#63 Hugh Howey: Winning at the Self-publishing Game
This episode features author and world sailor Hugh Howey, who discusses wayfinding, the benefits of travel, universal human nature, and deep dives into the publishing business, including how he sold millions of books and turned down a 7-figure deal.
Deep Dive Analysis
18 Topic Outline
Introduction to Hugh Howey and Episode Topics
Hugh's Lifelong Dream of Sailing
Sailing Around the World: Route and Experiences
Impact of Distractions on Writing
Understanding Wayfinding and its Life Parallels
Universal Human Nature from Cultural Immersion
The Kava Ceremony and its Effects
Insights on Love of Home and Open Borders
Technology's Influence on Insecurity and Attention
Future Predictions for Technology in 5-10 Years
Changing Landscape of Information Consumption
Overcoming Writing Paralysis and Insecurity
Hugh's Daydreaming-Based Writing Process
The Value of Feedback in Writing
The Rise of Self-Publishing and Print-on-Demand
Strategic Decisions in Publishing Contracts
The Power of Retaining Ebook Rights
Non-Standard Contract Clauses and Foreign Deals
5 Key Concepts
Wayfinding
Wayfinding is the ancient art of navigating across oceans using natural signs like stars, the sun's direction, cloud patterns, water temperature, and wildlife migration, without relying on technology. Hugh Howey also applies this concept as a self-betterment principle for making deliberate choices and steering one's life direction.
Theory of Mind
This refers to the brain's primary function of constantly computing what other people are thinking, a capability that evolved for living in small, interconnected tribes. In modern society, this constant computation of others' thoughts is identified as a significant source of anxiety.
Technology as 'Sugar for our Gut'
This metaphor suggests that technology, like sugar, exploits a natural craving – in this case, the brain's craving for connection. Just as cheap calories led to physical obesity, the 'bounty of free connection' provided by technology may be leading to a 'mental obesity epidemic' by overwhelming our natural capacities.
Print-on-Demand (POD)
Print-on-Demand is a publishing technology where books are printed, bound, and shipped only when an order is placed, eliminating the need for large upfront print runs and inventory. This process significantly reduces waste and upfront costs for authors and publishers.
Rights Reversion
Rights reversion is a clause in publishing contracts that allows authors to regain control of their book rights after a certain period or under specific conditions. Hugh Howey highlights the importance of negotiating a fixed date for reversion, rather than relying on vague 'in-print' clauses that can effectively tie up rights indefinitely due to print-on-demand technology.
8 Questions Answered
Wayfinding is the ancient art of navigating across oceans using natural signs like stars, the sun, clouds, water temperature, and wildlife, rather than technology. Hugh Howey also sees it as a principle for making deliberate choices in life.
He has learned that human nature is remarkably universal, with people everywhere sharing more similarities than differences, despite cultural variations, and that younger generations often learn from and correct the mistakes of previous ones.
Technology, like sugar for our gut, exploits our brain's natural craving for connection, potentially leading to a 'mental obesity epidemic' by shortening attention spans and increasing anxiety from constant social computation.
In five years, he expects more social media regulation (especially in Europe), increased discussion about personal data ownership, and the first glimmers of pervasive self-driving cars. In ten years, self-driving cars could fundamentally change transportation, car ownership, and city design.
The most crucial advice is to stop talking and dreaming about writing and instead sit down and write every day, focusing on completing a rough draft before critically editing.
He chose self-publishing to retain more control over his work, keep a larger share of earnings, and have the creative freedom to write across different genres without publisher restrictions, especially after realizing he could perform many publishing services himself.
Retaining ebook rights allows authors to control pricing and promotion, preventing publishers from artificially inflating prices to protect other titles or from not promoting the book actively beyond the initial launch window, which may not align with the author's long-term interests.
He recommends including a specific date for rights reversion (rather than relying on 'in-print' status or sales thresholds) and setting price limits for ebooks to ensure they remain accessible to readers, as publishers often want the freedom to price them higher.
33 Actionable Insights
1. Act Today, Avoid Future Regret
Overcome paralysis from past regrets by taking action on desired life changes today, recognizing that your future self will view this moment as a crucial opportunity to alter your path.
2. Practice Deliberate Self-Reflection
Regularly set aside technology to engage in deep self-reflection, assessing your life’s direction, relationships, feelings, mistakes, and achievements, to make deliberate choices about your future path.
3. Observe Habits, Direct Willpower
Recognize that willpower is a finite resource; become more observant of your current habits and desired direction to strategically apply your will towards pushing in that direction.
4. Break Big Goals into Small Steps
Approach large, daunting goals by breaking them down into small, manageable steps, focusing on completing each small step repeatedly, like sailing to the horizon over and over.
5. Just Sit Down and Write
Stop procrastinating and just start writing to overcome self-doubt and complete your first novel.
6. Replace Time-Consuming Habits
Identify time-consuming habits, like video games, and replace them with productive activities, such as writing, to accumulate significant output over time.
7. Write One Hour Daily
Dedicate one hour each day to writing, and you are guaranteed to complete a novel within a year.
8. Prioritize Completion Over Perfection
Focus on finishing the first draft without worrying about its quality, as this approach often leads to a better outcome than expected and prevents paralysis.
9. Edit One Hour Daily
After completing a rough draft, dedicate one hour daily to editing to transform your novel into a polished work that readers will enjoy.
10. Write One Paragraph at a Time
Write a novel by focusing on one legible paragraph at a time, using your natural voice as if writing an email to a friend, and accumulate these paragraphs into a complete book.
11. Daydream to Develop Stories
Spend significant time away from the keyboard, engaging in quiet, rote tasks or simply daydreaming, to build out story worlds and characters in your mind before writing.
12. Pre-Plan Story Decisions
Make major story decisions, like narrative perspective or tense, and develop your world and characters extensively before starting to write, to avoid getting stuck and abandoning the project.
13. Avoid Critical Self-Editing Early
Refrain from critically editing your writing during the rough draft phase; the primary goal of a rough draft is to reach the end of the story before focusing on polishing.
14. Don’t Compare Drafts to Published Work
Avoid comparing your rough drafts to polished, published books, as even great works started as imperfect drafts, which can hinder your progress and confidence.
15. Join or Start a Writing Group
Join a writing group, either locally or online, to gain diverse perspectives and unique contributions from other writers to improve your process.
16. Seek Diverse Feedback
Solicit feedback from a variety of people, including family and beta readers, allowing them to highlight what they are good at spotting (e.g., typos, plot holes, confusion) rather than prescribing specific feedback.
17. Foster Individual Strengths
Encourage children and students to explore and develop their natural strengths and interests, rather than forcing them into prescribed learning paths, to help them discover and maximize their unique talents.
18. Start with Self-Publishing
Begin your writing career by self-publishing to retain maximum freedom and control over your work, allowing you to make all future decisions about your artwork and publishing path.
19. Retain Ebook Rights
For authors, strongly consider retaining your ebook rights rather than selling them to a publisher, as they can be highly lucrative and offer more control over pricing and promotion.
20. Negotiate Time-Limited Rights Reversion
In publishing contracts, negotiate for a specific date when rights revert back to you, rather than relying on vague ‘in print’ clauses or sales thresholds, to ensure future control over your work.
21. Negotiate Contracts Rationally
Approach publishing contract negotiations with a rational, business-minded perspective, anticipating potential future issues and making decisions as if you were a self-published writer, rather than being swayed by emotion or trust in an editor.
22. Set Reasonable Ebook Prices
Set ebook prices at a reasonable level (e.g., $2.99-$9.99) to encourage more readers to take a chance on your work, rather than pricing them too high and deterring potential buyers.
23. Offer Free Content Strategically
Consider offering initial content (e.g., the first part of a series) for free; this can act as a sifting mechanism, encouraging good reviews from those who enjoy it and minimizing negative reviews from those who don’t feel ripped off.
24. Avoid Obsessive Sales Tracking
Resist the urge to constantly check daily sales figures, as this cycle can lead to paralyzing despondency during dips and offers only fleeting satisfaction during highs; instead, check statements periodically for income planning.
25. Question Established Norms
Continuously question established norms and practices in your field, as this critical thinking can lead to deeper understanding and innovative strategies that even long-standing experts might overlook due to ossified thinking.
26. Retain Foreign/Territorial Rights
Avoid giving worldwide rights to a single publisher; instead, negotiate separate deals for specific territories (e.g., North America, UK, individual foreign countries) to maximize market penetration and revenue.
27. Prioritize Translator/Local Expertise
When dealing with foreign markets, prioritize working with local experts, such as highly respected translators or small, specialized publishers, even if their financial offer is lower, as their reputation and market understanding can lead to greater success.
28. Choose Your Own Editor
Prioritize choosing your own editor over accepting one assigned by a publisher, as this allows for a more tailored and potentially more effective editorial process.
29. Critically Evaluate New Technology
Before adopting new technology, critically analyze its potential impact on your life and habits, similar to how tech experts carefully consider its effects, rather than blindly embracing it.
30. Heed Expert Warnings on Tech
Pay attention to warnings from tech industry insiders who restrict their own children’s use of addictive products, as this indicates potential negative impacts that warrant caution in your own technology use.
31. Be Wary of Tech Habits
While embracing the fascination of technology, remain vigilant about the habits you are forming around its use, as these can have significant, unforeseen impacts on your life.
32. Implement Technology Diets
Periodically engage in ’technology diets’ or periods of disconnection to mitigate the negative effects of constant digital engagement and regain focus.
33. Disconnect to Restore Attention
Regularly disconnect from technology, such as going out of cell phone range, to restore your attention span and improve your ability to engage in long-form activities like reading.
7 Key Quotes
I guarantee in another five or ten years, you're going to look back at today as the day that you had the free time, the inclination, the talent to change your life.
Hugh Howey
Wayfinding is basically just relying on observing what's around you instead of a reliance on technology.
Hugh Howey
Technology is for our brains, what sugar is for our gut.
Hugh Howey
You stop talking about writing. You stop dreaming of writing. You stop telling people you're going to write and you sit down and you write.
Carolyn Todd (as quoted by Hugh Howey)
The best time to have planted a tree is like 10 years ago. But the second best time is today.
Shane Parrish (quoting a French proverb)
Freedom of choice is better than economies of scale.
Hugh Howey
Once you've signed with a publisher, they own those rights for whatever the contract stipulates and your decisions are now over.
Hugh Howey
3 Protocols
Hugh Howey's Writing Process
Hugh Howey- Daydream about the story and world, building out characters and plot ahead of time, often while doing quiet, rote tasks.
- Sit down and write daily, focusing on getting to the end of the story without critical self-editing or trying to polish the first pages to perfection.
- Send the completed rough draft to his mom for initial, unfiltered feedback and demolition with a red pen.
- Incorporate changes and send to beta readers for diverse feedback, allowing them to highlight what they are good at spotting (e.g., plot holes, confusion, typos).
- Eventually send a polished version to his agent, often after self-publishing has already begun.
Advice for Aspiring Writers
Carolyn Todd (as quoted by Hugh Howey)- Stop talking about writing.
- Stop dreaming of writing.
- Stop telling people you're going to write.
- Sit down and write.
Hugh Howey's Approach to Rights Reversion in Publishing Contracts
Hugh Howey- Negotiate a specific, fixed date for rights to revert back to the author, rather than relying on vague 'in-print' status or sales thresholds.
- Ensure this date is explicitly included in the contract, regardless of the book's ongoing sales performance.
- Time the reversion of sequel rights to align with the original book's reversion for strategic re-negotiation with publishers.