One more 'Help, I'm ready to publish' thread...

I've read through a couple of the posted threads and found good advice, but many don't seem to be ready to even think about publishing. I went that route a couple years ago and was nicely disappointed by the responses I got to my inquiries. However, that was a couple years ago. I have since reviewed, rewritten, edited (ad nauseum) with the help of an editor said story. I knew it was crap the first time I revisited my book. I set to the work of #1 finishing it and #2 rewriting the first half. I've been through my book at least half a dozen times, or more now, reading it for grammar, punctuation, flow, consistency and I think I am ready to consider submitting it. I have been told to look for a beta reader, and am in the process of exploring another site to find one, but I am curious as to what you who have been published think about this step. I've begun looking into smashwords and kindle/amazon for e-book publishing, but really, I would love to hold a copy of my very own book in my hands. I'm working on a second book, completely different from this first one, and have the starts to a couple more. Looking for help, as I really think I'm there...

Reply Report

@feydoc I have a thread in the Critique club "Do you think your story is ready for submission" http://www.wattpad.com/forums/discussion/197397/do-you-think-your-story-is-ready-for-submission-to-a-publisher/#Item_542

If you want my impression, then post your links there.

As for a beta reader, yes, absolutely and in fact, I think you should have done it long ago.

The job of a beta reader is to read the book, not to look for mistakes. She reads it through and just makes occasional notes "liked this section, didn't understand this bit, was bored here, noticed plot hole there."

Get a few different people to beta read. They don't need to be special, just ordinary readers who will tell you what bits didn't work for them. They don't even have to tell you why. If a couple of people don't like a chapter, it's up to you to work out what's wrong with it and fix it.

Then you go off and rewrite all the bits they pointed out.

And after that, you do your editing and polishing.

For an unknown author, I think e-publishing is the way to go. You can price your book at a level where readers will take a chance on it. A paperback, while satisfying to hold, will not sell to more than your immediate family and friends, and not to as many of those as you would expect.

Also, unless you have a professional editor and formatter, mistakes creep in. With an e-book, it's a quick job to take down the book, fix the mistakes and put it back up again. Once it's in print, those mistakes are there forever.

Reply Report

@Ctyolene Well, then I think I've had about half a dozen betas. I've had several readers who read the book through and left very good comments and suggestions, and who mentioned if something was not quite right. I have used all of these to improve or change each part that was mentioned.

What is your take on the fate of the new author who e-pubs? Are they shooting themselves in the foot as to ever finding a traditional publisher/agent? I've seen it both ways.

I will get on the synopsis. That is something that I've put off doing, as I am terrible at shrinking things down. Once I get that done, I'll post it on your thread. Thanks!

Reply Report

@feydoc I think more and more it's better for a new author to self-publish, unless you know a small press that might be interested in your work. The contracts from the big publishers are demanding more rights and offering less to authors.

I do think you should consider print as well as ebook. Ebooks are still a small portion of the market. As Dean Wesley Smith says, you shouldn't leave money on the table.

Reply Report

@RobertLCollins Thanks for that. I know a printer. Problem is a publisher needs to help you promote your book and advertise. Most of us don't have time to do that on our own. Any suggestions on how to get that done? I could have tons of books printed, probably for free or very little, but I want them to be out there, with some attention of some sort...

Reply Report

@feydoc Publishers won't do much to promote your book, actually. A small press might send out review copies. The big publishers only promote their best sellers. This is another reason for some authors to move to self-pub. After all, if you're going to have to do the work, you should earn more for the effort.

As to how to promote, keep it simple and pleasant. Contact book bloggers and ask for a review, or to do a guest post. Find the self-promo threads at a few relevant forums, start one thread for your book, then post when someone comments (or once a week). Post your first chapters here. Blog.

Above all, keep writing. The more books you have out, the more chances there are that readers will find you.

Reply Report

@RobertLCollins I hear that. Dollar signs rule the show. I will keep this in mind for the self promotion stuff. I will have to get back to you on other sites out there for this purpose. Thanks!

Reply Report

@feydoc However, a major factor to bear in mind is distribution. While publishers do expect to you to work at promoting your own book, they will distribute it.

If you go to a printers and self-publish your own paperback, even assuming is is beautiful qualify and error-free, you still have the problem of distribution. The chances are that a couple of your local bookshops will carry it. They might even let you organise a book signing or reading. But that's it. Other bookshops will not.

The distributors actually take close to half the list price of a book, just to get it from the publishers to the book shelves. If you were to strike some sort of deal with the distributers to get your book into bookshops, you'll have priced yourself out of the market.

That's the problem with getting a local printer to do your book. You can print and bind a couple of thousand of them, but you can't sell them. And you have to pay for them and store them.

Even if you do get them onto bookshelves, you still have the problem of returns. Bookshops will only accept your book on a sale or return basis, so even if you manage to get a shop to take fifty, they may still return forty to you.

An e-book, on the other hand, is accessible to anyone with a computer or e-reader, and can be sold to any part of the world with a tiny distribution cost. It can stay on sale for as long as you want, and returns are minimal.

Reply Report

@feydoc Don't sites like Lulu have a print on demand? I think Createspace does as well. If nothing else, you can buy one copy of your book and hold it in your hand (and leave it on your coffee table for your friends to see LOL).

Reply Report

doesnt anyone think how suzanne collins or Rowling became such huge authors? they believed their book was going to sell. they knew they would become big, but when becoming big, you alao have to pay the price. you lose some to gain some.

Reply Report

@NightStar96 They also had the books! There are a lot of people on Wattpad alone who believe their book is going to sell, but the writing is not there.

While your chances of your first book being an international bestseller that makes you rich and famous is lower than your chances of winning the lottery, that does not mean that you can't make a decent living from writing. But you have to work hard and be professional. And keep writing.

The rule of thumb is that when you have six books in print, you can quit the day job.

Reply Report

@Ctyolene how about you? do you ever wish you could be an international bestseller, even though your chances might me low? (not as low as mine, but still. low)

Reply Report

@NightStar96 I wouldn't actually like to be so famous I was recognised in the street. I do want to make a good consistant income from writing but I'm as happy to have that come from six books that continue to sell as one blockbuster.

I suspect if you win the Man Booker, there's a lot of pressure on every book you write after that.

Reply Report

@Ctyolene whats the Man Booker? and its not the fame and the fortune. i want to write just to be known that i can do something that i set my mind to. i keep saying stuff of what i wan to do and my family goes 'yeah okay. whatever'. so basically i just want to prove them wrong. that i can do something.

Reply Report

@NightStar96 The Man Booker is a big literary prize, one I am very unlikely to be even long-listed for, since I don't write literary fictions. But it';s a big deal to win or even be listed.

Your goals change. I used to want to just be published. Then to have a front page story. Then to have a front page headline with byline photo. Then to have a book published. Then to be in the top 100 on Amazon, Now I want to make X amount a month from my books.

Start with finishing the book and editing until it's ready to submit.

Reply Report

Hi. I would say to go smashwords for your ebook and createspace / (amazon) for both paperback and ebook. Make sure your formatting is right, especially for ebooks. Create space have come along way in making it easier to put your paperback (FREE) out there. With smashwords you probably won't sell many, but that changes when it goes to all the affiliates like apple, sony barnes and noble, etc. I had a pleasant surprise with one of mine on Apple today, doing quite nicely, I do find the apple site a pain to find anything on, though. If you go the smashwords way and get stuck because of formatting issues, find me on smash and send message through facebook or wattpad and I'll help you out if i can.

Reply Report