$10,000 To Spend But No Where To Go...HELP!

[TWitness]

My naiveté will soon become obvious, or some may conclude I am just a tad impatient, but please, hear me out first. I stumbled on this website some 6 or so months ago with a manuscript I thought was to die for, but after reading some of what this group had to tell many like me in the numerous posts I perused, despite promising to post part of my writing then, I had to go back and work some more on what I had, incorporating many of the tips I gleaned from your posts. I have stayed up nights to rewrite and researched to no end almost every statement I put in the book. I have given parts of what I have written to people on both sides of the aisle; Christian and secular, in order to get a balanced feedback, and all in all, it has been mostly positive. I have also done the rounds on the internet, researching everything from the POD guys to traditional publishers and manuscript services. In the end, I thought it was time for me to lay it all on the line if I really believed in what I have spent the last 15 years of my life preparing for and publish the book; not so much because I care to be published, but because I believe these things are urgently needed in the time in which we find ourselves that I am ready to use my own funds to do it if that is what it took. So, last month, I sold my share in a business I co-owned so I could raise the money to self-publish. The $10,000 I mentioned is part of the proceed from the sale and the amount I feel it would take for me to get the book published based on my research...until I came back here last night to tap on your first hand knowledge only to find out that self-publishing is a dicey route to go at best. So, I am now somewhat divided and thought I should ask your help as to the best way to go about handling my book issue. After spending hours reading through your many posts, I have to say that I am staggered by the combined experience of this group and know that this project I am embarking on can benefit immensely from your collective help so that, even if I go the self-publishing route, the funds would have been optimally used to deliver the best product possible. Successfully promoting a self-published book appears to be the biggest issue everyone raised with self-publishing. To me however, that may be the very reason to self-publish: a book that sees the light of day having been self-published but can’t make it by the sheer potency of its content deserve to fail! So for me, all I need is your hands-on help on how to do it with the funds I have. Where it goes after that I leave to God...

[David Meigs]

Looking back on my own bad POD experience, and if I were to have my thousands back... I’d hire a good editor, but not one from a POD house. It’s pricey, but worth every penny.

You spoke of readers, but have you submitted the manuscript to a critique group? That’s free. Have you tried submitting to a traditional publisher yet?

[Merry]

Seriously, before lose your money...listen to what Curm just said....

[DrRita]

Before you spend your money on self publishing, I'd seriously consider taking a small portion of that money (about $500-700) and go to a writer's conference. They have experts on all types of writing, publishing and editing. You could meet with editors and publishers and might even get an okay to send it to a traditional publisher or agent. Working on your sales ability at the conference would be good practice, you'd make contacts for future networking (self publishing or otherwise) and maybe even find you'd rather not spend $10,000 on trying to get this out yourself. God has many ways to help you out other than choosing the self-publishing route.

Just my thoughts . . .

[Keith Wallis]

Please, please, listen to these voices of reason and experience.

[gregholmes]

I'd never invest $10,000 just to get a book printed. Use it to edit if you feel it would be refused as is from traditional publishers, then do as Dr. Rita said go to conferences...spend some of it on postage, and research for publishers that are looking for and accepting your genre...

There are opportunities...consider investing more time than money...

[writegirl1949]

I totally agree with what's already been said. Each post, thus far, has excellent advice.

I was published through a small publisher and while I'm content with the results, I will be spending more time marketing my book (the down side of small publishers) this year.

Ultimately, I hope to use my published book as a jumping off point to find an agent AND also plan to attend at least one writers' conference later this year, new manuscript in hand.

Blessings, Francine

[TWitness]

Thanks all for your input and sorry for the silence—had some urgent matters I had to attend to. But I'm glad to be back. Now, to your suggestions,
Curmudgeon:
You spoke of readers, but have you submitted the manuscript to a critique group? That’s free. Have you tried submitting to a traditional publisher yet?
I'm hoping to submit part of the manuscript to one of the critique groups here soon, but I'm not looking to do the same to a traditional publisher: if I want the book out this year like I really do, it'd be an impossible act to pull going through them. Thanks though.

Merry:
Seriously, before lose your money...listen to what Curm just said....
It may appear that I'm being very casual about this, but seriously, I couldn't be more measured in the way I'm going about it: with a wife and mortgage, losing money isn't something I take kindly to, trust me. But one couldn't be too careful in these situations especially now that you've mentioned it, so thanks.

Keith Wallis:
Please, please, listen to these voices of reason and experience.
Keith, when I said "I am staggered by the combined experience of this group and know that this project I am embarking on can benefit immensely from your collective help", I wasn't kidding: I am humbled by your expertise in this matter, and; going by some of the stories I have read in your posts, I know the lessons on which some of your opinions were based are ones that have been hard-leaned which is why I don't intend to carelessly brush your suggestions aside.

Gregholmes:
I'd never invest $10,000 just to get a book printed. Use it to edit if you feel it would be refused as is from traditional publishers, then do as Dr. Rita said go to conferences...spend some of it on postage, and research for publishers that are looking for and accepting your genre...

There are opportunities...consider investing more time than money...
The editing suggestion's one well taken, and I have already expressed why the traditional publishing route may not suit my purposes. As for going to conferences, my aim is not to become a writer, just to deliver a message I believe I have been given. In a way then, writing happens to be incidental to my purposes and not the focus of it: if I had a mic loud enough to reach as far and wide as a book could, I'd be screaming this at the top of my lungs instead. Also, it is because I have been investing more time rather than money that it has taken me 15 years before coming out like this like I said earlier. Look, you cared enough to stop and comment, and that's what counts to me, so thanks.

Francine:
Ultimately, I hope to use my published book as a jumping off point to find an agent AND also plan to attend at least one writers' conference later this year, new manuscript in hand.
Thanks for sharing your experience and all the best with your new manuscript.

Having said all these, however, I hasten to make this point: Ultimately, only inspiration can move the human heart and that only comes from God. So, as much as the 'packaging' (the writer's skill, good publicity, etc) is VERY important, my humble opinion is that the greater emphasis should be on the MESSAGE itself. Just listen to what God says about anything He inspires: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11). So the Bible lives on as the ultimate inspired Word of God even with its many writing 'problems' be they grammar or other glaring editorial issues, yet you know how many times you've found the strength in it to go on when all else have failed. It is this high standard of inspiration I hope for and have invested myself heavily to seek these many years instead of concentrating my efforts on the 'packaging'. There are many books better written than the Bible out there, I just haven't found one that can lift a man up and turn him around the way the Bible can. So, although I don't intend to write another BIBLE; no, yet I could not possibly have spent more time waiting at God's door and learning at His feet the way I have before putting pen to paper to write this book. This is why I said earlier that if this message would not carry itself once published, it doesn't deserve to be in print. Even then, the realist that I am, I wouldn't want the 'packaging' to become an impediment to what should be of great benefit to people which is why I am not completely ignoring it. It was for this reason I asked and still ask your help. Thanks.

[TWitness]

DrRita:
Sorry I missed you, but I have already responded to many of the points you raised especially about traditional publishers and conferences. To your other points:
Working on your sales ability at the conference would be good practice, you'd make contacts for future networking (self publishing or otherwise) and maybe even find you'd rather not spend $10,000 on trying to get this out yourself.
For one, I'm not good at selling anything, especially not a book and I doubt that that would change with any training. I do know, however, that I really do want to self-publish, although I am now of the opinion that I should scale back on how much to spend on it purely based on all your suggestions. So, believe it or not, your "thoughts" are well taken and I thank you for expressing them.