I've read and studied until my brain wants to explode onto the page all that I've learned. Writing is a job. It involves so much more than "just writing." Learning "how to" platform, to query, to find an agent, to do it this way, or do it that way to get published. There are so many mind boggling methods; people with experience, agents, publishers, authors, writers, aspiring authors, more agents giving advice. How do you sift through the mountain of information and find the path that is right for you?
There is no simple answer. You must read, research, and then do what your heart tells YOU to do. I truly believe that there is no one way that is right any more. eBooks has made the possibility of getting published so much easier. I know that if you believe in yourself and your work, you will find the path that is right for you. Self-publishing is making a statement right now to a lot of authors.
One thing I've discovered is that it does not matter how you get published you must, on your own, market yourself. The books are not going to sell themselves. You play a big part in getting your book published and should not rely on your agent/publisher to do all the work. It is going to be your blog, your website, Twitter, and Facebook that is going to give you the boost you need to accomplish this feat. Your agent/publisher can only do so much.
If you believe in yourself and your hard work to create this manuscript, then the ball is in your court. You must do all you can to make it happen. I guarantee the publisher isn't interested in your novel, but in percentages and numbers. I guarantee your agent will be behind you most of the way, but it is still up to you.
Those who choose to publish themselves through SMASHWORDS for eBooks has a good chance, but still it is up to you. So writing isn't just writing anymore, or querying. It's important to learn how to market yourself. The publishing industry is changing, and we need to put our thinking caps on and make up our minds what road we want to traverse.
Are we going to get on the train that leads to success, or are we going to sit back and see where the road will take us? Like using the old methods of querying, and hoping that we will be discovered by an agent several months down the road, and then years before the book makes it to the shelves. Or are we going to make our own path and take our chances with eBooks and DO IT!
Just make sure you are ready before making the step to put your novel out there. You must have it edited, and know your genre and your target age group. Be prepared and conduct yourself in a professional manner. No matter the route you take, it takes work, hard work, and lots of gumption.
It's your journey, your life, your moment. So live it! Write to your heart's content, and look to the future. Changes are happening now. Are you ready for those changes? Good luck figuring out where your journey will take you. As for me, I'm going to head in the direction that has signs that read SUCCESS OVER HERE. If it works, do it. If it fails, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try, try again.
John Locke, Holly Lisle, Amanda Hocking and others have been successful. So, if your book is polished and ready to go, and you've had no success getting discovered because you are an "unknown name," then by all means, listen to those who can show you HOW TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL in getting published. Do you believe?
Here's a free plug for you John Locke. Check out his latest book How I sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months. Hey, the book is only $4.99. You can only gain by reading it.
Randy Ingermansen plugged his book, and that's how I found it. Check out Randy Ingermansen's site too. All the names I have mentioned above have a lot to offer. You need to read and decide for yourself.
1 comment:
Thankks for the post
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