ePubbing Holiday Romance Novella

MerriTudor · Nov 3, 2017

OK. I'm fed up with struggling with my WIP and was thinking of taking a little break to write a holiday romance novella. Cozy little late-Victorian Christmas romance that I'm been futzing around with just for fun. Then the light-bulb moment: why not do it up real quick and put it on Smashwords? Just for shits and grins? Maybe a little reassuring hey-you-can-do-this moment.

Moseyed on over to the self-publishing forum and took a gander. Sounds like a nightmare of epic proportions, and so time-consuming that I'd never get it out by Thanksgiving. Which is about the time I start reading this kind of stuff myself. Dang! Maybe next year, if the mood strikes again in February - which is highly unlikely. My brain will have long since lost interest.

But it got me wondering if anyone else here has done something like this? Basically just to see if you can, or for a little exposure, or for fun?

If so, how did it work for you?

Filigree · Nov 3, 2017

I'd check out Draft2Digital over Smashwords. For holiday theme sales, you need to have it written, edited, and you formatted by late summer for an effective Thanksgiving release. That doesn't mean a fast writer couldn't knock something out by then and launch it. Just that it might not have the best possible chance to shine.

Filigree · Nov 3, 2017

To add on a non-holiday angle: I have a big fantasy novel launching next summer, and some related shorts. Whether I self-pub them or the publisher does, the stories have to be ready by March.

Fruitbat · Nov 3, 2017

It would be a rush but it's definitely possible that you could get your for-funsies holiday novella out by Thanksgiving. You'd have to get it finished in a little under three more weeks. And, I wouldn't do it unless "finished" could include a thorough going-over by at least one trusted other set of eyes.

It only takes a day or two to format, pick out a simple free cover from your publishing place (possibly with a photo dropped in, from iStock or such, for about $20), and push the "publish" button. For an ebook only, you could take it straight to Amazon (that's also the fastest way. It will be published almost immediately vs. waiting a few days). If you wanted to offer a paperback version later on, you could still go to CreateSpace etc. for that. Here's Amazon's free how-to guide:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007URVZJ6/?tag=absowrit-20

I've done short how-to guides (under a different name) within this time frame. Since you've already been working on your novella, I don't see why you couldn't give it a try if you want to. It sounds like a fun challenge. You and your helper/s can always decide to hold off, if the consensus is that it's "not quite ready for prime time" by then. ("Quick" is okay but "shoddy" is not, obviously). Let us know if you go for it!

ETA: Since it looks like your husband likes to join in your activities (from your wonderful blog), maybe he would help (if he doesn't already- I'm not sure where you're at with your writing). My husband reads every thing I write back to me and we stop and fix it whenever something sounds off. He is not a writer but we are all readers and his help is invaluable to me. Of course, husband would also have to be the type who would tell you when something sounded off to him, rather than just "cheerlead" as many family members/friends do.

MerriTudor · Nov 5, 2017

I'd check out Draft2Digital over Smashwords. For holiday theme sales, you need to have it written, edited, and you formatted by late summer for an effective Thanksgiving release. That doesn't mean a fast writer couldn't knock something out by then and launch it. Just that it might not have the best possible chance to shine.

To add on a non-holiday angle: I have a big fantasy novel launching next summer, and some related shorts. Whether I self-pub them or the publisher does, the stories have to be ready by March.

Yikes, Filigree! Unfortunately, I have a PhD in procrastination, as well as many years of damned hard work in putting off until tomorrow - or the day after - what I could do today. I guess I'd better start managing my time better if I hope to get my stuff out there successfully. Thank you for the tip on Draft2Digital. I'll check it out!

It would be a rush but it's definitely possible that you could get your for-funsies holiday novella out by Thanksgiving. You'd have to get it finished in a little under three more weeks. And, I wouldn't do it unless "finished" could include a thorough going-over by at least one trusted other set of eyes.

Fruitbat, you're tempting me! I did say above that I'm plagued by procrastination, but when I have a deadline I'm sometimes motivated to bash it all out without worrying myself sick over every single word. You know the thing where you're in college and have a paper due in 6 weeks and you wait until you have a lousy 24 hours before it's due and then you whip it out? You might have to stay up all night, but you do it. As it is, I have no deadline for the 10+ novels floating around on my computer, and they've been sitting there for years. Maybe a deadline is what I need.

Well...maybe if I give myself until December 1. And you're right - if I have some critical eyes peruse it, I'll know whether I should go ahead or work on it for next year. Or shred it and use it to line my rabbits' litterboxes.

My husband is a sweetie, but he rarely reads and then only non-fiction. Plus, he thinks everything I do is wonderful. I could write the lamest limerick ever and he'd think it was a Shakespearean sonnet. Sigh.

OK...I'm giving myself a deadline to decide! Tomorrow morning, I'll either start it, or just keep it as something to prod my brain with when it's languishing.

Fruitbat, thank you for all the great information!

veinglory · Nov 6, 2017

It doesn't have to be hugely time consuming if you make a plan and do it the easy way. For example: kindle only, format with Liberwriter ($20), get someone experienced to walk you through opening a kindle account and publishing it. That would take maybe a weekend.

MerriTudor · Nov 7, 2017

It doesn't have to be hugely time consuming if you make a plan and do it the easy way. For example: kindle only, format with Liberwriter ($20), get someone experienced to walk you through opening a kindle account and publishing it. That would take maybe a weekend.

Thanks for the info, Veinglory! I did decide to jump in and give it a go. What the heck. If I find I can't get a quality product up in time, no harm done! If I do, that means I've finally finished something and gotten it out there.

BTW, read some samples of your books. Very nice!

Jan74 · Nov 8, 2017

Go for it! Maybe the mini break will be good!

Is it just me or are there more holiday books out there this year? The shelves at Walmart are filled with holiday reads, I love looking at the covers! Very festive!

MerriTudor · Nov 8, 2017

Go for it! Maybe the mini break will be good!

Is it just me or are there more holiday books out there this year? The shelves at Walmart are filled with holiday reads, I love looking at the covers! Very festive!

Well...I must say I'm enjoying myself, if nothing else. It's rather nice to have a pleasant little snow-covered Victorian landscape to escape into, like one of those Currier & Ives pictures. My coworkers are probably wondering why I have this blank stare and a stupid smile on my face. I'm lucky that I can do my work and write in my head at the same time!

I think there are more holiday books every year. My Kindle recommendations are bulging with them. I have to make myself NOT read any of them because then I'll go off into someone else's dream world and mine will stall.

But I'm soooooo tempted....!

ePubbing Holiday Romance Novella

MerriTudor

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

Fruitbat

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MerriTudor

veinglory

volitare nequeo

MerriTudor

Jan74

MerriTudor