One Traveler

In order to be published successfully, you need to write for a few years. Anywhere between three and fifty should do. Then you need to write a book that’s new, fresh, unique, but still adheres to a best-selling genre that will set the next new trend without hoping to set a trend or follow a trend. Then you have to write a gripping query and query agents for a few years. Because agents are the gateway to a successful career in publishing. Then get a contract with a big publishing house and hope to sell enough copies to pay back your advance.

Wait, no, stop. Things have changed. In order to be published successfully, you need to write a gripping story about whatever the hell you want. Then get it professionally edited and invest in a flashy cover. And then upload it to a highly successfully e-reader distributer like Amazon or Barnes & Nobles. Then use your online platform to market and sell!

Wait, no, stop. Things have changed again. In order to be published successfully, you need to write a gripping story in one of the bestselling genres, and fly on the coat tails of already-established indie authors because the market is saturated and new authors aren’t seeing as much success on their own or with genres that don’t fit the mold.

Wait, no, stop. In order to be a successful author, you need to be both traditionally published and self-publish because, reportedly, ‘hybrid’ authors make the best living.

Wait, no, stop.

*sigh*

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t miss the days of printing out queries and snail mailing them to London agents found in the year’s Writers’ and Authors’ Yearbook, only to get a rejection card in the mail a few weeks later. I think the direction publishing has taken puts greater value on craft and content, because it’s the masses who decide what rises to the top. Which is a good thing.

And yet, I can’t help wondering, will the dust ever settle? I miss the clarity that publishing used to have. Sometimes I feel like I’ve taken a step back from it all because things have just changed and evolved so fast in the last four years, it makes me dizzy. It almost reminds me of a poem we were forced to learn in the seventh grade:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-          Road Less Taken, Robert Frost

I can’t help the feeling that the moment I finally decide to jump in, the winds will change once again, hurling me toward the unknown; caught up and invested in ‘a side’ of this tug of war between indies and tradies and hybrids, oh my!

Anyone else feel like they’re still ‘one traveler’- looking down each path, and uncertain and wondering what direction the industry will take?

2013 in Review

While looking back on 2013, one word jumps immediately to mind : tired. I can’t say my resolutions went unmet since, to my knowledge, I didn’t even bother making any this year.

Ever since signing on with the S.A.H.M. Corps (stay at home mom corporation) in April of 2012 and the addition of our fourth project (i.e. baby Phoebe) in February 2013, ‘the job’ has been keeping me more than occupied. It isn’t the hardest job in the world as good ol’ Oprah used to say. But it’s about as hard as most other full-time jobs, I imagine.

The co-owner of this enterprise has a paid occupation on the side (thank goodness), so most of the heavy lifting falls to yours truly. The salary isn’t great, but the benefits are worth the long hours and sleepless nights. My employees are often lazy, cranky, and always looking for a hand-out. But they’re also fun to be around and do their best to make this operation productive.

Our youngest recruit, 10-month-old Phoebe, is especially impressive in her determination to maintain a sedentary lifestyle. No crawling, shuffling or walking as of yet. In fact, she mostly just sits there and grunts like a small, pink, jabba the hutt while her sisters bring her toys and drinks and cater to her every whim. 

I think she might be the smartest one of us all.

So, after almost a full year of crawling through the post-partum fog and keeping my long-running family operation afloat, I finally feel ready to take a tentative step toward my goal of writing the-game-changer book and getting published.

Catching up is going to take awhile. I don’t think I’ve read a single book on the 2013 YA bestseller list. I've missed a lot of writer's world news in the who-got-agented/book deals/pubished/self published this year. And it would seem the tides of self-publishing have turned once again and debut S.P. authors aren’t seeing the success they once did due to market saturation. Pair this with the increasingly slow pace of the publishing industry, and agent/editor return and I have to wonder- 

Ya. What the hell are we supposed to do now?:)

Do You Have to Be Rich to Self-Publish?

Okay, maybe not rich. But am I the only one that feels like, in order to successfully self-publish, you gotta have an extra couple-thousand-dollars lying around?

As I enviously watch many of my writer friends take the giant leap into self-publishing, I’ve seriously considered following their lead and publishing one of my books to amazon. It just seems like the next logical step for someone like me, even though I’m still determined to keep querying agents and get published traditionally someday as well.

However, it feels like all the successful self-published authors I meet agree on the absolute

necessity of a high quality product if you’re going to put something out there. I’m not just talking about the quality of your writing, which has taken years to hone- But of every aspect of your self-published book from formatting, to cover art, to copy-editing. As well we should, I suppose. The majority of readers won’t be drawn to shoddy book covers, weirdo spacing and grammatical errors galore and putting out a less-than-stellar product can diminish the view of self-publishing as a whole.

Now, I could try and do all the work on my own and not spend a dime. But it feels like most self-pubbing resources warn against it. While reading the do’s and don’t’s of self-pubbing, doubts and worries fill my mind. ‘You’ll never be able to successfully copy-edit your book and it will have a ton of errors.’ ‘Your book cover might appeal to you, but won’t appeal to a huge audience like a professional’s would.’ ‘Learning to format correctly and actually formatting your book will take forever and you’ll probably have to go back and fix it a million times, if you’re even successful at all.’ ‘In the end, it will be just so hard and time consuming and you’ll probably fail anyway so why try?’ *sigh*

Except, whenever I look into what kind of budget I’d need to hire someone to make a spectacular book cover (150$-400$), copy-edit my manuscript (450$-1000$), and format my book (100$-300$), I can’t help but feel like ‘the perfect product’ is far beyond my financial reach.

Am I the only one with the impression that in order to make money self-pubbing, you have to spend it? I wish there were some way to see how much money a mixed group of authors put into their first self-published title and if that effected the success of that book in the long run as opposed to someone who put in less money.

And, also, I can’t help but think that a pretty cover and perfect grammar can go a long way, but in the end- isn’t it the genre, concept and story that take center stage when it comes to the success of a title?

What do you guys think? Are ‘do-it-yourself’ SP books of a lesser quality and less popular than those that were invested in financially? Or does the amount of money put into the book not matter at all when it comes to success?

Is Anyone Still Querying?

I’ll be honest. I haven’t sent a query letter out in ages. That doesn’t mean I've given up or don’t have material out there with agents. There’s still one full out with an agent who seems to have dropped off the face of the planet, and a big R&R I finished in December with an agent who I’m really looking forward to hearing from.

But that’s it. 

Every book I write, it’s the same vicious cycle: I get an idea I can run with, write like a maniac, finish the book, get excited, spend the necessary time revising and going back and forth with betas before that crucial moment where it’s time to query. I have an insane list of agents who represent the kind of books I write. I’ve done the research. And sure, those first few queries are always filled with blind optimism that ‘this will be the one!’. 

And time and time again, I came close, but no cigar. 

The last year, however, my process has been stunted. Sure, I’ve written 20k here, or 30k there on a couple different projects. But I lost interest in them before I could make it to the next step. Add in some personal drama and an R&R rejection that left me gutted for a few months and you’ve got the crazy mess that is my current creative well.

As you can see from my last blogpost, I’m not going to put pressure on myself to start the process anew. But I can’t help feeling kind of like the kid that stays home to work on the farm while all his friends go off to college. 

Or the middle-aged woman who’s still looking for Mr. Right while all her girlfriends settle down and start popping out pink bundles of joy.

So many of my writer friends have moved on. They’ve either given up, or gone forward. They’ve signed with agents. Or small presses. Or decided to self publish their first books. Their goals have changed. Their priorities and how they spend their time has changed. They've traded in agent-search sites, querying and craft-honing for goodreads ratings, amazon reviews and sales and marketing... 

Which is good. 

It’s what we’re supposed to do, right? We’re supposed to move on and move forward.

And while I’m excited, proud, and envious of all of my writer friends who have advanced in the process, I can’t help feeling like the pool of people still actually querying agents is getting smaller and smaller. 

I know that self-pubbing and small presses have become increasingly popular. But has the general consensus become that querying agents is no longer the next logical step when you want to become a successful published writer? Is anyone still querying? Or am I holding onto a quickly-shrinking iceberg?

Social Media Just For Writers

I’ve never done a review for a non-fiction book before, but Frances Caballo’s Social Media Just for Writers perked my interest and I figured it might be an interesting source for the writers in our blogging community. 

You wrote your book and sold copies to family members, friends, and colleagues. Now you want to reach readers around the state, across the country, or on the other side of the world. But how? With social media, you can build your platform and reach markets you never imagined possible before. In this book you will learn how to: create your Facebook fan page and initiate active engagement with your readers, use a myriad of Twitter applications to help you economize your time while expanding your tribe, optimize your LinkedIn profile with keywords, tackle Google+ with renewed confidence, build Pinterest pinboards and use them to promote your books and blog, and round out your online strategies with offline marketing techniques.

My Review: I especially liked how Caballo gave each social network its own personality, comparing it to well known authors and classic literature and providing details into the history of each.  Her book covers the biggest social networks used by writers including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, Picasso, Pinterest, and the world of blogging. As someone who’s familiar with Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter, I was impressed with how much I didn’t know (um, which was a lot). 

Caballo gives an easy-to-understand run down of the purpose each network serves, basic usage and then expands into more detail; providing little known (at least to me) settings and applications that can help you promote you, your brand, and your books, and especially keep track and stay organized in who/how your work is reaching its audience, not to mention the various useful applications that can be employed by each network. 

The only concern I had while reading was that, while Caballo’s detailed instructions and images are definitely helpful when it comes to learning about each network, and how to engage and develop your settings- I’d be afraid with the rapid and incessant way many of these networks (like Facebook and Twitter) are changing and evolving every day, some of the information could become quickly out-dated. 

Also, the wealth of information could be a little overwhelming at times, but then again, I’m not at a point in my career where everything sited in each chapter is useful to me (yet). That said, I really liked how Caballo was careful to explain how each writer really needs to find what programs, networks and apps work best for them- taking into account their time constraints, preferences and personalities. 

When I’m at the point where I have a book to promote (thinking positive here:), I’d say Social Media Just for Writers will be an absolute asset since it provides a clear and in-depth source for anyone who wants to expand their audience using social networking.

What social network do you use most? How long did it take you to master your favorite network? Did you take measures to get the most out of the network professionally?

When Amazon Opens Up Shop...

When Barnes & Noble announced that they wouldn’t shelve books published by Amazon imprints (Createspace, Amazon Crossing AmazonEncore, Amazon NY, Thomas & Mercer, 47North, and Montlake Romance) the first thing I wondered was ‘What if Amazon opened up their own brick and mortar bookstores?’

Low and behold, Amazon did release press in February that they were developing their first physical bookshop in the Seattle area, but any further developments have been kept on the down-low.

I can't be the only one who's wondered how this development could affect B&N?

Let us ponder...

Amazon would have the heavy advantage of knowing what appeals to buyers in the selected area beforehand, based on online sales. 

They’d know what books and titles are selling well, who’s buying what, and how they should stock their shelves for maximum profit. Trial and error would be online-based and involve little room for physical financial loss- unlike what traditional publishers face with current brick and mortar booksellers every time they launch a new book into the world. So, not only would Amazon be able to serve customers the same (if not better targeted) stock as B&N, but they’d probably do so at a more competitive price.  

Not to mention the monopoly they would have over books published under the above Amazon imprints, - the ones that B&N simply refuses to sell on principle.

Years ago, Barnes & Noble and Borders swept across the nation, targeting areas where independent booksellers were already thriving. They opened up their bigger, more comfortable, cheaper bookshops and slowly squeezed the life out of independents and smaller chains like a some kind of death weed.

But Amazon’s online business continued to grow and thrive as more and more people turned to internet shopping. And it wasn’t long before their business began detracting from the power that was the brick and mortar. Borders paid the price when they couldn’t adapt fast enough (or enough in general) and B&N is currently struggling to maintain some sense of competition with the monster that is Amazon. 

But I have to wonder, will they be able to compete if Amazon ever decides to adapt the same business practices that B&N employed twenty years ago and invest in physical stores on a massive scale?

Not that I think Amazon will take this route. Truth is, they don’t really need physical bookshops to succeed and don’t seem to have an interest in become THE central bookstore chain of America. But if B&N doesn't stop trying to save their own business by blocking Amazon’s, I’m afraid it won’t leave them much of a choice.

Do you think/hope Amazon will somehow become the next big physical bookseller? If not, how are you hoping the tide will turn when it comes to B&N? Do you think that independents will rise to the forefront with the decline of the chainstore?  Or that B&N will somehow find a way thrive?

Wait- That Can Happen??

Maybe I’m naive. But I never really thought about the dangers of sharing one of my book ideas on the internet. To be honest, I don’t usually share ideas for my work-in-progresses. -Not because I’m wary, but because I never know if the idea will actually turn into a real book until the book is completely written. 

I do, however, often share pitches, queries and blurbs for my full manuscripts. Because, what are the chances that someone takes that information and writes a whole new book using the same premise? Or actually pitches that book? And gets an agent with that book before I do? Or an actual BOOK DEAL before I do, using that premise? After all, I’ve got a head start and have put my blood, sweat and tears into that book. No way could someone just come along and write a book from scratch using my premise and get to the finish line before me. Right?

I didn’t think the chances were that high. But apparently, it can happen!

I read this post over the weekend that had many writing bloggers shocked and appalled at a situation that arose when the author discussed a premise, outline, and partial manuscript with an online friend. The friend then cut off contact for awhile and when she re-appeared, it was with an agent and book deal in hand...using the original author’s premise and pitch! 

Holy Crap!

I mean, of course I’ve experienced idea envy. There were a few queries up for WriteOnCon that had me salivating at their premise, thinking ‘OH! Why couldn’t I have thought of that!’. But to then go on and write a whole new book using their premise and pitch it to agents would be theft, really.

In the situation above, it wasn’t a full manuscript in question but a pitch, unfinished partial, and discussion of the premise. Writers will write, and sometimes, especially if you’ve been in a rut, it can be tempting to jump on someone else’s idea if it finally gets you writing again. I think, though, if  you find yourself really really really inspired by someone else’s idea (like, it keeps you up at night and has characters talking to each other in your head) then you should, at least, approach the original author. 

Be Honest.

There’s no shame in asking.  Or just letting the author know with a ‘Hey! Your book idea really has my creative juices flowing and is keeping me up at night and is basically writing itself in my mind beyond all control. I may or may not write a book using the same idea, but in any case- I just wanted to be honest and let you know.’

Or

‘If you ever decide not to go through with writing the book about _____, or are moving on with something else, or putting it on the back burner, please let me know because the idea has really taken hold in my mind and I’d like to write about it.’

There’s no need to put on your sneaky, devious, guilty pants and go behind a fellow author’s back. We are all in the same boat and struggling with the same things. This community is about support and even though we all want to climb out of the pit and into the light, stepping on a fellow writer in order to get closer to the top isn’t the way to do it.

What would you do if you found yourself with an all-consuming desire to write using someone else’s premise? Ignore the impulses and try to move on? Write the book as long as the creativity lasts but never pitch it? Would you tell the original author or just keep it to yourself?  Are you guys wary of sharing your book ideas on the internet before they’re written? What about after you have a full manuscript in hand?

Are Agents Still Worth It?

Let’s face it. Being in the query trenches...well, it sucks. Yup, that’s the word. It totally sucks. It’s time consuming and chuck full of highs and lows, (okay. mostly low low lows) rejection and disappointment.

And sometimes I wonder: why do I do this to myself? Why do I bother? I’ll never get an agent. Especially now that publishers are cutting down their lists, and agents are taking on less clients. And with all the options writers have today- an agent isn’t even essential anymore if you want to be published! So, why put myself through this torture?

Sometimes I feel naive, or pig-headed in my determination to find an agent. I wonder if I’m being old fashioned or that my quest could be detrimental to my career, especially when I see other self-pub authors coming out with two or three books a year and already making a living self-publishing. That could be me!- if I’d just give up the ghost and concentrate on making a self-pub career happen. 

 In today’s publishing climate, it’s true that agents, editors, and traditional publishing houses may be losing some of the power they once wielded. Authors can take things into their own hands now a’days and publish their books, however and whenever they want. They have the option of contracting out copyediting, formatting, and cover design or going it themselves. They can choose the price of their books, how much they want to market and what avenues they’ll use for such. 

And just like in traditional publishing, there are ‘break out’ novels and bestsellers, and authors who are able to gain a decent wage writing books, which is all any author can really hope for. So why bother with an agent at all?

I’ve heard it said that signing with an agent isn’t worth it anymore. And for some authors, this might be true. Why pay someone 15% of your profits when you can publish your books without their help? Why go traditional when you can earn a higher percentage of royalties through self-publishing?

Well, despite this logic, I’ve come to the conclusion that having an agent is worth it, especially after reading this post by Kristi Helvig, YA writer. 

And it’s not just because I hope to publish traditionally one day. Like most other writers out there, I’ve given self-publishing some serious thought. But after contemplating both sides of the coin, I feel that having an industry professional in my corner has so many more advantages than disadvantages. It’s what I want and it’s what I’ll continue to strive for, even if it means feeling like I’m voluntary wading through writer’s purgatory for a few more years (God, please don't be more than a few more years!:).  For those of you like me, determined to find an agent come hell or high water, please check out Kristi’s post. It definitely gave me food for thought and renewed motivation.

Does still being in the query trenches and looking for an agent ever make you feel like a boob?  If you've decided to jump start your career without an agent, do you think you'll still pursue an agent in the future for things like rights negotiation or a tradi contract?

Are Blog Tours Losing Their Promotional Power?

When I first started blogging three years ago, I witnessed firsthand the power of the blogosphere promotion. 

If you’ve been around as long as I have, you may remember the massive community machines that pushed books like Kiersten White’s PARANORMALCY, Elana Johnson’s POSSESSION, Beth Revis’ ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, and Lisa & Laura Roecker’s LIAR SOCIETY out into the world.

There were twitter wars, contests, vlogs, prizes, and blog hops galore and it seemed as though everyone and their mothers were a part of the festivities, all sincerely excited for the fellow blogger who made it into the big leagues. 

In just a few short years, however, self-publishing and small publishers have made book launches and releases so much more frequent! Instead of one book-release a month, or every few months, to support and celebrate: there are now several book launches throughout the blogosphere a week. 

More and more writers are taking the leap into self publishing. Small publishers are putting together their ebook releases a lot faster than traditional.  Established indie writers get a groove going and are able to come out with four, five, even six books a year! 

And, of course, we as a community want to offer support and positivity to those authors however we can. 

The problem is, the magnitude of book promotions happening every month makes it hard for any one book to really achieve the recognition it might have gotten three years ago. You know the old adage: ‘saying everyone’s special is another way of saying no one is’? Contests, free books, interviews, bloghops, etc…they may still spread the word, but I fear they’ve lost the originality and enticement they once held. Promotional posts are getting less and less comments. Contests are earning less entries. The buzz is feeling more and more forced.

We've got to face it- blog-blitz enthusiasm has wained:(

In the last year or so, I’ve come to the conclusion that having everyone post about one book or the author all at the same time gets old for readers fairly fast. I don’t know about you, but when I’ve seen the blurb and the cover once, most often my mind is made up about whether it’s a book I’d like to read based on genre, premise, characters, and yes- if it’s a writer I’ve been following or an author I’m friends with, that definitely counts for something too! That said, I’m afraid the repetitiveness of the run-of-the-mill blog tour often defeats the point, since a reader is more likely to pass over blogs that are re-sharing the information or have the same theme as a million other blogs that week. 

So where does that leave authors hoping to promote their new releases? If blog tours are losing steam, how else can an author create a buzz? I’ve come up with a list of things I’ve seen working these last few months despite the recent decline in enthusiasm for ‘another new release’. 

* Cover reveals taking place on one major site, and only one site, with authors asking for a twitter, or facebook mention and prizes to be one. (like an arc;)

* Vlogs are still cool ways to promote, especially if they’re unique or funny. They aren’t over-done (yet) and it helps build a connection between the potential readers and the writer behind the book.

* Book trailers. I actually like seeing a book trailer for an upcoming release featured on a bunch of blogs at the same time, as long as the actual posts have a different theme (ie- don’t just focus on the trailer or the blurb for the book) I like to be surprised and have the choice about whether I click on the trailer or not, so it’s not the same as a regular blog tour promo. And having the actual posts differentiate makes the reader less likely to skip them over.

* On that note -Related bloghops with a fun theme still work, imo. Is your book about a character making a big-fat mistake and the consequences? Invite everyone to share their biggest 'oopsies' and how they overcame. Got a futuristic theme? Create a blog hop where everyone shares their dream-gadget. Setting a theme that relates to your book gives bloggers a chance to do what they do best, all while second-handedly promoting your new title. 

* Promoting your book only AFTER release. I’ve actually seen this work for a lot of authors recently. Instead of the buzz created before hand, it’s like BOOM! The book is HERE! Positive reviews speak so much louder than the blurb or cover or a bunch of people promoting your book weeks before hand. The option to BUY is already there, so it doesn’t get pushed to the back of the reader’s mind like ‘oh, yeah, I should think about ordering that when it comes out.’

Do you feel like blog tours are slowly losing their promotional power? What other forms of promotion would you recommend to modern-day authors? Author friends out there, what do you think has made the biggest difference in sales for you when it comes to promotion?  

The Literary Agent- A Thousand Words

Last night I watched the movie ‘A Thousand Words’ with Eddie Murphy. It…wasn’t great, to say the least, even though the premise was kind of interesting:

A big-shot literary agent who’s life’s success is due to words- both written and spoken to convince or cajole, is faced with a predicament when every word he speaks brings him closer to death. By the time he realizes what’s happening, he only has one thousand words left and must choose carefully.

What gave me brow-furrowing syndrome during this film was the way the literary agent was portrayed. He didn’t read any manuscripts (not even ones he was trying to acquire), but instead relied on his assistant to tell him if a book would sell. He only paid attention to top clients or high-profile people he was looking to represent (even if they hadn’t written a book yet). He blew off the valet parking guy who’d been asking him for years if he could just read a few pages of his manuscript. Had private lunches and dinners with acquiring editors from Simon and Schuster and Random House and talked about 250k-300k advances for books the publishers hadn’t even seen yet. 

Really? Come on people. Do literary agents like this really exist today? Maybe they did, at one point. And there might even be a select few presidents of top agencies who’d benefit from special treatment from publishers and editors still. But in today’s climate, I found the old-school representation a little hard to swallow since it potrayed agents as completely superficial and money-grubbing when, in reality, agency professionals are supposed to be passionate about the written word and seeing projects through for the right reasons (at least I hope so!) *sigh* Oh Hollywood. How thou doest so falsely portray the world of publishing!

Have any of you seen this movie? Has your idea of what a literary agent is and does changed at all over the last few years or since you first began writing? 

When Traditional Publishers Go Digital

Lately I’ve been seeing this article making the rounds about how, for the first time, a traditional publisher has decided to open up a two-week window for un-agented manuscripts to be submitted and considered for their digitally published catalog. 

Now, I'm all for traditional publishers giving un-agented manuscripts a chance. Of course!  What bothers me about this solicitation is the fact that the manuscripts will only be published in e-book format. Don't get me wrong, I think houses opening themselves up to a digitally-published-only catalog can be a great thing for publishers and authors alike. 

But it does lead to some questions.

With free publishing options like amazon’s createspace for kindle, lulu, barnes & noble free publishing for nook, and smashwords, I have to wonder what a traditional publisher could possibly bring to the table for authors publishing digitally?

A few things to consider:

Free editing, formatting and book cover. 

With a traditional publisher, at least you can be sure your book will be clean and well presented.  But, this could also be a drawback. What if you don’t like the cover they’ve chosen? Would they be willing to change it? With self-publishing, if sales are low or your cover seems outdated you have the freedom to do something about it. 

Free marketing. 

I assume, if the book will be listed with a traditional publisher, it would receive the same publicity as agented and hard copy books from their catalog- a listing on publisher’s marketplace, epublicities on major book sites, entry into coveted reviewer blogs, swag, invitations to book conventions, etc…But something tells me a traditional publisher isn’t going to spend the same amount of time or money on a book that’s only coming out in ebook format. In any case, it’s something I’d be curious about.

Would the contract be standard?

How would the royalty rights be split? If the contract is at industry standards, why the solicitation for un-agented authors? Once the contract acquired, would the publishing house object to the author having an agent or legal professional take a look? Would they agree to negociations if the contract is found subpar?

It’s every author’s dream to see their book on a shelf somewhere. Would hard copy sales be an option if the ebook sold well? 

It would seem a shame, to me, to be signing over the chance to ever hold your book in your hands when you sign a digital publishing contract. 

What are your thoughts on traditional publishers opening themselves up to a digitally-published-only catalog? When weighing the options, do you think un-agented authors would be in a better place career-wise to go with a traditional publisher or head out on their own indie-stye?

Across the Border

For those of you like myself, who have been in the query trenches for awhile, you know how hard it can be to break through that very first barrier. You search for an opening wherever you can, perfect your query and make the dive across hostile territory where overflowing inboxes, slush mail, hung-over interns and form rejections stare you down with their semi-automatics, just ready to shoot and explode your dreams into smithereens. (Which they do. On countless occasions)

And yet you continue to stare across that border and keep trying, hoping one day you’ll find a well-dug hole you can wiggle through or a gaping tear in the chain-link fence that separates you from the land where traditionally published dreams come true.

So, of course, when one of your comrades-in-arms makes it through to the other side, it is a HUGE cause for celebration; Not only for the author themselves, but for every one of us still here on the other side. Through their success, we know that  1- it can be done. And 2- one of the good ones has made it through. Thus our traditional dream is reaffirmed. 

Today is one of those awesome occasions where our blogosphere is coming together to celebrate Writer's Ally aka SA Larson blogger Sheri Larson’s successful leap into the realm of the represented! She recently signed with agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary and is holding an incredible Bigger Than a Shopping-Mall Giveaway! Critiques, free books, swag and fun paraphernalia are all up for grabs in the form of three raffles by rafflecopter:
Giveaway #1 a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway #2 a Rafflecopter giveaway


Grand Prize Giveaway (for this, you must be entered in either #1,#2, or both)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A huge congratulations to Sheri and I can’t wait to hear more about her project as it continues to duck through revisions, editor’s desks, and acquisitions meetings all the way to the printing press!

For those already-published authors out there, what did YOU do the day you got an agent or first held your book in your hands? How did you celebrate? And for those like myself, how do you think you’ll celebrate making it over your biggest publishing hurdles? Champagne on ice? Dinner out? Online contests or festivities?  All of the above?:)

FMFB: How Much Does the Self-Pub Revolution Really Influences the Big Six?

After five weeks away from the blogosphere, there’s nothing I need more than a good ol’ fashioned Friday Morning Follower’s Bloffee. Today our virtual breakfast potluck is taking place at the gorgeous bed and breakfast I stayed in my last week of vacation. The old farm house is seated back off a scenic route in a quiet corner of Connecticut, surrounded by gardens and forests. It was seriously a perfect place for a little writerly getaway. (Not that I got any writing done whatsoever.)



So, for any newbies - all you have to do to participate in bloffee is:

1. Comment. 2. Tell us what you’ve brought for breakfast. ( I'll be serving up some virtual texas omelettes. It's what I'm in the mood for:)  3. Find someone in the comments section you don’t recognize and check out their blog. Voila! An instant friend and potential follower connection has been made.



So, any particular posts that stuck with you this week? I was pleasantly surprised, after Wednesday's post, to see this post by Nathan Bransford, where he declares the gatekeepers to publishing have been replaced by ‘influencers’.  While I agree with this in some respects, I’m not sure this development holds a ton of weight when it comes to traditional publishing. Sure, maybe trends will be set by indie-published books (Like Fifty Shades) that will have traditional houses following suit, but, as far as I can see, it hasn’t really changed the way the big six acquire material on a large scale, has it? I mean, I assume they’re following trends and keeping their eyes open, but everything I’ve read and heard in the last few months leads me to believe the power-houses are still operating pretty much the same. What do you guys think?


Hope you all have a great weekend!


*CQG*

The Flaw

A couple weeks ago, I got a rejection email from an agent who had requested a partial manuscript.  She was really nice and supportive and enthusiastic about my work. But inevitably, she passed due to some writing and grammar mistakes she’d noticed. And, from looking at my synopsis, she wasn’t sure the major plot issues would be resolved satisfactorily. 


Now, I should take heed, right? Be honored that an agent went out of their way to give me specific feedback? But to be honest, all I could think was ‘well, that’s a shame. If she liked my writing as much as she professed to and laughed out loud so much, she probably would’ve been pleasantly surprised, had she kept reading.’ Things like this remind me just how flawed the path to traditional publication can be.

I imagine manuscripts going into an agent’s inbox like a used-car lot.  Some cars are in better shape than others. Some run but still need serious work in order to get you anywhere.  But in the end, any of them could get you where you’re going eventually and each of them is perfect for a specific kind of driver.


But there’s only one customer in the whole lot. 


The Agent.


And The Agent will only look at cars of a specific make, model and color. At this point, they’re not sure how much work a car needs or if it even runs. But they decide they’ll only take the metallic green BMWs for a test spin.


Out of the ten cars that perk their interest, two won’t start, three need serious work, four need some subtle reparations but could easily shine, and one is in tip-top condition.


But, didn’t I tell you? The agent has a very limited budget. And what they secretely hope is to find a brand-new model amongst all these used cars. A diamond in the rough. Something that will take them for miles and miles. In short- they’re looking for reasons not to buy one of these used ones, still holding out for that spanking-new dream car.


But even so, she takes five-out-of-those-ten cars for a test run. 


Three don’t make it past the driveway. One has a funny smell. Another has a plush interior. The Agent wanted leather. The third....well the third’s seat just didn’t fit her ass the right way.


The model that’s in the best shape is driven all the way to the local Mcdonalds. The Agent orders a value meal. She eats in the car. She thinks this car might be okay! It runs well. Gets her where she wants to go. But then, on the way back to the dealership, she realizes it has a funny smell too. Kind of like fried onions. (hmn. Wonder why?) She passes.


The last car doesn’t run as well. It also has a smell, but it smells a little like vanilla and cinnamon. The interior is plush but, even though The Agent prefers leather, the seat fits her ass just right. In short, it’s not exactly what she wanted. It’s what she didn’t know she wanted- a car that gets her where she wants to go and is a joy to ride in.


So she takes the car. She repairs the car and takes it to a manufacturer/distributor and convinces them to have a thousand more models made just like it for the general public. Not because it runs the best. Or because it’s the shiniest or a lot of people will look at that car and think ‘Oh, I’d love to take that one for a spin!’. But, because she enjoyed being in the car. So she figures others will too.  After all, she’s got a few editor friends who’s asses are shaped just the same way as hers. 


But it won’t be the case for everyone. There were a lot of other colors, makes and models in that used-car lot that may never see the light of day. And if one-hundred avid drivers of BMW’s were allowed into the lot, instead of that one agent, maybe 75% would have preferred the blue metallic over the green or wouldn’t have pulled into that Mcdonalds and made the tip-top model smell like onions. Everyone is different. Yet, what is brought into the traditionally published world is based on the personal tastes of a privileged few.


And that, right there, is the tragic truth of the matter.  *sigh*


There’s no doubt  that the path to traditional publication is flawed and the huge burst in popularity of some self-published titles only proves this theory. Did you ever have a moment where ‘the flaw’ became abundantly, painfully clear and discouraging? Do you think, in light of recent developments in the publishing industry, things should change? 

That Is the Question

So, the question about whether or not an author should self-publish has been beaten to a bloody gurgling pulp.  And the general consensus is, there is no right answer. There’s only what’s right for you. (I know.  About as helpful as a wet fish in the face. But it's true.)

For me, when I walk into a book store, I just know. –I want to see my book in there so bad it hurts. I want to see it in windows and on shelves. I live in France so I’d like to have foreign rights sold and see it over here too.

In short, I want a traditional publishing contract.

Which means I might remain the Creepy Query Girl for years to come before being bumped up to Creepy Client status.

And I’m okay with that.

That said, I’m not closed to self-publishing.

In fact, I already have a project I’m thinking about putting out there. Why? Because I know I’ll never stop writing and living new adventures. It’s become a part of who I am and I don't feel like myself if I'm not working on something. I guess, my take is- even if a book wasn’t picked up by an agent, if I still believe it’s a worthy read that people will enjoy, why not share it?  Why hole it up on my hard drive forever, hidden from the world?

If it’s not ‘the book’ that will get me a traditional publishing contract, it can still be ‘a book’ that touches readers regardless.

I don’t think we need to pick one over the other.  But maybe that’s just me.

What about you guys? Do you think a line has been drawn between self published vs traditional published? If you’re thinking of self-pubbing, what’s the biggest obstacle for you? (I think we’re all well aware of the obstacles faced when you want to traditionally publish:)

FMFB- Debating the 'Indie' Label

Good Morning everybody and welcome to Friday Morning Follower’s Bloffee! The coffee is hot (or iced, depending on where you live). The weather in France is a blissful and sunny 27° Celsius. (I’m too lazy to see what this is in Fahrenheit, but I’m sure one of my smart commenters will clue me in:)

All you have to do to participate in bloffee is:

1. Comment. 2. Tell us what you’ve brought for breakfast. (Today I’m in the mood for eggs-over-easy, fresh baguette and some juicy grapes)  3. Find someone in the comments section you don’t recognize and check out their blog. Voila! An instant friend and potential follower connection has been made.

SO, like I usually do on these fair Friday brunches – I’ve chosen a topic from one of the various blogs I visited this week that has me thinking.

I came across an agent blog that asked self-published authors to stop using the term ‘indie’. Truth is, before reading the request, I’d never thought much about it.

 I’ve heard ‘indie’ used for both small press and self-published books in the past.  But the recent trend, as I’ve seen it, is that the term is being used more and more to describe self-published authors. This doesn’t really bother me one way or another but I was wondering how other authors (whether unpublished, traditional published or self published) felt about it?

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

*CQG*