I thought self-publishing my novel was the logical next step. It wasn't. What I should have done was exhaust EVERY single option I had before resorting to self-publishing. I barely scratched the surface of the agents and publishers I could have queried.
To be honest I let myself be intimidated by the thought of seeking out an agent because I (mistakenly) thought I'd have to pay them up front. I don't have any money to pay an agent. If I had taken more time and done proper research I would have found out that agents work for a percentage of the money they make you. If they don't make you money, they don't get any. This was a pitfall in my writing career for years. I'll describe my ongoing search for an agent in the future. For now I just want to stress the point, avoid self-publishing as long as you can.
March 29, 2007
March 23, 2007
I'm *Not* A Real Author
Before you read the title of this post and begin to think I'm looking for pity, I'm not. My skin has thickened considerably over time, though I'll admit I still have a long way to go before reading a blatant "This sucks." comment doesn't hurt at least a little.
This post is the beginning of the WHAT-NOT-TO-DO section of my writing career. As I posted before, at this point I've only received a single rejection letter. One. I've sent out three or four other queries (which I never did hear back from) and yet I'm already pushing on to the next step, self-publishing. DON'T DO THIS!
I'm not saying self-publishing won't work for you. There are a few self-published authors that have the skill and commitment to promote their book and make a living off of it.
What I'm saying is don't rush into it. I did and it wasn't good, for oh so many reasons:
My novel wasn't polished enough.
I did research, but not nearly enough.
I wasn't ready to make the necessary time commitment.
I thought leaving the artwork to my publishing company would be acceptable.
The result:
A poorly written book got published (That's never happened before).
I paid a lot of money out of pocket for what would eventually be negligible return.
99% of the books I sold were bought by me or family members.
The artwork representing my book sucks.
If I ever get a publisher/agent to take my novel seriously I now have to explain to them that I've previously had it self-published (and I have no idea what kind of headaches that may cause in the future).
If you want to see my book you can find it [here]. I've done so much more work on it since I self-published it that I don't even like it anymore the way it is. Don't let this happen to you.
This post is the beginning of the WHAT-NOT-TO-DO section of my writing career. As I posted before, at this point I've only received a single rejection letter. One. I've sent out three or four other queries (which I never did hear back from) and yet I'm already pushing on to the next step, self-publishing. DON'T DO THIS!
I'm not saying self-publishing won't work for you. There are a few self-published authors that have the skill and commitment to promote their book and make a living off of it.
What I'm saying is don't rush into it. I did and it wasn't good, for oh so many reasons:
My novel wasn't polished enough.
I did research, but not nearly enough.
I wasn't ready to make the necessary time commitment.
I thought leaving the artwork to my publishing company would be acceptable.
The result:
A poorly written book got published (That's never happened before).
I paid a lot of money out of pocket for what would eventually be negligible return.
99% of the books I sold were bought by me or family members.
The artwork representing my book sucks.
If I ever get a publisher/agent to take my novel seriously I now have to explain to them that I've previously had it self-published (and I have no idea what kind of headaches that may cause in the future).
If you want to see my book you can find it [here]. I've done so much more work on it since I self-published it that I don't even like it anymore the way it is. Don't let this happen to you.
February 15, 2007
Polish does the novel good
I've been failing to accept the very thing I've posted in the past, which is that I have to be willing to edit things out of my novel. Rewrite them completely if necessary. I finally accepted that my first chapter simply isn't cutting it. I love my first chapter the way it is, but sadly there's something missing. I can't even tell what it is.
I do however know who I have to thank for helping me come to this realization. A little self-help book called "Self-Editing For Fiction Writers". You can find it [here] at Amazon.com.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The section on beats alone changed the tone of my novel entirely. Every time I sit down to do an editing run on my novel I go through and reread the parts of this book I highlighted on my first read. It keeps me centered and focused. I'll say it again, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
I do however know who I have to thank for helping me come to this realization. A little self-help book called "Self-Editing For Fiction Writers". You can find it [here] at Amazon.com.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The section on beats alone changed the tone of my novel entirely. Every time I sit down to do an editing run on my novel I go through and reread the parts of this book I highlighted on my first read. It keeps me centered and focused. I'll say it again, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
February 1, 2007
If at first you don't succeed...
After a short stint of getting down on myself and feeling like a failure (all part of the whole getting thick skin process), I had yet another choice to make. I could give up, or I could continue writing and try again. Obviously I chose the latter.
Not only did I continue writing, I made a conscious choice to become a better writer as well. I did research. I read about ways other writers got to where they are (much like you are now). I put in the time. Some of it paid off, some of it didn't.
You'll hear it countless times throughout your writing journey, but I'm going to say it anyway. You have to have a thick skin. You ARE going to be rejected. You ARE going to be critiqued harshly. There are going to be MANY people who do not like your writing. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, "Not even God and puppies appeal to everyone." The important thing to remember is that perseverance will pay off, eventually. As long as you are willing to go back to the drawing board, listen to criticism, and even cut parts out entirely if necessary, you can grow as a writer.
Even Dr. Seuss was rejected by 28 publishers before he got a yes.
Not only did I continue writing, I made a conscious choice to become a better writer as well. I did research. I read about ways other writers got to where they are (much like you are now). I put in the time. Some of it paid off, some of it didn't.
You'll hear it countless times throughout your writing journey, but I'm going to say it anyway. You have to have a thick skin. You ARE going to be rejected. You ARE going to be critiqued harshly. There are going to be MANY people who do not like your writing. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, "Not even God and puppies appeal to everyone." The important thing to remember is that perseverance will pay off, eventually. As long as you are willing to go back to the drawing board, listen to criticism, and even cut parts out entirely if necessary, you can grow as a writer.
Even Dr. Seuss was rejected by 28 publishers before he got a yes.
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