Emerging Writers: Guest Post #4 Song at Dawn – 1150 in Provence!
Jean Gill, a Welsh author living in France, tells us about some of the difficulties authors can encounter. They will make you wonder why we do this.
Jean is the Winner of the Global Ebooks award for Best Historical Fiction
Song at Dawn is available from Amazon here.
Take it away Jean!
It is 25 years since my first book was published by a reputable small press. Since then, my work has ranged from military history to a cookbook. I’ve been published everywhichway except bestselling – yet – and have been rejected everywhichway except pleasurably.
Each publishing method carries its own pros and cons. Big publishers give you a good time for up to a year, then, if you haven’t become a Big Thing, your book is relegated to the warehouse, prior to being remaindered, while your Editor seeks the next Big Thing. And the publisher still owns you – it’s easier to sign that contract than get out of it. You have the kudos of a big publisher but once the romance has gone, there’s no love.
Small presses love you longer and many of them produce better quality print books than the major publishers. They often have grant/arts funding to create books but they have no marketing budget so they don’t try much to sell books. They are run by two overworked people in a tiny book-filled office, so don’t expect anyone to turn up when you give a performance at a festival – you’re on your own. They are delighted if you make it big and move on – no-one makes it big and stays. Small presses stay small and like it that way.
Assisted publishing/ outsourced services offer you what you’re not good at yourself; copy-editing, jacket design, marketing everything that makes a book is for hire. This is the biggest growth sector in the new age of self-publishing. It’s also here that the crooks hang out. Check authors’ comments on ANY service you pay for. Look for examples of their work.
Crooks are good at what they do and there is usually enough credibility to draw you in. Then they take your money and leave you with a broken contract, no books and a damaged reputation.
I am now writing historical novels set in the 12th century. I’m self-publishing and love it. One positive aspect of NOT finding ‘Mr/Ms Right Editor’ is that I’ve always had the freedom to write what I wanted, when I wanted, and now I can combine writing freedom with publishing freedom – perfect!
Contact Jean at jean.gill@wanadoo.fr or via her website http://www.jeangill.com
Song at Dawn is available from Amazon here.
Jean blogs at http://www.jeangill.blogspot.com
+++++
Thanks Jean for being our fourth guest post writer. I love historical fiction. Please Tweet a link to your book to me at @LPOBryan and I will RT it to all my followers.
This guest post is part of a series in 2013 where I will be showcasing emerging writers on this blog.
You can help by clicking through to their sites, buying their books, sharing this post on Twitter or Facebook and coming back for the next post. You can also follow this site (click the button above right), to be notified by email on who is next in a few days time.
And if you are a writer and want to be featured send me an email lob@yourasms.com and I will send you the submission guidelines.
Good morning!
I’ve been receiving your guest posts and just received guest post #4 but did not receive #3.
Can you re-send to me so I can share?
Thanks!
Minnie Lahongrais Author, Sinner’s Ride Divergent Lives http://www.minnielahongrais.com
Please forgive any typos as this message is being sent from my Android device.
The door has been open for small publishers / self publishers for around two years now. I love it – it’s such a change from the sneered-at ‘vanity publishing’ of not so long ago. Most self-published books are great. In the days when established publishers put out a large number of books every year instead of a few which they expect to sell millions, many of these books would certainly have been accepted.
Reblogged this on NewsLetter.
Good point, Gerry – I agree with you that many books now self-published would have found good homes with publishers in the old days.
I agree with what some of these authors have to say about self-published because right now i`am confuse about with one is the best one for my book that i`am decide to write about my life living as person who is HIV-positive now. because right now i don`t have the person to back me up about my blog on wordpress.com under the blog title:FACE OF A HIV + PERSON and my blog address is BlessedChild89.wordpress.com and i would like some feedback on what or how can i increase my readers or audiences that do read my blogs now.
Hi, If you go over to my social media blog you will find a selection of free posts on using social media to get your writing noticed. Go to http://www.yourasms.com I wish you well. Only you can decide where to place your work, but most people will create a social media following as they write. That way when you have finished you will have followers and a publisher may be more interested. All the best from Dublin.
Perfect description of the scary world of publishing. A writer writes. That turns out to be the easy part if anyone believes it. Then comes the marketing no matter who publishes your book. Social media is where it’s at but if you were born when dinosaurs roamed the earth, your five year old granddaughter knows her way around the computer better than you. Good post.