September 29, 2009

Change in Plans

After researching and actually finding a printer that includes no bells and whistles, after getting real about what self-publishing entails and the costs, I have decided to look for a publisher.

Wish me luck!

August 31, 2009

Locavore

Who knew?

Compare Publish Quantity Needed (PQN) pricing to author-service pricing and what do you get? A difference of over $1000. That's $1000 more than "standard" services so the actual difference is more like $1500. Of course prices vary, so these figures are approximate.

The mere thought of anything close to $1500 generates enthusiasm in me for do-it-yourself publishing!

The services vary with Print on Demand (POD) and they do make life easier. Take distribution in particular: POD offers hook-up with all the major book industries.

There is another way. If you're at all interested in truly self-publishing, check out www.parapublishing.com


I even found a digital printer within 3 hours from home. That means I could conceivably pick up the books myself: ROAD TRIP. Even having them delivered wouldn't cost that much in gas or $$$. 


After all, I am a locavore. 


(Thanks to David at WingSpan for helping me figure all this out!)

August 26, 2009

What I'm Finding Out about Self-Publishing


As many of you know, I have a three-tiered editing program for my novel made up of readers of all ages: an entrepreneur-mogul type, a singer/songwriter/artist, a Buddhist vet tech, two elementary school teachers (both Valedictorians back in the day) an accountant/gardener extraordinaire, a sociology professor, a professional editor (of Mafia Wars fame), two college students (both incredibly talented artists and writers) a stay-at-home literary mom who reads those Russians (also an incredibly talented writer), a novelist, and my brother. 

It's in the nit-picky editing stage so I have time to research self-publishing. What I've discovered is layers of middlemen (middlepeople?). The list of Print on Demand (POD) businesses is a long one.

AuthorHouse apparently publishes most books. That's an amazing statistic. Lulu, also popular, looks easy. My favorite though is WingSpan. Like all of them, they'll send me, the author, a check. 

Hey, wait a minute! I thought I was going to publish my own book.

That's what they all say I'll be doing. And then they all say they'll let me buy my books from them - at a discount! Why, I could make 20 to 30% of the listed price of the book, which is better than the 6 to 8% an author makes with a publisher, but not by much. 

I get the value of being hooked up with Amazon and that's one of the services PODs provide but who's going to so the searching? No one knows me. The people who do know me will buy signed copies. The breadth of my sales must come from my marketing platform: my own selling events, author fairs, book fairs, conferences, community programs, etc. After I've made 500 sales and managed to get my book reviewed, which is possible (ask me), what is to keep me from approaching Amazon, et al, as a publisher? It may not be done but that doesn't mean it cannot be done. In the meantime, my book will be available on my novel's blog

It confuses me that writers so willingly give away control of their work and share the proceeds to boot. I want to sign the check that pays the printer to print my books. I want to pocket the profit I make from hawking said books. It's really so simple. Apparently revolutionary but still simple. 

Wish me luck?  I teach English at a community college and, while that doesn't guarantee I know what I'm doing, it helps that I've studied literature and have the spelling, punctuation, grammar thing down well enough to know I need to make good use of my time going over and over it and my resources. I've also been going to writing conferences and writing for years. Have published poetry, essays, features, the occasional letter to the editor - Google me - This is my first novel.

The story showed up in my imagination and I owe it to Justine to publish it. That is what writers do: We write. We need to be able to print and sell our stories. Let's start a revolution. Writers, unite!


August 19, 2009

No Go!

Dolores Huerta's daughter read one of my chapters and said "some good points stood out about poverty, racism, pesticides." That isn't exactly the testimonial I was hoping for but I really appreciate that she took the time to read it and to give me feedback.

I'm going to contact the United Farm Workers (UFW) in Delano in the hopes that I can find someone to read parts or all of my novel.








August 12, 2009

My Novel Has a Blog!

Yesterday I worked with my coach and managed to get the Pay Pal button on my new blog so friends, family, and fans can pre-order the novel. The blog is now up and running - just click on the title of this entry and check it out.

I modeled one of the characters in my novel after Dolores Huerta and I'd like some feedback from her on that so I went to http://www.doloreshuerta.org, found her contact information, and emailed her.

Why is stuff like that so scary?

I'll keep you posted.

August 11, 2009

Update on Progress

The novel will be going to the third group of readers by August 17.

Thanks to the feedback I've been getting, the novel is better than ever!!! My readers will feature prominently in the acknowledgements and I will be forever grateful to them for supporting me as a fledgling novel writer.

Watch for a new blog: The Possibility of Justine.

July 09, 2009

Progress

The first set of readers gave me excellent and useful feedback on my novel. I am in work, revising and polishing, helping the story reveal itself.

Have gone back to the original title, The Possibility of Justine, as that was the title that "came" to me. Why argue with that?

My deadline to have novel to second group of readers: Monday, July 13th.