A year ago BookEnds instituted a new accounting system and it’s been incredible. For any agencies looking to make a switch, feel free to ask me about Atlas.
We started in June 2021 and naively thought we’d be up and running by the end of summer. Insert hysterical laughing here. It took us six months to learn and perfect the system and get all upcoming payments in and through. This would have been much easier two years into the company and not 20. Still, a year later, I’m inputting 20+ years worth of contracts. It’s not something I need to be doing but something I’m choosing to do so that I can get a full accounting of how some of my clients have earned and the work I’ve done.
Scanning contracts and updating Atlas has been tedious. It’s also been some of the most rewarding work I’ve done.
Taking Stock of My Success
When was the last time you sat down and really took stock of your success? Of the manuscripts you finished, the agents you’ve queried, the bills you’ve paid, the nest egg you’ve built up. Even outside of publishing, the children you raised, the promotions you earned, the life you live.
We don’t do enough of this. I know I don’t. I breeze past a win like it’s nothing, searching for the next one. Meanwhile, a loss will sit with me for weeks.
Scanning and updating these contracts has been a powerful boost for me. I remember all the authors and clients I’ve worked with, what I don’t always remember are the size of the deals I made or the number. I’ve been able to see my first six-figure deal, my first fiction deal, and the vast number of contracts I negotiated for some authors. I have clients, past and present, for whom I negotiated close to 50 contracts. Fifty! For one author. That’s nuts. At least it feels nuts.
While updating these systems felt tedious at first, it now feels amazing. Because of Atlas I have the ability to easily see these successes and when I need that reminder of them I can access them easily.
Taking Stock of Your Success
So what are you doing to take stock of your success? One of the other things we’ve tried to do, which I wish we’d done sooner, is create a BookEnds timeline. This includes everything from the day we became a company to our first sale, the launch of BookEnds, Jr. and beyond. You could do the same. Note somewhere your first query, your first request, your first agent, etc. Give yourself space to celebrate these amazing things as they happen, but also because they happened. It’s worth it.
Now I’m back to scanning and I have to give a shout out to Madison and James. This isn’t a one-woman show here and both have been instrumental and getting this information updated for me.
Thanks so much for coming to the blog. Please don’t forget to like and share this post. We value feedback and questions from readers, so feel free to leave a comment below! Lastly, subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more publishing insights and advice, and follow us on our socials to see what we’re up to. Twitter | Instagram | Illustrator Instagram | Facebook
A year ago BookEnds instituted a new accounting system and it’s been incredible. For any agencies looking to make a switch, feel free to ask me about Atlas.
We started in June 2021 and naively thought we’d be up and running by the end of summer. Insert hysterical laughing here. It took us six months to learn and perfect the system and get all upcoming payments in and through. This would have been much easier two years into the company and not 20. Still, a year later, I’m inputting 20+ years worth of contracts. It’s not something I need to be doing but something I’m choosing to do so that I can get a full accounting of how some of my clients have earned and the work I’ve done.
Scanning contracts and updating Atlas has been tedious. It’s also been some of the most rewarding work I’ve done.
Taking Stock of My Success
When was the last time you sat down and really took stock of your success? Of the manuscripts you finished, the agents you’ve queried, the bills you’ve paid, the nest egg you’ve built up. Even outside of publishing, the children you raised, the promotions you earned, the life you live.
We don’t do enough of this. I know I don’t. I breeze past a win like it’s nothing, searching for the next one. Meanwhile, a loss will sit with me for weeks.
Scanning and updating these contracts has been a powerful boost for me. I remember all the authors and clients I’ve worked with, what I don’t always remember are the size of the deals I made or the number. I’ve been able to see my first six-figure deal, my first fiction deal, and the vast number of contracts I negotiated for some authors. I have clients, past and present, for whom I negotiated close to 50 contracts. Fifty! For one author. That’s nuts. At least it feels nuts.
While updating these systems felt tedious at first, it now feels amazing. Because of Atlas I have the ability to easily see these successes and when I need that reminder of them I can access them easily.
Taking Stock of Your Success
So what are you doing to take stock of your success? One of the other things we’ve tried to do, which I wish we’d done sooner, is create a BookEnds timeline. This includes everything from the day we became a company to our first sale, the launch of BookEnds, Jr. and beyond. You could do the same. Note somewhere your first query, your first request, your first agent, etc. Give yourself space to celebrate these amazing things as they happen, but also because they happened. It’s worth it.
Now I’m back to scanning and I have to give a shout out to Madison and James. This isn’t a one-woman show here and both have been instrumental and getting this information updated for me.
Thanks so much for coming to the blog. Please don’t forget to like and share this post. We value feedback and questions from readers, so feel free to leave a comment below! Lastly, subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more publishing insights and advice, and follow us on our socials to see what we’re up to.
Twitter | Instagram | Illustrator Instagram | Facebook
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