Self publishing

[Peacock Lady 10]

Somehow, though, you need to open [your blog] up to have a broader range of reviewers, and a quicker way of seeing what the overall rating is for each book, perhaps also having ratings split into categories. Maybe self-publishing authors should also offer 50 or so copies free to people who will be willing to review the book. Just a thought.

 

I'm happy with the way my blog works, Ron: but if you'd like to start your own and incorporate those suggestions there's nothing stopping you. Perhaps you should think about it.

 

Why don't you put together a team of reviewers, maybe drawn from this forum?

 

Because the whole point of my review blog is that I'm reviewing those books from the point of view of an experienced editor. I'm not aware of any other members of this forum who have worked as an editor, and who would like to spend their time reviewing books for free but if you know any, do ask them to contact me!

 

 

The only thing publishers want is high profits, so it is very difficult for new authors to get published.

 

I am in fact just starting an epublishing online business which should be up and running next week. E Publishing Online (EPO) http://www.epublishingonline.co.uk

 

Keith, what's so wrong with publishing houses--which are businesses, after all--aiming to make a good profit? And how does that exclude new authors from getting published? If those new authors are good enough and they submit to the right places, then they're going to get published; if they're not good enough, or if they submit to the wrong places, their work won't get into print.

 

I'm glad that my early work didn't get published: it was terrible, and it would be embarrassing for me to have it available. It wouldn't help me at all now: it would be counted as a strike against me when I go out looking for new work. Being published badly is worse than not being published at all.

[Karis 11]

Because the whole point of my review blog is that I'm reviewing those books from the point of view of an experienced editor. I'm not aware of any other members of this forum who have worked as an editor, and who would like to spend their time reviewing books for free but if you know any, do ask them to contact me!

 

Actually, I've been a professional editor for fifteen years, and have had several novels, games, and non-fiction books printed.

 

Currently working on Doctor Who fiction, as well as reviewer for various UK magazines.

 

It is my experience that the publishing industry is *very* fickle and even great writers sometimes find it difficult to get their work published - and it seems to be getting worse. I know of one high-profile, award winning writer who couldn't get his next novel published for love nor money...

Edited July 24, 2009 by Karis

[Peacock Lady 10]

Actually, I've been a professional editor for fifteen years, and have had several novels, games, and non-fiction books printed.

 

Excellent, Karis: are you volunteering to help with my blog? Ha!

 

Currently working on Doctor Who fiction, as well as reviewer for various UK magazines.

 

It is my experience that the publishing industry is *very* fickle and even great writers sometimes find it difficult to get their work published - and it seems to be getting worse. I know of one high-profile, award winning writer who couldn't get his next novel published for love nor money...

 

Funny you should say this: just last week I was discussing an author who had three novels published, and was now unable to sell her fourth no matter where she took it. According to her last editor her first two books sold reasonably well; editing her third was somewhat confrontational; it then also only sold reasonably well; and her editor then decided that it wasn't worth working with her again for such ordinary sales figures. If she'd sold very well the editor would have been quite happy to go ahead.

 

Attitude is important; and it's not always the publishing business's fickleness which stops writers getting published.

[Ron Blanco 10]

(PL) "I'm happy with the way my blog works, Ron: but if you'd like to start your own and incorporate those suggestions there's nothing stopping you. Perhaps you should think about it."

 

Ok, ok, I'm thinking about it. But it looks like it could be a lot of effort and cost. How much time have you put in developing your site? What has been the cost of the web design etc, or have you learnt it yourself?

Edited July 25, 2009 by Ron Blanco
I removed a comment which wasn't very constructive

[coyleys 10]

[quote=Ron Blanco;5245638

Ok, ok, I'm thinking about it. But it looks like it could be a lot of effort and cost. How much time have you put in developing your site? What has been the cost of the web design etc, or have you learnt it yourself?

 

Ron, you could just do a blog, they usually cost nothing, I think PL uses ...

https://www.blogger.com/start

 

or you could go the whole hog and go for...

 

http://order.1and1.co.uk/xml/order/MsHosting;jsessionid=88F0830A93C5F285CD2A101DD8E41993.TC32a?__frame=_top&__lf=Static

 

This is who I use, for domain and hosting, but they are all as good as one n other.

As for time and cost, it’s your time and your site, so one can never put a cost on that. If you can use a DTP then you can design a site, there are plenty of W,Y.S,I,W,Y,G, and lots of freebies.

Go for it son.

Edited July 26, 2009 by coyleys
wrong link

[Peacock Lady 10]

Coyleys (hello, C!) is right: I use Blogger, which is free; I've heard good things about Wordpress, too, which is also free.

 

One thing I DO pay for is a PO Box number, though, which is well worth it: I don't give out my home address for people to post their books to, and it's just as well: since I started blogging I've got a huge amount of electronic hate-mail (most as a result of my HPRW blog--I'd have thought more would have come from the authors whose books I gave a negative review to, but that's not quite the case), and I'd hate to think that any of the people who are responsible for that could find out where I live.

 

There are already quite a few established review blogs, including several which specialise in self-published books: you would do well to have a look at a few of them to get an idea of what you'd like to do; and you'd probably want to start off writing a number of reviews before asking people to add you to their mailing lists, so they could see what your reviews were like.

[Karis 11]

Excellent, Karis: are you volunteering to help with my blog? Ha!

 

I wish I could, but I've got so much on writing for Torchwood, writing content for a popular online game, doing my own website, AND looking after my puppies - there's not enough time in the day for anything else.

 

And, of course, there's loads of sitting around and doing nothing to be done - and that takes effort and strict discipline!

[Ron Blanco 10]

Go for it son.

 

Thanks for the tips Coyleys. I was hoping to be the 'ideas man' behind the project. However, I will give it some serious thought... and then some more serious thought... and then some more....

 

cheers

[iainbroome 10]

Hi Keith Rich,

 

Is your book written from the first person viewpoint?

 

If so, you may have no choice but to self-publish. I went to the Winchester Writers' Conference at the weekend and a message I heard repeated by authors and agents was that publishers no longer want first person novels.

 

My novel is first person and I've recently been taken on by a literary agent. A good novel is a good novel.

[Karis 11]

Ooh congrats. Which one?

[iainbroome 10]

Thank you! My agent is Sophie Lambert who was previously with Janklow and Nesbitt in New York, now with Tibor Jones: http://www.tiborjones.com

[Karis 11]

Oh, she's nice. Hope it goes well for you.

 

Let us know how it goes, but it's grand you got an agent. It's really very hard to do these days!