Take this post not with a grain of salt but take it in all seriousness. I am here to help you, to let you know that what you may be doing is not working.
What do I mean?
If you take the amount of people who submit to publishing houses and the number of authors that get a deal, you might want to be sick. The small number that break into this market are happy for a short time as they soon realize that they may never make a living doing what they love.
I grow tired of well meaning authors or writers who tell people to keep it up, to never give up and drive these destructive activities to continue. Do you not care for the feelings of these poor masses that dream of a publishing deal? Is the writing on the wall so small that you cannot see what it says? Why would you do something that does not work over and over again and tell others to do the same and it never worked for you?
Is this not the definition of insanity? To do the same thing over and over again yet expect different results. I look and see, I shake my head at this madness. Yet I beat the air, I box the wind as even after all this, most still walk down the path of insanity.
Is this a case of self deception? Is it the pride of having that great big pat on the back that comes from a "Real Publisher?" Or is it the fear of having a dream realized and the fear of real success?
I wonder if we do this to ourselves and like the feeling of searching for a publisher and scared to really do it. We might not want to have a book published, why else would we keep doing what we know will not work? Why would we keep knocking on a door of a closed business? Do we really want to make 9% on our book? Do you think so little of your own writing? Are you in the business of giving your life blood work away so the big publishers can ride you to the end and drop you off dead and bleeding?
I may be harsh but it is because the message is not getting into your brain. It is rolling off like so much water off a ducks back. But what can I do but keep on shouting from the rooftops. I must, I have found a new and better way and can say with confidence that I am an author. I make a living writing and that is a sad state as much better selling books out there do not bring the same freedom to others in my craft.
What is your book worth? Are you worth it or do you want to work a side job like most authors in this world? I only ask because what you say does not match up with what you do. Why am I being such a jerk? Well, I keep saying, showing and doing but it is not getting through. What more can I do? Do I need to sell a million books before you see and understand? I am not saying this in arrogance but in the hopes to help you my friend.
I end this thought with a plea... Please stop the madness. Stop sending out query letters and publish your book. Believe in yourself enough to take your dream and run. This year as we see the end and a new one begin, break free from the circle of slavery and as Nike says, Just Do It!
Right on, Aaron! I just did it myself, epubbed my first YA novel. It's been a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it! I can't wait to get the next one polished and ready to go. I was just like that, querying and getting nowhere. I thought I'd try out epubbing for a book that was never going to sell, but like I said, it was so great, I'm going to do all of them this way. There's nothing like making money off of something you love to do.
ReplyDeleteKarly
www.karlykirkpatrick.com
Hey Boss,
ReplyDeleteI just love you passion. It's what sold me. You know that right? Oh and the fact I didn't offend you within the first 5 sentences.
Here's a suggestion. In your new year with the blog what if you had guest posts from your own author's sharing the process or experiences they have had with you.
Allow us to lift our voices with you and perhaps in a group we shall relieve your dismay. Let us help you like you helped us.
Just a thought...You know I have many. Maybe a good one will appear soon.
Bri
Great thoughts, and great explanation, again, Aaron.
ReplyDeleteI don't expect to make a living of my non-fiction, but I’ll make a few bucks. I've done somewhat of a hybrid form of self-publishing. I control the rights to my book, and sell the book to my publisher at a 60% discount. Daystar Publishing is more of a distributer than a publisher. I operate as a self-publisher in the sense that I can sell my books on my own through my site or wherever else, but I am contractually bound to sell them at the list price, unless I'm selling to a bookstore. I wanna ebook it sometime next year, but I have some hurdles to jump when it comes to the charts.
But anyways, you're right. It would be sad to work so long and hard on something only to be denied over and over and over again. The guy who wrote the famous Eragon series started out self-published, and that's how he built his platform. From THERE he got noticed and then got the big fatty million dollar contract.
Even if a new author is accepted by a publishing house, he's ganna start out with what - a $5,000 contract? While that's not chump change, it's hardly worth years of getting rejected and the emotional roller coaster that comes with it! Not to mention, as you've pointed out, a person can make that money, much of the time, faster by self-publishing.