Hi all!
Lovely to see you here. If you check out my sidebar, you'll see I've read 28 of my 120 books for the goodread's challenge. Many are Paris inspired which is what led me to today's post.
An author who writes Paris-inspired novels contacted me through goodreads and I've been very happy to check out her blog. Recently I read her interview on Huffington Post where she recounted about her publication journey.
An author who writes Paris-inspired novels contacted me through goodreads and I've been very happy to check out her blog. Recently I read her interview on Huffington Post where she recounted about her publication journey.
Everyone has their unique 'publication' story. It's a topic I'm always interested in, so I invited Adria to visit my blog and share her thoughts re Indie and Traditional publishing.
So settle back and enjoy what Adria has to say.
An Indie Path to Publication
By Adria J. Cimino
Is there a ‘right’ way to publish?
I used to have a literary agent. I still
remember my delight the day I signed the contract, naively thinking I was on my
way to success. Months passed. Years passed... The glory days of self-publishing arrived, and I watched the books of self-published authors and those publishing with smaller houses climb the rankings. My agent agreed to publish my debut novel as an e-book through his agency’s imprint but told me I would be on my own in terms of marketing.
As my indie friends continued to progress,
I found myself stagnating. My novel, “Paris, Rue des Martyrs,” was literary
fiction and I soon learned that many readers of literary fiction prefer print
books to e-books. So much of my audience actually wouldn’t even have access to
my book!
My literary agent was set on the e-book path,
and our strategies simply diverged. The decision seemed obvious, yet felt like
free falling. Drop the agent. And so I did, going for the free fall. A scary
proposition for someone like me, who had imagined that traditional path to
publication for so long.
I could have self-published, but another
idea was cooking in my mind. There were plenty of new authors around who found
themselves in situations similar to mine. And that is how Velvet Morning Press
was born.
Fellow author Vicki Lesage and I joined
forces, pooled our skills and formed this small indie publishing house, aimed
at publishing our books as well as the books of others. Why not take all that
we learned in editing and marketing our own books and apply it across a broader
scale? We moved forward, full speed ahead.
We re-released “Paris, Rue des Martyrs” in
paperback as well as in e-book format. We published a multi-author short story
anthology, “That’s Paris: An Anthology of Life, Love and Sarcasm in the City of
Light,” and released my second novel, “Close to Destiny.”
Next up, on April 17:
“Legacy,” a short story anthology including award-winning author Kristopher
Jansma and New York Times best seller
Regina Calcaterra.
Through my work marketing my own book and
now my work with Vicki Lesage at Velvet Morning Press, I realize that there
isn’t one “right” way to publish. One thing is certain though: More and more
authors are turning to some form of indie publication.
How to make the decision?
Here are the positives/negatives I considered
before choosing what path to take:
Indie
Positives: shorter time to publication,
higher percent of royalties, larger role in decision making
Negatives: difficulty getting the attention
of major media, difficulty getting into some bookshops
Big
Publisher:
Positives: easier access to major media,
greater access to bookshops
Negatives: lower royalties, cash advances
are lower than in the past, longer time to publication
And what’s equal? Publicity. Unless you’re
J.K. Rowling, chances are, even if you are published through a large publishing
house, you will have to pitch in to some degree on your own marketing.
So there you have it, my story and a few
tips so that you can embark on your story.
Happy Writing!
Thanks for visiting with us today Adria. So...if you'd like to check out Adria's books, here are the links. I'm currently reading 'close to destiny' and am enraptured.
BOOK
LINKS:
“Close to Destiny”:
http://www.amazon.com/Close-Destiny-Adria-J-Cimino/dp/0692346945
“Paris, Rue des Martyrs”:
http://www.amazon.com/Paris-Rue-Martyrs-Adria-Cimino/dp/0692335072
“That’s Paris”:
http://www.amazon.com/Thats-Paris-Anthology-Sarcasm-Light/dp/0692340114
Adria
J. Cimino is the author of novels “Paris, Rue des Martyrs” and “Close to
Destiny” and is co-founder of indie publishing house Velvet Morning Press
(http://www.velvetmorningpress.com). She also is a contributor to short story
anthology “That’s Paris.” Prior to jumping into the publishing world full time,
she spent more than a decade as a journalist at news organizations including
The AP and Bloomberg News. Adria is a member of Tall Poppy Writers (http://tallpoppies.org/) a community
of writing professionals committed to connecting authors with each other and
with readers. In addition to writing fiction and discovering new authors, Adria
writes about her real-life adventures in her blog “Adria in Paris.” (http://adriainparis.blogspot.com/). You also
may learn more about Adria and her work by visiting her website at http://ajcimino.com/ or following
her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Adria_in_Paris.- If you're published, share a little of the path you took to achieve your goal.
- If you're still seeking publication, how is your journey going?Check out Velvet Morning Press.
- Did Adria's story help you in any way?
36 comments:
Every time I read something like this I become happier with the fact that the one book I began to write never got completed. The whole industry would be too much for me to handle.although I am continually glad that authors continue to do so.
Adria, that was tough to see your book flounder at first, but you found a way to be successful.
I'm with a small press who fortunately does do some marketing, but I am expected to hold up my end and more. So far, I've been very happy with the process.
Adria, you found a way to do without the middleman -- you became the middle, ah, person. :-) I am happy that you found a path to make your dream come true or at least a part of it. There is becoming high profile like JK Rowling left.
Thanks to self-publishing, I have been able to write my novels in an inter-connected skein of stories which I never would have been able to do. Now, the next step: obtain readers! :-)
Here's wishing you high sales for each of the books in your small publishing imprint.
Great post! There really is no "right" way--just what's right for each author!
This was interesting to read. I only write my blog and am not wishing to write a book – and not in English, which is not my native language. The funny thing is that I grew up in Paris about one block from the Rue des Martyrs (lived on rue Condorcet, you can see it on Google map.) I mean it sounds so very familiar and to write a book about it seems funny to me, as it was just a street I walked by almost daily. Thanks for coming to my blog but I did not post your second comment because the baby I showed is not my grand-daughter. I guess I was not clear, she is not related to me but to my daughter. She is my daughter’s brother and sister in law’s child, but she sure is cute.
Shows there's lots of "right" ways these days. You just have to be inventive and use the talents you have on hand.
Hi, Denise, Hi, Adria...
Glad your journey is a happy one for you now. Helping other authors follow their journey is very admirable. Congrats to you and your authors. May you all have great success and many happy readers!
Denise,
Thanks for featuring Adria! It was terrific to read another success story....
It is still a tough decision to make. I'm still undecided, so not querying, but also not working at indie either. Quicker publication does not equate to instant readers; and I'm lousy at marketing. It is good to see success stories though.
Hi Alex, Glad to hear things are going well for you. There is certainly an advantage of doing some of your own marketing because it gives you some control. Rather than just watch everything unfold, you can be part of it! Good luck!
Thank you, Roland! The visibility factor is always the challenge for self-published authors and small presses. But little by little, through hard work, you will grow your fan-base. I find social networks are really key. Good luck!
Hi Michael, Thank you! It's a lot of hard work, but each time we publish a book and get positive reviews, it makes everything worthwhile.
Hi Jo, It is a very tough road -- even for authors who are published through big publishing houses! Thanks for reading!
Thanks, Meradeth! Exactly... There are many roads to success!
How interesting! The Rue des Martyrs has become more and more popular over the past 10 years. I think it's because it really represents a Parisian neighborhood, with all of the little shops and just the general atmosphere... Thanks for reading!
My thoughts exactly! Thanks for stopping by!
It is a tough decision. And anyone who says quicker publication (or slower publication through a big publishing house) means instant readers is lying. Gaining an audience takes time. For a new author, it's a long road--but there is great potential for success too!
Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Denise!! Happy reading :)
Congrats to Adria! My own publishing journey is starting to resemble hers. Like she did, I should "join forces' with some people to help me along.
Denise - Someone recently mentioned to me they wanted a group that writes flash fic. I remembered you but couldn't remember your blog name (blush!). Now I found you again -- and I've lost the letter from the person who wanted flash fic links! I'm stretched too thin ... but I hope to find them and pass on your link soon. :)
Hi Denise and Adria - it's always so interesting to hear others' stories ... Adria shows the importance of tying in (befriending) with other writers at conferences etc etc ... and pooling resources makes sense.
Love the Paris overtone of the post - and the stories available here ... cheers to you both - and good luck with publication .. Hilary
I think it's cool that Adria and other writers formed their own press. Her book definitely is on my TBR list, as I love all things Paris, and the title and book cover look great.
My own path to publication had some parallels to Adria's. I had an agent for awhile, and learned a lot from her through successive rewrites, but we parted ways when she wanted changes that I felt violated the premise of the book and the characters to make it more competitive for submission to the big publishing houses. The book involves Sherlock Holmes, and, and in American the Conan Doyle Estate still has the copywrite for Holmes-related books. I already had the license, but after I left my agent, I contacted the lawyer again and sent him the latest version, and he suggested MX Publishing, which specializes in Holmes-related books. So . . . the book is going to be published in June! My head is still spinning. It's a small press, and I know that my agent wouldn't have wanted to submit to them, because her own eyes were on the bigger prize, so to speak. Meanwhile, I love my publisher and the other authors I've met through MX, and I'm so happy I went the route that I did.
It interesting that your audience prefers print books. That's a good thing to know. And congrats on finding your path and publishing. Best of luck.
Thank you, Lexa! Good luck with everything!
Hi Hilary, Yes teamwork really is so important!
Thank you, Elizabeth! Your book sounds interesting too. Congratulations!
It's great to offer both ebook and print formats; that way, there is something for everyone!
Pretty much shows there is more than one way to skin a cat. Although the cat may not like me using that lol
I think every writer has their own right way to publication, and that's way makes publishing so unique for each of us. :) I'm with a small press and they do some marketing, but I'm fine with taking up most of the burden. Although, it would be nice to have them do it all. ;)
Congratulations to Adria!
Joining forces is a great way to go. The indie route is becoming more and more appealing.
There is a lot to like about all the routes to publishing - lots of research is required to make the right choice for each person :)
It's great to hear this from someone else, Denise. I totally understand the agent feeling and then the wait and the nothing. I love that we now have real options.
Hi, Denise and Adria,
Adria has had an interesting journey indeed. I'm wholeheartedly in agreement to taking your future in your hands and doing what needs to be done.
Congratulations to Adria!
Unfortunately, if one is a writer with no discretionary income and no interest in becoming a publisher, the paths converge at traditional—whether it be via a small press or one of the big five.
VR Barkowski
I think what will eventually push indie publishing over the edge will be the death of the big bookstore chains (B&N, specifically). It hinges largely on B&N, honestly. Here in Nashville, we have a HUGE indie bookstore downtown that very openly supports local authors. They'll take an author's book on consignment if he/she isn't traditionally published. However you're published, you're going to have to do some major marketing yourself to get the word out, though. Your publisher will only be able to do so much with the resources they have. Publishers can also get exposure to libraries and schools--which is huge for children's authors. Not so much for adult authors, I'm guessing!
I always love to read about the path to publication for different authors. Everyone's story is so unique! It was great to learn about Adria and how she started her company and why. I am glad she made the right decision for her book! It sounds like getting in print was very important. Thanks for sharing this post with us and wishing Velvet Morning Press much success! :)
~Jess
We have to do what's best for us and our books. We have many options available to us these days. I've parted ways with agents, although one day I'd like to be agented again. I've had success the small press route, and I wouldn't rule out self-publishing for myself.
Congratulations to Adria! Happy that your strategy worked and your book is out there with readers now!
It sounds a wonderful read, like Denise says...it's Paris!
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