Traditional: This had been my big dream, to get an agent, land a publishing deal with one of the big houses, become a best seller. If wishes were bunnies... I did try this route for a while but I found the whole process painfully slow. So I turned my eye to short story writing. I found a bit of success there and the process was so much faster and far more fulfilling. But I still had novel-length stories in me.
So I went to Small Press. Still traditional. While not all small presses are equal, if you find the right one then they have the know-how, the editing, the cover artists and distribution. And they are so much faster getting a book out. It is a fulfilling experience. (I highly recommend Dancing Lemur Press)
Self-publishing: Now I'm toying with the idea of self-publishing. I haven't committed to it yet, but it seems like a good fit since I can do my own covers, I don't mind learning to format, or learning to do every other part that's required to make a success of it. It's a thousand times scarier though. But what's a little fear to push us?
What about you? What publishing path/s have you chosen?
--
Reminder: The 2018 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest
Word count: 3500-6000
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Theme: Masquerade
A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation.
Submissions: September 5 - November 4, 2018
How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group.
I've read your work and I think you're good enough to land an agent!
ReplyDeleteWe lucked out with our publisher, didn't we?
You have a world of resources to help you when you're ready to self-publish.
We certainly lucked out :)
DeleteI was on the Trade path too originally, then small press for shorts, and now - well, guess I'm just a hobby writer. Good luck with the self pubbing gig. Lots of authors are happy with it.
ReplyDeleteIt sometimes takes a while to work out where we are happiest. And that place does change too.
DeleteI was pursuing traditional publishing initially, then decided to go indie. I like the creative control, and many of my books are also much longer than is currently considered acceptable by most agents.
ReplyDeleteI like the control as well.
DeleteI'm glad DLP gave you a good experience. There is a lot to learn if you do it all yourself.
ReplyDeleteYep, that learning curve is a mite daunting...
DeleteI went with the small publisher for my first book. Not the way I'd recommend! I'm happy to now let my agent find the publishers for me!! So glad an expert can lead me down this complicated path.
ReplyDeleteYeah, not all small publishers are the same. Many I wouldn't go near.
DeleteI haven't gone with any publisher yet, so I don't have any experience to say which shoe fits me better. I have though just finished completing a Self-Publishing course with the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and I have learned a lot. I'm thinking about using the route and the tradtional way. But that's just a thought right now.
ReplyDeleteShalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
There's nothing wrong with going both paths. We have so many options now.
DeleteI'm also with a small publisher, which is just right for me. It is funny how scary self-publishing seems. I'm trying to stoke up on my bravery too.
ReplyDeleteIt's all the unknowns, the large amount of learning we need to do. And it's all on us with no one else to blame if it all goes wrong ;)
DeleteI like that we now have options. What's best for one writer or one book may not be what's best for another writer or the next book.
ReplyDeleteExactly! It can change from book to book. And each writer needs to work out for themselves what works for them.
DeleteI've heard so many stories of failed self-publishing adventures. But if we don't try things we don't know what will work best for us. Self-publishing has been the ticket to success for others.
ReplyDeleteGood pitch for Dancing Lemur.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I have experienced other small presses but they either didn't know what they were doing, didn't help their authors, were terrible at editing or had amateur covers. Or simply couldn't stay in business. It's worth doing the research before signing any contract.
DeleteHi Lynda - it seems Diane and DLP has the right idea - so glad you are happy with them ... but a little learning doesn't do any harm does it - good luck ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking it will make me stretch :)
DeleteI think that's really what it boils down to--finding where you fit and where you're comfortable. =)
ReplyDeleteAnd that changes over time and with each book.
DeleteLet me segue into blogging, which I achieve faithfully, once a week, publishing my short tale into the uber-sphere. It's my appointment to write, to share wisdom, fears, and comments on life. I publish regularly. It's my tradition (wink-wink) to indie-pub.
ReplyDeleteYour blogging is definitely another form of indie publishing--perhaps the fastest form. And just as valid.
DeleteI'm a little scared of both types of publishing and the commitment you have to make. Glad you're more willing to push yourself through it and maybe go for self-publishing too.
ReplyDeleteIt's all scary, really. Maybe that's part of the joy.
DeleteI also like short stories. Much faster and fulfilling. And way less painful to write - writing ten 5000-word stories is much easier than writing a single 50,000-word story.
ReplyDeleteBut you're write, those novel-length stories are still bouncing around in there trying to get out.
IWSG September
So very true about short stories. And yet we can't escape those longer stories demanding to get out ;)
DeleteI'm leaning to self-pub. The time it takes a traditional house to get a book out is a concern for me. I'm not getting any younger. :-) I have heard good things about a few of the smaller publishers (DLP is one of them) so it may be a viable option for me.
ReplyDeleteYou can always do both, deciding for each book. That way you will know what you prefer.
DeleteYou and I are on the same page. Small presses rock. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I enjoy the freedom of self-publishing, though small presses are a route I'd like to go down. It's good to try different avenues and keep our options open!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I found traditional painfully slow too, so just did it myself.
ReplyDeleteDancing Lemur Press is a great publisher. My books are with a small press as well, but I also signed my next book with an agent, but I'm not holding my breath when it comes to the submission process....too slow is right.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time I also dreamed of traditional publishing, but I'm no spring chicken and everything was snail's pace. Self-pubbed, love the control over things like titles and covers, but I still pay a designer to do the covers and paperback formatting. Good luck whichever way you go!
ReplyDeleteI started off with a small press, went on to self publishing. But, success doesn't come easy if you don't have the money to afford an editor and are trying to do it all with little or no money. However, after all this time, I think I've got it down to a science and have funds to do it right! Take the plunge! It'll be fine. ;)
ReplyDeleteYour wish is the same as mine. LOL Until then... I've done both--small press and self-pub. I prefer to do it myself. Didn't realize what a control freak I was. LOL
ReplyDeleteHi, Lynda,
ReplyDeleteI think we ALL have that wish. LOL... but the reality is we need to search for other avenues unless we are very, very LUCKY and sadly so few are.
I am still querying and will do so until I exhaust my possibilities, but I plan to change from querying agents to now querying the publishers directly... What have I go to lose? Right?
The journey continues on.... ALL the best in yours.
The slowness of trad publishing is one of the things that would bother me the most. I'm already a slow writer. I don't need even more slowness in my life.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are flexible in your publishing choices which is probably the best way to be.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about your journey. Happy belated IWSG Day.
ReplyDeleteI did an internship for a traditional publisher back when I was in college, and I asked them why it took so long to publish one book. They said that it was partly because the book went through so many different departments, including PR and sales, and everyone had a different role. I've heard a lot of good things about self-publishing.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my own method goes, I've mainly been submitting short stories and creative nonfiction pieces to literary magazines. When I finish writing my creative nonfiction book, I'll try the traditional route first but am open to other options.
Happy Belated IWSG Day!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story. Traditional publishing with a good small press sounds nice. I may pursue that with a novel I've been working for sometime now. Still, I'll self-publish those special projects I want to have full control over.
Honestly, formatting isn't that hard if you don't get too fancy, but it can be tedious. It's one thing I'd like to eventually outsource to someone else. LOL
ReplyDelete