Wattpad Fantasy Writer's Advice

So You Want To Be An Author?

I've gone over a little bit about publishing in the past "Writer's Advice" entries, but I want to touch on this again briefly, because there's so much to talk about.

I run up against this wall again and again in the publishing world, where indie authors and traditional authors are pitted against one another like this is the Hunger Games and only one can survive. This is simply not true.

There has never been a better time to be an author because we have so many different choices.

If someone offers you a platter of desert, do you only take the chocolate chip cookie and scoff at the brownies and cream puffs? No way, Jose! You bet your sweet tooth I'll be loading up with everything! Now, how many cream puffs can I fit in my pockets?

Let's go over the different paths to publishing in a little bit more detail, and remember, there is no "right" path, it's just the one that makes the most sense to you!

 1) Traditional Publishing

This is what many people tend to think of when they think "publishing". They think sending your manuscript off to New York and receiving a huge advance. They think about being in all the major bookstores and flying around the world on tour and getting a letter that says, "ERMAGOD, I love your book, come be on the Oprah Show!" 

But reality will write you a big fat cheque. Traditional publishing takes a very very long time. There are big perks of course, like seeing your name on the shelves in Chapters, which is why people are so hung up on traditional publishing, but keep in mind, you could wait for these perks for years.

So how do you get traditionally published? Usually you write query letters to agents. A query letter is like a resume in the writing world. It tells the agent who you are, and what your book is about. If you get an agent, the agent will then turn around and try to sell your book to one of the major publishing houses. Keep in mind, an agent doesn't automatically mean your book will sell. The publisher still has to love it!

2) Independent Publishing (Indie)

Independent publishers are smaller presses that may accept your manuscript without an agent. When I say "smaller" it doesn't mean that they're actually small . Some of them are mid sized and do very well for themselves. Some authors prefer indie publishing because they feel the publisher has more time to contribute to each individual author. Depending on the size and contacts of the indie publisher, some of them may  even be able to get you into bookstores.

Many authors started off with small or mid-sized presses and moved onto bigger ones. A famous example of this is Maggie Stiefvator, who got her start with indie publishers.

3) Self Publishing

While "self publishing" used to be a dirty word, the world is changing. More and more authors are embracing this alternative route, and many traditionally and small press published authors are taking back control of their careers and their books, and choosing to be their own publisher. 

Self publishing is not for the faint-hearted. Personally I believe it takes more skill, time and dedication than anyone really realizes when they first start out. While it's technically much faster than the above two paths to publication, you must remember that you are the only person selling your books. There's no marketing team, no advertisements, no cover designer, no publicist waiting in the wings to help you. You must be all things to all people.

You must be business savvy and creative.

4) All Three

Woah! That's an option? Dude, totally. 

Quite a few traditionally published authors now self publish some of their older work. When a book reaches a certain age, the rights revert back to them, so why wouldn't they self publish it? And if they started out with a small press, they've gone through all three of those paths!

Many authors also choose to self publish books of short stories or novellas if the publisher isn't interested. 

So many options!

Don't forget to tune in this Sunday night. I'll be live video chatting with five other authors, so we have all our indie, trad and self pub bases covered! 

If you have any questions about publishing, post them in the comments section below and we will discuss your question on Sunday during the video chat! (I'll be posting a link on wattpad Sunday night when it goes live).