Self Publishing--Thoughts?

[Taylor]

MANDY STOP IT I'M DYING MY RIBS HURT SO BAD!!! XD

(Ö)

Lav, I have a remarkable tolerance for bad writing to the point that I can take whatever isn't written by a twelve-year-old. Peeps like you should be fine with me...I've tutored sixth-grade "novelists."

[Elliott]

Oh, it's not that I think you would hate reading it or anything. I'm sure it would be at least somewhat entertaining. I just like to hold myself to a (somewhat) high standard. If you want to read writing I'm actually proud of, you could check out Manic Pixie Dream Girl or The Weight of All Things. *shameless advertising*

[Taylor]

I need to friend you first. *sends friend request*

[Elliott]

I believe you can read my writing without being my friend. I can give you links, if you're really interested. (I will probably add you eventually, I just only add people once I have known them on GR for a while because of reasons. I'm sorry!)

[Taylor]

Sounds good.

Actually...you'll need to post links. I can't see your writing through your account for some reason.

[Elliott]

Manic Pixie Dream Girl- http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/2...
The Weight of All Things-
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/3...

MPDG is a completed draft, so it's a bit long.
TWOaT only has two chapters up at the moment.

[Taylor]

Do you want a butchering or a review in response?

[Elliott]

Whatever you want to do. You can definitely trash it if you want to. I have a friend who does that already and it's really helpful. I can't promise I'll take all of your suggestions, though.

[Taylor]

People rarely do. We're writers...free spirits, yes?

It's up to you. Either way, it'll be in the slush pile for at least a couple months.

[Taylor]

Sorry...meant weeks.

[Elliott]

Okay, sounds good! It'll still be there in a couple of weeks.

[Mandy]

Timothy wrote: "MANDY STOP IT I'M DYING MY RIBS HURT SO BAD!!! XD

(Ö)

Lav, I have a remarkable tolerance for bad writing to the point that I can take whatever isn't written by a twelve-year-old. Peeps like you ..."

You thought that was funny?



Ugh. I laugh at everything when it's late.

[Mandy]

Lav [I am glad to the brink of fear] wrote: "Oh, it's not that I think you would hate reading it or anything. I'm sure it would be at least somewhat entertaining. I just like to hold myself to a (somewhat) high standard. If you want to read w..."

I DON'T THINK I'VE READ THE WEIGHT OF ALL THINGS.

[Taylor]

Perhaps I should go to bed. I have to be up in five hours.

...

Nahhhhh...

[Elliott]

GO READ IT NOW. IT'S AMAZING. AND HAS A PRETENTIOUS TITLE THAT ORIGINATED FROM A RILKE POEM. And it's really short so it'll go by quickly!

[Mandy]

Timothy wrote: "Perhaps I should go to bed. I have to be up in five hours.

...

Nahhhhh..."

[Taylor]

FOR THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF MY RIBCAGE I SHALL SLEEP.

But we must roleplay sometime, Mandy. We'd make a good comic pair.

[Mandy]

BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW YOUR RIBCAGE IS PLAGUED BY INSOMNIA.

...

I don't even know.

FREAK YES. I haven't roleplayed as a comedic character in agessss. THAT WOULD BE SO AWESOME YES WEDNESDAY.

[Taylor]

Wednesday might be tricky...we'll see. Any group I should join?

But my RIBCAGE and everywhere else had insomnia problems once upon a time. It's getting better. Now I'm getting about 5 hours of sleep a night instead of two.

[Mandy]

To be honest, all the groups I was once/have been/are a part of are dead. But we can bring them back! Let me think.

Secondary insomnia runs in my family, and I embrace it. My motto: I'LL SLEEP ENOUGH WHEN I'M DEAD.

[Elliott]

Psst, Mandy. Marie and Josh. You left him hanging.

[Mandy]

I did? That's unlike me. I'll go to that now. But then I should sleep before I get in trouble.

[Elliott]

Awh. :(

[Mandy]

OKAY DARLING I'LL STAY A BIT LONGER AND RISK IT. =3

[Elliott]

YAAAAAAY.

[Mandy]

I LOVE YOU.

[Brigid ✩, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.]

Lav [I am glad to the brink of fear] wrote: "I think this is my favorite Spongebob episode."

It is my favorite SpongeBob episode.

[Brigid ✩, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.]

Aleph wrote: "Self-Publishing-
Ok, I'm not sure if they do it on the Adult site, but on the YWP site Nanowrimo give you, like, a promo code to get five free copies of your book rom CreateSpace.
It seemed like a ..."

I'm a little confused about that as well. I read over the details again this year and I'm not sure if they were the same as they were last year. I think the idea I got last year was you HAD to publish your book on Amazon if you got your free copies. This year I couldn't find the part that said that, but I'm still a little iffy about it. I mean, I'm sure there's some way to just not make your book available on Amazon...? Does anyone know for sure?

[Elisabeth]

Could it be that you have to set up an account with CreateSpace...?

[Elliott]

I kind of want to e-mail them or something about the rights issues and all of that... I want to get a proof copy, but not if it's going to effect getting published in the future... I mean, I doubt that I'll get my novel published, but it'd be nice to have the option if I ever wanted it.

[Brigid ✩, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.]

Well, it's not impossible to get a self-published book traditionally published. But also, I think it's just that your book gets an ISBN from CreateSpace ... you don't hand over your rights to them as far as I'm aware.

[Elisabeth]

There aren't any contracts with CreateSpace that I'm aware of which affect copyright. Amazon does have publishing imprints, but CreateSpace is a printing and distribution service, not a publisher per se. You can choose to use a free CreateSpace-assigned ISBN and that allows you to use one more sales channel (libraries and academic institutions) than you would if you bought your own and used that for your project. But a CreateSpace-assigned ISBN will list CS as the publisher if you ever make your title available on Amazon, at least for the print edition.

If you want to email them, I say go ahead and do it. My experience with their customer service department has been pretty good. =)