I paid a publisher - the person who actually does the printing, marketing, etc. There were all kinds of things they planned to do. It all seemed legit. The pub. house was referred to me by a friend. She put me in touch with a person who used that publisher and was satisfied with the results. Two of the books were published, and there were sales. It seemed to be going well. So I paid to have two more published. Then it hit. The attorney general of state the publisher was in forced him into bankruptcy for nonpayment of his bills. All at once the five thousand I had invested for each of the four books ($20,000) was gone. Writers get paid last. There wasn't enough money to pay everyone, so I lost my investment in myself. So now, when people tell me they are paying a publisher/printing house to print their work, I cringe.
I've gone to about myriad writers conferences. I've taken numerous writing classes, college level and through community schools. I have a large library of how-to-write books, including three on writing queries. I've gone to a literary attorney for publishing advice. My first agent was the late Eleanore Freide, the editor who discovered Richard Bach. At the time she was a giant in the industry. She and the publisher of the first version of this book told me it was true crime, not a memoir. I bowed to their expertise. Books stores shelved it in the true crime section of their store.
The first chapter of both books shows the murder scene. The reader is with my brother as he shoots three of the people through three different windows. As he sees the woman run to the back of the house he tries the door. It won't open, so he breaks out the glass with the butt of his gun, climbs through the window, chases her down the hall holds the gun to her head and fires. Brain splattered all over the place. It was the most gaud-awful experience of my life. My family knew one of the families. We'd gone to church with them.
jjdebenedictis, Thanks for your concern about my naivete.
Apparently you didn't read all of the thread. AW Administrator said it was nonsense. Look above. I don't mind someone trying to inform me, even when their assumptions were not true. What I mind is someone who is disrespectful, like AW was. I'm not being thin-skinned. I'm seasoned at people disagreeing with me. No problem. This demonstrates a little immaturity. He who truly knows has no occasion to shout, Leonardo said.
All I really wanted to know was where to ask about having my query read.