Traditional or Self-Publishing: Defining Your Dream

Photo by H.T. Yu

So I planned on blogging on something else this morning and then agent Rachelle Gardner tweeted this post by Phil Cooke on How Much Did It Take To Buy You Away From Your Dream? Go read it. It's not publishing specific, but really can be applied to anything.

He sites the line in the movie Up In the Air where George Clooney's character asks someone he's firing that question: How much did it take to buy you away from your dream? (Because the guy at one time wanted to be a chef and went into whatever he business he was getting fired from instead.)

We all at some point probably give up on or modify our dreams. I know I wanted to be a writer when I was in high school--even started college with a double major in English and Psychology. But then as time went on, I decided I needed to be more "practical" and focus on the psychology so I could have a stable, decent-paying job. I absolutely DON'T regret that decision. I loved what I learned and enjoyed my masters program in social work. The jobs and experiences I had were invaluable. I wouldn't have been able to write CRASH INTO YOU without it. So I got to my dream, albeit via a convoluted path.

But once you've decided you're going to pursue that dream of being a writer, you now have a couple of different versions of "the dream" to choose from. Once, not too long ago, you had one option--get an agent, pursue traditional publishing. But now you have traditional publishing, small press, digital-first publishers, vanity publishing, and of course, the hot topic of the last few months--self-publishing.

So what's the right path for you? Obviously there are success stories in each venue. And one method isn't mutually exclusive of the other. You may pursue digital publishing first with the intent to eventually move to a more traditional publisher. Lots of people have used digital (especially in my genre) as a stepping stone to a NY contract.

How do you figure out which to pursue? And here's what I think--you need to define your dream.

What is it you are seeking from being a writer? When you let your mind wander, which parts get you all giddy inside? Big readership? Big paychecks? NYT Bestseller lists? Getting fan mail? Holding your book in your hands? Seeing it on a shelf?

And then consider which method of publishing feeds the core of your dream.

Here's what my dream consists of:

• The chance to share my stories with others and (hopefully) entertain them.
• The ability to at least make a similar salary writing books as I was making as a  management recruiter (The job I had before I had my son.)
• Validation from professionals that my writing is good and marketable.
• To hold my book in my hands and see it on the shelves of bookstores.
• Okay, and having some fans and a big readership wouldn't suck.

So when you analyze the main components of my dream, you can probably see why self-publishing an ebook wouldn't have been the total fulfillment of my dream. I could have accomplished some of these, but not all of them. And some people may scoff at the validation piece, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could land an agent and a big publisher. Maybe it's bad to look to others to measure if I'm "good enough" but that's how I'm built when it comes to my writing.

Now if you don't need that validation and your main goal is to get your stories out there in whatever format you can so that you can get in front of readers, then putting your book up on Amazon may be a great option. It may fill your personal dream well to the brim. Or maybe you want that validation, but holding the book in your hands isn't that big a deal--then maybe an digital publisher is the best option.

The key is figuring out what is going to fulfill you. If traditional publishing is where you've hung your hope, then fight for it. Don't query a few agents, get a few rejections, then throw your hands up and say "Oh I'm going to self-publish this as an ebook.  Some people are making all kinds of money doing that. Screw New York!" Because then what will you be able to say if someone were to ask you that question in a few years: How much did it take to buy you away from your dream?

Did you sell your dream for instant gratification or lack of patience? Did you sell it so you wouldn't have to tuck away a book and start something new and keep working to get better? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe you've gone on to be an ebook millionaire. I don't know. But it is something to think about.

I don't think there is anything wrong with alternatives to traditional publishing. Obviously, it's going to be a huge part of the future of publishing. But I think it's important to know what's going to feed your writer's soul and work as hard as you can to accomplish whatever your personal dream is.

So what do you think? What are the essential components of your dream? Which method of publishing do you think is the best fit for you?


WINNER: Thanks to all of you who asked me questions and entered the contest last Friday. The winner of the 5-page critique is Strickland! Congrats!

Face Off Friday: EReaders v. Traditional Book

First off, I would like to apologize for my slacker status this week. On top of being busy with revision stuff, I have had a super cranky toddler who is suffering with a painful ear. So I have gotten ridiculously behind on blog reading and commenting. So if you haven't seen me around your blog or I've let super short comments, that is why. Hopefully this weekend, I will get some time to catch up. I miss reading all of your great posts.

Alright, so on to our Friday Face Off ...

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently purchased a Kindle. I did this with the utmost reluctance. I couldn't imagine enjoying reading on an electronic device. Books are so, well, perfect. Some people use retail therapy, I have book therapy. If I've had a bad day, a few hours in a library, Borders, or the used book store will rejuvenate me like a soak in a hot tub. So how could I possibly like some plastic box that claimed to be a book substitute? *places my nose high in the air*

However, my closets were starting to tumble over with piles of books and my husband kept mentioning that those Kindle things look pretty cool--HINT HINT YOU FRIGGING PACK RAT. So, when I received some money for a holiday, I decided that maybe I should give one of these new fandangled devices a try. I checked to make sure there was a return policy (there is) and then put it in my Amazon cart. I literally closed out the order three times in the matter of two weeks before I got myself to hit the purchase button. Then, I finally did it.

And now.

*ducks book-loving head in shame* I'm a convert.

So I thought I would give my opinion about the pros and cons of each method for those of you wrestling with the decision like I did. I know there are many other ereaders besides the Kindle, but since I have no experience with those, I will speak specifically about Amazon's Kindle.

Traditional Book v. Kindle

For those who sniff books and say ahh....

• Looking for books in a store/library is half the fun
• A book won't break (although it may fade, get worn, etc.)
• Books are relatively inexpensive
• You can check them out from the library
• You can buy/sell them used
• Friends can borrow them after you finish
• You always have a physical copy if you want to save it
• Covers are pretty to look at
• Shelves of books in your house makes you feel warm and fuzzy
• Anytime you want to flip back through a book, it's there

For the progressive...

• One device can hold hundreds of your books (mine holds 1500), saving your closets
• What we love about books is the story not the paper and that stays the same
• After the initial cost of the device, ebooks are often cheaper, hardbacks are 9.99
• You can take your library with you anywhere
• You can read books with covers or titles like these in public and people are none the wiser. You could be reading Chaucer for all they know. Not that I ever do this, *ahem*.
• 
• There is a whole world of ebooks (some very good) that are only available in e-format. I was totally missing out.
• Not printing all those paperbacks is more friendly to the environment
• Instant gratification--you want a book, you can download it in 60 seconds wirelessly
• There is a built in dictionary, which I didn't expect to be so helpful, but is great
• You can upload word documents onto it--so you can read your own manuscript or your crit buddies' on it
• There are tons of free ebooks and promotions available
• Your purchases are saved online, so if your reader breaks or you get a new one, everything you bought is still available to redownload
• The battery life is ridiculously long
• You can highlight and bookmark passages, which is super helpful for me with reviews. If I run across a quote I love, I just highlight it and it saves it in a file for me.

To be fair, I'll also point on some of the concerns about E-readers.

• The upfront cost ($299 or more) is steep
• You can't lend/sell your books after you've read them
• You lose the library option (although they are looking at ways of incorporating this option)
• They can break and eventually (like any electronic device), you'll want to buy the newest version of it
• Some are concerned about straining their eyes--I will say this worried me, but the e-ink technology really does read like a book, not a computer screen. Most of the time I completely forget I'm not reading a paper book.
• You don't get to see the cover/back copy and there are no page numbers (just percentage done), which I hope they change in the future.
• Not all books are available as ebooks. This was a huge concern of mine, but all but one of the books I've wanted lately were available. The selection is huge.

So that's my take. I ♥ my Kindle. I still hang out at the bookstore, but I just make note of what I want then look it up when I get home. I never thought I'd be such a believer, but my experience has sold me.

So how about you? Would you ever consider getting an Ereader? For those of you who have one, what's been your experience? And am I the only one who's sniffing books?

**Today's Theme Song**

"I'm A Believer" - The Monkees

(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)

Face Off Friday: E-publishing

As aspiring authors, our goal is to get published (Yes, I'm playing the role of captain obvious today). That used to be a straightforward plan. Write great book, land an agent, get a publishing contract, see book on shelf. Done. Right?

Well now there are more options than that. The rapidly rising industry of ebooks is beginning to change the face of publishing. Now, instead of just having hold-in-your-hand printed books, there are e-books and self-publishing and print on demand technology. Things are changing fast and we better pay attention.

But my question is, if you don't have luck with the traditional route, should you consider the ebook publishers? (I'm not going to talk about self-publishing. Weronika discussed that recently if you are curious about that direction.)

Ebooks are gaining popularity, especially in the areas of romance, erotica, and fantasy/sci-fi. Kindles and SonyEbooks are selling quickly and new companies are jumping in the ring with their own technology. Even Borders and Barnes and Noble are moving into the market.

So, is this a good route to get your words out there? I know most of us would prefer the traditional route, so I'm not going to pit that against ebooks. Instead, I'm going to look at the pros and cons of going with an e-publisher if you haven't had luck with an agent or traditional publisher. Is it better to be e-published or is it better to tuck your manuscript away and move on to the next project?

E-Publishing vs. Waiting out "the dream"

For love of technology:

 --An Ebook can be your springboard--This gets your name out there and gains readers. The early titles of Sherrilyn Kenyon, Angela Knight, and Sylvia Day were released as ebooks before they had books in traditional format. (source)

--The turnaround to get published is quicker

--Royalty percentages are usually higher with ebook publishers

--Environmentally friendly--same great book, less waste

--More control--it's been said that epublishers are often very author friendly

--Your book is published and not gathering dust in a drawer

--Genres such as romance have big gains in ebook readership

--Readers get a reasonable price on your book

--Once someone owns a e-reader (speaking from experience), it's easier to make an impulse buy. You hear about the book, sixty seconds later, it's on your reader. I did this yesterday in fact. If I had had to purchase this recommendation from my friend from a bookstore, I probably would have never gotten around to buying it.

--Because the upfront costs are lower, the e-publishers can take more risks, so they may give you a shot when an agent or traditional publisher couldn't because of market conditions/similar stories in their hopper/editor preferences/etc.

In defense of practicing patience:

--Your book will not be on a shelf at the local bookstore. Your grandmother will never believe you are published.

--Ebooks have a stigma attached to them that they are not as high quality as traditionally published books. (I have recently started reading ebooks and have not found this to be true, btw.)

--If you eventually get traditionally published with a different manuscript, you can dust off that first novel, revise, and try to get it published now that you're established.

--The number of people who own e-reading devices is still pretty low. The upfront cost for a reader is significant.

--You may not feel satisfied because it is a modified version of your dream.

--Distribution can be limited with ebook publishers.

So what's your opinion? If you tried to go the traditional route and it didn't work out, what would you do? Would you try to submit to an e-publisher or would you bury your manuscript and move on? I'd love to hear from those who have been e-published as well. What was your experience?

**Today's Theme Song**

"You Can't Always Get What You Want"-- Rolling Stones

(player in sidebar, take a listen)