Self published MG novels?

profen4 · Aug 17, 2012

I'm just doing some research and I was wondering if anyone here can point me to some books/authors who have successfully self published MG novels (I'm defining success as lots of sales or picked up by major press).

The only one I can think of is Tunnels by Roderick Gordon, which was picked up by a major press. But that's the kind of thing I'm looking for. quan ao tre em cao cap do lot nam sieu mong ty gia ao so mi nu ban buon quan ao cac loai chup anh studio dep

PortableHal · Aug 17, 2012

Are the Wimpy Kids books (first published on the web) considered MG?

Scribble Orca · Sep 27, 2012

I was told that self-pubbing an MG novel is a sure road to doom. If anybody has any thoughts on this (either confirming or contrary) I would be grateful to hear them?

I don't know of these two authors, but thanks for mentioning them, I will be checking them out.

Creative_Solitude · Sep 28, 2012

What does "MG" stand for?

stormie · Sep 28, 2012

MG=Middle Grade

profen4 · Sep 28, 2012

PortableHal said:
Are the Wimpy Kids books (first published on the web) considered MG?

Didn't know Wimpy Kids was published on the web first. It is MG. do lot nu do lot nam hang hieu bo cho be cac loai chan vay cong so nu thoi trang cong so gia re chup anh cho be

JSSchley · Sep 28, 2012

Self-publishing MG is tough in part because a lot of big self-publishing successes involve the sale of ebooks, and the ebook market for MG is slim.

There aren't a lot of adults who read down to MG the way many do with YA, and because e-reader manufacturers have been slow to put appropriate parental controls on their devices, parents have been reluctant to buy them for their middle graders (this is changing--the new Kindle Fire and the new B&N Nooks have fantastic parent controls). And there's the added problem that devices like the Fire or the B&N LCD line (Color, Tablet, HD) can also do apps and games, and so parents and teachers alike view them more as one more electronic toy and again, are reluctant to buy them on top of the Nintento DS, ipod touch, etc. their kids already have.

So, we need to build the ebook audience among MG readers first. It's coming--I would say in any given week maybe 10-15% of my sales are either directly to MG readers or to parents who intend to mainly have the device used by their MG or younger kids, but it's still slow.

Scribble Orca · Sep 28, 2012

Thanks for that info, JSSchley.

That coincides what what little I've been able to find out. The other part I'm wondering is where the split between MG and YA lies - some say it's about the content and the self-perception of the characters, others say it's strictly an age thing - usually the age of the protagonists - others say it's the length of the novel. And then there is talk of 'tweens' as well - but no shelf in a bookstore yet, so the ruling wisdom is not to age characters in this in-between zone, which is where e-books might have an advantage?

JSSchley said:
Self-publishing MG is tough in part because a lot of big self-publishing successes involve the sale of ebooks, and the ebook market for MG is slim.

There aren't a lot of adults who read down to MG the way many do with YA, and because e-reader manufacturers have been slow to put appropriate parental controls on their devices, parents have been reluctant to buy them for their middle graders (this is changing--the new Kindle Fire and the new B&N Nooks have fantastic parent controls). And there's the added problem that devices like the Fire or the B&N LCD line (Color, Tablet, HD) can also do apps and games, and so parents and teachers alike view them more as one more electronic toy and again, are reluctant to buy them on top of the Nintento DS, ipod touch, etc. their kids already have.

So, we need to build the ebook audience among MG readers first. It's coming--I would say in any given week maybe 10-15% of my sales are either directly to MG readers or to parents who intend to mainly have the device used by their MG or younger kids, but it's still slow.

JSSchley · Sep 29, 2012

This is the best explanation I've found for the difference between YA and MG, from Kristin Nelson, of Nelson Literary Agency.

http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2012/02/fridays-with-agent-kristin-episode-2.html

Though to be honest, I've read a fair few MG that don't meet this criteria--where there was no way for that kid to go back to being a kid. THE GIVER, for instance, or ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY. Perhaps the dividing line is, if you can write a book where the kid faces adult problems for the first time and is forever changed, and it gets called a MG book anyway, you win a Newbery?

benjj · Oct 2, 2012

Had a peruse at Pub Rants, learned a lot from Agent Kristin. Thanx for sharing JS.

Self published MG novels?

profen4

PortableHal

Not-so-new

Scribble Orca

Cetacean Skin

Creative_Solitude

All the world's a stage...

stormie

storm central

profen4

JSSchley

Have Harp Will Travel

Scribble Orca

Cetacean Skin

JSSchley

Have Harp Will Travel

benjj