Self-pub to Trad-pub and back again
Hello,
As writer's we're often writing blogs about good news. I have a book deal, I just sold the film rights to my novel, I got an agent, etc. I've done a few of those posts myself (not the film rights unfortunately). The truth of matter is though, we often have more downs than ups as writers. The path to success is literally littered (or fly-tipped) with failure.
My "journey" started in 2011. OK, it started long before that but it gets interesting in 2011 because my first novel, This Thirtysomething Life, does the impossible and gets into the Kindle top ten charts - number 7 actually. This is a miracle because A: it's self-published and to sell that many books on your own against the might of the professional publishing machine is a huge achievement. B: I literally had no idea what I was doing. C: Unlike a lot of other savvy authors, I didn't do much marketing, self-promotion and left it all down to chance. Basically I got bloody lucky.
However, on the back of this success, I got the call from a major publishing house in London, and was soon signing a two book deal. They had approached me. To put this in perspective, I had spent the previous five years sending out books to a chorus of resounding NO's. And yet here was a major player asking me. It was surreal. I soon had an agent and I honestly thought that was it - I'd made it! I was a published author with an agent, surely it was only a matter of time before I was rich and famous - the next J.K Rowling! Right.
I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions about writing. I even thought it myself. Whenever I told people about my publishing deal, they seemed to assume that I was suddenly rich. Yes I made some money, but it was hardly a fortune. I definitely wasn't rich. The other assumption that I was destined for a successful career in writing, also lost it's spark fairly quickly. Again I believed it myself, but the truth is a publishing deal or an agent is no guarantee of success. In fact, in the current publishing climate, only a handful of writers (and celebrities) can guarantee anything like success - as I've been told many times.
My second novel, Happy Endings, came out and passed the world by if I'm honest. It's one of the difficult things about publishing. You imagine that when you get a book deal, the publisher will go all out, produce a huge marketing campaign, and you'll sell thousands of copies all over the world. The reality for me was that there was no marketing campaign. I did it all myself. I had some support, but it wasn't enough to stop the book from flopping quite badly. This was hard for me because I worked really hard on that book and I actually think it's a really good. It just didn't find an audience.
I'm not writing this to complain or whinge about the publishing world because I learnt so much, made some incredible contacts, and the people were all lovely. It was definitely an experience I loved from start to finish. What I'd like to tell young writers trying to make it, is that it isn't everything. You don't have to get an agent. You don't have to get a publishing deal. If you can, you should because you'll learn so much and gain so much experience, but it isn't everything the way it used to be. Now you can self-publish, market yourself on social media, and be whatever you want to be all on your own - as so many wonderful people are doing so brilliantly.
I'm back self-publishing again now and I'm very happy that I am - at least for the moment. The beauty of working on my own again is that I can work at my own pace. Traditional publishing is very slow. I have a new novel coming out in a few weeks and also a Christmas Novella in December. If these were being traditionally published, the novel wouldn't be out until the Spring and I would have had to have finished the novella about six months ago. Self-publishing gives writers the chance to get our work out faster and to create more. One thing I did learn from my time working with wonderful editors and professionals is the importance of quality, and I'm not letting that suffer. I still work with a brilliant editor and make sure everything I put out is top quality. Self-published or not, everything has to be perfect.
So what have I learnt over the last four years? There's so many ways to be a successful novelist. I know authors who are doing very well on their own and those with the backing of huge publishing houses. Having an agent helps, but it still doesn't mean you're guaranteed a book deal or even if you do get one, you might not do very well. The most important thing is the quality of the work you put out and also that the work you do is everything you want it to be. You have to write what you want to write to the very best of your ability because I know this - even the best agents and publishers don't have a clue what's going to be the next bestseller. It could be you.
I'll save the last paragraph for the thing that's really changed my outlook on writing the most. If you've written a novel and no matter who you are or how good you think it is, it will be better after a good editor has worked on it. My first experience of working with an editor completely changed me. She took the book in directions I hadn't even seen, found mistakes, repeated words, and helped me develop the characters and plot more than I could ever have done on my own. You need to have an editor you trust and work well with. I have one now and it's a relationship every author has to have. You can do well without a publisher, an agent, but you'll never be as good as you can be without a brilliant editor.
One last thing before I sign off. I love writing. It's in me and I can't help but do it. However, being an author is so much more than writing books. It's about promotion and becoming a social media expert and if you aren't prepared to put all the work in then you aren't going to make it. I don't enjoy the interviews and planning marketing campaigns as much as I do writing, but I know it's a huge part of what being a modern author is. With so many more authors out there than ever before, getting your book read (no matter how good it is) is the hardest part and if no-one knows who you are, it's even harder.
So that's it. It's been an incredible journey and I'm still writing and still loving it. So for all the aspiring authors out there, never give up, be creative, and get your work out there. It needs to be read because you'll never get better without criticism and experience. Best of British luck to you all.
Until next time.
Hugs,
Jon X
Ps: I want to add that without the kind support of so many wonderful authors, I definitely wouldn't still be doing what I'm doing. The author community is a wonderful thing and I love you all.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
As writer's we're often writing blogs about good news. I have a book deal, I just sold the film rights to my novel, I got an agent, etc. I've done a few of those posts myself (not the film rights unfortunately). The truth of matter is though, we often have more downs than ups as writers. The path to success is literally littered (or fly-tipped) with failure.
My "journey" started in 2011. OK, it started long before that but it gets interesting in 2011 because my first novel, This Thirtysomething Life, does the impossible and gets into the Kindle top ten charts - number 7 actually. This is a miracle because A: it's self-published and to sell that many books on your own against the might of the professional publishing machine is a huge achievement. B: I literally had no idea what I was doing. C: Unlike a lot of other savvy authors, I didn't do much marketing, self-promotion and left it all down to chance. Basically I got bloody lucky.
However, on the back of this success, I got the call from a major publishing house in London, and was soon signing a two book deal. They had approached me. To put this in perspective, I had spent the previous five years sending out books to a chorus of resounding NO's. And yet here was a major player asking me. It was surreal. I soon had an agent and I honestly thought that was it - I'd made it! I was a published author with an agent, surely it was only a matter of time before I was rich and famous - the next J.K Rowling! Right.
I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions about writing. I even thought it myself. Whenever I told people about my publishing deal, they seemed to assume that I was suddenly rich. Yes I made some money, but it was hardly a fortune. I definitely wasn't rich. The other assumption that I was destined for a successful career in writing, also lost it's spark fairly quickly. Again I believed it myself, but the truth is a publishing deal or an agent is no guarantee of success. In fact, in the current publishing climate, only a handful of writers (and celebrities) can guarantee anything like success - as I've been told many times.
My second novel, Happy Endings, came out and passed the world by if I'm honest. It's one of the difficult things about publishing. You imagine that when you get a book deal, the publisher will go all out, produce a huge marketing campaign, and you'll sell thousands of copies all over the world. The reality for me was that there was no marketing campaign. I did it all myself. I had some support, but it wasn't enough to stop the book from flopping quite badly. This was hard for me because I worked really hard on that book and I actually think it's a really good. It just didn't find an audience.
I'm not writing this to complain or whinge about the publishing world because I learnt so much, made some incredible contacts, and the people were all lovely. It was definitely an experience I loved from start to finish. What I'd like to tell young writers trying to make it, is that it isn't everything. You don't have to get an agent. You don't have to get a publishing deal. If you can, you should because you'll learn so much and gain so much experience, but it isn't everything the way it used to be. Now you can self-publish, market yourself on social media, and be whatever you want to be all on your own - as so many wonderful people are doing so brilliantly.
I'm back self-publishing again now and I'm very happy that I am - at least for the moment. The beauty of working on my own again is that I can work at my own pace. Traditional publishing is very slow. I have a new novel coming out in a few weeks and also a Christmas Novella in December. If these were being traditionally published, the novel wouldn't be out until the Spring and I would have had to have finished the novella about six months ago. Self-publishing gives writers the chance to get our work out faster and to create more. One thing I did learn from my time working with wonderful editors and professionals is the importance of quality, and I'm not letting that suffer. I still work with a brilliant editor and make sure everything I put out is top quality. Self-published or not, everything has to be perfect.
So what have I learnt over the last four years? There's so many ways to be a successful novelist. I know authors who are doing very well on their own and those with the backing of huge publishing houses. Having an agent helps, but it still doesn't mean you're guaranteed a book deal or even if you do get one, you might not do very well. The most important thing is the quality of the work you put out and also that the work you do is everything you want it to be. You have to write what you want to write to the very best of your ability because I know this - even the best agents and publishers don't have a clue what's going to be the next bestseller. It could be you.
I'll save the last paragraph for the thing that's really changed my outlook on writing the most. If you've written a novel and no matter who you are or how good you think it is, it will be better after a good editor has worked on it. My first experience of working with an editor completely changed me. She took the book in directions I hadn't even seen, found mistakes, repeated words, and helped me develop the characters and plot more than I could ever have done on my own. You need to have an editor you trust and work well with. I have one now and it's a relationship every author has to have. You can do well without a publisher, an agent, but you'll never be as good as you can be without a brilliant editor.
One last thing before I sign off. I love writing. It's in me and I can't help but do it. However, being an author is so much more than writing books. It's about promotion and becoming a social media expert and if you aren't prepared to put all the work in then you aren't going to make it. I don't enjoy the interviews and planning marketing campaigns as much as I do writing, but I know it's a huge part of what being a modern author is. With so many more authors out there than ever before, getting your book read (no matter how good it is) is the hardest part and if no-one knows who you are, it's even harder.
So that's it. It's been an incredible journey and I'm still writing and still loving it. So for all the aspiring authors out there, never give up, be creative, and get your work out there. It needs to be read because you'll never get better without criticism and experience. Best of British luck to you all.
Until next time.
Hugs,
Jon X
Ps: I want to add that without the kind support of so many wonderful authors, I definitely wouldn't still be doing what I'm doing. The author community is a wonderful thing and I love you all.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
No comments have been added yet.
