THE Group for Authors! discussion
Publishing and Promoting
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To publish or not to publish, that is the question
For every author there comes the time to follow the Nike slogan: "Just Do It." Before I published, over 30 people had read my book: men, women, children, family, friends, strangers, and colleagues at work. The overwhelming response was positive. I sent samples to 5 editors. One turned me down but her sample edit pointed out a major POV gaff my manuscript had--still she said I had a good story. Her frank assessment made me see my error. I hired another editor who guided me through revision and editing. That was my first novel. I have since published a sequel after first joining a writing group to ensure the sequel would be a stand-alone book. You're not getting any younger and no one else is going to do it. Have your read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron? You can get it at the library--a must read for self-doubting creative people. And a good gift for them, too.
My experience was different from your own. My first effort at writing a novel (and it was roughly the length of "Anna Karenina"!) was published by a small traditional publisher, who insisted on publishing it as a trilogy. The same publisher also published my second book, a collection of short stories. However, the company was new to the game, the publisher was an author herself, and as it turned out they were a company in search of their brand and niche, which turned out to be the crowded field of romance books. My books are dramatic fiction containing believable and quite beautiful romance, but the romance is neither the focal point of the stories nor is it genre (formula) romance. Thus the adventurous little publisher floundered with my titles (but of course defensively blamed less than stellar sales on the author and the books themselves despite not doing an iota to help promote the books).Once the rights were returned to me after a period of lousy sales I self-published the titles, as I am proud of both efforts, especially since the first was based on a hidden tragedy that actually occurred and was brushed under the rug by those whose image or reputations would be negatively influenced were it acknowledged and highly publicized. I have since self-published 2 other books, both representative of my brand of drama coupled with humor and a mystical touch. I am like you; I started writing relatively late in life, and while I was still working a highly demanding job. I consider it something of a miracle I was able to write 3 books while working in my usual field, let alone getting 2 published by a publisher! My experience of submitting to traditional publishers was that they were almost all looking for very specific subject matter and narrowly defined genres ("shape-shifting supenatural romance"; romance between werewolves and vampires; M/M romance involving so-called "alpha males", etc. etc) Did I say "romance"??
Yes, I guess I did. I got the distinct impression that thoughtful drama involving a wide range of human characters and set in the past was not selling to the apparently insatiable audience seeking fantasy/ romance books, so I stopped waiting for the 3-4 months it was taking for these mostly smaller publishers to get back to me with their (mostly) form letters indicating the standard "does not meet our current editorial needs" lines. Quite often I interpreted that as, "Your book does not start with flirtation between a winsome female vampire and a lusty, aggressive minotaur" or some variation of such romantic fantasy. I write about actual imperfect human beings falling in love naturally within the context of a more complex story set in the real world, which is perhaps not the escape chute the vast audience of romantic dreamers are seeking. (speaking of vampires, do I sound like I have my own fangs? admittedly so, lol!)
I am nevertheless happy to share my books with that portion of the overall reading audience interested in my brand of thought-provoking fiction. The competition is clearly over the top, but the sense of fulfillment and joy of creation are their own rewards, and...yes, there are royalties which are paid per agreement, the icing on the cake as it were. I prefer to skip the self-torture and do my thing, at least until I find a publisher that is not concentrating on one or two niches that have sold well for them in the past.
Some random thoughts ...Why not try both? Try to find a traditional publisher or agent and if that doesn't work try self-publishing instead? Or self pub one novel and go down the traditional route with the next?
Be aware that self-publishing avoids the gate-keeper role of agents and publishers, but it requires a different set of skills and quite a lot of hard work. You need to be comfortable with the workload involved.
You may want to keep quiet about NaNoWriMo. Some editors hate books that have been written in NaNo and claim that they can spot them a mile away.
The problem with first books is that they are rarely as perfect as we would like them to be ... or that we might think they are. That's the bad news. The good news is that the solution to "first-book-itis" is to write that second book.
A wise manager once gave me some excellent advice. If you are ever faced with two choices which seem equally good or equally bad, it probably doesn't matter which one you choose. What matters most is that you make a decision instead of dithering and having made that decision you implement it with all your strength and passion.
Sorry I can't be more definitive than that. It's a highly personal choice whether to self pub or go down the traditional route. There are no right or wrong answers because what works for one person won't necessarily work for another.
Sheila wrote: "For every author there comes the time to follow the Nike slogan: "Just Do It." Before I published, over 30 people had read my book: men, women, children, family, friends, strangers, and colleagues ..."Thanks, Sheila. I have read part's of Julia Cameron's book and sincerely appreciate your input. My dilemma is not so much from a self-deprecating or self-doubt perspective, but rather from a "business" perspective, whether I should roll the dice on a first novel and push it out into the world, or keep it close to the vest with the "hopeful" knowledge that future works (and indeed, my current WIP) will be more polished and representative of my best efforts. Thanks again for your response!
Steven wrote: "My experience was different from your own. My first effort at writing a novel (and it was roughly the length of "Anna Karenina"!) was published by a small traditional publisher, who insisted on pub..."Thanks for providing your thoughts, Steven. Although the allure of being recognized by a trad-published book is compelling, there are certainly many cons to that approach, not the least of which is the dreaded OOP (out of print) moniker that seems to accompany any book, eventually, that takes that route.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond with your thoughts and best wishes on your future writing endeavors!
There are literally hundreds of books, periodicals, seminars, lectures and classes readily available at little or no cost to anyone wishing to learn the intricacies of skill requirements, publishing procedure, marketing and promotion pertaining to producing a literary work and exposing it to public consumption.Expend the time, effort and resources before attempting to join the ranks of published authors rather than after. If you are honest with yourself and sincere, you will know if and when you are ready.
Will wrote: "Some random thoughts ...Why not try both? Try to find a traditional publisher or agent and if that doesn't work try self-publishing instead? Or self pub one novel and go down the traditional rout..."
Thanks, Will. Although my question didn't pertain to whether I should self-publish or trad-publish, I do appreciate your insights. Specifically, the comment you made about making "some" choice instead of dithering over it ad nausea is certainly what I'm trying to avoid (and realize that I am getting closer to that threshold the more I contemplate what to do).
Although another topic for another thread, I had to raise my eyebrows at your thoughts on the feasibility of a NaNoWriMo novel being considered "worthy" of publication. When you compose a first draft or how you do it seems to be completely independent of the finished product after going through every other stage of the editing and revision process. If someone is not going to want to publish my novel because I composed a first draft in a particular way or at a particular time, I don't think that is someone I would want to work with anyway ;-)
Denise wrote: "If you think your story and characters are great, you received great input from a critique partner and/or beta readers, and you've revised until it's in the form you are happy with, then publish. ..."
Thanks, Denise. This is exactly what I am feeling at my core and the questions that I am struggling to answer, but it is good to hear that I am not alone in carrying on this internal monologue. Best wishes to you as well, and thanks again for providing your thoughts!
Jim wrote: "There are literally hundreds of books, periodicals, seminars, lectures and classes readily available at little or no cost to anyone wishing to learn the intricacies of skill requirements, publishin..."Thanks, Jim. I appreciate your thoughts. To be honest, I feel like I have consumed hundreds of said resources toward understanding the craft of writing alongside publication, marketing, exposure, etc. I have absolutely no qualms about putting in that work and learning everything that I can.
However, I am not naive to think that there will come some magical point in time where I know "everything". I will always be learning and that's what I love about this lifelong writing passion. The biggest hurdle for me is not knowing when I have "enough" knowledge under my belt to take that leap into the published world.
I like your suggestion about being completely transparent and honest with myself in making that assessment. However, as you might suspect, that is so much easier said than done ;-) Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights and best wishes!
Dose anyone know what is going on with Tate Publishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can anyone tell me anything about what to do with my book that I had published with Tate publishing and what is going on with them.
W wrote: "Dose anyone know what is going on with Tate Publishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"Tate Publishing went bankrupt and closed their Oklahoma facility in January of this year. It is no longer in business.
Dave wrote: "So many people ask the question, self-pub or trad-pub? I have asked for opinions myself on this topic, weighing the pros and cons of each approach. But, I have a question that precedes this one. Sh..."Hi Dave,
With my book just published I would have to say I'm new to this.
Like you, I had family and friends reading few of my works before thinking I actually had a story to tell.
Personal circumstances, as life does kicked in an I needed a positive outlet. So I finished my current work, gave it to my loved ones, got their feedback and sent it off to an editor. Her feedback was priceless after more changes and reviews, I was faced with your dilemma.
Should I publish? Little did I know this was the easiest question, but I answered it, after much deliberations. I have a story to share and like a good book you wish people to read, why not share? Writing is a gift, an expression of an author's creativity, something worth sharing, no?
As most people have said in this post, submissions, publish contracts, marketing, etc, will have several more questions. Answer them to the best of your abilities and keep writing.
Good luck!
Dan wrote: "Dave wrote: "So many people ask the question, self-pub or trad-pub? I have asked for opinions myself on this topic, weighing the pros and cons of each approach. But, I have a question that precedes..."Thanks, Dan. I appreciate your honest and well-articulated response. Perhaps it *is* the easiest question to answer ;-) Maybe it's just how and when it gets published is the better question to ask.
As one of your last sentences states, the most important thing of all is to not allow dilemmas such as these to hamper the joy of actually writing. Thanks again, and keep writing as well!
Dave wrote: "Dan wrote: "Dave wrote: "So many people ask the question, self-pub or trad-pub? I have asked for opinions myself on this topic, weighing the pros and cons of each approach. But, I have a question t..."In reply to Steven and his "naturally-occurring romances....I have written such a book myself and plan to do the sequels(s) to create a series. The first book (The Truth About Daniel, Verbal Images Press) is about Susan B. Anthony's controversial brother. The family is so interesting that book 2 will focus less on the romance and more on the family saga.
I have never published traditionally because I am too impatient. Once I finish a book I want to share it with the world. I've been an indie publisher since 1990 when I did two ground-breaking children's books that sold 100,000 copies (together). After several years of struggling to manage distribution on my own, I decided to use IPG as my distributor, and they were great. Over the years, though, they took more and more random fees until I was left with little return. Finally, they ended the contract because I had lost interest and was no longer selling many books.
I took a long hiatus and got back into the business in 2017 with The Truth About Daniel. The publishing business is totally different now, and I have a different audience that is much harder to reach. Although IPG received a great mailing list from me in 1996 and profited on my 100K books sold, they did not want me back with my new book unless it had dozens of reviews. Still feeling disappointed about that.
The 2016 market, as opposed to the 1990 one, is so oversaturated with self-published books that it is hard to get noticed. Amazon hogged distribution of books, favoring the readers (i.e. their audience) and gouging authors. Social media requires authors to spread their precious writing time over various platforms (Twitter is my least favorite), requiring extensive use of images (very time-consuming to source legally) and sometimes getting no return. Reviewers blatantly sell the author's expensive books second-hand on Amazon, competing with the author's own books at full price. I recently drove 60 miles to do a bookstore signing and they barely spoke to me. At the end they told me I could call them to request them to settle up. I did and they put me off. It's been a week. Never, in the 1990s, was I treated as anything less than royalty by a bookstore who was selling my book.
I am very disillusioned by the changes in the industry.
Nevertheless, I am still writing! That's because it gives me such joy. There is absolutely nothing like holding my own beautiful books in my hands. (Dare I say, it almost compares to having a child?)
The Truth about DanielThe Truth About Daniel was 322 pages. I've learned that if people love one book of yours, they'll buy another. The more books you have, the better. So the next books in the saga will be shorter so that I can have more titles. The only problem with this plan is that each book requires all the publishing rigamarole of a cover, ISBN, Amazon listing, brochure, news release, etc. Bummer. If I could ever train an assistant to do all that, it would be great.
Jeanne wrote: "Dave wrote: "Dan wrote: "Dave wrote: "So many people ask the question, self-pub or trad-pub? I have asked for opinions myself on this topic, weighing the pros and cons of each approach. But, I have..."Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jeanne. I have to imagine that things have changed quite dramatically in terms of publishing over the years. I would even venture to say that the change feels exponential in terms of the number of books being offered for consumption with the evolution of self-publishing.
I think the most important thing, that I have seen echoed in your response as well as others, is to keep writing. If it's something you enjoy, the benefits of the process will be worth much more than any monetary proceeds received as a result of it.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and best wishes for success in your own writing endeavors!
Dear Dave,There's an easy, no-cost way of finding out how good your manuscript is, and it does not involve hiring a professional writing coach or editor. Just join a local writing group; there might be one at your local public library.
Writing groups usually require new applicants to submit a manuscript or two so they can gauge the quality of your writing. Try to find a group that already includes published authors; not just self-published authors, but those that have been published by commercial publishers as well. The feedback that you get back at any such group will quickly help you decide whether or not your manuscript is ready for publication.
Best regards,
Victor
Victor wrote: "Dear Dave,There's an easy, no-cost way of finding out how good your manuscript is, and it does not involve hiring a professional writing coach or editor. Just join a local writing group; there mi..."
Thanks, Victor. I appreciate your very good suggestion and will certainly consider taking a look at finding a writing group in my area. Best wishes, and thanks again!
I really want to try traditional publishing. I already fried self publishing and I realized how difficult it is.The problem is I'm a college student. I don't have the money to get book deals nor the time to self publish. So seeing all the responses from experienced authors here are very encouraging. Thank you!
Dave - publish and be damned! You have already spent a lot of time and effort on this book. If you are happy with it - publish it. Self-publishing gives you control of everything. Not many authors have a best-seller with their first book but some do and you have to start somewhere. Other self-published authors are picked up by traditional publishers. Lionelson - if you really want to be traditionally published there are several publishing company who take manuscripts from first-time authors, you just need the patience to wait for their response. No-one has time to spare in their working life - it's a matter of priorities. Only we retired people have the luxury of time! Look at the number of authors who have written books whilst working and bringing up a family!
Well said, Rita 😉 I actually have decided to publish, after I perform one "final" edit. I think stating it publicly here will help me stick to my personal promise while hopefully encouraging others to do the same. Thanks for your motivating words of encouragement and happy writing 😊
Ah well, I guess you’ve already decided, but I’ll throw my thoughts out into the aether anyways. I think it kind of depends on what your publishing goals are. Is the goal that with a reasonable amount of editing and marketing, you have reasonable potential to net a substantial return if you self-publish or are accepted by a literary agent or publisher?(My first 70k novel that I finished and spent $500 on a developmental edit in 2014 is not yet published and probably never will be. I’m working on another one, though. ^_^)
Just as a small, but possibly useful insight: If you go back to the days when only traditional publishing existed, there were authors whose first novels were rejected by agents and/or publishers, but who were told to keep in touch and submit any new work they produced-- possibly because an agent or publisher saw promise in that author's writing. That's why in the case of these authors, their second or third novels were published first. If they became very popular, they would bring out their first novels, polish them up, and get them published subsequently.
Alex wrote: "Ah well, I guess you’ve already decided, but I’ll throw my thoughts out into the aether anyways. I think it kind of depends on what your publishing goals are. Is the goal that with a reasonable amo..."No worries, Alex. It's never too late to learn something new from a fellow author ;-) I hear what you're saying. I don't want to presume, but I think that your questions and concerns are exactly the ones I am contemplating with my decision. I know it sounds cliche, but in the end, I am truly more concerned with having my story heard than publication accolades that may or may not occur because of it. In an ironic sort of way, I hope that my future novels put the first one to shame (just a little bit, I guess) because that means I have been continually improving at my craft. With that being said, I am also at the revision stage of my second manuscript ;-) Thanks for sharing your thoughts and best wishes for your new work!
Joanna wrote: "Just as a small, but possibly useful insight: If you go back to the days when only traditional publishing existed, there were authors whose first novels were rejected by agents and/or publishers, b..."Good point, Joanna, and one that I will definitely keep in the back of my mind. I think, regardless of how you feel about your first novel, the most important thing is to keep writing ;-) Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and best wishes!
Joanna wrote: "Just as a small, but possibly useful insight: If you go back to the days when only traditional publishing existed, there were authors whose first novels were rejected by agents and/or publishers, b..."Right on, Joanna. That has happened in the past, and still happens today.
Writer can have one of two contrasting reactions when a manuscript gets tossed back at them: they can either think the editor is a jackass, or they can concede that perhaps the editor has a reason for the rejection, take a second look at their manuscript, and begin to revise.
Sometimes, however, the writing is not the reason why a manuscript is rejected. I have many rejection letters in my folder that praise the writing, and the setting, and the characterization, and then hint at the real reason: the finished, published book will not sell.
We tend to think that once the acquisitions editor likes our work, we are assured publication. That is not so: our brainchild is then sent on to the marketing people: if they feel the book will not sell, you will have to find some way to fix that.
My advice to my fellow writers here on Goodreads is very simple: Regard every rejection as an invitation to improve; and by that I mean, not just improve the manuscript, but improve your writerly skills as well. Work at your technique, and if you are writing fiction, work at improving your story telling skills. It may be the story is fine, but the characters don't come alive. Maybe they lack depth. Maybe...
One editor I respect very much at a major publishing house threw my first novel back at me, praising the writing but pointing to one fatal flow: she said the central character "lacked interiority." My agent, a friend who feared what that comment might do to what he thought was a fragile ego, would not show it to me. I insisted on seeing it. I thought for a moment, and saw that the editor was right; I was not letting my readers see what my protagonist was thinking at crucial points in the action. I said: "Give me back the manuscript, I'm going to revise it."
He said: "Victor, if you decide to revise it, I will no longer be your agent."
I rewrote the entire book and sent it to another agent. It was resubmitted, and accepted by another publisher, and published in hardcover. Perhaps a little humility and a desire to become a better writer are powerful allies for a writer to have.
One last bit of advice: when you go looking for an editor to vet your manuscript, that does not make you a better writer. All it does is give you a better manuscript while depleting your wallet. Then, when you write your next book, you have to hire an editor all over again. And again.
Here's a low-cost option: Find and join a good writing group, one that has traditionally published authors as members. Each time you submit a chapter for discussion, you will receive honest, high-powered constructive criticism that will make you more aware of what needs to be done. You will then consider their suggestions and work on your own manuscript. And meeting by meeting, you will find yourself becoming a better writer.
Once we become better writers, our manuscripts miraculously get better too...
Regards to all,
Victor
Victor wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Just as a small, but possibly useful insight: If you go back to the days when only traditional publishing existed, there were authors whose first novels were rejected by agents and/o..."Well-stated, Victor. Thank you very much for sharing your story and advice. It is very much appreciated :-)
Dave wrote: "I am truly more concerned with having my story heard ..."Does that mean you’d be happy with 1 person reading the book or 1 million? How about others on this thread ? How many books sold per year on the average over say a 2-year sale cycle would you be happy with?
Alex wrote: "Dave wrote: "I am truly more concerned with having my story heard ..."Does that mean you’d be happy with 1 person reading the book or 1 million? How about others on this thread ? How many books s..."
I am probably less concerned with the number of books sold and more concerned with the number of books read. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to have more than one person reading my book, but given the choice between none and one, I'd still take the latter.
I know this might sound holier-than-thou, but I am sincere in saying that I would be happier to find one reader that identified deeply with my book rather than sell a boatload of them for the sake of earning money. However, I have to qualify that statement with a disclaimer that I don't have any grand expectations of my writing fully funding my lifestyle, only potentially helping to complement it.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that given the choice between a $2.99 e-book sale and a free giveaway with a meaningful comment to accompany it (and not for the sake of promoting more reads and/or sales, but just a genuine comment that a story touched a person or made them feel something deeply), I'd take the latter every single time.
Six of my books were traditionally published. I'm about to try one of my books as an indie publisher so I have more control over pricing. Wish me luck. I know nothing about self-publishing or who to work with. Any suggestions?
I published 6 books with a traditional publisher on a contract basis. I started self-publishing in 2013 when I realized that I would lose editorial control over a nonfiction book I'd just completed. I've written and self-published 3 books since then. The latest is my mystery novel "Desert Jade." I began self-publishing with CreateSpace and KDP. With "Desert Jade," I added Ingram Spark so my book is now available to a greater market because Ingram is the world's biggest book distributor and wholeseller. I have learned that there are numerous disadvantages to traditional publishing, but there are also numerous disadvantages to self-publishing which is treated like an unwanted step-child by the publishing industry. For one example, one very important review publication publishes book reviews for publishers for free, but charges the indie self-publisher $425!!
So in 2018, I'm becoming what is called a "hybrid publisher." A hybrid publisher is small, curates the books it publishes, and shares expenses and promotional work with the author. We form a partnership and work together. I'll continue publishing my own books and now I'll publish others' books, too, starting with mystery-suspense. I hope to escape the self-publishing ghetto and avoid the tyranny of traditional publishers. Follow me or friend me and I'll be sending out a post soon about this.
~C.J. Shane
I have a question. I've had four books published by small press publishers, but I have no control over pricing. My desire is to self-publish a short mystery I've written. I would like to do so with the least amount of money so I can sell the book for ninety-nine cents. Do any of you have suggestions of whom I might contact to help me with editing, Create Space, and getting the book on Amazon, Encore, and other book sellers?
Mary, your best best is CreateSpace. But you will have to pay someone if you want editing and formatting, a cover design, etc. According to Wikipedia, Encore Books is pretty much defunct now. I wrote about hybrid publishing. Is your last question "Who is your hybrid publisher?" addressed to me or to some other person? That's not clear.
My belief is you pay for an editor. Use the reedsy website to get quotes from vetted editors. Good luck.
Mary wrote: "I have a question. I've had four books published by small press publishers, but I have no control over pricing. My desire is to self-publish a short mystery I've written. I would like to do so with..."If you have time and patience, do it yourself on Create Space. I did the entire thing and I am not overly tech-y. I had a graphic artist design my cover. You can do both an ebook and a paperback that appears on Amazon, Barnes & Nobel. The 2 other steps you need to pursue are getting an ISBN # (easy) and registering for Library of Congress. My expenses were under $100. If none of this appeals to you, you can pay a service to do it all for you.
Good morning Mary. You asked about editing in particular- I second Rachel's suggestion about using Reedsy. I've found great strategic, copy and line editors through reedsy. for proofreading I've gone local, which was super easy through craiglists resources. yes, you can use createspace but its very time consuming and more $. for design, I found and use designers who are located overseas--the cost is a fractional compared to the US (as in 1/4 the cost). hope that helps.
Be careful with CreateSpace. They don't always print as requested. I asked for a perfect bound book but received a no spine book. It was accepted and then rejected by Barnes & Nobles, thus costing me money both ways.
Seek the services of copy editors, conceptual editors, layout design artists and graphic design artists with well-documented track records for delivering quality, professional results. The chances of an authors's work becoming a commercial success will improve exponentially.Literary periodicals and books, listing the names and brief biographies of such professionals, may be found on the shelves and magazine racks of most public libraries.
The Fuzzy Librarian offers editing services. Reasonable, on time and they respond promptly. A win-win-win.
Thanks for all the good advice. I'll take a look at Create Space. Is there another possibility besides Create Space? I do want to find a good editor and copy editor. I've looked at book covers and need to find a design that appeals to me.
Dear Sarah, Who have you used from overseas? Thank you.
Self publishing serves a specific need. What is your need? Everyone has a different need. Are you interested in pursuing the traditional route and get paid to write? Then put your effort into the proper direction to solicit an agent and publisher. Or go buy a lotery ticket. Dont be fooled. It is a lot of work to attract the "right agent" and focus your work in the correct channels. It is harder than writing! Then you still need to have a good piece of work submitted to get a response. There are no secrets. Hone your craft. Write and write well. Books do not come with subtitles. You do not get to tell someone what your writing is about, or what category you self created. Its a cross of...this..with a twist of this...and this. The reason that PW and SLJ have risen to the utmost pinnacle of acceptance is because of the self publishing world. Everyone has a story or something they think that a million people want to read. It doesnt mean that they did their homework, checked to see if anyone else wrote about it, or have had it professionally edited. There is a lot of slush covering the gems in the slush pile. its a very rough road to get noticed, and often more like quick sand than just a slush pile.
If you cant get your own deal or get an agent...then maybe you have some work to do. Take it as a hint. If you choose to self publish you still need a PW or SLJ review to be "anything". You cant even donate your book to a library with out a review. I happen to know, with out mentioning any names, cough--NYPD RED.... 5 time best seller. Has his own series with best sellers, co-writes with best seller. Said to himself....I have a large following... I am going to write my own book, self publish it, and keep more money in my pocket. However, he could not donate it to a library to be cataloged/shelved, because it was self published. they needed a PW review. That story is not over yet, but still in progress. updates to follow.
PW spends an incredible amount of money to vet and weed out the thousands of books they receive a week. Hundreds and hundreds of reviewers across the country working like crazy to determine "worthy" books for libraries and the book markets. These two companies actually perform the work for librarians and book store owners to help minimize their work load. If you dont have a PW review, we dont put it on our shelves. Librarians frequently say, "We don't have time to do our own reviews." It makes sense. Doesn't it? And yes, libraries do review local authors, and make exceptions. But it wont help you as you try to spread across the country.
Self publishing allows you to buy books and sell books, or give them to your family, or what ever your goal is. That's why I ask every other Author want-a-bee..... what is your goal. Do you have the passion? Why are you doing this? What sacrifices are you willing to make to reach your goals?
Your thinking way to far down the line if you are worrying about cover art (HOW, WHO?) and what self publisher should you use, you are already set up for failure. how much homework have you done.
Free advice...i hope it helps. Advice is very specific for every individual, but seek out some answers, ask more questions.... There are many people out there willing to help you. I for one.... give presentations to librarians about "who wants to write a book, everyone has a story to tell". I hand my number out for free. why you might ask? Because..... a lot of people helped me get here, and that's what the writing industry is all about. it is very un-competitive. Everyone is pushing for everyone else to get their book noticed, or offer places to go, that they found useful. Read the above forum. What a perfect example. A ton of good advice. Mary, yours caught me a little. Feel free to ask away.... anytime.
Stalking is a very popular and acceptable form of following people. Lots of times editors and publishers drop a line in an interview or post that they are currently loving a book they are reading.... called......*anything*. that is a hint that they would entertain submissions on the same topic. Or they straight out say... I am looking for this...this and this..
Good luck all. Do your homework. lots of it. become the specialist on your writing and your field, and become the reason why you are qualified to be the person to write that story. You cant do enough of that.
Kevin wrote: "If you choose to self publish you still need a PW or SLJ review to be "anything". You cant even donate your book to a library with out a review."What a load of rubbish! I make a full time living with my self published novels and I've never been reviewed by either PW or SLJ. It's simply not true that indies need reviews from those sites to sell books. What you DO need is a polished, professional product with attention to craft, that people are willing to pay for.
Also, my books are in libraries, again without those so called "essential" reviews. I don't donate my books, they are available through the Overdrive catalogue and I make a nice sum each month through library sales.
I do agree that indies need to do their research, so they don't get sucked into the false statements some peddle as truths - like needing reviews to sell books or that you can't get your books into libraries. Do your research. Understand your market and how to reach them. Use tools at your disposal like expanded distribution and access to Overdrive. Anything is possible for indies, including a full time income, if you treat publishing like a business and invest in your own continued education.
A.W. wrote: "Kevin wrote: "If you choose to self publish you still need a PW or SLJ review to be "anything". You cant even donate your book to a library with out a review."What a load of rubbish! I make a ful..."
I agree. I can tell you that I don't know any readers that care one little bit what PW or SLJ, or Kirkus, etc. say about a book, or any that consider such things in making their own reading/purchasing decisions.
They just don't matter that much at the consumer level, and while I can't speak to the library aspect from the position of an author (please note - it's not capitalized), as A. W. obviously can, I do know that attention from readers is another thing that will get attention from libraries. Enough readers asking for a book will get a library's attention.
Of course librarians typically don't do book reviews, that's not their job. Some actually do write book reviews, but typically they do so as consumers (I follow several librarians who review here on GR), and typically are not professional reviewers in addition to their regular job - librarian. Some may moonlight occasionally writing professional reviews, I know of one that does. But I find it strange someone would even bring that up in reference to professional reviews.
That doesn't mean librarians don't read what's out there - they do.
I used to be a librarian (academic reference) and now I'm a writer and artist. The value of getting into the Baker & Taylor catalog (do this by publishing through Ingram Spark) is mainly for the convenience of the librarian. Librarians can do all their orders in one place. The value of getting reviews in Kirkus , Library Journal, etc. etc. is that librarians use those publications to choose books (collection development). However that is NOT the only way to get your books in a library. Requests from patrons for a book is one way, and a lot of librarians will respond to direct marketing from authors, especially from local authors. For example, I wrote a book about China a few years ago and sent press releases to libraries on the West Coast with high populations of Chinese-Americans. That led to sales.
Also AW mentions Overdrive. That's the service that public library patrons use to "check out" digital books for a period time. Smashwords has a deal to put ebooks on Overdrive.
I think making a living this way is not easy, but I think it's doable. As AW says having a good product and doing your marketing research is the key.
Common sense, average intelligence and business acumen is all that is needed to realize that, in any trade, a novice should seek advice and information from professionals with a proven track record, commercial success and public acclaim in the field, not amateurs with little more or no more experience than that of the one seeking advice. There are literary publications, books, seminars, classes and lectures available at little or no cost that provide a wealth of information and advice pertaining to writing, publishing, marketing, sales and distribution. Expend the time and effort to utilize them.
Let me explain ...
I arrived at the revelation for my love of writing a bit later in life. I began writing a nonfiction personal essay blog in 2013 as a 41-year-old. I eventually migrated into short stories and finally worked up the courage and stamina to pen a novel as a part of NaNoWriMo 2015. I had it professionally edited, both developmental and copy.
I detail this process not to look for accolades or kudos, but rather to make it clear that I sank a lot of effort, time, and energy into bringing this story to fruition (and I know that this a necessary part of the process).
The "problem" arises when I consider that this is my first book. And, I'm a recovering perfectionist ;-) I keep asking myself. Is my book good enough? Is it worthy of being published? Will it taint my future books which will "hopefully" be better as I improve my craft? I have already written a second manuscript that I have received preliminary feedback on ... that it's much more readable and compelling than the first.
So, I find myself positioned on that metaphorical fence. Publish a novel that I have invested so much time in and that represents my foray into the novel writing world, or keep it hidden and treat it as a learning experience that will help my second novel become my first published one.
As authors, we don't see very much evidence of how many books from authors have remained hidden from the public eye. We just see the ones that have been pushed out into the bookish-sphere.
I am toying with the idea of serializing that first novel on my website, or maybe even here at GR, or as a lead magnet for an email list, or something along those lines.
How many books as an author have you written before publishing one, either self-pub or trad-pub? Do you have any advice for someone struggling with this dilemma?