Hello all!
Time for the #IWSG again!
August has been an especially busy month for me, what with organizing the merging of WEP with the IWSG for the purpose of joint writing challenges.
The inaugural August challenge is half over. We've had the sign ups on August 1, the posts on August 15, the winners announcement on August 26. The next post at WEP is the Guest Post. As well as winning an Amazon Gift Card, the winner, Tanya Miranda has been asked and agreed to write a guest post which is always a surprise treat.
If you'd like to keep in touch with what WEP/IWSG Writing Together challenges are up to, you can visit our site and subscribe to our email. If you have problems with that, email me and I'll add you manually.
On October 1, the new Halloween month challenge will go live and it's time to go through the process again.
It was great to see so many new writers join us in August. We hope even more of you will see the beauty of writing flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry to a prompt. Or taking the opportunity to get eyes on an extract of your WIP. Or just meeting a lovely, supportive bunch of writers to form new networks.
Alex's awesome co-hosts for the September 5 posting of the IWSG are Toi Thomas, T. Powell Coltrin, M.J. Fifield, and Tara Tyler!
Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!
Now, to the month's question -
September 5 question for the IWSG- What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?
I went through the process of doing all the work myself and self-publishing with Amazon years ago just to see how it worked. It wasn't that hard, but it's not what I have planned for the future.
I'm no expert, but I'm following experts and have shared in previous posts how I plan to publish when I'm ready...under a pen name which will be no secret. I don't want to bore you by talking about myself - my least favorite topic - but for the interests of adhering to the IWSG question, here's my pre-planned publication process. You'll note it is self-publishing. I have a contemporary novel with Avon books, but may end up self-pubbing that too. I am going to:
1. Write several books for what is called 'fast launch'. Having 1 book out there doesn't do you any favors. You need to grow a backlist quick smart (which is hard for a slow, perfectionist writer) which is why I'm writing several before I hit PUBLISH, probably using my friends at Draft2Digital.
2. Buy the best covers I can afford. As I'm writing a paranormal romance series, (I'm up to Book Three) I need to arrange for all the covers to be made by the same artist so they look same-ish and stunning, of course. I have sketched them out...woo hoo.
3. Even though I'm a savvy editor myself, I work with 2 close critique partners mainly for plotting and structure which I suck at and have a great beta reader who's more like an editor but a fraction of the price. I'm the Grammar Police, Punctuation Police, Spelling Police, Sentence-structure Police and the Thought Police (sorry, doing 1984 with my students) in one package, but still believe in hiring good editors.
So, all these things cost money. Hopefully, down the track I'll see some return for the years of lackadaisical laptop joy - gosh I love alliteration don't I?
How about you, best-selling authors? I'd be interested in hearing your comments. Maybe you think I have rocks in my head. Maybe...who knows? We all make our own path in the end.
Have a great month, everyone!
If you like the challenge of a juicy horror, ghost, edgy, paranormal whatever story, or can find a way to write a 'normal' story or poem for this prompt, join WEP/IWSG Writing Together for the October challenge:
You're most welcome!
Denise
When this goes live, I'm up in Northern Queensland visiting family. I will return the visit when I can.
27 comments:
Hi Denise - it's perseverance isn't it and planning - I'm sure you're right re the series to get you on the road of publication. Good for you - and realising you need that 'branding' via the covers ... good luck and in the meantime enjoy your family visit - and see you around here shortly - cheers Hilary
Definitely smart to have several books ready to go.
Looking forward to the next WEP challenge. I think I can do that one.
You are a work-a-holic Dx. I like that you have a plan though.
I'll try to be on time for the October prompt :)
I've certainly heard countless times that you need multiple titles out there. Good luck with the 'fast launch' approach. I'm too impatient for that. As soon as I've written and polished a story, it's out there. It'll take me a couple of years to get the next one out, but I'm OK with that. I figure this is a long haul game.
I'll definitely read your books once they're out. You seem to have a great plan in place, and having read your work, I know you'll have fans batting down your door very soon.
For me, I'm taking the traditional route, because that's just more me.
Now that I'm coming back to online life after a very sketchy presence all year, I plan to take part in the WEP-- will sign up in October!
My IWSG post should be up in a few hours, but in the meanwhile, I'm reading up on some, like yours.
Damyanti
As always I learned a lot from reading your post Denise. I now know that my meagre two novels aren't enough, I need to have a pile of them ready to publish. Like you it's time I thought ahead of editing, and covers and publishing - myself I think. Thanks for that. I'm looking forward to your books - I enjoyed the one I read. Can't wait for the October prompt.
I've just finished completing a Self-Publishing course offered by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. I'm really contemplating gathering all of my Flash Fiction stories and publishing them myself as well as publishing another book, The Child and The Prophet some of which I featured on my Everything Must Change Blog. I'm not sure yet. I want to go both routes. Right now, I am seriously thinking about it.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Invest in those covers. Pasted together stock art is not how you want your dream represented.
Happy #IWSG Day!
Thanks so much for sharing your publishing plan, Denise. It's good to have a plan. I usually just aim to publish at least one thing a year.
I'm looking forward to the Oct. WEP-IWSG challenge. I've already got my story lined up, but just need to make some magic, or at least try.
Happy IWSG day,and good luck with all the plans.
I love your plan, and since I always learn so much from you. I'm making a new plan for myself and my next release. Smoother is the goal!
You are one busy woman, and I hope the new plans for the combined efforts of the WEP/IWSG make things go much smoother for you too!
I think that's a great plan. I'm doing a bit of the same thing...ish. The stockpiling part anyway. It's the only way to go for slow pokes. ;)
I'm sure your October WEP is going to be terrific! Here's to many contributions.
Sounds like you have a great plan. Yes, there are costs to self-publishing, but it seems worth it. I admire your productivity too.
A good business-plan, Denise. Useful comments about the cover and the need for a back line.
That sounds like an excellent plan to me.
I have heard that, about three books. I have three out but in two different genres so I quickly realized that probably doesn't meet the criteria. Now, like you, I'll getting a trilogy out as quickly as possible.
Good luck on your efforts! I'll be following along!
Putting a bunch out at a time, or close together is good, but one thing that can backfire is people will buy one and not have time/money to get others. Plus, have low attention spans and with billions of books releasing, may forget about the others. So best to keep them coming in a steady stream for a while.
Already got our two entries done. Pat and cat shall play.
I like your approach of publishing several books at once. Definitely the thing to do, especially when it is a trilogy.
This sounds like a well thought out plan to me. I like it. I'd also like to think that I'd actually start writing enough to create a back catalog.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
'We all make our own path in the end.'
Nailed it. Defo a good idea to get a solid backlist in place. Go, Denise!
Hi Denise!
Always SOOOOOOOOO busy... LOL. Glad to hear you are still at it. Let me know if you need any help.... I have created many covers for writers who are self publishing and have lots of samples if you need me to send you some. AND if you need eyes, I am here. It is tough getting all of it to fit together.
Enjoy your time with your family!
That sounds like a great plan, especially getting them lined up to do a fast launch. Good luck with it!
Hi Denise,
Yes, we should always have a plan in place but alas some of us go ahead without a plan. (Like me!)
I have heard that nothing sells a book like another book. And good covers are very important. As is making sure the words inside are all up to snuff! All very true.
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