Should I Publish Myself?
- Thread starter luka
- Start date
empty mirror
remember the jackalope
you guys should cyber and publish the manuscript
or is that weird?
or is that weird?
In response ...
That blurb -no, you can't go out like that ...
Craner - I hear you on the 'crank' thing, also think there is less of a thing about it over here.
Some self published books have done quite well and the market has just continuously expanded, seconding Eden's Lulu mention and there are others ...
Making some copies to get out there -yes, as a 'demo' , otherwise how can it get around ...
To be clear -Luca does have more then one thing in der fire.
Our label REC is currently producing a 4 part 'Ep' of Luca's works;
read by Judy Nylon, soundtrack by our new group Outpost , guest Jamie Vex'd.
It will be available through iTunes, E Music and every other digital music/ content service.
We edited together Luca's adventure tales, and give it what we call an 'audio movie' treatment.
Should be complete oh, in Sept. and out Oct/ Nov.
Then this can serve as demo,
easy to find online,
people bootlegging it ,
trading trinkets for new lit ...
Viva Luca
That blurb -no, you can't go out like that ...
Craner - I hear you on the 'crank' thing, also think there is less of a thing about it over here.
Some self published books have done quite well and the market has just continuously expanded, seconding Eden's Lulu mention and there are others ...
Making some copies to get out there -yes, as a 'demo' , otherwise how can it get around ...
To be clear -Luca does have more then one thing in der fire.
Our label REC is currently producing a 4 part 'Ep' of Luca's works;
read by Judy Nylon, soundtrack by our new group Outpost , guest Jamie Vex'd.
It will be available through iTunes, E Music and every other digital music/ content service.
We edited together Luca's adventure tales, and give it what we call an 'audio movie' treatment.
Should be complete oh, in Sept. and out Oct/ Nov.
Then this can serve as demo,
easy to find online,
people bootlegging it ,
trading trinkets for new lit ...
Viva Luca
Cath troglodytes? She's really good...
David Keenan (I think it was) said something on his blog about how he takes more seriously self released music because it demonstrates that the artist has a certain amount of faith in their own work without needing the approval of another entity. Something like that.
mistersloane
heavy heavy monster sound
One way of looking at it might be in reverse - what would be the reason to want not to self-publish?
Obviously there's PR and marketing.
Aside from that? Is there anything else? How many copies would you expect to sell if it was done by someone else? Would the margin be significantly different to that which you could achieve?
For me, it's nice that people contact me occasionally and want to show stuff I've done but it's usually me doing the work, and having 'recognition' from other people doesn't make me feel any better about myself, it doesn't make me want to do more work than I would do normally...what would you want from being 'signed'?
They're questions I ask myself as well.
Obviously there's PR and marketing.
Aside from that? Is there anything else? How many copies would you expect to sell if it was done by someone else? Would the margin be significantly different to that which you could achieve?
For me, it's nice that people contact me occasionally and want to show stuff I've done but it's usually me doing the work, and having 'recognition' from other people doesn't make me feel any better about myself, it doesn't make me want to do more work than I would do normally...what would you want from being 'signed'?
They're questions I ask myself as well.
nomadthethird
more issues than Time mag
I would tend to agree with Craner that the best thing to do if you want a career is to get an agent. Agents have a stake in the game and so they have an interest in selling you to people. It's how people get far in music/show biz, too. Agents make the calls and figure out who'd give you the time of day, which saves you time and rejection. (I actually asked around but could not find any fantasy novel agents or agencies that buy fantasy novels...)
BUT, and this is a really big butttttt--I have a couple of friends who are literary agents who also have contracts, and my bf's dad is a hot shot editor at one of the big U.S. agencies (at an imprint that mostly publishes political stuff, otherwise I would beg for his help). What I can say is that, since your writing is actually interesting and doesn't fall into the more tasteful and bland conventions of contemporary "literary fiction", these types of publishing insiders would probably not be very interested in selling you. Not that they wouldn't like your writing- I think they would, even if it was a little avant-something for them-- just that they'd not think it very salable.
In other words, if you're not Jonathan Safran Foer, you would be miserable around those people. I have spent many an evening with them and I just think you'd gag. If you think that zero books blurb is annoying (cuz it is) you'd think these people were worse, in a different way.
Regardless...Why not just take the solid offer you have and then after that book comes out, shop it around in a portfolio to prospective agents. That's what I'd do.
Edit: Oops, x-post, Eden basically said this too.
BUT, and this is a really big butttttt--I have a couple of friends who are literary agents who also have contracts, and my bf's dad is a hot shot editor at one of the big U.S. agencies (at an imprint that mostly publishes political stuff, otherwise I would beg for his help). What I can say is that, since your writing is actually interesting and doesn't fall into the more tasteful and bland conventions of contemporary "literary fiction", these types of publishing insiders would probably not be very interested in selling you. Not that they wouldn't like your writing- I think they would, even if it was a little avant-something for them-- just that they'd not think it very salable.
In other words, if you're not Jonathan Safran Foer, you would be miserable around those people. I have spent many an evening with them and I just think you'd gag. If you think that zero books blurb is annoying (cuz it is) you'd think these people were worse, in a different way.
Regardless...Why not just take the solid offer you have and then after that book comes out, shop it around in a portfolio to prospective agents. That's what I'd do.
Edit: Oops, x-post, Eden basically said this too.
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nomadthethird
more issues than Time mag
You mean self-published mysteries like the stuff from YouWriteOn.com? Yeah I know someone who published a mystery novel on there.
Well, you know, blogs and shit. So you can have something to show people without spending any money on it. There've been quite a few success stories of people who generated interest off a blog then sold a book off the back of it.
But
So this clearly isn't the right route. My recommendation is find a friend who does printing cheap, press up a small amount, and sell them to people you know or think would be interested. Like white labels. It doesn't make you famous, but it does solve your problem.
Unless of course your goal is to be famous.
john eden
male pale and stale
empty mirror
remember the jackalope
i don't think you should do it
it feels crass or something
maybe it is the mixing of commerce with art that puts me off
that said, if you do it, i will likely buy a copy
it feels crass or something
maybe it is the mixing of commerce with art that puts me off
that said, if you do it, i will likely buy a copy
mistersloane
heavy heavy monster sound
i think you should do it
it feels
or something
it feels
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
But haven't you just started up a new blog?
luka
Well-known member
hahah
that just a few old things. its not real.
mixing off art and comerce.... crass... yeah, i worry about that sort of thing i suppose. but you get that regardelss of who publishes it no? zer0 make you do all the sales stuff yourself anyway. i do want a physical object. and i very much want people to read it. i don't write solely for myself. i think thats weird. what do you suggest? that i give it away for free or at cost? im not neccessarily adverse to the idea. i also like the idea of making money too though i think, its the hip-hop influence.... all the stories of selling thousans from the boot of your car. i find that attractive though relaistically i dont have the entrepreneurial smarts or the sheer manic drive that those guys have.
that just a few old things. its not real.
mixing off art and comerce.... crass... yeah, i worry about that sort of thing i suppose. but you get that regardelss of who publishes it no? zer0 make you do all the sales stuff yourself anyway. i do want a physical object. and i very much want people to read it. i don't write solely for myself. i think thats weird. what do you suggest? that i give it away for free or at cost? im not neccessarily adverse to the idea. i also like the idea of making money too though i think, its the hip-hop influence.... all the stories of selling thousans from the boot of your car. i find that attractive though relaistically i dont have the entrepreneurial smarts or the sheer manic drive that those guys have.
nomadthethird
more issues than Time mag
Who buys copies of anything? You are a better person than I am.
empty mirror
remember the jackalope
i guess i am hung up on that romantic notion of an artist that has a vision and sets it to paper to relieve the pressure that would otherwise cause the head to explode; put differently, my idea of an author (as artist) is one who writes to express a vision, in contrast to a writer that writes to entertain an audience.
i can understand wanting an artifact but that, too, smacks of capitalism
i know i only half-believe what i just wrote but yeah. if you want to do it, just do it. all this talking about it can be paralyzing.
empty mirror
remember the jackalope
ha! i am a self-hating consumer i guess.