from Self-Publishing to a deal with Warner Books

jeffrivera · Dec 15, 2006

I have to stand here in witness that Self-Publishing is an excellent way to break into the biz. Warner Books picked up my self-published book, "Forever My Lady".

In a nutshell you have to prove to them there's a huge niche market for your book. And of course you need to write an excellent book. But the most important is the first part: proving their a niche market by selling enough books or even creating enough traffic from reading your ebook that it shows them there's lots out there and you've just scratched the surface.

james1611 · Dec 18, 2006

sounds like a very interesting story!

gone

Meerkat · Dec 18, 2006

Wow--what a coup!!! Congratulations!

Sheryl Nantus · Dec 18, 2006

could we please *not* encourage the spammage more than it is already?

davids · Dec 18, 2006

Hmmm-spammage is that spam deep fried with a side of cabbage? Or perhaps a game to play regarding spam-age or the age of elderly cabbys?

At any rate spam or not-welcome to Jeff-and congratulations on your spam and your book-well done!

euphrosene · Jan 6, 2007

You're in good company... quite a few best selling authors kicked off by self-publishing (.. I discovered another yesterday .. Beatrix Potter).

jchines · Jan 6, 2007

I read yesterday about a toddler who fell four stories and survived. He was caught by a couple who was passing by and saw him playing on the fire escape. Ergo dropping your toddler from a fire escape is an excellent way to get down from the fourth floor.

Seriously, I'm happy that the self-publishing route worked for you. But a single example doesn't convince me, since it's one success compared to the thousands of self-published books that never get picked up, and basically vanish into the mist...

maestrowork · Jan 6, 2007

euphrosene said:
You're in good company... quite a few best selling authors kicked off by self-publishing (.. I discovered another yesterday .. Beatrix Potter).

Compared to how many who failed?

Those stories got circulated precisely for that reason: they're rare. It's great that Mr. Rivera's experience worked out for him, but it's by no means a conclusion that self-publishing would land you a deal with traditional houses.

KCH · Jan 7, 2007

jchines--

Heheh. Sums it up neatly.

Even IF self-publishing weren't such a low-odds endeavor, a business model that requires you annoy the hell out of people in order to succeed is just not my idea of a good plan.

Besides, even by the self-pubbed original poster's own logic, the measure of success is that his book rose out of its tainted category. Seems to me it would be more efficient to just bypass that step all together.

LloydBrown · Jan 7, 2007

130 posts in 3 days and then he vanished. If anybody was wondering if he was here for meaningful discussion or just spamming his book, that should settle it. I seriously hope nobody bought it.

eldragon · Jan 7, 2007

Or, maybe he's busy writing.

LloydBrown · May 24, 2008

No, I'm pretty sure it was a spamming.

naimas · May 28, 2008

I am glad the spammer is gone but I would like to say that self publishing (not vanity press) is proving itself now.

Shadowmancer, which sold tons and is going to be a movie was self published.

The Shack was self published. You can find it in any Walmart. I have read parts of the Shack and feel that it needed another write and more white on the page but the guys are moving to a big company and in talks with movie folks.

They probably wouldn't have been bought by a traditional publisher. In fact, they got rejected by both Christian and mainstream labels. But now that the numbers are in it is showing that it can work and is working more often now.

from Self-Publishing to a deal with Warner Books

jeffrivera

james1611

Meerkat

Claims the loan was a gift

Sheryl Nantus

Holding out for a Superhero...

davids

euphrosene

jchines

Got the hang of it, here

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

KCH

LloydBrown

eldragon

in a van down by the river

LloydBrown

naimas