What does a book sale look like to you?

 For those of us still peddling our wares out there in the world of un-agented writers, there is a lot of mystique in what happens next.

Honestly, I'm so focused on my writing and scoring the perfect agent that I don't give much though to the actual process of what happens after that.

Don't I wish a crystal ball held the answers.

That's not to say I haven't dreamed about the results. In my world, I will find Top Agent who loves my book and provides (a few) smart, insightful edits that make it ah-mazing. She then sells said book in a hotly contested auction that grants me an advance so big I will be slightly embarrassed (as I dance to the bank).

When ah-mazing book comes out I will be on all the top talk shows where people like Ellen gush over my brilliance. When the movie premiers, Seventeen Magazine will run a huge spread including rave reviews and pictures of me looking stunning walking the red carpet.

Sigh. Sorry, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, the reality of a book deal, which clearly has nothing to do with the above scenario unless you are Stephenie Meyers or JK Rowling.

However, the fabulous folks over at YA Highway put together a two-part post on what selling a book really looks like. Spoiler Alert: It isn't anywhere near as glamorous as the scene described above. It is, however, more factually sound.

Check them out here Part 1 and here Part 2.

No matter where you are in your writing career, I think it's a good idea to have a realistic picture of what the process looks like. Cause if you're writing a book for the sole purpose of looking hot in a Seventeen article, this may not be the career path for you.