Why I STILL Believe Traditional Publishing is Right for Me

In the days since a certain lawsuit against a certain blogger was filed in the state of Ohio, I’ve gone through some pretty wild shifts in emotion.

First, fear that my books might never return to me.

Then, joy at the outpouring of support from Romancelandia and beyond.

Then, panic that I might be scrutinized by lawsuit-minded people, even though I’ve done nothing that should warrant such an extreme measure.

Then, gratitude at the “Hey, I’m sorry this is happening to you, but I bought DRAW ME IN and it looks great!” messages I’ve received.

And then, finally, angry. Angry at the situation, at myself for making the choices I did, and then angry at a few comments and tweets that I read.

 

There aren’t many folks gloating about the state of a certain group of authors right now, but there are a handful. I’ve seen comments about putting all your eggs in one basket, about how “I would NEVER sign a contract that awful,” and even one person who said “Those authors are getting what they deserve. I’ve warned people away from Xpublisher for YEARS.”

 

See, here’s the thing. As a new author, you’re over the moon when a publisher takes an interest in your work. You do your due diligence,  you search the web, you scour forums, and you take all that information–some of it conflicting–and you list out pros and cons. And if the pros outweigh the cons, then you take the leap of faith and sign on the dotted line, not really understanding some of the legalese in the contract, because what brand new author, after having shelled out over a grand for a freelance editor, has even MORE money to get a lawyer’s opinion?

HUGE publishers have folded in the past. New publishers, old publishers, pioneers in format and genre, none of them are immune to certain types of internal strife.

Some people have taken to saying, “This is why everyone should self publish. I wouldn’t trust any of my work to organizations like these.”

But I did. And now I’m completely uncertain as to what will happen to five of my stories.

So you might be thinking, “Oh, she’ll never do that again. Self-pub is the way to go for anyone who’s been burned by a publisher!”

But it’s not. Not for me.

People much smarter than me have said time and time again, there is NO one true path in publishing. Every writer must make up their own mind as to what road is the right one for them. And for me? It’s traditional publishing.

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By Tulane Public Relations (Girl in the Library Uploaded by AlbertHerring) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

I’ve signed multiple bad contracts in the past. I’ve been burned, and am STILL BEING burned. But does that mean I regret doing what I did? HELL NO!

In every trial there is a lesson. And there’s good to be found, even when some of those decisions end badly.

Take Ellora’s Cave, for example. They took a chance on me, when I’d only ever published one poem and one short story. I met an editor who believed in me, who taught me things that stand me in wonderful stead today. I met writers that I consider great friends, even now. I went to my first conference, signed my first books, became a real writer. No, an AUTHOR. A Published Author. Those early days were incredibly important to me in terms of growth and learning and even knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have done anything differently back then.

Was my every EC experience rosy in the beginning? No. Things haven’t been that good for a long time. I’ve been worried for a VERY long time. But I have always wanted to grow this career, so I thought maybe branching out was the best thing for me. I got the best agent IN THE WORLD, and with her help I’ve now got deals with no less than three kickass new-to-Regina publishers.

I learn from my publishers. What to do, and in some cases what not to do. I strive harder because there are people counting on me. If my books sell well, then my editor looks good, I look good, the publisher looks good. If my books don’t sell well enough, then good publishers will pull back and reexamine and we’ll CHANGE things next time. I’ve got a marketing team, I’ve got editors I can brainstorm with, people with their fingers on the pulse of the industry helping me to craft my career. I’ve got professionals creating my covers with marketability and appeal in mind, who know the best things to do to grab the reader’s attention.

There are people for each and every book I write. If I’m stuck? Call my editor, or my agent. If I’m unsure about something? Call my editor. If I feel like I’m not going to be able to make a deadline? Call my editor. BUT, people are counting on me. There’s a host of things to be done between typing “the end” and a book going up for sale. And knowing that the clock is ticking is the best motivator on earth.

I don’t want to skip any of those steps. I want multiple passes on edits, multiple passes on copyedits, galleys, ARCs, reviews, and someone helping me generate a buzz before my books hit the shelves, whether they’re real or digital. And those real shelves? Those are THE BEST. Walking into a Barnes & Noble, or even a Wal-Mart, and seeing MY NAME on a REAL LIVE BOOK that people can take home with them?

It’s a feeling that I want to have again and again and again.

 

There is nothing wrong with self publishing. I actually plan to put a few stories out myself sometime in the near future. But I’ll never give up on traditional publishing. It offers things to me that self-publishing can’t.

So please, do your best not to judge those who think differently about the “best” way to publish. My experience is not yours. You may hate having to work around strict deadlines. You may want freedom and flexibility in your release dates. You may be able to create amazing bookcovers, send out tons of review copies, and generate all the buzz you need to for release on your own. And to that, I say great job! I couldn’t do what you do.

And that’s okay.

As long as you put out work that you’re proud of, work that is well-written, edited, and professionally presented, then I applaud you, no matter HOW you decide to publish.

But for me?

There’s Carrie (who taught me first and I’m not letting go.)

There was Leah (who I miss.)

There’s Mary.

Sue.

Peter.

Nicole.

There’s Kimberly, and Becca, and Katie, and Beth, and a ton of people that I don’t even know!

All working on MY books. Mine. And I’m just selfish enough to adore that this is a team who is dedicated to helping my book succeed.

Right for me? Yes.

Right for you? Up to you.

 

*drops the mic*