Making a Choice
I'll be honest: I went back and forth about self-publishing for a long time. For most of the time, I felt like it was the cheap way out -- that if my book was actually good, it would be traditionally published, with the prestige of an actual House behind it, chock full of editors, marketing types, and an agent telling me -- and the rest of the world -- that it was good.
Oh, and in case you missed it, By Ways Unseen is coming out on July 12 on Amazon, through CreateSpace and Kindle.
So, what happened? A few things, and I'll try to be brief.
First, I started reading a lot of fantasy. A lot from the 90's, a lot from the past 10 years. I noticed a difference. I also noticed that my book reads a lot more like stories from the 90's than the 00's, and the 10's. But it was the story I wanted to tell. I also started noticing a lot of agents' comments in their bios and in panels on YouTube; and, once again, they weren't looking for what I had written.
I don't think that means people don't want to read it. I think people enjoy a good story, first and foremost. But pitching that to umpteen different people on the path to traditional publishing was becoming more daunting.
Second, and more importantly, I decided firmly in my mind I was going to write this series no matter if people read it or not. I've put a lot of time into it, I'm pretty far along with writing it, and I'm not going to stop in the middle and write something else -- even if a fancy-dancy (it's a phrase now, so get used to it) agent or publisher tells me to. I do have a couple other story ideas floating around -- those I may work into something more traditionally-publishable; but not yet.
Third, and most importantly, I heard a guest pastor at my church back in March, after a youth conference. He was telling the story of Jairus whose daughter was sick, and then died while Jesus was on his way to heal her. When he got there, he sent everyone out except a few folks who witnessed the miracle of her resurrection. (Mark 5:21-43)
The point? One of them was "you might have to tell something to get out before you can tell the other thing to get up."
See, my biggest struggle lately was that I wouldn't invest the time I needed into marketing my book. That I would put it out there, and it would languish in anonymity until I pulled it from the internet. And I'd have another failure on my hands. Didn't know I tried to publish an anthology of short stories, did you? Of course not; I failed to market it, and it languished.
But those fears weren't from God. For one thing, He's perfect love, and perfect love casts out fear. But also, ever since I put my hand to that plow in March and started getting my book ready for release, I haven't looked back. I've taken step after step, watched video after video, learned everything I could, figured out an "advance" from our primary checking account to help pay the up-front costs of a cover artist, marketing, whatever else I needed (which I'll pay back from the first sales, as any good advance is). I have been going about this as business-like and determined as I can.
Meanwhile, I'm finishing up book two with every intention of releasing it as soon as practical, and absolutely plowing through the writing of book three.
In other words, I'm committed. Come what may, I believe this is the time, and this is the venue. Even if it doesn't come with the prestige of "Tor" or "Baen" or "Orbit" -- or anyone else -- on the cover.
So I've told those fears to get out; and I'm telling my dream of writing great books for people to read to get up. It's been too long, and they need to stop laying about.
Oh, and in case you missed it, By Ways Unseen is coming out on July 12 on Amazon, through CreateSpace and Kindle.
So, what happened? A few things, and I'll try to be brief.
First, I started reading a lot of fantasy. A lot from the 90's, a lot from the past 10 years. I noticed a difference. I also noticed that my book reads a lot more like stories from the 90's than the 00's, and the 10's. But it was the story I wanted to tell. I also started noticing a lot of agents' comments in their bios and in panels on YouTube; and, once again, they weren't looking for what I had written.
I don't think that means people don't want to read it. I think people enjoy a good story, first and foremost. But pitching that to umpteen different people on the path to traditional publishing was becoming more daunting.
Second, and more importantly, I decided firmly in my mind I was going to write this series no matter if people read it or not. I've put a lot of time into it, I'm pretty far along with writing it, and I'm not going to stop in the middle and write something else -- even if a fancy-dancy (it's a phrase now, so get used to it) agent or publisher tells me to. I do have a couple other story ideas floating around -- those I may work into something more traditionally-publishable; but not yet.
Third, and most importantly, I heard a guest pastor at my church back in March, after a youth conference. He was telling the story of Jairus whose daughter was sick, and then died while Jesus was on his way to heal her. When he got there, he sent everyone out except a few folks who witnessed the miracle of her resurrection. (Mark 5:21-43)
The point? One of them was "you might have to tell something to get out before you can tell the other thing to get up."
See, my biggest struggle lately was that I wouldn't invest the time I needed into marketing my book. That I would put it out there, and it would languish in anonymity until I pulled it from the internet. And I'd have another failure on my hands. Didn't know I tried to publish an anthology of short stories, did you? Of course not; I failed to market it, and it languished.
But those fears weren't from God. For one thing, He's perfect love, and perfect love casts out fear. But also, ever since I put my hand to that plow in March and started getting my book ready for release, I haven't looked back. I've taken step after step, watched video after video, learned everything I could, figured out an "advance" from our primary checking account to help pay the up-front costs of a cover artist, marketing, whatever else I needed (which I'll pay back from the first sales, as any good advance is). I have been going about this as business-like and determined as I can.
Meanwhile, I'm finishing up book two with every intention of releasing it as soon as practical, and absolutely plowing through the writing of book three.
In other words, I'm committed. Come what may, I believe this is the time, and this is the venue. Even if it doesn't come with the prestige of "Tor" or "Baen" or "Orbit" -- or anyone else -- on the cover.
So I've told those fears to get out; and I'm telling my dream of writing great books for people to read to get up. It's been too long, and they need to stop laying about.
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