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Janice Cooke Newman
September 24, 2006
Janis Cooke Newman wrote one of the earliest books on adoption.
Before she became a mother and an author, she worked in business with her ex-husband, writing,
producing and performing corporate comedy shows for high-tech companies. (This was during the go-go
dot.com daze.)
But deep down, Janis always wanted to write a book. She just wasn't sure what that book would be.
It came about organically. She adopted her son, Alex, when he was 16 months old, from Russia.
When she returned, she didn't enjoy going to the playground and wanted to "do something with my
brain."
"I had no idea how to write a memoir. I wrote 60 pages during his nap. The minute his head hit the
pillow - I started to write. I didn't even stop to pee."
At a writers workshop she introduced herself to Amy Rennert, a literary agent. Amy was building her
client list and needed writers. She liked what Janis was writing, so they worked on a book proposal
and sold it to St. Martin's Press.
Good news: Janis received a $10,000 advance. Distressing news: She had a year to complete it.
Within six months of being published," The Russian Word for Snow" blew through its
initial press run of 5,000 copies and the publisher did another printing.
Janis used her advance to hire a publicist to help sell the book.
"I used the publicist to figure out what has to be done. You call a television station and ask if
you can go on. It's not rocket science."
The book sold 10,000 copies in its first year and was considered a success.
"I earned out," she said.
Earning out is when an author earns back her advance, which makes the publisher happy and when
the book earns a profit, the company is even happier.
It can also lead an author up the next hoped-for step: a paperback version.
"It got into paperback. I worked hard. There weren't a whole lot of other books like it out there."
"Snow" is still in print. And she still receives checks. "Every now and then I get a check for
$89," she said.
By the time Janis was ready to write "Mary," her historical fiction book about Mary Todd Lincoln,
she approached St. Martin's Press, because it had first right of refusal.
"They didn't have enough money to get me back," she said. "They did -- but they didn't offer it."
McAdams/Cage, an innovative, edgy, indy publisher won the rights to publish "Mary."
"It was the first time they bought an unfinished book. A novel generally already has to be written."
The publisher made it their BIG book for fall.
Janis didn't make her deadline. She had 300 pages. Eventually, it would bloom to 700.
That meeting. . . when she had to tell her editor that she would miss her deadline was "ugly,"
she recalled. "It was a hideous lunch."
She was given a new deadline.
For three months straight, working seven days a week, what felt like 24
hours a day - Janis wrote.
"Imagine how hard that was with a kid," she said.
Here are more of Janis Cooke Newman's observations and advice:
When the writing muse is on vacation
There are days I can't write. There are days I know I'm afraid.
On going with a small publisher versus a large one
It's hard to be the big book for Knopf.
On publicity
I always follow up with the media. You still have to do a lot of publicity yourself.
Finding a news hole or a hook for your book
We'll go back in February to coincide with Lincoln's birthday. I thought of that.
On finding an agent
Agents NEED you. What would they do without you?
Writing "The Russian Word for Snow"
I was learning how to write. Show NOT tell. It was a learning curve.
Writing "Mary"
I was writing in the first person, but it was not me. I tried to feel what she did. Three of
her sons died. Every time I had to kill off one of my kids, I had to go out for a walk.
I wrote in her voice for the first two years. I read her letters for two years. (In all it
took her three years to write the book.) Then wrote what stuck.
I would bake her cakes. I had her recipes.
My main fear about writing the book was that I had too many choices.
hat I learned from writing books
Finish the book! Do NOT go back and keep rewriting the beginning. I would present 20 pages at a time to my writing group. When I got to the end, I had a much better sense of revising. Keep moving forward. You will save so much time.
On critiques
Get it from a writing group. They make so much sense.
Her inspiration for writing "Mary"
I read a biography of her and I couldn't stop thinking about what might be going through her head.
How to keep a character going in your head
It's method acting. Memoir is method acting and self-analysis. You ask yourself, 'How did that feel?' Complex feelings. I was sad, but pissed off. There were surprises. Putting emotions on the page. It's one of the most difficult, but necessary things to do. Make the reader feel what YOU feel. The trick is you have to imagine who she is. If you have a fear - imagine your worst-case scenario. It's very liberating.
On writing memoir
Memoir has to read like fiction. It should be as good as fiction.
Writing time
You must be selfish. It's hard for writers and mothers. It's important to make time to write.
On her son, Alex
He's not in love with my first book. But he thinks he's famous. My son now takes my photos. It's good to include him.
On travel writing
I never did travel writing before. I met John Flynn, the travel editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle." My husband sold him an idea for an article. Then I had to write it. I like writing for the travel sections of newspapers because you can write in your own style. But there's not much money. But you can re-sell the story to newspapers across the country.
Book tours
They eat up your time. You're out of town, so if you teach, you can't. It's a full-time job. It's so extroverted and writing is so introverted.
Book titles
You don't have final say on the title or the cover.
On writing dialog
I learned a lot about dialog from watching HBO shows. Pay attention to dialog. Notice that people don't always answer questions. Watch and study.
Emotional truth versus literal scene
I would take scenes and put them in a place. I would put details in that may or may not be there. I wanted to show not tell you. It's not dishonest. I'm not changing major emotional truths. (If a scene) takes place in an Indian restaurant that makes it more interesting.
On changing real person's names in "Snow"
I changed all the names for privacy. I didn't change the names until the end. I made the changed names have the same number of syllables (as the real names). My good friends in the book, I showed them the scene (with them in it). I didn't want them to be blind-sided. They said no problem. (Later) they were furious. We're still friends. You own the work. You own the memory. You decide about the fall-out.
Chronologies
I did a chronology (for "Snow"). I did the same thing for "Mary." Events are plot points that move you along the journey. I did a chronology and then hung the scenes.
Reviews
Don't read your reviews. Don't read bad reviews because you will remember every word, though I'm happy to be reviewed.
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