tarot for a new presidency

Welcome to the first full day of the Obama years! So far, it feels far more promising than the previous eight, which began in Supreme Court shenanigans and devolved from there. I don’t know about you, but I spent much of yesterday in a puddle of emotion. (Hey, is that a new sense of hope in the air?) I think if anyone watching from space, they surely must have heard the loud cheers which erupted from Brooklyn and beyond as soon as Obama completed his oath of office.

Anyway, over on Aeclectic Tarot — not sure exactly where, since the challenge was reposted on Facebook — a query was presented to tarot readers to do a one card reading. The question: What will the Obama presidency mean for the USA?

For my reading, I used my Lover’s Path Tarot. The Lover’s Path Tarot features classic love stories and myths from around the world, with a focus on individual growth and understanding. Concentrating on the question, I shuffled my deck and pulled a card at random. And this is what I got:

In The Lover’s Path Tarot, the first card of the Major Arcana is titled Innocence (traditional card The Fool). Innocence is associated with the story of Princess Pamina and Prince Tamino from Mozart’s great opera The Magic Flute.

This card seemed totally apropos to me — it’s as if the United States has hit the “restart” button with Obama’s inauguration. The Innocence card often symbolizes the start of a new phase, a new journey. It offers a dose of idealism to fuel the hard work ahead. There is often a sense of protection in this card, perhaps because people are just so optimistic in their expectations: Despite all odds, things work out.

The art on this card depicts Tamino and Pamina as they undergo a trial of earth, wind, fire and water; the presence of these elements suggests ecological challenges which must be acknowledged. Though Tamino and Pamina are intimidated by the trial before them, they do not succumb to terror. Instead, in the best mythic manner, they choose to undergo it. But before they commence their trial, Tamino is blindfolded and forced to rely on his best self, symbolized by the transcendent music of the magic flute. In turn, Pamina offers to guide him, symbolizing the power of feminine wisdom. She explains to Tamino, “I will lead you. But love will guide me.”

Ultimately, the tested couple emerges triumphant on the other side. For their bravery, Pamina and Tamino are crowned sovereigns of their land, thus ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity.

This is indeed the situation that awaits us as a nation: Can we accept the challenges laid out to us by President Obama in his inaugural address? If so, will we live up to our ideals? Or give into fear? The appearance of the Innocence card suggests that we can — and we will, though it may not be easy. We now possess the fortitude to move forward in love and hope.

BTW, you can get your own one card reading with the Lover’s Path Tarot here. It’s set up online as part of the Lover’s Path section of this site. Also available: The Magic Flute e-book, written and illustrated by me. It’s available for free download here.

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Innocence/Tamino and Pamina oil painting © The Lover’s Path Tarot by Kris Waldherr 2004. Published by US Games Systems, Inc.

• Filed under be-mused, tarot and oracles, the world around me | 5 Responses

the first day of a new era

What can I write on a day like today? For once, I am without words and simply grateful.

Here’s wishing you wisdom, fortitude, and the best of luck, President Obama!

• Filed under the world around me | 4 Responses

Publishing Monday, part deux: Book advances — what’s the deal?

How much should a book advance be? Traditional publishing wisdom states that advances should cover what a book is expected to earn in author royalties for the book’s first year of publication. An example: Let’s say your publisher expects to sell 10,000 copies of your book in a year; book retails at $10; author royalty is 10%. Your advance would be $10,000 then. Right?

Not necessarily — especially when it comes to celebrities such as Laura Bush.

In my last Publishing Monday post, I covered Laura Bush’s $8 million plus advance for her as-yet-to-be-written memoirs. This post provoked a general outcry of disdain over the amount of money involved since (1) it’s unlikely that Laura will earn out and (2) so many authors feel rudely underpaid.

Shari wrote, “Eight million, huh!… It pays to be a celebrity.” Yup, it paid for Laura Bush. But I don’t envy celebrities, though I do envy book advances of that size. In response to my estimate that it would take 2 to 3 million copies sold to make the deal fiscally sound, Christina commented, “I hadn’t even realized they’d need to sell that many copies of Laura’s memoirs to earn out. WOW.”

Yup, book advances, especially celebrity book advances, are a hot button issue. When I first began my publishing career, I truly believed that all book advances would be negotiated in the method described at the start of this post. (For the sake of this post, let’s call this method the TBAC, for Traditional Book Advance Calculation.) But, as I’ve learned, the publishing world often doesn’t work that way. Like any situation where there’s supply and demand, advances can get pushed beyond what they can reasonably earn out — or dive to less than fair.

Overpaying doesn’t just happen with celebrities. Literary world excitement over a new author can also drive up book deals to stratospheric heights, especially if it goes to auction. (Believe it or not, there are benefits for publishers in overpaying an advance, some which I laid out in my previous Publishing Monday.)

And what about the average author? What can they expect for a first book advance?

Like with celebrity book advances, there are no hard and fast rules: they can range from nada to multi-million dollar figures. Much depends on the following:

1. The book’s publisher. A smaller publisher will usually have smaller pockets to pay out from. Smaller pockets = less room to absorb unearned advances. Larger publishers can often afford to be more generous, and have bigger distribution networks to make sure that book becomes profitable.

2. The book’s market. A book skewed toward a specialized (ie: smaller) market is simply going to sell less copies than a book with a larger market potential. Less potential books sold = smaller advance.

3. Author platform. Though it’s not the same thing, platform bears some similarities to market, and a good platform can translate into market. Laura Bush has one heck of a platform, which Scribner is hoping becomes market share. However, the good news is that you don’t have to be First Lady to have a platform (though it does help to be a celebrity). Are you an expert in your field? Sought after as a speaker? Have a syndicated radio or television show? Take into consideration that platforms often come from unexpected venues. For example, humorist Sharon Glassman’s involvement with Operation Santa led to her having a book published about her experience by Warner Books.

Once you have a publisher interested, what’s the best way to negotiate a fair book advance? If you’re unhappy with what they’re offering, use the TBAC as a starting point. To get a basis for your TBAC, read Publishers Weekly, Galleycat, or Publisher’s Lunch to learn what similar books are selling for. Consult the Authors Guild or SCBWI for children’s books. Get feedback from other authors. My experience is that publishers often offer lowball figures to first time authors; they’ll usually negotiate to a certain extent.

Finally, a good literary agent can most likely get you a better deal than you’d obtain on your own. They’re experts in what the market bears, and what a particular publisher will pay. Even if they didn’t place your manuscript with your publisher, this expertise alone is well worth their 15% commission.

Next week on Publishing Monday, I’ll write about other ways authors are making money from publishers outside of the TBAC. Yup, alternative publishing models!

• Filed under blogs we read, publishing, publishing 101 | 4 Responses

roadside tarot

Ever have this experience? You’re walking along, you look down at the ground, and you see:

I do all the time.

The funny thing is that whenever I see a card lying in the road, I immediately view it through my tarot reading filter. Hearts = cups; spades = swords; diamonds = pentacles; and clubs = staves. It’s as if the world is leaving me a tarot reading on the go.

I wonder if other tarot readers have this same experience?

• Filed under be-mused, tarot and oracles, the world around me | 4 Responses

Doomed Queens news — and another giveaway

As I teased in yesterday’s post, the next stop on the Doomed Queens blog tour has gone live — and there’s a giveaway involved too.

Popin over at Proud Bookworm recently interviewed me about what made me decide to become a writer, my art making process, and all that research which went into DOOMED QUEENS. It’s a fun interview. Best of all, if you leave a comment there before January 28th, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win an autographed copy of DOOMED QUEENS. But wait, there’s more! For an additional chance to win, include in your comment which Doomed Historical figure you’re most fond of.

(Notice that “figure” is specified, not “queen”, though a “queen” can be considered a “figure.” So far, people have left some very interesting entries. I’m very fond of Joan of Arc too.)

In other DOOMED QUEENS news, Urban Outfitters has decided to carry my book in their stores everywhere. (Yes, they do sell books, albeit a very small, unique selection. So this is quite the coup.

PS: Thanks to all who “fanned” DOOMED QUEENS on Facebook and posted reviews on Amazon and BN.com reviews. I truly appreciate it.

• Filed under giveaways and raffles, publications, queens, retail therapy | 2 Responses