Publishing

I have always wanted to publish a book. Or books. I wasn't too picky. Believe it or not, I never wanted to be a "blogger". I was skeptical of that sort of thing. I was an
Author, for crying out loud!


One Christmas I purchased the book above, on publishing. I used my last 26 dollars or so and banked on it being an "investment".

I mean it had all the addresses for publishers and explained the genres of them inside it, so it would save me some time. The tips in it were priceless, too!

It encouraged me to do as much research as I could about the company, the person's favorite candy bar or color that I'd be sending the initial contact info to and so on and so forth.

heck, I love research! And so I delved in! I did everything the book said to do. And when I started getting the stream of denial letters back- in my own self addressed and stamped envelope with the generic denial letter, I wasn't fazed!

Until I started to get sick of researching all these people and wanted more time to read and write.

And then one day-- many moons from when I'd tried to publish a couple books, I got a letter. It was from me, once again, and it was a denial letter, once again!

I was thinking: "I gave up on this years ago! And you are just now getting to the bottom of the slush file, or the janitor found my manuscript kicking around on the floor, saw a letter he could mail to me without paying for the stamp and stuffed the denial letter in it as a form a courtesy!

It was the final insult.

Then I forgave the publishing companies, janitor, and the author of the Address Book of Publishers. Got over the amount of money that was useless and started to do what I loved; Read.

I googled some of the authors and found they had blogs. I read some of their advice and one of the gems was: "Publishing Companies want to see that you can 'sell yourself'."

Put yourself up for sale? I thought. Sounded kinky and down right wrong. Couldn't the book speak for itself? And sell that way? Was it the economy that was making it so we authors had to do the foot work?

Finally, I agreed to the conditions. Which felt akin to contracting out with the Devil and I went to some place called blogspot and felt my way around and  reluctantly "made" a blog. I even eventually realized I had to make it look "cute". And I PAID someone to help me put the bed up there.

Now I am a blogger. Look at me. I will be up in the middle of the night writing to you readers!

As I started to get the hang of hanging myself out there, it started to feel like revenge on the Publishing companies!!

"Take that such and such, mighty industry of putting my words on paper and the makers of galleys and collectors of money! "

In essence I had taken out the third party and boom! I was publishing MYSELF. Quite literally.

The other day a mock interview came into my mind as I thought about when I'd reached "success" in publishing my 'work'.

It went like this:

So, Amanda, what made you want to blog and become this huge success that led to..... this....?

Well, Marie, it was really about revenge on publishing companies.

How so?

They weren't biting at what I had written and so I took matters into my own hands, started publishing myself!! It was the biggest relief! No more denial letters, editing into the night, having to research the companies and find a contact within the company. Let alone an agent or something.

So how much of your work have you been able to publish, by yourself.

Ummm, none. Actually. As you can see all of my ideas, etc. are still in this tub in the bottom of my closet.

Have you gotten it out lately and worked on any of those ideas, or finished any of the books.

No, actually. I have been really busy blogging. I take that back. There are three or four that are finished. But the rest... well, I can't even lift the tub above it off right now because I'm so weak and really the idea of writing a novel right now isn't a possibility.

Well it looks like you have really shown those Publishing Companies!

Ya know, I have. I bucked the system. I was determined to publish myself and I have done just that on my blog. I haven't had to put a bit of my books out there. Just myself. And it's been pretty fun.

You mentioned money. How much do you make without that third party?

Nothing, Marie! It's amazing. I have literally been able to write for others, for free. It's a great feeling.

Well, thanks for taking time out of your schedule to talk to us!

The pleasure is mine!