[stylist] Self-publishing

Tue Jan 1 18:58:38 UTC 2013

Donna, Yes, I did get Robert's message. I do not feel that means that
nobody has an opinion gained from experience and I would never do something
someone said just because they said so. That would be the act of an idiot,
which I am not. Just looking for as much input as possible thank you. Eve

On Tue, Jan 1, 2013 at 10:04 AM, Donna Hill <penatwork at epix.net> wrote:

> Eve,
>  As Robert stated, there are two recordings of monthly conferences that are
> available on the Writers' Division site, and I posted a link  to a
> comparison of some of the major players. Have you delved into these
> resources?
>
> I think the most important advice I can give you is to educate yourself and
> make your own choices based on how you feel about what you learn. I
> personally wouldn't want to be responsible for telling someone to use a
> specific service and then find out they weren't happy with my advice.
> Publishing is scary stuff, and self education is the only hedge against it
> that any of us have.
>
> For instance, if I use one service and a year later you use it based on my
> having been happy, you may end up glossing over new comments by other
> writers about changes which have happened in the interim. There are blogs
> and articles all over the web, as well as forums in which people share
> their
> experiences. I find that Googling a specific issue or "problems with ..."
> in
> which you name the company you're curious about, helps me get a handle on
> it. In the end, it's a risk, and there's no way around that.
> Donna
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eve Sanchez
> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2013 12:07 PM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>  Subject: Re: [stylist] Self-publishing
>
> Donna, Thanks for the wonderful information. You were so thorough that it
> makes one rethink the world of self-publishing with an informed mind. I
> wonder if you or anyone else has counsel on particular companies or not.
> Would love to hear more. Eve
>
> On Mon, Dec 31, 2012 at 3:45 PM, Donna Hill <penatwork at epix.net> wrote:
>
> > Bridgit,
> > Here are some thoughts about self-publishing. First, if I were your
> > age, I would have given finding an agent/publisher more of a try, but
> > time looks different from this side of 60. I would always recommend
> > that authors try to get an agent for the simple reason that it is a
> > wonderful way to learn about the industry. You also might get lucky. I
> > tried it for about 4 months before I became overwhelmed with the
> > perception that I was wasting my time.
> >
> > Unless you really have an in with the industry, unpublished authors
> > need an agent to get anywhere with large and medium-sized publishers.
> > First, you need to research which ones are either scam artists or just
> > don't have the connections and history to get you to the publisher you
> > want. Then, you send everything out that each of their submission
> > guidelines requires -- this is almost never the same twice, so you
> > need different types of query letters, different length synopses and
> > so on. Then, if you get someone interested in you, it's back and forth
> > till that contract is signed. Then, you wait.
> > Maybe
> > they find a publisher within 6 months to a year or whatever. Then,
> > you're back and forth with that contract. Then, their people will edit
> > the book, so that takes time, and the changes may or may not be
> > something you can live with. Eventually, they publish the book and
> > place it in whatever retail markets they work with.
> >
> > Now, you get busy and set up book signings, workshops, any kind of
> > public appearance you can think of to get the book out there. Then,
> > you also have to work within whatever deadline the publisher has for
> > the book to sell x number of copies. If it doesn't sell that many in 6
> > months or a year, you're on your own. Retail stores have deals with
> > publishers (including self-published authors) in which the
> > publisher/author agrees to take (well,
> > buy) back the unsold books after a certain length of time.
> >
> > Since self-publishing is relatively new, there are a lot of professors
> > and other professionals who don't like or recommend it, especially
> > those who are older and grew up without these new options.
> > Nonetheless, it continues to make inroads into the bottom line of the
> > major companies, and they continue to have to adjust their thinking to
> > it. For instance, the publisher used to set up at least some of your
> > promotional appearances, which is unheard of nowadays for first-time
> > writers, and they used to give a new book longer before dropping it
> > and claiming it as a tax write-off.
> >
> > The reality is that self-publishing has it's pros and cons. You bear
> > the entire cost and responsibility for the initial publication. This
> > has come down considerably, however, since the dawn of print on demand
> > and e-book publishing. Also, there are certain awards that you can't
> > apply for unless you're with a publisher that has more than one signed
> author.
> >
> > However, with self-publishing, you get more of a return per book,
> > because your expenses after the initial cost are limited to what
> > percentage you agree to pay your distributors. Also, there are more
> > and more awards which include self-published authors.
> >
> > Also, the tendency with self-published authors is to not get thorough
> > copy editing done. My sighted husband says that this is getting worse
> > within the major publishing houses as well; he's finding more mistakes
> > nowadays. As many mistakes as my friends found in my books and as many
> > as I found myself, even after multiple readings, I'm reasonably
> > certain that it isn't possible to get it perfect, but it's crucial to
> > give it due diligence. Hiring copy editors is a thorny problem in
> > itself. Agents are generally willing to do only the most cursory of
> > editing; they want it as good as you, using all of your resources, can
> > make it before you hand it over. One of the scams out there is that an
> > agent loves your book and suggests that you hire so and so to edit it
> > for a large fee. Sometimes, these are people who are working together
> > under cover of separate business names.
> >
> > Some of the print on demand services offer copy editing in their
> > various packages, but I haven't used it yet, so I can't comment on
> > whether they're any good. I might purchase a package that has a round
> > of copy editing in it, so I might be able to comment more thoroughly
> > later on. Regardless, I'm sure that I would never advise anyone to
> > rely on that.
> >
> > I didn't hire anyone, but I had professors and other education and
> > writing professionals including a friend who is a former newspaper
> > writer who has a bit of a talent for it, who I convinced to read it.
> > Many of them gave me excellent feedback, and not just on spelling and
> > word usage. Hopefully, you have friends and family who are willing to
> > give you their real opinions and thoughts without worrying about
> > hurting your feelings. The worst thing you can hear from someone who
> > reads your book prior to publication is "it was good."
> >
> > Every reader is different, and though you aren't going to take every
> > suggestion, it's important to get some clue as how the book is being
> > perceived by others. One reader told me that I used the characters'
> > names too much, which led me into a much clearer consciousness of why
> > and when I use dialog tags. Several people mentioned that they would
> > have liked more of a description of how my legally blind character
> > sees. I was initially following the tactic I use in my article writing
> > -- not mentioning blindness up front till I have the reader interested
> > in something else. I had taken this to extremes , with very little
> > mention of her vision except as it related to things like using a
> > guide dog or reading Braille or audio books.
> > Nonetheless, I listened to my readers and added just a few short
> passages.
> > I'm glad I did. An optometrist who is one of 45 worldwide to have
> > earned the highest level of certification in low vision care, agreed
> > to read the book.
> > She singled out the first of these passages as the best description of
> > the realities of low vision she had ever read. Also, she ended up
> > writing a preface for educators in which she talks about learning,
> > through a little incident regarding one of my blind character's
> > classmates, how vital Braille was compared to audio learning. That one
> > tip from a couple of friends has led to a door-opener that I couldn't
> > have anticipated in my wildest imagination.
> >
> > BTW, Congratulations on your new baby! I remember all of the flack you
> > were getting about whether or not you should even try to get pregnant
> > in the first place. Kudos!
> > Donna
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit
> > Pollpeter
> > Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 8:39 PM
> > To: stylist at nfbnet.org
> > Subject: [stylist] Self-publishing
> >
> > I've been interested in self-publishing for years, but I go back and
> > forth on it. My professors at university were not fans of self
> > publishing, and they all, both in the English and fine arts
> > department, strongly discouraged it. But I have heard so much about it
> > and know many people who have done it, so I wonder what the draw is
> > other than you can publish a book whenever you feel like it without
> > going through other people. I currently have little time to write
> > because of my new baby, but I want to investigate all options
> > available. It's interesting to hear these perspectives.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, editor, Slate & Style Read my blog at:
> > http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
> >
> > "If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can
> > satisfy, we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another
> world."
> > C. S. Lewis
> >
> > Message: 9
> > Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2012 14:38:38 -0600
> > From: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com>
> > To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> > Subject: Re: [stylist] BookShare and libraries
> > Message-ID: <50DF54CE.9070208 at neb.rr.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> >
> > Donna,
> >
> > I appreciate your thoughts.  I understand wanting to get your book out
> > to as many people as possible and being comfortable with sacrificing
> > payment in order to do that.
> >
> > I guess I'm not quite in that same place.  Yes, I'd like people to
> > read my book, that's a huge reason I wrote it.  I'm not willing to
> > sacrifice the potential to earn something from the sale of the book
> though.
> >
> > I'm supportive of programs like libraries and BookShare.  I use both
> > NLS
> >
> > and my local library, although I have not used BookShare.  I think
> > they are an important resource to all people.  However I do also
> > purchase books.  I have purchased many ebooks, many more audio books
> > and when I can't find a book in any other format I will purchase the
> > print and scan
> >
> > it.  I think the main factor for me is whether or not I am willing to
> > wait for the library to get the book I want.  For example the final
> > Wheel of Time volume is coming out on the 8th.  I expect the library
> > will make it available, they have all the other books in the series.
> > However I want to read it along with the other fans when it is first
> > released.  I intend to purchase the Audible book.  I see it as a way
> > to support my favorite authors and to get the books I want when they
> > are released.
> >
> > I am aware of the issues with the Kindle hand held book reader.
> > However
> >
> > it is possible to read Kindle books on a nonKindle device.  There is a
> > free ap for the Apple i devices which allows a person to play Kindle
> > books on an iPad, iPhone or other similar device.  I don't think that
> > I'm excluding blind people from reading by making my book available
> > through Kindle, especially since it will also be available in other
> formats.
> >
> > You are correct that most self published authors make nothing from
> > their
> >
> > books.  I don't see that as a reason to give up before I've even tried
> > though.  I'd also venture a guess that most authors that go the
> > traditional publisher route also fail.  Most people who submit
> > manuscripts for publication will get nowhere.  That doesn't stop them
> > from continueing to try.  I think self publishing is the same way.
> > You have to keep trying and trying and trying until it works.  I think
> > many writers fail to make money from their books because they give up too
> soon.
> >
> > And I have to say thank you again.  Your comments helped me more than
> > I realized to clarify my own thoughts on this topic.  I thought I was
> > a lot more undecided, but reading back through what I wrote, I think
> > I've sorted out where I'm at with this issue and how I want to proceed.
> >
> > Julie
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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