You see, if someone else who had published their first novel through a small press and seen it place as a finalist in some competition or other came to me and said "I can't find a publisher for my second book, it sure must suck," I would calmly:
- Explain that the general state of rapid evolution happening in the fiction market right now is making it hard for even established writers to find publishers.
- Point out that publishers pick books on quality and marketability, and not being the ideal title to market does not mean that the book is not quality.
- Remind this someone that some of the best books of our time were rejected dozens of times.
I've recently made the decision to self-publish my second novel, Don't Wake Up. I have to admit that, at first, I was really depressed about this, as it seemed to be a step backward. I went from having a publisher to self-publishing, and had it ingrained in my head that it should go the other way.
And then something happened-- I started designing the book, selecting an editor, picking a cover. I had control of every decision. I had a lot of control working with a small press, but nothing like this.
I also started hopping all over to blogs of other self-published writers and found amazing, amazing talent. I knew there were great self-published writers, but the volume and tenor of the discussions I found encouraged and motivated me.
I've changed my mind-- I am no longer depressed. I am in control, and ecstatic to have a platform to share my book, and participate in such an amazing online community!
That's so wonderful that you have found peace with it! That's the way it should be :)
ReplyDeleteBest to you. It does feel good to move forward! Hope it does well and keep writing. I keep telling myself the same thing.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! A lot of my author friends have self-published and with great success. It's not a step back. If your book is great, it's an awesome step.
ReplyDeleteThe future is open!
ReplyDeleteA great post, especially for other authors struggling with this same decision. Depression Cookies was originally accepted by a small press and (long story) we ended up self-publishing. I had the same initial feelings of disappointment, but now I can't imagine any other way.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read this and see your vision fully!
Congratulations on your decision. I have several author friends who faced and are facing this same decision. All of them struggle with it, but the ones that have gone that way haven't regretted it :)
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of starting with a novella, even though it's very different from the majority of my work.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!