To Self Publish or Not to Self Publish...

...that is the question.

OK, so is it viable? I've been pondering over the idea for a while and have come up with a few pros and cons.


PROS

Well...IT CAN WORK – and here are a few name s to prove it...

William Blake, Lord Byron, T.S. Eliot, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, D.H. Lawrence, Beatrix Potter, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Virginia Woolf.

Okay, okay, so they're not very recent, but Stephen King is self published, and that’s got to be a positive, surely. Plus there have been several recent successes that I know of William P. Young, Jeremy Robinson and J.A. Konrath for example.

And of course on-line self-publishing is huge, with sites like LULU and the options to upload your novel onto the Amazon Kindle. And with print on demand sites like Blurb you could have your novel in your excited mitts before you could say, ‘Harry Potter’. You could even print a few copies and see how your book is greeted. Perhaps promote it on your own website, on You Tube (if you know a clever person who could make a mini-film plug for your book), and through social networking. Then, if it goes down a storm, you may even nab yourself a publishing deal for any reprints. All sounds pretty brilliant to me! Easy peasy!

CONS

It has to be said, publishers and agents have the skills needed to take what you have written and turn it into a marketable book. As they look at your original manuscript they are immediately aware of the many changes needed before it can be slipped on the best seller shelves at Waterstones or WH Smith. I’m certain if I was EVER lucky enough to get an agent, they would make many changes to my novel. A definite reason for going down the traditional route if at all possible.

You have to be BRILLIANT at selling yourself with self-publishing. It won't be easy convincing people to open your book if you haven’t got a publishing company behind you.

I have to admit, I may one day self-publish, as my sister loves my book. ;-) But I'm only going to do the self-publishing walk, if/when the agent/publisher route fails. And with odds like 14,400 – 2 chance of getting an agent stacked against me - it probably will. So, for that very reason, I see nothing wrong with a writer who has spent years writing a book, having the opportunity to see their work in print - even if they only sell twenty copies.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom on the getting an agent front. I know from having my full MS read by Darley Anderson that it is possible to get agents interested in our work (or perhaps that was just a fluke).

For the moment, I'm still praying for an agent to notice me. I’ve even had my book Bubblecow-ed especially. Ooh, and I must tell you, the lovely editor at Bubblecow cried while reading my book (in a good way...well at least I think it was in a good way).

Currently, my chapters are winging their way to four agents. I'm not excited. I’m expecting absolutely NOTHING. As I know, if all else fails – I WILL SELF PUBLISH.

Ooh, and here's a couple of interesting posts on the subject...

Nathan Bransford - Should you self publish? (Thanks due to Karen for pointing me Nathan's way :-))

The Blood Red Pencil - Self publishing numbers game.

It's About Time!

‘bout time, Amanda. So where have you been? It’s been over a month.

Has it really? Oh Lordy, Lord - I have no excuses – not a single-y one.

Shame on you, girl.

Sorry, sorry. Ooh, do I get a discount for under-usage?

No. So what you been up to?

Writing.

Just for a change.

Umm.

Sold anything?

Yes, yes *dances a little – although legs are stiff from sitting writing* I’ve sold a couple of stories to That’s Life! Australia. YAY!

Calm down, calm down. I got wind you had a pile of rejections too...Plus you should probably fade into a corner somewhere, as other bloggers have probably forgotten all about you. But first, tell us about your Novel.

Please don’t ask.

I just did.

Blah.

Oh come on, we’re all friends here.

Well, I sent the first three chapters off to a nice lady agent who was keen *again* on the concept. But it came right back. ‘Not what I thought it would be,’ she said in as many words. ‘But good luck with it, hon.’

She called you hon?

Well, no.

You’re lying for affect.

Yes, you have to if you want to be famous.

So what are you going to do with your novel now?

Well *clenches fists excitedly* I’ve made HUGE changes. First, I deleted the first three chapters as they can’t behave themselves in front of an agent. Second I deleted a character. RIP Gavin – we still love you and may resurrect you in the future – but frankly, you’re JUST NOT REAL ENOUGH.

And?

I’ve changed it ALL to first person, present – which I’m hoping gives it more depth. And, and, I’m making the supernatural side less *unbelievable* and more *is she really seeing a ghost, or is she going totally mad?* type thing. So watch this space.

And you think that will really help.

Well, who can tell with all the rain we've been having?

You mean the current difficult climate?

Umm – but I feel happier about the novel. In fact, the happiest I’ve ever felt.

So how’s things over at Womag2Weekly?

GREAT! We’ve sold seven W2W stories so far – to My Weekly, The Weekly News, Oz and TAB – not bad for a relatively new group me thinks. But they're a super-duper lot!

Well thanks for joining us, today, Amanda - I’d say ‘bout bloody time, but I was brought up proper.

Well thanks for having me - sorry I didn’t quite catch your name. Poor show on the coffee and cakes though - cheesecake next time, yes?

HAT TRICK!

So, after a spell of ‘why do I write, again?’ with much crying on my extremely lovely writer friends’ shoulders. Oh, and causing my hubby to get that glazed look which means, ‘I’m pretending to listen, but the grass growing outside is more interesting.’ SUDDENLY, like buses on the number 47* route, three came along at once. YES. SALES. My Weekly bought three of my stories all on the same day. All on the same email. All at the same time. I’m so very thrilled, and a trifle gobsmacked, quite frankly.

So thanks everyone for supporting, and listening to me whinge. I’m living proof that a scary amount of rejections in one week can be followed by great news. So it looks like we just have to keep on going then. You know, if we want to get where we want to be – even if we do stumble and fall from time to time...YES? Well I'm up for giving it a go...

*The number 47 route is being used for example purposes only. No buses were harmed in the writing of this blog post.

An Award & A Sale

Crumbs, is it June already? So what's been 'appening?

Well, I’m almost there with the novel! Okay so you’ve heard that before! But it’s now printed off and covered in biro and I’m working through it and, and, and...I will get there one day!

Lately, though, I’ve been mainly having trouble with italics. When should we use them? For example would I use them if I said ‘The Radio Times’ ‘David Essex’ or ‘Cadbury’s Flake’? Answers on a postcard please!

Oooh, and I’ve FINALLY cracked The Weekly News. Oh YES! I’m so chuffed as I’ve had so many rejections from them - I’d even set up a separate hard-drive to house them all. I read on WOMAG's blog some time ago how lovely the editor, Jill Finley is – and I can vouch she really is! Guidelines for The Weekly News can also be found on Womag's blog

I’ve been to the BEAUTIFUL Halkidiki, and returned all refreshed and raring to WRITE. Actually, I wrote a little while I was away too. I also read Sue Moorcroft’s new book All That Malarkey and really loved it – a FAB holiday read, would really recommend.

The lovely David has passed on an award for little old me – thanks David. By the way if you haven’t ventured over to his FAB blog, do pay him a visit! I just hope, while accepting my award, nobody will stand in the background looking bored and showing their belly, because I hear Patrick Stewart can get a wee bit uppity.

Okay, apparently I have to tell you 10 things about me. Crumbs. I’m far too boring. But entering into the spirit here goes.

1. I’m obsessive but not compulsive.
2. I love travelling and I’ve been to many countries, but I didn’t fly until the year 2000! And before that I’d only been to France for the day.
3. I’m a born organiser. (see no.1)
4. I worked for six years as a School Secretary in a junior school. (see no. 3)
5. I love poppies.
6. I was accident prone as a child and pretty sickly.
7. My Granddad died in The Battle of Dunkirk
8. My favourite film is ‘Gone With The Wind’.
9. I left school with only a grade E ‘O’ Level in English and a C in Art!
10. I love to write – HA – bet you didn’t know that!

Told you it was BORING!

I’d like to pass this AWARD on to ...

Karen

Gaeliika

Sarah

Colette

Becky

Have a LOVELY day one and all.