PUBLISHING? Have you tried it. Will you try it?

[HLGStrider]

Now we are in this section because we like to write, but writers come in many shapes and styles. Some of us write because we like to write and don't care if we are read. Others want to be read but only by a few. Others REALLY want to be read by everyone. . .and maybe make some money out of it.

So, how many of us are in the last catagory? How many of us are actively trying to get published? Have any of us done it? What experiences have you had?

I personally am working on publishing my novel, but I have not received any favorable responses. I have the writer's Market Guide and I'm thumbing through the pages to find a good publisher who may want what I have. You?

[IronParrot]

It is entirely my intention to eventually write a publishable work of fiction.

However, I want it properly agented, published and sold - i.e. accepted and put through the motions the old-fashioned way - and I don't plan to go through an online Print-On-Demand or self-publish or anything like that. To me, there are some pretty compelling reasons not to do that with anything other than a highly specialized limited-interest work.

If I recall, one Entmoot contributor actually had some success with self-publishing/PODs through iUniverse - here's a review of her book - so not all people feel the same as I do about getting something published through those channels. It's really a matter of preference, and it depends on the audience you want to reach.

I'm of the sort that would want his works to be read. The pay sucks, but what's more important to me is that a work is recognized by its readers as being really good. So by that measure, while I plan to send off a manuscript eventually, I won't do it until I'm satisfied with my level of work - draft after draft after draft. And that's the point at which serious editing begins.

[HLGStrider]

I'm skeptical of self-publishing because I know someone on another forum who does it, and they spend more than they make doing it. In other words, you couldn't do it as a livelihood. I might reach the point of doing it someday, but for now I still carry a little hope in the publishing jungle.

[IronParrot]

Well, the main problem with self-publishing isn't so much the income so much as the lack of exposure (which is related to the income, I suppose). You'll be published, you'll be listed on big online markets like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com, you'll be stocked in warehouses in case you're put on order - but the vast majority of the population buys books off the shelf, and the vast majority of book retailers don't stock self-published fiction.

I've heard it said that big-name publishers and agents would rather take on an unpublished author than one that self-published - because if you tell them you've had something published before, they ask you for the sales figures. And if you self-publish, those sales figures aren't going to be high (unless your work is an Internet phenomenon, but that's another story).

If you don't mind a limited audience or limited distribution, or if you have a very specific target audience that you know you can inform - then self-publishing sounds a lot nicer. It's really cool to physically handle a paperback containing your words.

But like you said, it really depends on your ambitions and who you think you're writing for.

The bottom line isn't a fight about self-publishing or not, though. In the spirit of this thread, it's really about meeting your aspirations for yourself as a writer.

That takes a lot of work, and from what I hear, the payoff is minimal.

[HLGStrider]

It is definitely a sort of work where you have to keep a day job.

[Elenka]

Interested in getting your non-fiction/satire/editorial-type work out there? A friend of mine is trying to start an online newspaper. We have the web address, we have the money to keep it going - what we need now are submissions and articles. Comics are also good. I don't know if anyone's interested, but if so, please contact me!

[Rosie Gamgee]

Originally Posted by HLGStrider

So, how many of us are in the last catagory?

Add one more. I've never finished a book in my life- oh, wait, yes I have: a picture book from when I was six or something- but I would like to, someday, and I want to get it published. I'm definately someone who wants her work put out there for others to read and enjoy, and maybe read again. I like the idea that something that came out of my head could entertain other people- make them laugh, cry, get angry, or be happy about life. I have a lot of books which I consider my favorites, and it would be neat to think of something of mine being that for someone else.
Big thoughts for someone who hasn't finished a book yet, huh?

[Eowyn, Lady of Rohan]

has anyone ever published a book? because i want to but i have a lot of questions.
a) what format should it be in?
b) what department should it be to?
c) is there an age limit?
thanx

[Embladyne]

As far as I know, there is no age limit for publishing books. But do you mean you want to be published, or you want to publish other people's (or your own) books? And I'm confused by your second question.
Good Luck, whatever you are planning!

[Earniel]

There was already a thread about publishing. Merging.

[Draken]

For an interesting insight into publishing your own short-print run factual book, have a look at

http://www.raygent.co.uk/where_to_start.html

It's about writing and selling a rugby league book in the UK, but there are some good general points on marketing, pitching the price, mark-ups to allow for retailers etc, might be of some use?

[ethuiliel]

Publishing... Ever since I started really writing, I've dreamed of getting published. But for me, writing is not about getting it published, and I'm realy protective about a lot of my writing, not letting even my closest friends see it. So, if I do get anything published, it will be a long time from now, and after a lot of hard work. And I'll definetly try it the old fashioned way. Self-publishing doesn't give the same sort of satisfaction.