Publishing thoughts in a confusing world

Things I wish I'd said on the State of Publishing panel at Writing the Rockies in Gunnison this weekend, which addressed budding writers:

It can be overwhelming when you are confronted with all the publishing possibilities, whether or not to get an agent and try for New York publishing, whether to pursue smaller presses, or the ever-alluring self-publishing route (which is NOT to be confused with ebooks; ebook publishing is a format, not a methodology, any more than POD or offset is a methodology.) 

1. Is your book commercial? Does it "read" like other books on the market? If so, you can try the agent/big house route and see where it takes you first. If you meet resistance and rejection and you eventually have had enough, you can start over again with a new method. In this period of flux, there are no permanent records. You can reinvent your participation in the business of writing at any time. There's no harm in trying.

2. Are there small presses you admire? Do you even pay attention to who is publishing the stuff you like? If not, it's time to open your eyes and learn about the market. You don't need to read a hundred blogs every day, but it would help you to find out what's happening in the industry you say you want to be a part of. If you don't have time for this part of the research, then you are going to encounter a lot of stumbling blocks. Knowledge is power.

3. If you're thinking of self-publishing, what do you envision as the outcome? Do you think you'll sell a million ebooks? You might want to lower your expectations to a level more reasonable. For every one Amanda Hocking, there are a million more who don't sell many or any copies of their work. If you want to SP because you have written something you want to share, i.e., you want to be part of a bigger literary tradition and step up your participation in a community of writers, this path to a book (print or e or both) might be satisfying to you. Perhaps "modest" success is the watchword.

Some Ethical Considerations

1. Many poets and fiction writers try to get their work published in literary journals. If you do that, or wish it, are you also willing to support those venues financially, either by donation or by purchase? Publications have staffs and costs, even if they're not-for-profit. The Karma of publication asks you to examine your support, so if you can afford it, it's your responsibility. 

2. If you do sign the rights to publish your work to a publishing company, don't begrudge them their need to make money from your work. You are entering into a partnership, and while of course you should understand what promises are being made on either side when you sign, you are admitting that the organization has a lot at stake in representing your work in its catalog. You sign the agreement because you want your book on its web site, you ostensibly admire its stated mission and want your work displayed side by side with the press's other authors. If there are complaints, you lodge them respectfully, remembering that these are real people who are working with you. There are no perfect circumstances, and understanding that ANY form of publication is a gamble will keep everyone's expectations reasonable. As a tangent, don't begrudge bookstores their cut, either. 

3. Blanket condemnations of social media if you have never tried to participate show ignorance. Not every personality has the magnetism to become an internet standout. But a show of genuine interest in other people as you promote your own writing has the potential to build a readership. Do not run around saying you don't "get" twitter unless you've spent some time there following other people you wish to model. You don't even have to say much, if anything, in the beginning. But DO spend time reading and thinking. Do learn how to follow individual conversations. Do investigate facebook pages of writers you like. See what they're doing. Be as observant in this endeavor as you are when you're gathering faces and conversations and descriptions for your own writing.

Self-pub chronicles

I made zero progress on the book this week, but I did learn (and was able to write) a lot about the current state of producing epubs. I have links galore, and all kinds of info about formatting, where to find specs for tablets and readers and phones; how much the aggregator services cost, and more. So it wasn't a week squandered.

My quandry is that the book I want to make is a how-to about design, and that kind of info won't transfer well to a small screen. It would be fine on the ipad, but not a mobile phone. So do I not worry about that, perhaps provide the visuals on the web for free for anyone who buys the ebook but wants to see the examples in a better format?

Hmm.

Reasons to see Robin Black at the Lighthouse Writers' Event May 13-14

Denver's own Lighthouse Writers Workshop presents two events with writer Robin Black. Here are the details as they appear on the LWW web site: 

Go all in on black--Robin Black, that is. An all-access pass gives tickets to these events:

Friday, May 13, 7 to 10 PM
At a private home near the Botanical Gardens
An intimate evening of wine, delicious appetizers, a performance by Stories on Stage, and a Q & A with the author.
 
Saturday, May 14, 1 to 4 PM
Ferril House
Seminar led by Robin Black: What Do Readers Care About and Why Do They Care? A Workshop on Telling Stories That Matter

1. Robin Black's If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This came out last year to wide acclaim. It's her debut short story collection, and each story is a carefully constructed, fully developed world about people who are asked to face the truths, large and small, about their lives. This collection was an Oprah Magazine Summer Reads pick, and they liked it so much they even wrote a Reader's Guide, which is a series of questions suitable for a reading group's discussion. There is something for everyone in this collection, and for that alone, hearing what Robin has to say about her experience in publishing and the writing process is reason enough to come along.
2. Robin has been noted as a writer who emerged "later in life." If you, like me, still have aspirations to do great things even though we're older and getting moreso every day, Robin's successes are inspiring. I like encouragement, and I love success stories. I'm betting you do, too.
3. Did you see that description of the first night "at a private home near the Botanical Gardens" ? This is a beautiful setting for a gathering, especially if that gathering is comprised of...
4. A warm, supportive, funny, and generous writer's community. That's Lighthouse in a nutshell. You won't meet nicer people, anywhere.
5. But you say you're not a writer? It won't matter. If you love good writing, strong characters, and realistic and probing fiction, your future readings will be enhanced by hearing a working writer speak to her experience. When you engage with people who are connected to the books you love, your appreciation for them grows that much more.
6. If you're a writing teacher, taking the time to learn something new from another writer will give you more tools in your teaching toolkit.
7. And finally, if you attend a Lighthouse event like this one, you're supporting the arts. You're taking a demonstrable stance on the idea that good content, valuable ideas, and building community matter. If you support the organizations that care enough to bring artists in to engage in conversation, they can continue their good works. Everyone will benefit.

If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This accolades:

San Francisco Chronicle  §  Irish Times Top Book of 2010  §  Short Listed for The Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize  §  Long Listed for The Story Prize  §  A Denver Post Bestseller  §  Winner, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia Literary Prize  §  Summer Reading Pick, O:  The Oprah Magazine

My new adventure in self-publishing

For a while I’ve been thinking about writing a how-to book. Right now, for these purposes, the content doesn’t matter. But the idea’s been rolling around in my head and since I know how to lay out a book, write, get an ISBN, and design a bright and happy cover, I’ve decided to try. I’m composing directly in InDesign; why bother with Word when I can tip-tap the keys and see how it flows?

I’m also in the middle of a number of freelance editing jobs, so my progress hasn’t been remarkable. I am giving myself six weeks to get the writing done. Then we’re going try creating and selling the ebook version, and perhaps a POD for the print-lovers. I bought a URL and hosting space. I’ve worked extensively with Lightning Source in the past, but think maybe using CreateSpace this time around too might be helpful. What about the aggregators? Brave. New. World.

booksurge: adventures in

I am appalled by the technical instructions for creating book-ready PDFs for BookSurge available on their web site. Come on. They are making millions of dollars and they can't create a step-by-step guide (as Lightning Source has done?) for the most popular layout software? This seems implausible and impossible. I'm going to have to resort to calling them. I would call this unacceptable. More soon.