A Big Book Milestone!!

My book has earned out. Thank you.

May 28, 2024

We were in Newport, Rhode island over the holiday weekend for my nephew’s high school graduation. We don’t get to see my parents or my sister’s family very often — we all live in different parts of the country — so it was such a special treat (and gorgeous weather!). Most of all, it was amazing to celebrate my nephew, who is a truly extraordinary and kind young man.

It’s been a fun few days for another reason, too. It always weird to publicly share “good” news like this, but… I think the book publishing world is a mysterious black box and the more we can share about the process and our experiences with it, the better. (Also happy to answer any questions in the comments!) And also, it should be okay to celebrate our wins, dammit.

So here goes.

On Thursday evening, while I was packing for our trip, I got an unexpected email from my literary agent:

Hi Melinda,
I’m so happy to write to you tonight with the latest royalty statement, which shows you earning out, along with the invoice for your first royalty payment, which has just cleared (check in tomorrow’s mail). Congratulations, Melinda. Most books never earn out, and the fact that your first book did is a testament to both the wonderful book you wrote, as well as your diligence, authority, and hustle. Your talent as a writer combined with this kind of professionalism augurs well for a rich and rewarding career doing just what you’re doing, so Bravo!

To translate this for the non-publishing folks here: I just got my first royalty check for How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes, which, for an author, is one of those things you dream about but never expect.

Join the party! Buy my book!

When a nonfiction author gets a book deal with a traditional publisher, they are offered an advance (which is a bit of a misnomer because authors get most of the money after the book has been written). The advance is really an advance on royalties. With every book sale, the author earns a small percentage of the revenue in the form of royalties. If and when the amount earned from those sales equals the advance they received, the author has “earned out,” and they start getting royalty checks based on book sales beyond that point.

It’s not so much about the money, of course — my first royalty check is very small! What makes me so very happy is knowing that there are 43,000 copies of my book out there in the hands of parents who care about raising good human beings. And it gives me such joy to know that the book is still selling copies, every single week, even three years out.

I know many of those copies are in your hands — the 24,000 of you who read this newsletter. So I really want to say thank you. Thank you so much for supporting me and trusting me enough to buy my book, and thank you for doing the hard work of raising compassionate and resilient children who can make the world a better place.

My agent’s email was as lovely as they come, but I do want to point out that book sales are, of course, not simply a reflection of how good a book is or how hard the author or publisher has worked to sell it. Sure, that makes a difference, but luck is a huuuuuuuuuge factor, too. And, of course, so many other things, including the cover, the title, and the timing of the book’s publication. (My publisher thinks the title alone sold a lot of copies. The title also, by the way, inspired many cranky emails, mostly from older women.)

Still, I’m celebrating this first royalty check this week. And it couldn’t come at a better time, as I’m furiously working (and at times pulling my hair out) to finish my second book, Hello Cruel World!: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times, which is due to my book editor in a month. Book writing is a lonely endeavor, and it can be hard to remember that one day, the words you write will be in other people’s hands, on other people’s shelves. For Hello Cruel World, that time will come in a little over the year, and I cannot wait.

ALSO! Parents, teachers, and friends of teens: This summer I am judging one of the Write the World competitions. Write the World is a non-profit dedicated to developing the writing, critical thinking, reading, and communication skills of young writers (ages 13-19). Here’s more info about the specific journalism competition I’m judging; due date is July 22. Please encourage any teens you know to enter!