Comments on: Is It Ever Right to Self-Publish? http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/ about the craft and business of fiction Wed, 23 May 2012 03:22:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ray Rhamey http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-57720 Ray Rhamey Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:13:39 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-57720 Kathleen, I don't think "blogwork" counts as self-publishing. I wrote a novel online in blog form, one post per week for 58 weeks. The full manuscript is now on the desks of three literary agents--I've mentioned the blog origin to two of them, and haven't heard anything back. Also, on the excellent The Rejecter blog by an agent's assistant, I found this: "I would not lose any sleep over having your novel on the internet prior to signing a contract with a publishing company. After you sign, if they've bought the digital rights, you have to take it down." If you're curious, my "blovel" or "blook" is still online at www.vampirekittycat.com. Kathleen, I don’t think “blogwork” counts as self-publishing. I wrote a novel online in blog form, one post per week for 58 weeks. The full manuscript is now on the desks of three literary agents–I’ve mentioned the blog origin to two of them, and haven’t heard anything back. Also, on the excellent The Rejecter blog by an agent’s assistant, I found this:

“I would not lose any sleep over having your novel on the internet prior to signing a contract with a publishing company. After you sign, if they’ve bought the digital rights, you have to take it down.”

If you’re curious, my “blovel” or “blook” is still online at http://www.vampirekittycat.com.

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]]> By: Kathleen Maher http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-57696 Kathleen Maher Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:46:46 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-57696 Does posting original fiction on a personal blog count as "self-publishing?" I started writing blog-length fiction posts to cure myself from obsessive rewriting. The idea stalling me was that if I wrote something great, an agent and then a publisher might read it. But I wasn't getting past the same ten pages for months at a time. Then, too, no agent or publisher was ever interested, no matter what I did. The blog, committed to online fiction written in real time, has worked for me. My posts seemed almost organically to develop into serial stories that usually run novella length. At the year's end, I polished the best four, cutting episodes as needed. Each of the four ran about 100 mss. pages. An unpublishable, unmarketable length, perhaps, I'm proud of my "blogvellas," nonetheless. They're available for downloading on my sidebar. Of course, not everything worked. I scrapped plenty of stuff and feel discouraged that my most popular posts are invariably the odd nonfiction piece. Still, I can claim a changing number of regular fiction readers. I don't make money from my writing, but I don't spend money on it, either. Half of why I write is for an audience, small or not. The blog, for me, is better than nothing. Does posting original fiction on a personal blog count as “self-publishing?” I started writing blog-length fiction posts to cure myself from obsessive rewriting. The idea stalling me was that if I wrote something great, an agent and then a publisher might read it. But I wasn’t getting past the same ten pages for months at a time. Then, too, no agent or publisher was ever interested, no matter what I did.
The blog, committed to online fiction written in real time, has worked for me. My posts seemed almost organically to develop into serial stories that usually run novella length. At the year’s end, I polished the best four, cutting episodes as needed. Each of the four ran about 100 mss. pages. An unpublishable, unmarketable length, perhaps, I’m proud of my “blogvellas,” nonetheless. They’re available for downloading on my sidebar.
Of course, not everything worked. I scrapped plenty of stuff and feel discouraged that my most popular posts are invariably the odd nonfiction piece. Still, I can claim a changing number of regular fiction readers.
I don’t make money from my writing, but I don’t spend money on it, either. Half of why I write is for an audience, small or not. The blog, for me, is better than nothing.

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]]> By: Lisa http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-55022 Lisa Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:28:34 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-55022 The biggest questions are: - do you want to spend your own time and resources (money) in order to generate every single ounce of marketing, distribution, sales and promotion? - does it matter to you that the book won't be reviewed in traditional media? - how would self-publishing affect your future writing/publishing career pro & con? Only YOU can answer these questions for yourself. Good luck. The biggest questions are:
- do you want to spend your own time and resources (money) in order to generate every single ounce of marketing, distribution, sales and promotion?
- does it matter to you that the book won’t be reviewed in traditional media?
- how would self-publishing affect your future writing/publishing career pro & con?
Only YOU can answer these questions for yourself.
Good luck.

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]]> By: glenda larke http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54340 glenda larke Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:52:15 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54340 Ray, in your case, with the kind of books you want to publish, with the blog attention you already have, with the knowledge you have of the business, I think I would say go for it. For most others, I would be more cautious. My own publishing history tells me that patience and persistence and hard work pays off - I obtained an agent in Jan 1991 with a book that wasn't published until 2003 by HarperCollins Voyager, and which was then shortlisted for the best fantasy of the year in Australia. My first published book, however, was in 1999 in the UK, and was the third that my agent had been shopping for me. And she is a well-known, well-respected agent too... I now have 7 books published in 4 languages and 6 countries - and I have been shortlisted for national prizes 4 times. It was worth the wait and the work and the heartbreak along the way. But oh, do I sympathise with good writers who just never seem to quite get there. One fault of some such writers is that they keep trying with the same book, when they should be scrapping the early book(s) and starting afresh - now with more experience. Check out Simon Haynes for another "do-it-yourself" success story: http://www.spacejock.com.au/ Ray, in your case, with the kind of books you want to publish, with the blog attention you already have, with the knowledge you have of the business, I think I would say go for it.

For most others, I would be more cautious. My own publishing history tells me that patience and persistence and hard work pays off – I obtained an agent in Jan 1991 with a book that wasn’t published until 2003 by HarperCollins Voyager, and which was then shortlisted for the best fantasy of the year in Australia. My first published book, however, was in 1999 in the UK, and was the third that my agent had been shopping for me. And she is a well-known, well-respected agent too…

I now have 7 books published in 4 languages and 6 countries – and I have been shortlisted for national prizes 4 times. It was worth the wait and the work and the heartbreak along the way. But oh, do I sympathise with good writers who just never seem to quite get there.

One fault of some such writers is that they keep trying with the same book, when they should be scrapping the early book(s) and starting afresh – now with more experience.

Check out Simon Haynes for another “do-it-yourself” success story: http://www.spacejock.com.au/

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]]> By: Cheryl Krass http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54255 Cheryl Krass Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:18:33 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54255 Ray, Last Sunday, the Boston Globe featured an article about Brunonia Barry who self-published her novel, "The Lace Reader" with tremendous results. After it was published, traditional publishers came knocking and the work (plus a future novel) finally sold for $2mil at literary auction. While this is exceptionally rare, it should give hope to authors such as yourself, that it can happen. I'm a Virtual Assistant and Author's Assistant and work primarily with self-publishing, non-fiction authors (who typically make up the largest group of self publishers), but more and more fiction authors are also making it work for them. The self-publishing process can be complex and there are pitfalls, but if do your homework and produce a bookstore quality book, it's very possible traditional publishers may take notice of you and your work. Good luck! Ray,
Last Sunday, the Boston Globe featured an article about Brunonia Barry who self-published her novel, “The Lace Reader” with tremendous results. After it was published, traditional publishers came knocking and the work (plus a future novel) finally sold for $2mil at literary auction. While this is exceptionally rare, it should give hope to authors such as yourself, that it can happen. I’m a Virtual Assistant and Author’s Assistant and work primarily with self-publishing, non-fiction authors (who typically make up the largest group of self publishers), but more and more fiction authors are also making it work for them. The self-publishing process can be complex and there are pitfalls, but if do your homework and produce a bookstore quality book, it’s very possible traditional publishers may take notice of you and your work. Good luck!

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]]> By: Anthony S. Policastro http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54254 Anthony S. Policastro Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:07:40 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54254 Hi Ray, I feel your pain. Self-publishing is a double-edged sword. The biggest problem is promotion and sales. You just can't compete with the large marketing and promotional engines of the major publishers. I interviewed MJ Rose, who is the exception to self publishing. She self-published a book and promoted it herself. Sales were so good, a traditional publisher picked up her book. Here is what she says about self-publishing: "Self-publishing is overcrowded. With over 100,000 books being churned out a year and no viable way to get the attention of readers or booksellers and competing with the 75,000 books being published by traditional houses that have distribution muscle and sales forces that the stores listen to, it’s daunting. Yes, there are success stories. About 20 of those 100,000 get noticed by the big houses a year, but there are better ways." You can read the rest of my interview at http://www.algonkianconferences.com/literarylife-rose.htm The other side of the sword in self publishing is that it could harm the sale of your next book. A traditional publisher will look at the sales of the self-published book and decide not to take your next book because sales were poor. Once you purchase your ISBN number that serves as the ultimate tracking number for the sales of your book. Publishers can instantly see how your book sold through BookScan and other book tracking services so all the promotion in the world may not attract a traditional publisher. It could be the scarlet letter of your writing career. The logic here is that if your self-published book is doing well, why would you want a traditional publisher who will eat into your profit-per-book? And if the book is not doing well, why would a publisher want to take on a poorly-selling product? They have enough of their own. They consider it damaged goods. Of course, none of this is written in stone and there are exceptions. It's a strange business and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do. Hi Ray,
I feel your pain. Self-publishing is a double-edged sword. The biggest problem is promotion and sales. You just can’t compete with the large marketing and promotional engines of the major publishers. I interviewed MJ Rose, who is the exception to self publishing. She self-published a book and promoted it herself. Sales were so good, a traditional publisher picked up her book. Here is what she says about self-publishing:

“Self-publishing is overcrowded. With over 100,000 books being churned out a year and no viable way to get the attention of readers or booksellers and competing with the 75,000 books being published by traditional houses that have distribution muscle and sales forces that the stores listen to, it’s daunting.

Yes, there are success stories. About 20 of those 100,000 get noticed by the big houses a year, but there are better ways.”

You can read the rest of my interview at http://www.algonkianconferences.com/literarylife-rose.htm

The other side of the sword in self publishing is that it could harm the sale of your next book. A traditional publisher will look at the sales of the self-published book and decide not to take your next book because sales were poor. Once you purchase your ISBN number that serves as the ultimate tracking number for the sales of your book. Publishers can instantly see how your book sold through BookScan and other book tracking services so all the promotion in the world may not attract a traditional publisher. It could be the scarlet letter of your writing career.

The logic here is that if your self-published book is doing well, why would you want a traditional publisher who will eat into your profit-per-book? And if the book is not doing well, why would a publisher want to take on a poorly-selling product?
They have enough of their own. They consider it damaged goods. Of course, none of this is written in stone and there are exceptions.

It’s a strange business and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do.

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]]> By: Richard Mabry http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54247 Richard Mabry Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:14:26 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54247 Ray, Guess I'll have to join in here. Looking back, I realize that the publication of my non-fiction book by a royalty publisher was truly the result of the "right person, right time" hook-up of proposal and publisher. Just lucky. On the other hand, I've been knocking on the door for three years with a total of three novels, several times close enough to have the full manuscript get all the way to the pub board, only to be told "It's good, but it just won't sell." The advice I've received (and, reluctantly, taken) is that for every book that's self-pubbed and skyrockets to success there are probably a couple of hundred others that end up as dusty cartons sitting in a garage. So, my advice (for what it's worth) is to hang on a bit longer and hope for that serendipitous meeting of manuscript and publisher that ends up with your name on a contract. Best of luck. I really enjoy FtQ and your posts here at WU. Ray,
Guess I’ll have to join in here. Looking back, I realize that the publication of my non-fiction book by a royalty publisher was truly the result of the “right person, right time” hook-up of proposal and publisher. Just lucky.

On the other hand, I’ve been knocking on the door for three years with a total of three novels, several times close enough to have the full manuscript get all the way to the pub board, only to be told “It’s good, but it just won’t sell.”

The advice I’ve received (and, reluctantly, taken) is that for every book that’s self-pubbed and skyrockets to success there are probably a couple of hundred others that end up as dusty cartons sitting in a garage. So, my advice (for what it’s worth) is to hang on a bit longer and hope for that serendipitous meeting of manuscript and publisher that ends up with your name on a contract.

Best of luck. I really enjoy FtQ and your posts here at WU.

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]]> By: Cath http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54206 Cath Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:53:39 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54206 Well, Ray, I enjoy Flogging the Quill. And I think that a book based on that blog could sell relatively well; you have more of a platform than lots of other published writers... Of course, profit would depend on the amount of time and energy you're willing to put into it. But you'd have to do that with a traditional publisher, wouldn't you? I think what this really comes down to is whether you'll regret it if you don't publish. So if you can truly afford it, and self-pubbing with a professional, reputable company is possible, what have you really got to lose? I mean, besides your regrets... Well, Ray, I enjoy Flogging the Quill. And I think that a book based on that blog could sell relatively well; you have more of a platform than lots of other published writers… Of course, profit would depend on the amount of time and energy you’re willing to put into it. But you’d have to do that with a traditional publisher, wouldn’t you? I think what this really comes down to is whether you’ll regret it if you don’t publish.

So if you can truly afford it, and self-pubbing with a professional, reputable company is possible, what have you really got to lose? I mean, besides your regrets…

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54204 Juliet Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:46:39 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54204 Ray, my advice would be to hold out a little longer for a 'real' publisher to accept your novel, after which you should have less difficulty getting a publisher to take on the craft book. My reason for suggesting this path is that readers may well question your credentials as an expert on writing if you don't have a body of work in print. Note: I'm not saying here that I have any doubts about your expertise - I have a high opinion of your posts on the craft of writing. But the public can be quick to judge. Of course, if what happened to Matthew Reilly happened to you, self-publishing your novel could lead to mainstream acceptance / success. If you decide you really want to self-publish one or the other project, I'd go for the novel first. Ray, my advice would be to hold out a little longer for a ‘real’ publisher to accept your novel, after which you should have less difficulty getting a publisher to take on the craft book.

My reason for suggesting this path is that readers may well question your credentials as an expert on writing if you don’t have a body of work in print. Note: I’m not saying here that I have any doubts about your expertise – I have a high opinion of your posts on the craft of writing. But the public can be quick to judge.

Of course, if what happened to Matthew Reilly happened to you, self-publishing your novel could lead to mainstream acceptance / success. If you decide you really want to self-publish one or the other project, I’d go for the novel first.

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]]> By: Eric http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54195 Eric Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:18:34 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2008/01/17/is-it-ever-right-to-self-publish/#comment-54195 To clarifiy, I'm not talking as much about the profit motive as I am about the tradeoffs of the 85/15 arrangement. You're paying 85 for what? Printing? UPC and bar code registration? A cover design? Type-setting? Shipping? That is, if you don't hire a 3rd party shipping company to handle inventory for you. Obviously it's not about profit, but it is about money so far as how far that gets you and what you can purchase with it, expense-wise. Do you think a publisher will re-invest that 85% into publishing your next book? I'm biased in favor of self-publishing just as I'm in favor of entrepreneurial spirit. I think the individual knows best, and if you're quite happy without a metaphorical Big Brother handling your book and think you can step up to the workload, go for it! To clarifiy, I’m not talking as much about the profit motive as I am about the tradeoffs of the 85/15 arrangement. You’re paying 85 for what? Printing? UPC and bar code registration? A cover design? Type-setting? Shipping? That is, if you don’t hire a 3rd party shipping company to handle inventory for you.

Obviously it’s not about profit, but it is about money so far as how far that gets you and what you can purchase with it, expense-wise.

Do you think a publisher will re-invest that 85% into publishing your next book?

I’m biased in favor of self-publishing just as I’m in favor of entrepreneurial spirit. I think the individual knows best, and if you’re quite happy without a metaphorical Big Brother handling your book and think you can step up to the workload, go for it!

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