Well for some reason I can NOT figure out some do come to me to ask, "How do I get where you are in publishing?"
Why anyone would WANT to be where I am in publishing, flat broke with no hope of making any money at all off my writring (zero sells for the past hmmm, oh I stopped counting) except for the books I sell myself which are few and far between, is BEYOND ME! But hey, misery loves company and the more the merrier. If you choose my lifestyle I'd be more than happy to tell you how to get here. Oh, it will all come out good in the end. ;D
Okay so here's the premise for a series of blogs, (I know I just won't shut up) about the BEST way to proceed if what you want is to be like me. And who wouldn't want that!
Here's the skinny:
Sue,
Because I know this is a LOADED question, not to mention you dedicate so much of your blog to it . . . but any thoughts on how to go about actually choosing a "good" way to self publish, such as who to choose to print the work, etc.?
Since my work is definitely not "christian" fiction in any way, I won't need to worry about all of the CBA nonsense, thankfully. But I obviously still want to choose a venue that will allow me to have some (if any) say over where my books can be shelved, although I don't have a particular aversion to trying out the "traditional" publishing route, I want to have a solid self publishing path in mind since it's so damn hard to get published in the first place!
I'm trying to do all of my research now so that when the edit is finished, I have some direction as to where to head next. ;) So any thoughts are welcome.
So there you have it. There is a LOT on my blog already but sometimes it helps to follow an author along. And since this author has listened and followed the first step, seeking and finding an excellent PROFESSIONAL editor and understanding that this is the biggest investment an author should make and not PAYING for advertising, then I think it would only be nice of me to tell her where I went next etc . . .
So follow Rachel and I along on Rachel's publishing journey and you will see that I do indeed know what I'm talking about whether anybody wants to HEAR it or not. ;D
Hey there Caprice,
ReplyDeleteDidn't realize Sue already had this topic up and running!
First off, thank you for your insight and suggestions! I suppose I should clarify about the "shelving books" part. I don't necessarily mean I am interested in control as to where, physically, my books would be placed in a bookstore, although, hey, that would be cool lol. But thank you for clarifying the shelving process with self-publishing. This is really where I've been confused-- with the many advantages of self-publishing, I was curious as to how to work around not being able to stock your books in stores, etc. Been trying to learn how to go about promotion and sales with Amazon, etc. Again, I know this is a loaded topic, so there is a lot that needs to be considered. I'll eventually get a grip on it. Someday.
Also, I appreciate you mentioning CreateSpace, etc., because I've been checking these various services out, and it is certainly overwhelming when trying to decipher which is the right route to pursue. I'll have some start-up money to play around with and I am sure it'll be a blast to be broke like Sue once I've invested it lol ;).
I'll have to research these avenues more and learn from all of you guys who have been there, done that.
Thanks for posting all of this information, Sue, and thanks Caprice and anyone else who shares their wisdom with this newbie. :)