How Do You Publish? #AmWriting #Publishing

24 Apr 2018 66 Comments

by Ritu in RiNoWRiMo, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: , , , , , ,

I’m still staying away from that first re-read of my legendary WIP…

#AmWriting

But it doesn’t stop me from having plenty of questions about what to do next.

I know I need to give it a once over, or twice, or thrice… you get the gist.

Ideally, then I will have a couple of Beta Readers check it out and see whether it is actually worthwhile and if it makes sense.

Then the next BIG decision is the whole publishing malarkey.

With Poetic RITUals, my poetry book, I went totally self-published. It was almost on a whim that I collated my poems, and got a great cover designed by Chris Graham of The Story Reading Ape Fame, stuck it on Createspace and KDP and bam! I had a book out there!

Poetic RITUals by [Bhathal, Ritu]

I didn’t go too crazy with my promotions, but then I was just happy to have something with my name on it, in print!

(But it’s available here of you want! myBook.to/PoeticRITUals)

Now I want to know which avenue to take with my fiction book.

Authors out there, please tell me… are you independently published, self-published, vanity or traditionally published?

What is your advice?

If I was to seek traditional publishing, who are good publishers to target?

Thank you in advance Peeps!

 

 

66 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. Hugh's Views and News
    Apr 26, 2018 @ 15:10:40

    I went the self-publishing route with Glimpses as, like you, I just wanted a book out there with my name on it. I probably rushed into it too much, though. I had a great deal of excellent feedback about the cover, but one thing that let the book down was the formatting, which I did myself. I’m just in the process of having Glimpses reformatted, and I can’t believe how much better it looks (I only saw it about an hour ago, but it blew my mind away with how it’s been formatted). Yes, I’m having to pay to have it formatted, but I only wish I had done that in the first place. I’ll certainly be using the same formatter again because he’s done a brilliant job. So, my one piece of advice is (if you can afford to do it), get you next book professionally formatted, Ritu.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Ritu
      Apr 26, 2018 @ 15:47:05

      Thank you for that Hugh!
      It all throws me a bit, but you know, it’s been a big part of my life, this 18 year old WIP, so if I’m gonna release it into the wild, I need to do it properly!!!!!! If that means a little expense, then so be it!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  2. Prajakta
    Apr 25, 2018 @ 11:12:19

    My mother had her book published by a traditional publisher – her book is in Marathi and well, the thought of self-publishing didn’t cross her mind. What worked for her is the reach the publishing house gave her and the platforms she could introduce the book at.

    I am still following this discussion though – what worked for one format may not always click with the other.

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. robbiesinspiration
    Apr 25, 2018 @ 04:43:12

    I am published with a small publisher, Ritu. It was a good start for me and I like the control of being self published. I have noticed that some of the traditionally published authors have reverted to self published. Shehanne Moore and Tina Frisco are two I know of. Maybe chat to them. They have posts on this topic too.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Ritu
      Apr 25, 2018 @ 05:56:22

      Thanks Robbie. The idea of a small publisher appeals to me too… with them, I’m guessing you don’t need to have a literary agent? You would be reaching out direct to them?
      You appear to get the support that a traditional publishing house may give, technically, yet retain more control over your actual work?
      The promotional side is the toughie I suppose!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. Audrey Driscoll
    Apr 25, 2018 @ 02:05:17

    As others have said, you may find the experience of seeking traditional publishing a worthwhile one. Prepare for long waits and / or disappointments. I had some “near misses” with my first couple of books before deciding life was too short. I was delighted to discover the self publishing option. The only thing I’ve spent more than a little on was professional cover designs. Advice says a good cover is needed for sales, but I think it also honours your work to package it beautifully. You may not have to spend a lot if you know a good graphic designer with whom you can work out a reasonable deal. Otherwise, I did all my own formatting and published my ebooks with Smashwords and Amazon KDP, and the print versions through Amazon’s CreateSpace. There is no cost for doing this. I’ve heard rumours that Amazon may shut down CreateSpace, but it’s now possible to publish in print through KDP. kAnother ebook publishing option (similar to Smashwords) is Draft2Digital (D2D). I haven’t used them, but some authors say they’re good. You can pay for formatting services if doing it yourself is just too crazy. Formatting for print is trickier than for ebook. You could do research on all this stuff while your manuscript is being beta-read. There is a lot of support among WordPress bloggers, like the links Chris posted, so you won’t be alone no matter which route you choose.
    Good luck! And congratulations on getting to this point.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Ritu
      Apr 25, 2018 @ 05:53:41

      Thank you so much Audrey for all your advice!
      When I published my poetry book I got the cover done by a great professional, and the rest I did myself.
      Formatting that for ebook was much tougher than the print copy, as I needed to make sure each poem was central, and that the page breaks were accurate, no matter what font size a reader decided to use!
      The Print copy was relatively easy, as I used the CreateSpace templates.
      I don’t know why, but the thought of a traditional publishing house accepting my manuscript is a dream… Though I fear I’ll need to find an agent…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. claire plaisted
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 17:48:47

    Reblogged this on Plaisted Publishing House and commented:

    Self Published…though i now own a Small Press Publishing Company which is 4 years old this year. I assist others get their work published by making connections with others and working on their manuscripts. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. You Can Always Start Now
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 15:42:49

    I’ll be interested in hearing the information also.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Bryan Fagan
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 13:17:41

    Before you do anything you need beta readers and/or an editor. If you end up self-publishing you will not have to be as strict in this category but if you go the other rout you will.

    The experience of putting your work out there for agents and publishers to see is worth it, in my opinion. You get to see how it all works. You may land an agent and/or publisher or you may not but overall you learn new things along the way.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  8. The Owl Lady
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 11:58:27

    I started out as an Indie but after using different grammar and spelling checkers I decided to go with a publisher.
    I use Southern Owl Publications, LLC to publish my books. They are very good and work with you on your books. I highly recommend them. You can find them on all the social media sites. @v@ ❤

    Liked by 3 people

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  9. The Owl Lady
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 11:55:50

    Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. OIKOS™-Redaktion
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 11:06:14

    Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Margaret Lynette Sharp
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 10:23:38

    I’m self-published. It’s easy to do. I like having control over my work. Some of my (many) titles have made a few dollars. Most haven’t done so well, yet, but it’s good to have a back-list. I know a number of authors who make a good income through self-publishing. That said, the majority of s.p. writers I know don’t make more than a few thousand dollars a year.

    Liked by 2 people

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  12. Liberty on the Lighter Side - (LoLS)
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 10:09:49

    I’m interested to hear this too. Well done on getting your poetry out there, I think that’s half the battle won – just seeing your name in print. I’m only half way through the first draft of my WIP and there’s a little niggly voice in my head telling me that unless I get it published independently, I won’t have the approval of the ‘establishment’ telling me it’s good enough!! If books sell whether they are self published or independent published then maybe it boils down to the simple choice of whether we need approval from others to tell us they like our writing enough to publish it? (self belief and all that!)

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • colinandray
      Apr 24, 2018 @ 10:17:13

      It’s a little more complicated than that. There are costs involved in getting a book into the market place. If you can get a publisher interested, then they will take the financial risk however, unless you are a celebrity, they are unlikely to take that risk. That is why self-publishing came into being. Self-publishing gives you choices of keeping costs to absolute minimum, or using selected professional services. Finally, writing the book and getting it published is only a part of the process. Marketing is necessary for (hopefully) obvious reasons, and doing that on a budget is challenging and very demanding.

      Liked by 2 people

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      • Liberty on the Lighter Side - (LoLS)
        Apr 24, 2018 @ 10:20:17

        Thanks for all of that information, it makes sense that the marketing is the biggest consideration really.

        Liked by 1 person

      • colinandray
        Apr 24, 2018 @ 10:26:12

        On a positive note though, unless you have dreams of making a lot of money, then marketing can be see in a different perspective. i.e. it is incredibly rewarding to just hold your very own book. You will sell a number of copies via family and friends and, of course, from your Blog. Sales above that can be considered a bonus and, based on my sales record, that bonus might average 1 or 2 per month. Don’t be detered by the logistics …. just do it!

        Liked by 3 people

      • Liberty on the Lighter Side - (LoLS)
        Apr 24, 2018 @ 10:29:30

        Thanks for the encouragement! Writing the book seems daunting enough. 😦 I tell you what really depresses me is all the novels I see in the pound shops and Mr Price. I’d HATE to see my book there as they all seem a bit forlorn and forgotten!

        Liked by 1 person

      • colinandray
        Apr 24, 2018 @ 10:34:53

        That probably will not happen because self-publishing usually uses the P.O.D. system (Print on Demand). This in turn means that only books that have been sold are printed. You can have stores stock your book, but then if it does not sell, they expect their money back. You can buy book return insurance but it is expensive. I would suspect that it is those books that find their way into discount stores.

        Liked by 2 people

      • Ritu
        Apr 24, 2018 @ 12:04:43

        Very true Colin!

        Liked by 2 people

    • Ritu
      Apr 24, 2018 @ 12:04:21

      Self approval is definitely a big thing I think!
      Thanks!
      I think for my fiction, I’d like that external approval, though I have to say, a the moment, I like what I’ve written lol!!!!
      It took me 18 years to finish this!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. Stevie Turner
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 09:58:16

    Self published. It works well for me as I have full control. I did have a couple of tries with small publishers, but it didn’t work out.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. colinandray
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 09:39:58

    My two books are both technically considered self-published, but I did use the professional services of FriesenPress re editing, cover design, layout, registration, and making available for P.O.I. They also coordinate the royalties for me. Those services did, of course, come with a price.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. The Story Reading Ape
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 08:49:28

    Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:

    Ritu needs your advice…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. raynotbradbury
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 08:34:54

    I’ll try to send around..traditional would be best, but it is difficult 😭

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  17. TanGental
    Apr 24, 2018 @ 07:25:01

    Boy that’s a discussion. I’m very much self published and have a number of thoughts. But it would be better to chat or meet and talk sometime. Drop me a mail if you’d like that and we can sort out something

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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