WriteUp: Who's Your Publisher?

So, the cool thing about the job I have is that it involves a lot of walking. Alone. And only occasionally taking pictures. Which leaves lots of time to think. And plan. And develop scenes for your story.

Yep, I’m that kind of lucky guy too. Of course, once you develop the scenes you have to write them down – it’s much harder to get published, according to what I’ve read, if you don’t write down your story.

Fortunately, I’ve done some of that this week! Novella One is now cruising along at about 7k words; and Novel One is about 30% through its revision. This is a thorough one: I’m reading through the entire chapter and fixing any icky spots (technical term…) and then doing a word search for small words that would make it through spell check – words like “him” when I meant “her” and “her” when I meant “here.” You’d be surprised how often those turn up.

And you’d think I could let a publisher do that? Well, I haven’t decided yet to forsake self-publishing. It’s gained a lot of traction since it began – I don’t know if it’s because it allows the average reader to screw “the man” and read books that hoity toity agents and publishers have rejected, or if it fits in with the latest idea of the American Dream, or what.

I’ve read and heard a lot about what agents and publishers do for authors and their books too, though, and sometimes I can’t help but think it’s worth it.

I have a theory: you have people who can tell the difference, and people who can’t.

My mom made this pork dish once, and offered me some when I came home. “It’s really flavorful,” she said. I tried some, and could only barely taste a flavor. I’m not trying to beat up my mom – it was still tasty and healthy and gave me sustenance: but I’d been around someone for a while who knew spices. You don’t realize what you’re missing, sometimes, until someone shows you.

And I’m not trying to say I’m somehow more advanced than other readers – sometimes I envy them because I’m probably missing out on perfectly good stories because I happen to notice, not just spelling and grammar, but story problems. Problems that, if I hadn’t watched Brandon Sanderson’s lectures on how stories should go, or read K.M.Weiland’s blog series on story structure, I wouldn’t know existed.

The only question I have left on self-publishing my own books is if I have the tenacity and salesman ability to successfully pitch my book to thousands; or if I should leave that to the Tom Dougherty machine (or its ilk) with all its gears and levers to help shill it for me.

Well, let’s finish them first, I guess. One step at a time, Danny Bear.

Chase your dreams and be awesome!