So very well done, Brent. I refuse to go the self-published route at this moment. All I have are my stories at the moment. Sure, I can collect them and self-publish them, but I don't think I'm there yet. I can collect them and send them off to some slush pile somewhere and take my chances, but I wouldn't do that without hiring an editor first. I won't do that until I have the money to afford one. It's not that it's a "Catch-22" situation, it's just that I told myself I won't spend any "household" money on my writing. I have to earn money from my writing, in order to make more money. I've got 12 PAID subscribers, so it may be a while. The fact that I'm confident in my writing, helps. It might take a year or two more, but I've got nothing but time. I'm not going anywhere.
My goal is to eventually earn enough from my 'Stack that I can offer my PAID readers a POD version of my novellas. I've spoken with a printer who says he has a lot of business from writers who want to print up their stories and books. I hope they're at least letting an editor go through their work. I've learned the hard way. "Once bitten, twice shy." I put a story up on Amazon, only to have it "stolen" by a bot that put it up on a "Free" site. I told Amazon and they had the site shut down, but the damage was done. No one bought my story, but the free site had about 5000 reads when it was all said and done.
I'm wary. At the moment, I'm building up my 'Stack. I'm up with my numbers, but more than that, I'm getting comments more than I was when I first started. I've got some big names following me, and that's great for the ego, because I can go into my stats and see that they really are reading my stuff. I don't advertise the fact they read me, that's nobody's business but my own, right? But it's good for the ego, like I said.
At the moment, I'm here to enjoy my life as a writer. I never thought retirement could be so fulfilling.
Coming from film, I'm always puzzled at the snobbishness of the publishing world. In film, everyone starts out as an indie guy. Well, apart from the millions of people in it through their parents, of course, but leaving these guys aside, there's no such stigma on indie films and filmmakers. People seem to act as if authors have always had agents and publishers in the history of the human race. As if this is some kind of rule carved in marble somewhere—there can be nothing else. Well, thankfully, people didn't wait for agents to start writing books.
I suppose it's understandable from the point of view of the gatekeepers themselves (existential, perhaps?) or the author who grinded their way through the gauntlet of selection. It's interesting to hear the opinion of a hybrid like you.
To be honest, I've just self-published a novel via Draft2Digital and Amazon, but I don't expect to sell that many copies, I'm aiming for just 100 sales. The reason for this is that I'm hoping to use this first book as a foot in the door, the first book of an author never does great in my view.
The next book I'm hoping will do slightly better, and will also be self-published and I've found a great editor who is willing to edit it at a good price, and with these two books I'm hoping to sell another 100 copies each.
I've a semi-vanity semi-trad publisher willing to take me on, so I don't mind waiting to publish my principal novel through them as trad publishers in my experience aren't keen to accept newer writers.
My hope is to build up a CV in this way, and to slowly work my way until I can score a traditional publisher.
All that said, part of building up this CV, I'm also working on an animation portfolio, and on building up Substack around serial novels (I'm writing several, they typically each get almost 100 views each). I'll also publish the serial novels on Ream, and plan to when they are completed to find publishers for each of them.
What do you think of this sort of plan good sir? You have far more experience than I in the industry, so hope you don't mind taking some time out of your day to answer my question.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I'm reading this at just the right time. I'm working on finishing up my camping memoir and I'm really proud of how the book is turning out. I've had a good meeting with a hybrid publisher and I'm looking at a Kickstarter campaign to cover the costs of the book, but when we work full time, it's a lot. I self-published my first book of essays and I'm learning one of those first lessons you highlighted, sometimes you have to give away your early work for free. I'm pretty sure free e-book versions of my first book will be part of the Kickstarter campaign and I'm contemplating releasing each chapter as a podcast for paid subscribers with additional commentary. Phew!
Great post, Brent. Perfect timing too as I'm finishing up a picture book I was planning on self-publishing in the next few months. I've set a very modest goal which is to just put it out into the world and share with my subscribers for a small fee. But, perhaps I might add a few fairies and multiverses in there and pivot. Will keep you updated ;)
I'm a ways off from publishing anything, just popped in to say that I put The Geography Club on my watch list on Amazon. Project Payday apparently isn't available to watch.
I always, always root for the underdog, hence wanting to see these two movies.
So very well done, Brent. I refuse to go the self-published route at this moment. All I have are my stories at the moment. Sure, I can collect them and self-publish them, but I don't think I'm there yet. I can collect them and send them off to some slush pile somewhere and take my chances, but I wouldn't do that without hiring an editor first. I won't do that until I have the money to afford one. It's not that it's a "Catch-22" situation, it's just that I told myself I won't spend any "household" money on my writing. I have to earn money from my writing, in order to make more money. I've got 12 PAID subscribers, so it may be a while. The fact that I'm confident in my writing, helps. It might take a year or two more, but I've got nothing but time. I'm not going anywhere.
My goal is to eventually earn enough from my 'Stack that I can offer my PAID readers a POD version of my novellas. I've spoken with a printer who says he has a lot of business from writers who want to print up their stories and books. I hope they're at least letting an editor go through their work. I've learned the hard way. "Once bitten, twice shy." I put a story up on Amazon, only to have it "stolen" by a bot that put it up on a "Free" site. I told Amazon and they had the site shut down, but the damage was done. No one bought my story, but the free site had about 5000 reads when it was all said and done.
I'm wary. At the moment, I'm building up my 'Stack. I'm up with my numbers, but more than that, I'm getting comments more than I was when I first started. I've got some big names following me, and that's great for the ego, because I can go into my stats and see that they really are reading my stuff. I don't advertise the fact they read me, that's nobody's business but my own, right? But it's good for the ego, like I said.
At the moment, I'm here to enjoy my life as a writer. I never thought retirement could be so fulfilling.
Coming from film, I'm always puzzled at the snobbishness of the publishing world. In film, everyone starts out as an indie guy. Well, apart from the millions of people in it through their parents, of course, but leaving these guys aside, there's no such stigma on indie films and filmmakers. People seem to act as if authors have always had agents and publishers in the history of the human race. As if this is some kind of rule carved in marble somewhere—there can be nothing else. Well, thankfully, people didn't wait for agents to start writing books.
I suppose it's understandable from the point of view of the gatekeepers themselves (existential, perhaps?) or the author who grinded their way through the gauntlet of selection. It's interesting to hear the opinion of a hybrid like you.
To be honest, I've just self-published a novel via Draft2Digital and Amazon, but I don't expect to sell that many copies, I'm aiming for just 100 sales. The reason for this is that I'm hoping to use this first book as a foot in the door, the first book of an author never does great in my view.
The next book I'm hoping will do slightly better, and will also be self-published and I've found a great editor who is willing to edit it at a good price, and with these two books I'm hoping to sell another 100 copies each.
I've a semi-vanity semi-trad publisher willing to take me on, so I don't mind waiting to publish my principal novel through them as trad publishers in my experience aren't keen to accept newer writers.
My hope is to build up a CV in this way, and to slowly work my way until I can score a traditional publisher.
All that said, part of building up this CV, I'm also working on an animation portfolio, and on building up Substack around serial novels (I'm writing several, they typically each get almost 100 views each). I'll also publish the serial novels on Ream, and plan to when they are completed to find publishers for each of them.
What do you think of this sort of plan good sir? You have far more experience than I in the industry, so hope you don't mind taking some time out of your day to answer my question.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I'm reading this at just the right time. I'm working on finishing up my camping memoir and I'm really proud of how the book is turning out. I've had a good meeting with a hybrid publisher and I'm looking at a Kickstarter campaign to cover the costs of the book, but when we work full time, it's a lot. I self-published my first book of essays and I'm learning one of those first lessons you highlighted, sometimes you have to give away your early work for free. I'm pretty sure free e-book versions of my first book will be part of the Kickstarter campaign and I'm contemplating releasing each chapter as a podcast for paid subscribers with additional commentary. Phew!
Great post, Brent. Perfect timing too as I'm finishing up a picture book I was planning on self-publishing in the next few months. I've set a very modest goal which is to just put it out into the world and share with my subscribers for a small fee. But, perhaps I might add a few fairies and multiverses in there and pivot. Will keep you updated ;)
Interesting reading. Fingers crossed. My first book is being printed this week!
I'm a ways off from publishing anything, just popped in to say that I put The Geography Club on my watch list on Amazon. Project Payday apparently isn't available to watch.
I always, always root for the underdog, hence wanting to see these two movies.
Wise words, Brent. So true that one book will shine and another falter. It's the niche and the series that matters.