This is the first of several blog posts on the publishing process, written in conjunction with my new book -- Writing When Time is Scarce And Getting the Work Published.
Through the years, many writers I know have wondered about whether to publish their work. There are many
considerations in making a publish-or-don’t-publish decision. Some involve
trade-offs with other activities. Others include whether you want to spend time
on the business end of the writing equation.
To me, it’s worth it to
spend about ninety percent of my work time writing and ten percent on the publishing
and marketing end. If you want to share your work, I think you may also find it
a worthwhile split. Keep in mind that even if you work with a publisher, you'll
spend time interacting with their staff, and they definitely expect you to
market a lot.
If you try hard to get a major publisher and don't succeed, you
have not failed. Assuming your book is well done, it's simply not what they are
looking for now.
Even as recently as ten
years ago, reaching an audience meant finding a publisher (not easy at all) or publishing
yourself and turning the product over to a printer. If you want to sell a
novel, the cost-per-book needs to be low. Authors would have to buy 1,000 copies to make the
price-per-book reasonable. In the 'old days,' you worked with a
distributor or visited bookstores around the region –- carting a trunk full of
books.
Things have changed.
Modern self-publishing
makes it possible to write your book and produce ebooks or paper copies for
next to nothing. Copies are printed as you need them – called print-on-demand
publishing, or POD.
Your primary expenses
will be for editing and a cover. When new writers say they
have no funds for editing, I suggest they hold a rummage sale. That's not a
smart-alek remark. We all have too much stuff, and you'll need shelf space for
your new books.
No one thing is 'most' important, but one thing is essential. Take your time. You only get once chance to make a first impression.
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