Sunday, October 14, 2012

Promotion and Self-Publishing


Today’s posting updates last Sunday’s account of how the manuscript The Reluctant Spy went through nineteen drafts. I told you then that a friend—Judy—had offered to read it.  However, the demands of the publishing world have intervened on her plans. 
            For the past two years she’s researched, written, polished, and found a publisher—the University of Minnesota Press—for her biography of an important lumberman of the nineteenth century. Unexpectedly, the deadline for responding to the editor’s work has became October 15. Two days later, Judy leaves for France to continue researching the third novel of her historical trilogy, published by HarperCollins. On her return, she will read The Reluctant Spy. I eagerly await her response.


Photo from Wikipedia: Limestone cliffs of Normandy, France.

            To conclude today’s posting, I want to share a comment and response with you. Rita, whose blog Soul Comfort's Corner has taught me about living with fibromyalgia and remaining creative, commented last week:

IF you cannot get it published the traditional way (that’s gotten a lot harder, but not impossible if you do your homework and find a good fit), please don't forget about self-publishing. You’ve put so much time, effort, and heart into this so don't give up. I heard that the guy who wrote Chicken Soup for The Soul was turned down over 140 times! And these days I have heard that you can self-publish on Amazon for free—no money up front. ?? Where there's a will there's a way, right? Best of luck to you. :)

Today I’ll expand on my original response to her comment.

Dear Rita,
The advantage of being published the traditional way, which as you've said is really hard today, is that big publishers have sale reps who visit bookstores and get the books into those stores. These stores will then welcome a writer for a reading/signing event.

Moreover, I think—but I'm not absolutely sure—that newspaper reviewers are more willing to review a book published by a traditional publisher. I talked to the local librarians, but they do not shelve self-published books so that doesn’t work for reaching potential readers.

Self-published writers have to publicize their own books. They must spread the word that their book actually exists. And I wonder how many people will Goggle or go to Amazon to hunt for a novel about first-century Palestine.

Getting out the word requires a mastery of social media that eludes me. The number of followers for my two blogs is relatively small. Nor do I have a Facebook account, much less any working knowledge of Twitter.

The big question for me is “How do readers learn about a book on first-century Palestine?” 

Twenty years ago Crown published A Cat’s Life: Dulcy’s Story. I was fifty-six and had the energy to do a great deal of promoting. You can read about that in these two postings on my other blog: Promoting Dulcy’s Hardcover and Entering the World of Promotion.

Somehow today I lack that same resilience.

You’re right that Amazon has a subsidiary called "CreateSpace." It allows a writer to publish with little money up front. But a writer needs to be able to design a cover and format the book for both paper publishing and e-books. If one can't do that, the writer must hire someone(s) to do these tasks. So self-publishing can end up costing a modest amount.

But if somehow the news gets out there about the book and there's some "buzz" about it, the writer makes more royalty than with traditional publishing. So pros and cons! 
Peace.

I want to thank Rita and all of you for encouraging me to keep trying to get A Reluctant Spy published. You’ve offered to cross your fingers for me with regard to Judy’s reading of the manuscript. Thank you both for your enthusiasm and your support. 

18 comments:

  1. The publishing world amazes me. I keep hearing about how traditional publishers have plans to better adapt to what is happening with Amazon. I wonder what the future will hold. I even heard recently that Target no longer wants to sell Kindle devices because Amazon is becoming such a monopoly. Interesting huh. I personally think Amazon will keep growing. I know that's a bit off topic, but it just amazes me how things have changed recently. I remember when ebay was bigger than Amazon and when my space was better than Facebook. I still think traditional publishing is the best way to reach the largest crowd.

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    1. Dear Elisa, I agree with you that right now all of publishing is in a state of flux. A real tornado of change. Who knows where are the possibilities will land after the dust settles?

      Like you, I tend to think that traditional publishing is still the best way to reach the largest crowd. The royalties for the sell of a single copy are not as large as those from self-publishing, but if a writer sells many more books through traditional publishing than the sum total of royalties will be/might be larger than for the self-published e-book and paper book. Peace.

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  2. I have my fingers crossed that you will get it published in a traditional way, but heck, whatever it takes, Dee. Nice to hear from you, as always.

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    1. Dear DJan, thanks so much for your support. The enthusiasm and encouragement of the bloggers whom I've met in the past months are a never-ending source of inspiration for me. Peace.

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  3. I've had a traumatic week, so I missed your posts, but I will go and read them all now. I know you only read blogs at a certain time of the week, so you missed Samson's illness and potential blindness that I posted about. Then I got soooo tired. I posted my Mission post this morning, told my hubby I'm staying in bed for the rest of the day. Then I just had lunch and decided to catch up on a few blogs before I go back and sleep the afternoon away.

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  4. Dear Inger, I'll be visiting your blog today and tomorrow. So I plan to catch up with what's been happening in your life. I really want to know about Samson. And also the California missions. See you today or tomorrow.

    And thank you so much for stopping by during such a traumatic time for you. That's real friendship. Peace.

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  5. It would be wonderful to find a traditional publisher, but if and when I finish writing my book, I suspect I'll end up self-publishing. I'll dream about thousands of people reading my book, but I'll also dream realistically.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Dear Janie, I've learned with "A Cat's Legacy: Dulcy's Story" that I haven't been realistic about self-publishing. I'd hoped to sell quite a number but if I sell one a month I'm doing well. So....live and learn. Peace.

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  6. I agree with what you're saying about traditional publishing. The rules have changed a lot since Simon and Schuster published my first book in 1979. Through the years, I've found that the burden of promotion has fallen more and more on the author and one of the difficulties of selling a book to a traditional publisher is being able to present a suitably robust "platform" ready made for book promotion. It can be very discouraging. I've had 13 books traditionally published -- the last in 2008 (it was a revised edition of the book originally published in 1979) and have found it isn't any easier. I have two books I'm working on now and have no idea whether they will see print traditionally or if I will go the self-publishing route. I really hope you find a traditional publisher for this book, Dee, and that you'll have some of the old-style promotion smoothing your way with booksellers. I agree that mounting a full schedule of self-promotion at this state of life is more than a little daunting.

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    1. Dear Kathy, thanks so much for leaving this informative comment. That word "daunting" really fits the stage of life I'm in now. Just the thought of all that calling and arranging and driving all over the metro area to the signings/readings makes me head for the tea pot and the scone!

      I'm so interested in what you'll do with the two books you're working on right now. Please do let all of us know. Peace.

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  7. I don't know what route you'll be taking with this book, but please know that I--& MANY others--are firmly in your corner!!

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    1. Dear Fishducky, I don't know what route either, but I'm going along for the ride!!!
      Thanks for your vote of confidence and encouragement. I know I can always count on you. Peace.

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  8. It always brightens my day to see another post from you. As everyone is saying 'we are firmly in your corner' and have crossed so many things that walking is a tad unsafe. Frivolity aside, I hope all goes well when your friend is able to read the manuscript again.

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    1. Dear EC, I grinned when I read your line about walking being a tad unsafe with everything crossed!!!! Oh, the delight of it!

      I'm eager for Judy to read the ms. And I'm a little anxious also. I believe that my novel-writing abilities are lacking. I'm not at all sure there is enough suspense in the novel or that I've sustained the suspense in such a way that a reader would keep turning the pages.

      Well, we'll see what Judy has to say come November. Peace.

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  9. Dee, I'm sorry I have no practical advice or experience to share, but I'm another with everything crossed for you in your search for a publisher.

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    1. Dear Perpetua, thank you so much for your support and encouragement. I know that I "need to go with the flow" and that the Universe will show me possibilities. I only hope that the eyes of my heart are open to them. Peace.

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  10. From what I have heard and read, I agree with Dr. McCoy that the burden of promotion has become heavier on the author with traditional publishing also. Unless they figure it is going to be a blockbuster, of course. (Money talks.) I have also read that authors who have self-published and done well with sales have sometimes been later picked up by traditional publishing companies. Times have changed a lot and are still transforming.

    Sending prayers that Judy loves it! I wish you the very, very best, Dee!!

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  11. Dear Rita, I think all you've said is true. I know that the novel "The Christmas Box" was self-published back in the '80s I think and was then taken on by a traditional publisher, became a bestseller, and was made into a TV movie! The taking on much of the promotion myself didn't faze me twenty years ago, but I tell you, Rita, the body is weary! I know that you better than most understand that. Peace.

    PS: Thank you for your good wishes. I so hope that she loves it also!

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