i think i'm gonna do it...

blue_aura12 · Sep 5, 2013

1 rejection from a major place (technically 2 since they resent the e-mail like a week later), 1 from a not-as-major place, apparent disinterest from the other places i've sent my novel to - upcoming opportunities to sell it at shows where we are admitted/get tables for free... yeah, i think i'm gonna do this

my boyfriend and i are publishing some children's books thru createspace and they look really good and apparently it isn't that much more expensive to publish novels thru them.

when i was considering withdrawing my submission from Samhain, i posted about it on here and got an overwhelming "no! don't do it!!" but now that i've been rejected by them and another publisher, self-publishing is seeming more and more appealing and possibly the only way to bring my work to life.

i'm just excited that it might actually "exist" after nurturing it for so long.

robertbevan · Sep 5, 2013

It's been said on here many times before. Self publishing shouldn't be a consolation prize. If you're going to do it, you should do it because you want to, and go at it with all of the energy and enthusiasm you've got. It's work.

LOTLOF · Sep 5, 2013

Best of luck to you.

I know how amazing it is to see something you've created actually made real. I also know that marvelous sense of validation when people actually pay money to read your work.

Just don't become discouraged if you don't have that many sales. It can be a challenge. Marketing can be even harder than the writing itself, and it is a big part of self publishing. Do your best and keep plugging away.

Polenth · Sep 6, 2013

Do make sure you re-visit your thread on your children's book: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275135

My overall comment from seeing that is it feels like you're rushing things and aren't entirely sure how it all works. So I'd suggest taking your time to learn the things you need to learn. Also ask for feedback before you hit the publish button. It's not that self-publishing is a bad choice, but you don't want to rush into it.

Sheryl Nantus · Sep 6, 2013

If you're going to do it, do it to the best of your abilities. Do it RIGHT and make it the best that you can do.

Don't just toss crap out there and hope it sticks. It's YOUR name and YOUR reputation - put out the best that you can and be prepared to work for it.

Good luck.

sarahdalton · Sep 6, 2013

Good luck!

As others have said, self-publishing isn't a second best profession, but a rejection can be a motivating kick up the arse for you to self-publish well. There is loads of info on the web. The practical advice sticky is a good place to start. Happy researching.

___Mag · Sep 6, 2013

Hello Blue,

It is much less expensive to publish a novel over a children's book at Createspace, given that most children's books require color printing.

Good luck with your project.

Kitty27 · Sep 6, 2013

First,good luck with your journey. I second everyone else. There is a wealth of information on AW and the net for writers who want to self publish.

Second,be prepared to work! I read the self publishing diaries on here quite a bit. I marvel at the work ethic my fellow writers possess.

Spell-it-out · Sep 6, 2013

From a fellow self-publisher, I wish you the best of luck.

PrincessFiona · Sep 7, 2013

Self-publishing is something exciting all on its own. I like being able to control the process from beginning to end. It isn't a consolation prize! Congrats on your decision and go for it.

Kris

Katallina · Sep 7, 2013

Best of luck! And as the others have said, give it all you've got. You took the time and effort to write a book that you believe people will want to read. Do everything in your power to make sure they will want to get their hands on it.

blue_aura12 · Sep 8, 2013

thanks! boyfriend and i have spent the past few years promoting his self-released music (solo and with a band) and have made a lot of really valuable connections with organizers at horror movie conventions, people who do podcasts etc so suffice it to say we definitely aren't new to promoting our various projects/products and how hard and unrewarding it can be but because i will have so much help from him and hopefully from lots of friends of ours i'm even more excited about having my book be "a thing" instead of "an idea" ... i know that it will cost me more and probably won't yield as much as it would if i was going through a publisher and i've been told that impatience is the worst reason to self-publish but as excited as i am i feel like this will be the right decision

merrihiatt · Sep 8, 2013

blue_aura12 said:
thanks! boyfriend and i have spent the past few years promoting his self-released music (solo and with a band) and have made a lot of really valuable connections with organizers at horror movie conventions, people who do podcasts etc so suffice it to say we definitely aren't new to promoting our various projects/products and how hard and unrewarding it can be but because i will have so much help from him and hopefully from lots of friends of ours i'm even more excited about having my book be "a thing" instead of "an idea" ... i know that it will cost me more and probably won't yield as much as it would if i was going through a publisher and i've been told that impatience is the worst reason to self-publish but as excited as i am i feel like this will be the right decision

May I ask if there is a reason you don't post here with punctuation, capitalization, etc.? I assume your books are not written this way.

girlyswot · Sep 9, 2013

Merrihiatt, I can't speak for the OP, but I know quite a few people who typically write like that online because they have physical disabilities which restrict their typing.

merrihiatt · Sep 9, 2013

girlyswot said:
Merrihiatt, I can't speak for the OP, but I know quite a few people who typically write like that online because they have physical disabilities which restrict their typing.

I also wondered if typing on an iPhone or some other device was the reason. I make so many mis-taps with my iPad. Ack! Mostly just curious.

Old Hack · Sep 9, 2013

blue_aura12 said:
i know that it will cost me more and probably won't yield as much as it would if i was going through a publisher and i've been told that impatience is the worst reason to self-publish but as excited as i am i feel like this will be the right decision

Impatience is a really bad reason to self publish.

If you find a reputable trade publisher to publish this book it won't cost you a thing: publishers which charge for their services are vanity publishers, and not worth paying.

I echo the previous comments about punctuation and capitalisation.

Spell-it-out · Sep 9, 2013

merrihiatt said:
May I ask if there is a reason you don't post here with punctuation, capitalization, etc.? I assume your books are not written this way.

I didn't want to be the first to say it. Thanks Merri

quicklime · Sep 9, 2013

Old Hack said:
Impatience is a really bad reason to self publish.

If you find a reputable trade publisher to publish this book it won't cost you a thing: publishers which charge for their services are vanity publishers, and not worth paying.

I echo the previous comments about punctuation and capitalisation.

while i tend to skip capitalization at time, and type fast and skip editing here (and sometimes wonder what folks assume when they see it), I agree with the recurring theme that this feels like a rushed "fuck it, I tried three houses, it's a rigged game and I'm gonna just toss it into self-pub and let it take care of itself" sort of venture, and you don't do any better by half-assed self-pub than by subbing half-assed to a major house. There is a LOT of self-pub stuff out there now, so you need to be prepared to make sure yours gets seen, and is top-notch.....not really all that different than traditional publishing in that regard, except you are responsible for more of the work.

The fact more of the work is yours is neither good nor bad, it just is, but yeah, anyone who decided to self-pub because getting an agent or a publisher feels like too much work isn't likely to do well in self-pubbing either.

kaitie · Sep 9, 2013

I just wanted to chime in and say two rejections is nothing in publishing. You could also submit to agents if you were interested, and there are usually a lot who you could submit to. In fact, it's best to send to agents prior to sending to publishers so you don't burn bridges.

If you're self-publishing out of impatience or because you don't want to be rejected anymore, it's a bad idea. It's important to ask yourself why you're doing it. If you decide it's what you really want, good luck, but please try not to rush into anything.

blue_aura12 · Sep 9, 2013

merrihiatt said:
May I ask if there is a reason you don't post here with punctuation, capitalization, etc.? I assume your books are not written this way.

*shrug*
Usually when I post something on here it's a just rush of thoughts/concerns/ideas typed out really fast. And I guess I tend to go into "text-message mode" when I post things on a message board.
I have posted excerpts from my book and, no, it's not written like my posts.

buz · Sep 9, 2013

blue,

From your posts around here over the last few weeks, I get the sense that you don't have a clear-cut sense of what your publishing goals are or how best to get to them. I know your boyfriend is pushing you to self-publish, but I also know that a) as of a couple weeks ago, you'd never considered looking for an agent, and b) you've been submitting to publishers, which suggests to me that you'd prefer to have it published by a house.

If you can better define what you want out of getting your book published and how much work you're willing to do to give it the best shot you can, I think you'll have a much clearer answer as to what to do with it. Self-publishing can work out great, but rushing into it isn't a good idea, and it's definitely not a good solution to getting rejected a scant few times.

Let it stew and do some research. If, after that, you've decided it's for you, then that's great--just make sure it's the right decision.

sarahdalton · Sep 9, 2013

Blue,

If you need any advice just shout up or PM.

You know, I'm not sure it's fair to judge someone based on a few posts. I was impatient to get my book out there but my impatience spurred me on to research and learn. A year later and I can honestly say it's been the best experience of my life. As with life, you get out of it what you put in, so good luck.

Sheryl Nantus · Sep 9, 2013

blue_aura12 said:
thanks! boyfriend and i have spent the past few years promoting his self-released music (solo and with a band) and have made a lot of really valuable connections with organizers at horror movie conventions, people who do podcasts etc so suffice it to say we definitely aren't new to promoting our various projects/products and how hard and unrewarding it can be but because i will have so much help from him and hopefully from lots of friends of ours i'm even more excited about having my book be "a thing" instead of "an idea" ... i know that it will cost me more and probably won't yield as much as it would if i was going through a publisher and i've been told that impatience is the worst reason to self-publish but as excited as i am i feel like this will be the right decision

You seem determined to ignore the advice here and the research done by others into how to give your work the best shot at being successful. It'd make your life a bit easier if you take a step back and look over what's been done before but you seem determined to plunge forward regardless.

A children's book is not the same as music. And even if your book is somehow "horror" it's going to be an uphill climb.

Good luck. But don't be surprised if your road is a whole lot harder because of your impatience.

Old Hack · Sep 9, 2013

sarahdalton said:
You know, I'm not sure it's fair to judge someone based on a few posts.

I don't think anyone was judging Blue: just asking a reasonable question, which might well have uncovered a reason for the rejections her work has received.

Blue, if you found any of the comments offensive please use the "report post" button (it's the red triangle with an exclamation mark inside).

I was impatient to get my book out there but my impatience spurred me on to research and learn. A year later and I can honestly say it's been the best experience of my life. As with life, you get out of it what you put in, so good luck.

My concern is that Blue's impatience is spurring her on to self publish without the learning and research that you found so useful. She's had a very swift turnaround from submitting to publishers, considering finding a literary agent, and now deciding to self publish, and I'm not sure she's had enough time to work out the implications of any one of those three choices, let alone to know enough about them to be sure which is the best option for her.

buzhidao said:
blue,

From your posts around here over the last few weeks, I get the sense that you don't have a clear-cut sense of what your publishing goals are or how best to get to them. I know your boyfriend is pushing you to self-publish, but I also know that a) as of a couple weeks ago, you'd never considered looking for an agent, and b) you've been submitting to publishers, which suggests to me that you'd prefer to have it published by a house.

If you can better define what you want out of getting your book published and how much work you're willing to do to give it the best shot you can, I think you'll have a much clearer answer as to what to do with it. Self-publishing can work out great, but rushing into it isn't a good idea, and it's definitely not a good solution to getting rejected a scant few times.

Let it stew and do some research. If, after that, you've decided it's for you, then that's great--just make sure it's the right decision.

I agree.

Don't let others pressure you into making important business decisions, Blue. Take the time you need to do this properly. You'll be glad in the end.

merrihiatt · Sep 9, 2013

blue_aura12 said:
*shrug*
Usually when I post something on here it's a just rush of thoughts/concerns/ideas typed out really fast. And I guess I tend to go into "text-message mode" when I post things on a message board.
I have posted excerpts from my book and, no, it's not written like my posts.

Thanks for your reply.

i think i'm gonna do it...

practical experience, FTW

Mushroom

Holding out for a Superhero...

All worth doing is worth overdoing

So Goth That I Was Born Black

I'm gonna give all my secrets away

Writing! Writing! Writing!

Writing! Writing! Writing!

Such a nasty woman

I'm gonna give all my secrets away

all out of fucks to give

With great power comes

edits all posts at least four times

Holding out for a Superhero...

Such a nasty woman

Writing! Writing! Writing!