to self-publish or not

[SuzinIL]

The novel I have written is Christian suspense, but much of it centers around a Championship driver and NASCAR tracks. Because of this, I'm thinking that many sales could be had outside the normal bookstore and catalog sales--at places like NASCAR tracks and race team gift shops and drivers' vendor haulers.

Given this, plus the fact that I'm a new author and this is my first novel, so I'm assuming that a publishing house isn't probably going to be willing to spend a whole lot of marketing money on my book, would self-publishing be a better option for me. Take into consideration though, that marketing and sales is definately NOT my thing.

My main goal with this book is not to make as much money as possible (although I certainly would like to make some), but to get the book into as many hands as possible so the message inside (subtle, but there) will reach as many people as possible. My initial impression has been that the traditional route would be best, but the more I read about the lack of marketing done by the publisher and the longer it takes for me to get an agent (and for frustrating reasons like "I'm overwhelmed with my current clients" and "this doesn't suit our needs right now", then there's those who won't even accept a query because I'm not previously published and don't know one of their clients), I'm beginning to think that I should look more into self-publishing.

I would appreciate any and all opinions.
Thanks,
Suzanne :O)

[Gravity]

Plainly put Suzanne, for fiction, self-publishing is usually the kiss of death. Here are just a few of the reasons I say that. When you do it yourself there's no national distribution of your work, no sales force, no bookstore placement, and no reviews. Also, unless the author knows a good artist (or can pay for one), covers are usually clip-art. And not only is it tough to find a clip-art cover that really conveys your work visually to a buyer, most of them look plain cheap.

The author also has to buy their own ISBN, and after that buy enough copies of their novel to hand-sell when the need arises. All of this can run into some serious jack, several hundred to several thousands of dollars. And for what? Industry stats show the self-pubbed fiction author will sell, on average, seventy-five copies of their work, and most of those to people they already know by name.

That said, CAN self-publishing work? Sure. Eragon and The Celstine Prophecy come to mind. But the odds are astronomically long. An author either has to have their folks start a publishing company (as Eragon's author did), or be an absolute, nonstop, selling, marketing monster...as in, that becomes your job.

Bottom line, much in the same way a grocery store constantly needs fresh stock to place on their shelves, commercial houses constantly need to publish new authors every single year. Will they send that new author on a book tour? Probably not. But what they will do is have that author's work professionally edited and catalogued, with dozens of copies sent out for review and distribution, and then personally presented to bookstore owners by professional sales reps. All this on the house's dime, not yours.

So why not try that route first? Remember Yog's Law: "Money should flow to the writer." And its corallary: "The only place a writer should sign a check is on the back."

Mi dos centavos; take 'em for what they're worth!

[writegirl1949]

Suzanne, you could also aim for a small publisher. I know that NASCAR is growing in popularity so that's a BIG plus.

With smaller publishers, you have the option of ordering extra author copies to use at book signings, etc.

If you're interested, send me a PM and we can talk more.

Blessings, Francine

[RADKHAN]

Hi Suzanne,

I don't visit this site often or contributed, but just did so today....noticed your desire to publish. It is difficult to get a book published through the regular channels, thus self- publishing is the way to go....at least I believe so. I have had 2 books published through Xulon press and was very impressed with the work. However, if you really want your books to sell, you have to advertise them yourself. Check out their packages.

I am in the process of writing more and would continue to self-publish - but I am checking out other publishers, one that is geared to secular books as well.

You can check out my books at my website www.youhaveadestiny.com and feel free to write me at radkhan@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Rad

[GentleJourneyAu]

John and Francine said it well. If you want to get it in the most hands, it should be published by a traditional publisher. You may be able to find a small publisher specifically interested in the NASCAR scene and a small publisher would be more open to listening to ideas you have about promotion. Elaine

[cpickett]

Suzanne,
I have to respectfully disagree somewhat with our esteemed Gravity. It's tough to be successful as an author no matter what method you use right now and, in my opinion, none are a kiss of death. I think the kiss of death mainly comes when authors don't make educated choices about what option they should use, they have unrealistic expectations, they get disappointed, and they don't put forth the effort that's needed for success. Example-do you need national distribution and big reviews to get started? Would be nice, but those are only two factors that need to be considered.

More things to consider include the fact that as you said with traditional, the odds are tough against ever being picked up so time can be an issue. With POD there's more stigma, often it's a struggle to be taken seriously and sometimes contracts aren't very good. With true self-publishing, there's a lot more expense up front and you have to either be good at business or be able to partner with someone who is.

It's not simple no matter which way you go. Publishing a book isn't much different than any other kind of business. Just because producing the product is creative, if you want to make an income you need to treat it as any other biz, planning and working like you would if you were opening a store or lawn service.

Next, if you self-publish, (not the same as using a POD publisher), you can be taken seriously. Many experts will tell you non-bookstore sales and reaching directly to a niche are very appropriate strategies for many titles. You want to be where your audience is, so obviously race related activities/stores have a greater percentage of people who are already interested in what you have to offer.

Next, no matter which option you choose, the majority of the burden to promote will be on you. There are ways to accomplish it even though it's not your thing i.e. using strategies that fit your comfort zone, working at improving some skills, or getting others to help you.

Didn't mean to sound soap-boxish, but one of my passions is helping authors find their way. Hope I've helped. For a little inspiration, you might want to check out http://www.roadtripdreams.com
These authors self-pubbed in the RV niche and they are quite happy with their choice.

You're doing your homework so you're on the right track :-) Keep at it.

[writegirl1949]

Suzanne ... thought it was interesting, Sharyn McCrumb just released a new book

First, here's a synopsis of her first NASCAR book, "St. Dale":

Sharyn McCrumb, is an award-winning Southern writer, whose novel St. Dale, is the story of a group of ordinary people who go on a pilgrimage in honor of racing legend Dale Earnhardt, and find a miracle. This Canterbury Tales in a NASCAR setting, won a 2006 Library of Virginia Award as well as the AWA Book of the Year Award. Her newest novel Once Around the Track, again set in NASCAR, is a nominee for the 2007 Weatherford Award.

And for her newest book, "Once Around the Track," either out now or due out very soon:

Bestseller McCrumb (St. Dale; Ghost Riders) returns to the world of NASCAR in this middling tale of modern celebrity. Badger Jenkins, a shy, good old boy from Marengo, Ga., whose days of racing stardom have come and gone, is recruited by a syndicate of women investors to drive their new car. The car's primary sponsor is Vagenya (sounds like Virginia), a Viagra-like product for women, and the team will field an all-female crew. Besides the inscrutable but lovable Badger, there's Grace Tuggle, the gruff crew chief; Melodie Albigre, Jenkins's predatory agent; and Melanie Sark, a duplicitous publicist who's secretly planning to write an exposé of NASCAR. Add the competing agendas to an inexperienced pit crew, and Team Vagenya seems to be headed for a pileup long before it gets to victory lane. NASCAR fans will enjoy the time spent at the track, but the pedestrian plotting and unsurprising outcome hinder the novel like sugar in a gas tank. (June)

So ... the market appears to be there.

Blessings, Francine

[GentleJourneyAu]

Though non-fiction seems to be much easier to market when self-publishing, Pamela Aidan published her trilogy of novels about Mr. Darcy's side of the Pride and Prejudice story.
She was able to market them so well that the Touchstone imprint of Simon and Schuster picked them up. Now they are doing even better. Elaine

[Hackett]

It all sounds incredibly difficult and time consuming and full of disappointment.... maybe I will just leave it all to my children in hopes they will one day appreciate it.

[writegirl1949]

Hackett ... yes, it may be all that you say. But it is also a glorious feeling to hold your book in your hands. More importantly, for me, was knowing I'd been obedient to where God led me.

My novel was published by a small publisher and writing it was the hardest thing I've ever done but I felt it was something God strengthened me to do. Is it a Christian novel? Not by the Christian publishing guidelines. Does it have a Christian message ... yes, several.

I've always thought that the message was more important than the effort I put into writing it.

I believe that if God is leading you to write, He'll strengthen you to make it through the hard times. If not, I think it's great you'll leave your writing for your children.

Blessings, Francine

[Laina]

Suzanne

Here is a great article on sfwa's website. It just about covers any question you may have about self publishing and then some. Hope its helpful for you.

http://www.sfwa.org/beware/vanitypublishers.html

Shalom,
Elaine

[Hackett]

Good information..

[tlm]

Since I skimmed the replies, I might have missed this comment. I apologize if someone has all ready pointed it out.

NASCAR has rights to the name NASCAR. I think you have to have permission to use the name. Otherwise there can be some legal action taken.

Now I could be wrong about that. You might want to check with someone who can advise you legally about this matter. Anyway, I thought I should mention it anyway.

[MaryfromOZ]

I have been looking into self-publishing for several months, and there are alot of them out there that want my money. I just want to know which one has the best reputation. There is authorhouse, xibris, iuniverse and outskirts press name a few. Has anyone had any experience with any of them?

I have been querying quite a few agents as well. Rejections are very frustrating, but someone told me that a writer should be able to wallpaper a room with rejection letters before they get discouraged. Still, for someone who wants to hold their book in their hands and get it into the hands of someone else, self-publishing is very attractive.

[cpickett]

MaryfromOz,
Most of the POD/self-publishing companies offer very similar services. Experience, based on forums etc., seems to be all over the board. It really depends on what expectations are going in. A lot of people get disappointed because they didn't do homework first.

I recommend making a comparision chart of things like, cost, what's offered in their packages, time for production, author book cost, royalties and then see what best fits your goals, budget etc. Same goes for the choice as to whether to continue to submit, to go with a fee-based/POD or independently publish.

[writegirl1949]

MaryfromOz ... if you haven't checked into small publishers, you should, before going the self-publishing route.

You can do a google search for small publishers. Then check the editors & predators site to make sure they are reliable.

Certainly self-publishing may be a viable option but if a small publisher accepts your manuscript, you won't be paying someone to publish your book. Also, the "purchase price" of many of the self-publishing organizations is often very high ... and in some cases, totally outrageous.

Hope the helps.

Blessings, Francine

[GL Douglas]

I can see both sides of this discussion, but I have to say that even the big publishing houses now expect the writer to do much of the promotion and legwork for their own books. The face of publishing is rapidly changing. No longer does the publishing house editor rework the novel into saleable format. Ernest Hemingway was said to be a very poor writer, but a good storyteller. His editor (name escapes me at the moment) is the one who regularly faced off with Hemingway regarding what would sell and what wouldn't, and the editor actually tuned the stories into the great works they were. When the editor died, Hemingway took several years off, became a drunk, and said he'd never be able to get another novel published.

I had a potential agent ask me for five ideas as to how I would promote my book.

The frustating thing is that in the current literary world, we are no longer just writers, but editors, critiquers, promoters, marketers, business persons and more. No longer can we hole up and write while someone else takes care of business. Beating the streets is now our second responsibility. It is truly overwhelming at times.

After making the rounds of agents and publishers, I grew tired of the months of waiting and rejections and self-published after a major rewrite.

I have read that self-publishing is the wave of the future, as book stores no longer have to stock books that don't sell and it also cuts down on millions of books ending up in landfills.

Many self-published books are winning awards, and if you do a search on successful self-published books, you'll be surprised to find how many authors over many years have turned out best selling novels.

I have also learned that it is definitely "who you know" in the literary world, and also (I hate to say this) but there are some very unkind people in this field.

Sorry for the rambling, but if you can afford it, go for self-publishing. A word of warning there, however: unless you use their editing services and other publishing helps, your book will not be high on their list of featured works.

Join a writers' group. Get into a critique group (and grow a thick skin), and then work with someone to fine tune and edit the final product. They say that no book is ever written by one person, and I find that to be true.

I am working very hard to promote my work. If you are so inclined, please check out my website: http://www.alpharising.net

[cpickett]

Nice answer GL & welcome.

The key is education: look closely at the different companies and what they offer, compare to independent self-publishing too, and then make a solid choice. You seem to be on the right path.

[MaryfromOZ]

I am still looking at self-publishing, but I sent out about 40 queries and I actually got an agent who asked for a book proposal...so i'm putting it together. Mine is a non-fiction narrative about surviving a rare form of cancer 5 times...three thoracic surgeries, liver resection, chemo, radiation therpy twice and more recently "cyberknife treatments." In between all of that I gave birth to twin boys and survived a coma for two weeks. I almost died a few times. It's a pretty crazy story, but it's mine, intertwined with "God-incidences" that helped me to know the King of Glory was on my side. The agent doesn't want it to sound lilke another "cancer-christian drama" so she's looking for a slant to make it more appealing to the public, Christian and non-Christian. I'm giving it my best shot, but book proposals are a lot of work and I want to put it together the best I can. Anyone out there send out any book proposals to agents?
the masses.

[GL Douglas]

Hi, Mary, I haven't sent book proposals to agents, but just wanted to say you sound like quite a remarkable woman, and I will lift you up in prayer for success and His will.

[MaryfromOZ]

Thanks for praying for me. I have a check up coming next month. !thumbsup!

[larryj]

I'm sort of like you. I have more questions than answers. I have published my first book called Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate. I am beginning to wonder if development of the manuscript and the publishing process are the easy parts. I am somewhat in the dark regarding marketing. Information on my book can be found at tatebook.com.

[cpickett]

Larryj,
Your thought that the writing is actually the easier part of the process is pretty much on the mark. Many authors will attest to the fact that the real work begins when marketing starts.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll just point you to check into other threads that have been done here on marketing, or feel free to start a new one. But to get you started, one of the most well-known sites for bookmarketing help is http://www.bookmarket.com by John Kremer.

There's a ton to learn, I recommend you take it one step at a time so you don't get too overwhelmed.

[Hisdaughter]

It all sounds incredibly difficult and time consuming and full of disappointment.... maybe I will just leave it all to my children in hopes they will one day appreciate it.

I'm new to this forum, pretty new to writing (less than three years), and very new to self-publishing (just did it 6 weeks ago), and it was exactly like you said - incredibly difficult, very time consuming, and full of disappointment.

That said, I still think it was worth it - maybe even if my book doesn't sell! God has used the experience to teach me how to work through a difficult project step by step, how to persevere in hard things, and the need for overcoming procrastination and laziness if I want to fully serve Him.

He has been my constant support and encouragement, and, of course, I couldn't have begun to do it without Him.

There have been so many times when I was tempted to give up, times when I felt attacked by Satan, and times when I felt like I was being disciplined by God.

Looking back, I can how God used the difficulties to make me grow in ways I needed to grow. Yeah, I think it was worth it - but just barely!!

Barb

[Hisdaughter]

I just finished reading all of the posts on this thread, and they were very helpful. I noticed some of you were very positive about self-publishing. This is my question. Is getting someone else to publish it definitely better than self-publishing?

I haven't tried to get someone to publish it yet, because I thought it seemed like to much work (little did I know how much work self-publishing was!) and also didn't think anyone would publish it anyway since I had no credentials.

At any rate, after all this work and expense (I'm not quite broke yet, but heading that way!), I'm thinking I should try to get it published. I've signed up for the Glorieta Christian Writer's Conference, so thought I'd check into that there.

My book is a niche book (it's a Bible study for women on emotional eating), so I think it would be easier to find success self-publishing than a fiction or non-niche book.

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Also, would you sell on Amazon? I'm looking at what they charge, and realizing that if I have to pay to ship my books to them, which I think I do, I would have to sell them a few books at a time just to earn even a small profit (I would lose money if I only shipped them one book.)

Thanks for your help!

Barb