My decision to self-publish in the US
I’m very excited to announce that I’ve self-publishing Single in the City in the US! It is be available as an eBook through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
You may wonder why I’m doing this given that Single in the City was published by Penguin in the UK and many other countries. Well grab a cup of coffee and I’ll explain.
First you might like to know why I haven’t chosen to self-publish.
I haven’t chosen to self-publish because I have a beef with publishers. My experience with Penguin UK was nothing but positive. My editor Lydia quickly became a friend (still is), listened to my suggestions and made sure the publication went smoothly. The sales team were stellar, selling into distributors both large and small. My PR Helen was superb, getting us widespread publicity (and winning a Publisher Publicity Circle award in the process).
Nor am I self-publishing because I lack industry representation. My agent Caroline is, in my view, the best agent on the planet. She’s a pint-sized dynamo, tireless in her pursuit of book deals for me.
I’m publishing Single in the City in the US myself because sometimes publishers have less faith in the books, and the readers, than we, the writers, do. I believe in this book. And I have faith in American chick lit lovers.
You see, when Caroline and I sold book rights to Penguin (UK), we held back the US rights. We did this because I wanted a US-based publisher for Single in the City’s American launch. After all the main character, Hannah, is American. There’s a strong theme about seeing London through rather baffled American eyes. Caroline and I thought that surely it was a great fit for the US market.
The handful of US publishers we approached had a different point of view. They were all very nice about it but said that the book isn’t right for the American chick lit market. Readers won’t understand the humour of a book set outside the US, they concluded.
I disagree. Single in the City is about taking a chance and establishing a new life. It’s a fish-out-of-water story. And it’s about finding your feet in life and love. These are universal themes. I think those US publishers sold chick lit fans short.
And that’s why I’m self-publishing. I believe it’s the right decision for this book in this market.
So I hope you’ll stay in touch, on Twitter, Facebook or by email, and follow the launch as I, like Hannah, take a leap of faith.
You may wonder why I’m doing this given that Single in the City was published by Penguin in the UK and many other countries. Well grab a cup of coffee and I’ll explain.
First you might like to know why I haven’t chosen to self-publish.
I haven’t chosen to self-publish because I have a beef with publishers. My experience with Penguin UK was nothing but positive. My editor Lydia quickly became a friend (still is), listened to my suggestions and made sure the publication went smoothly. The sales team were stellar, selling into distributors both large and small. My PR Helen was superb, getting us widespread publicity (and winning a Publisher Publicity Circle award in the process).
Nor am I self-publishing because I lack industry representation. My agent Caroline is, in my view, the best agent on the planet. She’s a pint-sized dynamo, tireless in her pursuit of book deals for me.
I’m publishing Single in the City in the US myself because sometimes publishers have less faith in the books, and the readers, than we, the writers, do. I believe in this book. And I have faith in American chick lit lovers.
You see, when Caroline and I sold book rights to Penguin (UK), we held back the US rights. We did this because I wanted a US-based publisher for Single in the City’s American launch. After all the main character, Hannah, is American. There’s a strong theme about seeing London through rather baffled American eyes. Caroline and I thought that surely it was a great fit for the US market.
The handful of US publishers we approached had a different point of view. They were all very nice about it but said that the book isn’t right for the American chick lit market. Readers won’t understand the humour of a book set outside the US, they concluded.
I disagree. Single in the City is about taking a chance and establishing a new life. It’s a fish-out-of-water story. And it’s about finding your feet in life and love. These are universal themes. I think those US publishers sold chick lit fans short.
And that’s why I’m self-publishing. I believe it’s the right decision for this book in this market.
So I hope you’ll stay in touch, on Twitter, Facebook or by email, and follow the launch as I, like Hannah, take a leap of faith.
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message 1:
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Michele
(new)
Nov 09, 2011 11:45PM
Hi Dean, thanks very much! 99c just seems SO little for the years it takes to write a book. And my friends in Hong Kong marvel at how "low" a $6 or $7 price tag is since their books are substantially more pricey. So it's a matter of perspective and norms rather than a perception of value, and I'd like to see pricing reflect value.
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I basically chose the self publishing route because I was tired of hearing agents tell me my stuff wouldn't sell. I decided to let readers decide for themselves. Within a year I gathered several literary awards and got an actual movie deal. Oh yeah, and only a single negative review so far (fingers crossed) :) I was rather conservative, though, I did publish my weirdest stuff, thinking it was least likely to ever get a publisher's attention. Just goes to show; readers are much more savvy than agents and publishers give them credit for!
Thanks Graham, how nice to hear stories like yours! I do think we're in a very interesting time in publishing, and I'm sure the market will look very different in a decade. Best of luck on your future books!
Michele
Maybe your publishers haven't heard of Bill Bryson. :)He's managed very well to speak to Brits and Yanks and be understood by a few readers. Divided by a common language and all that.
You made a smart and brave choice. I hope you report back how it goes.
Best wishes for the selling season, with about 20 million more ereaders arriving in consumers' hands.
Thanks M.L. Very good point! So far it's going well and I'm very happy I made the decision :-))
