time!
If you missed out on Dave’s workshop for Write Links but would still like to benefit from his experience and expertise, you’re in luck! Dave offers junior fiction and middle grade manuscript appraisals. Feedback from writers who have been mentored by Dave is glowing. You can find out more about this service at Dave’s website here: www.daveloweauthor.com/manuscript-appraisals
And don’t forget to attend Write Links’ professional development workshops, where insider info is generously shared!
*Sensitive information we were asked not to share outside the workshop has been redacted by the author of this article.
Blog post by Melissa Elk
Follow Melissa Elk on Instagram at melissaelkwriter or visit her website at www.melissaelk.com
Photo credit: Victoria Ellen
