EsmariWho in the #WritingCommunity is working toward #TraditionalPublishing? I'm hoping to query again in January, but I also have potential #SelfPublishing project I'm polishing.
J.L. Amos@Esmari I think I'll give traditional publishing a go when my novel is ready for it. I'm kind of on the fence and have been for a while. If it doesn't work out, I know I can self-publish it with much polishing.
@jlamos Yeah, it's easy to go from the trad path to self. The other way around, not so much! Agents can see your sales numbers, and publishing a book that doesn't sell well is worse than publishing no book at all.
@Esmari I've heard a few people say that. But it's ironic because trad publishing often doesn't give marketing support to new authors, so how can they expect those books to sell well if they're not truly invested in them? It seems like a weird paradox.
@jlamos I guess they figure that if you can't sell your own books when you're the publisher etc, you're not going to be able to help them sell whatever they publish. Personally, I want to go trad pub so I DON'T have to be my own marketer, and would avoid self-pub entirely if they covered all the niches I write in.
@Esmari You have to do most of the marketing as a traditionally published author, if not all of it. They pay you an advance and you can use it for marketing (which is wise), but they don't often offer marketing budgets to new authors. You may be able to negotiate part or all of your advance going to marketing, but that's something you'd have to ask your agent specifically to advocate for. That's why I'm on the fence between the two.
jim@Esmari oh hai! I'm planning to begin querying by the years end. How have you found it Esmari?
@sooperdooper It's sooooo hard LOL...I started querying in 2019 and stopped to revise. I've done that a couple times since, as I realized what I didn't know I didn't know. Hopefully this revision is the charm!
@Esmari its sounds like such a churn, I just know I'll be burning agents like matches haha. Hope you hook one this time
@sooperdooper The key is to query in batches. Send out ten, see how they land. If you don't get any requests, get new eyes on your syn, query, and first pages. lather rinse repeat LOL. It takes a long time, but it keeps you from burning through a list before you even know if your query package is landing well.
Good luck!
Diana Dominguez@Esmari I’ve been ‘in the trenches’ with my first mystery novel, The Bimbo and The Baby T since January. Out of 50 queries, 1 full and 1 partial request. Still unpublished. Finished my 2nd novel. Working on my third. Giving serious consideration to self-publishing. Querying is definitely not for the weak of heart.
@ddwriter Querying is the worst, but necessary. Contracts on the requests! Most people don't land an agent with their first novel, so polish the second and try again. 🙂
A. A. Rubin@Esmari I’m hoping to go the traditional route for my novel WIP. I’ve been working with a mentor who gave me a list of agents suited to my book as part of his review process, as well as a list of small-mid size traditional houses which take direct subs. But first, I’ve got to finish it.
Nat Weaver 🏳🌈🏳️⚧️@Esmari currently I'm writing a book series that I was leary about relinquishing control over to a publisher. So I've been handling publishing duties myself. I did think hard about it though.
@babylontales keeping creative control is definitely a bonus of self-pub. I'm glad I didn't decide on that path a few years ago when people were telling me to skip the querying and just publish on my own. I would have put out a bloated mess LOL!
@Esmari like, I would much rather be traditionally published in many ways. But I was afraid I'd give up too much for this character and her story if I did.
Otilia PricopeI'm writing query letters these days ( for the first time). I never thought this whole process could bring such anxiety. 🙀
Good luck to you in January, Esmari! 🍀🌠
@Otilia Writing queries is an entirely different skill set than writing novels. Good luck, happy to give feedback if you need fresh eyes.
Desert Dweller 🌵@Esmari I've been down both routes and am torn to shreds with self-debate about a current WIP. Thanks for the idea on the hashtag, though. I have to add that to my lists.
@JulieNye I have to say, I'm really glad I didn't self-pub back when people started telling me to. I would have put out a bloated mess of a book LOL...if nothing else, pursuing Trad Pub has made me a better writer, so if it doesn't work out and I do end up self-pubbing that work, it will be a much stronger book!
@Esmari It can cut both ways. My first traditional (not sure I want to admit what year it was...several decades) was a full-fledged disaster in my mind & memory. Others followed on both sides of the fence. I'm old enough not to repeat the idiocy of my first decisions, but I do yearn for a better traditional publishing scenario than what we have now. It's the other side of the moon from when I started, all those decades ago. 🤷