Reynox Writers' Centre

In which we are… munted…

Jenny — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:48:08 +0000

Well… it is now over a year since we were hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake here in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, followed by a devastating and far more dangerous 6.3 in February this year which resulted in 182 deaths in the city of Christchurch.

Because of this, we still have no resolution on the insurance claim to repair Reynox House, which was to house the writers centre.

Sadly, the Writers’ Centre will remain closed until this issue can be resolved. Word from the Loss Adjusters is that even if we get the go-ahead to start fixing the buiding tomorrow, it could be over a year before they even start the repairs.

Oh well…

In which we are defeated by a volcano…

Jenny — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 05:49:45 +0000

Sadly, all flights from NZ to well, anywhere, have been grounded and I will not be able to make it to Supanova in Perth for the Workshops.

Participants will need to contact Foxtix or Ticketek for a refund.

I am so sorry… I knew I should have flown Air New Zealand!

In which we wonder if we’re going to make it to Sydney…

Jenny — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:19:14 +0000

The earthquake couldn’t stop me attending Supanova, but a volcano might. Just had my Sydney flight cancelled. Got the last seat on the 6:oo am flight tomorrow. If that’s cancelled…

In which we check out the new Book Trailer for The Undivided

Jenny — Tue, 17 May 2011 22:10:41 +0000

Tickets for Perth and Sydney Master Classes now on sale!

Jenny — Tue, 17 May 2011 22:04:52 +0000

Finally! We have lift-off!

Tickets are now on sale at Ticketek

If you want to attend the Characterisation and Dialogue class only, go for the Saturday Day Pass Link and you will see the ticket listed DAY PASS + WRITING WORKSHOP

If you want to attend the Writing a Series class only, go for the Sunday Day Pass Link and you will see the ticket listed DAY PASS + WRITING WORKSHOP

If you want to attend both, go to the Weekend Pass link and select WEEKEND PASS + BOTH WRITING WORKSHOPS

If you are one of the Sydney people who paid for the World Building Workshop you should get an email shortly. If you don’t please contact us ASAP.

Master Classes for Sydney and Perth – what would you like to do?

Jenny — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:02:05 +0000

No need to vote for world building if you hold one of last years’ tickets for the postponed Sydney World Building class.

That course is going ahead for the ticket holders as promised. I will email individual tickets holders soon with details about the class and the free workshop you’re entitled to, as well.

Take Our Poll Take Our Poll

Supanova Master Class Times – Sydney and Perth

Jenny — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:34:14 +0000

SUPANOVA MASTER CLASS SERIES for Writers featuring Jennifer Fallon (Sydney & Perth)

PLEASE NOTE THE START TIME IS 8:00 AM

The Reynox Writers International Writers’ Centre is proud to present the Supanova Master Class Series for writers. Check out all the info here.

Essential information however is…

Supanova 2011 – Sydney

Writing a Series; Saturday 18 June, 8am to 10am, The Dome, Olympic Park
Characterisation and Dialogue; Sunday 19 June, 8am to 10am, The Dome, Olympic Park

Supanova 2011 – Perth

Writing a Series; Saturday 25 June, 8am to 10am, Claremont Showgrounds
Characterisation and Dialogue; Sunday 26 June, 8am to 10am, Claremont Showgrounds

In which we ponder the question: how much does an author really earn?

Jenny — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:37:28 +0000

Most people assume that all published authors are automatically millionaires, and that getting published is some sort of Get Rich Quick scheme. I even had a call from someone I’d meet very briefly at conference, asking me how to pitch his unwritten idea for a book. When I suggested he may want to write the book first, he said, “Well, that’s not going to happen. I’m not going to put in all that work if I don’t get a decent payday out of it.”

I suspect his great idea remains unwritten.

Anyway, to help bring the issue into perspective, I thought I’d post the following article by author Tobias Buckell. I came across this article a while ago, and although it’s a couple of years old, it’s still a valid discussion about what writers actually earn in the SCi-Fi/Fantasy field.
This an abridged version. The full version, if you’re interested, can be found on Tobias’s blog, here.

Here is the latest article about the Author Advance Survey I’ve been doing over the last year Basically I put up a survey on my website that people could fill out who were SF or Fantasy authors. We now have 108 authors who replied to this author advance survey versus the 78 or so for the last article I wrote about this.

First Novel Advances

The range is from $0-$40,000 for an advance on a first novel.
The median advance is $5000.
The median figure is a better indicator of what most people consider ‘typical.’ Mathematical average for first time advances was $6424.
Adjusted for inflation, as the figures range in year from advances given in 1970 to this year, the median advance is ~$6000.

First Novel Advances, Fantasy vs. Science Fiction

The range in Fantasy first novel advances is from $0 to $40,000.
The median first novel advance is $5000 for Fantasy (average is $6494)
The range in Science Fiction first novel advances is from $0 to $20,000.
The median first novel advance is $5000 for SF (average is $7000)
In version 1.0 of this article, with 74 respondents, I had enough of a difference in the data that I hazarded a guess that Fantasy first novel advances were larger than SF advances. I was wrong.

First Novels: Agented vs. Unagented:

58% of our first time novelists had an agent, the other 42% sold the book without an agent, and a high number indicate they got agents right after or during the sale of the book.
The range in agented advances is from $1500 to $40,000
The median agented advance is $6000 (the average is $7500)
The range in unagented advances is from $0 to $15000
The median unagented advance is $3500 (the average is $4051)

These figures have noticeable differences any way you look at them. Not having an agent looks to cost one well more than the agent’s percentage on average, and certainly most of the higher ranging figures come from people with agents.

note: Geoff Landis points out that the reverse may be true, agents may not choose to represent clients with lower advances.

Hardcover vs Trade Paperback or Mass Market for First Novels

Hardcover advances had a median of $5000
Paperback advances had a median of $5000

Careers

89 authors in this survey have sold more than one book. 47% answered the survey saying they were ‘full time writers’. Here is how that data breaks down:
The range was from $0-$600,000 for an advance on their latest novel.
The median advance for the multiply published is $12,500.

Broken down by Fantasy and SF

The range in last Fantasy novel advances is from $1000 to $600,000.
The median novel advance is $15,000 for Fantasy
The range in Science Fiction novel advances is from $0 to $45,000.
The median novel advance is $12,500 for SF.
Fantasy novels seem to breakout into higher sums.

Broken down by Agented vs. Unagented:

16% of our authors with multiple books sold over multiple years had no agent.
The range in agented advances is from $1000 to $600,000
The median agented advance is $12500
The range in unagented advances is from $0 to $21,500
The median unagented advance is $7250

These figures have noticeable differences across the board. Not having an agent looks to cost one well more than the agent’s percentage on average, and certainly most of the higher ranging figures come from people with agents.

note: Geoff Landis points out that the reverse may be true, agents may not choose to represent clients with lower advances.

Hardcover vs Trade Paperback or Mass Market for Multiple Novelist

Hardcover advances had a median of $15,000
Paperback advances had a median of $10,000

Summary:

The typical advance for a first novel is $5000.
The typical advance for later novels, after a typical number of 5-7 years and 5-7 books is $12,500.
Having an agent at any point increases your advance.
Some authors noted that they’d gotten large advances in the 90s but were being paid less now.

-Tobias S. Buckell

In which we announce the Supanova Master Class Series

Jenny — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:51:26 +0000

In conjunction with Supanova, The Reynox Writers International Writers’ Centre is proud to present the Supanova Master Class Series for writers.

Characterisation and Dialogue

Who is it for?

Suitable for writers over 15, who are working on, or about to start work on a novel, screenplay, game, comic book or short story.
Participants must have a good command of English, both written and oral.

What do I need to bring?

A notepad and a pen. All participants will receive the course notes as an eBook following the course.

How much does it cost?

$110 – Price includes day pass to Supanova
$185 – Both workshops and a weekend pass to Supanova

How long is the class?

2 hours

When and Where:

BRISBANE 2011
April 1-3
RNA Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA
MELBOURNE 2011
April 8-10
Royal Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA
SYDNEY 2011
June 17-19
The Dome, Olympic Park
Exact location and times TBA
PERTH 2011
June 24-26
Claremont Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA

What will the class cover?

Character composition
Character building
Dynamic dialogue
Dialogue and context
Using dialogue to build character
Traps to avoid

How do I book?

Tickets are available for the Brisbane and Melbourne Master classes at Ticketek from 8 February 2011

Writing a Series

Who is it for?

Suitable for writers over 15, who are working on, or about to start work on a series in the form of a novel, screenplay, comic or TV script.

What do I need to bring?

A notepad and a pen. All participants will receive the course notes as an eBook following the course.

How much does it cost?

$110 – Price includes day pass to Supanova
$185 – Both workshops and a weekend pass to Supanova

How long is the class?

2 hours

When and Where:

BRISBANE 2011
April 1-3
RNA Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA
MELBOURNE 2011
April 8-10
Royal Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA
SYDNEY 2011
June 17-19
The Dome, Olympic Park
Exact location and times TBA
PERTH 2011
June 24-26
Claremont Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA

What will the class cover?

Plot Structure
The importance of theme
Building a multi-layered story
How to ensure you will never have writer’s block again
How to write a synopsis
How to present a manuscript for publication

How do I book?

Tickets are available for the Perth and Sydney Master classes at Ticketek

In which we head off on our first NZ Writers’ Retreat

Jenny — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:57:30 +0000

We’re off this weekend on the first of our residental writers’ retreats. This one is being held in a beach house on Marlborough Sound. We intend to get much wine drinking writing done over the next few days. Expecting lots of inspiration from a great and fascinating group of people!

Reynox Writers' Centre

In which we are… munted…

In which we are defeated by a volcano…

In which we wonder if we’re going to make it to Sydney…

In which we check out the new Book Trailer for The Undivided

Tickets for Perth and Sydney Master Classes now on sale!

Master Classes for Sydney and Perth – what would you like to do?

Supanova Master Class Times – Sydney and Perth

SUPANOVA MASTER CLASS SERIES for Writers featuring Jennifer Fallon (Sydney & Perth)

PLEASE NOTE THE START TIME IS 8:00 AM

In which we ponder the question: how much does an author really earn?

In which we announce the Supanova Master Class Series

In conjunction with Supanova, The Reynox Writers International Writers’ Centre is proud to present the Supanova Master Class Series for writers.

Characterisation and Dialogue

Who is it for?

What do I need to bring?

How much does it cost?

How long is the class?

When and Where:

BRISBANE 2011 April 1-3 RNA Showgrounds Exact location and times TBA

MELBOURNE 2011 April 8-10 Royal Showgrounds Exact location and times TBA

SYDNEY 2011 June 17-19 The Dome, Olympic Park Exact location and times TBA

PERTH 2011 June 24-26 Claremont Showgrounds Exact location and times TBA

What will the class cover?

How do I book?

Writing a Series

Who is it for?

What do I need to bring?

How much does it cost?

How long is the class?

When and Where:

BRISBANE 2011 April 1-3 RNA Showgrounds Exact location and times TBA

MELBOURNE 2011 April 8-10 Royal Showgrounds Exact location and times TBA

SYDNEY 2011 June 17-19 The Dome, Olympic Park Exact location and times TBA

PERTH 2011 June 24-26 Claremont Showgrounds Exact location and times TBA

What will the class cover?

How do I book?

In which we head off on our first NZ Writers’ Retreat

BRISBANE 2011
April 1-3
RNA Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA

MELBOURNE 2011
April 8-10
Royal Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA

SYDNEY 2011
June 17-19
The Dome, Olympic Park
Exact location and times TBA

PERTH 2011
June 24-26
Claremont Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA

BRISBANE 2011
April 1-3
RNA Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA

MELBOURNE 2011
April 8-10
Royal Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA

SYDNEY 2011
June 17-19
The Dome, Olympic Park
Exact location and times TBA

PERTH 2011
June 24-26
Claremont Showgrounds
Exact location and times TBA