self-publishing
A Vow to Be Discriminate
Okay, I realize that title doesn’t sound like a positive thing (especially if you overlook the “be”), so let me explain. If I am not discriminate, I am by definition indiscriminate. And that is something I do not wish to be.
I enjoy supporting fellow writers. Exchanging feedback on query letters, discussing the ins and outs of the business, offering chocolate when the rejections come in, swapping manuscripts for critique … all high on my agenda. I’m happy to support with more than my time, too. I’ve bought several books (some hard copy, some eBook, and some both) over the past couple of years by writers I know. Often these are in genres I don’t normally read a lot of, but in these cases I know the writer personally, and I know that the quality of writing is up to snuff, so I put my money behind them. These have been both traditionally published and self-published books.
But I will not support only because the “I know the writer” half of the equation is met. For one thing, I know too many, and half of them are self-publishing these days. Even at 99 cents or $3, that can add up.
More importantly, that “writing is up to snuff” part is critical. Reviewing books publicly can be super-sticky for a writer, especially one who’s still seeking the ever-elusive agent and publishing deal. My even-handed criticisms might be based more on my decades of experience as a reader, but it just looks bad to have even a hint of “bashing” others.
So the only vote of support I might have for some books comes in the form of currency and/or downloads. If I don’t believe a book is worthy, for whatever reason, I think it’s okay for me to withhold that vote. Certainly, I don’t think I do myself, my fellow writers, and most importantly readers any favors if I contribute to artificially inflating the rankings/visibility of a book I don’t believe in.
The brunt of this falls on the self-published works, it seems, because there are so many among my acquaintances, and because the self-publishing process has an inherent reduction in quality control. I am not anti-self-publishing. I’m still actively considering it for myself. But I’ve always been picky and demanding when it comes to books. Super-picky, some might say. (Mindy McGinnis has her own way of putting it, as those of you who know her can guess.) That pickiness isn’t going to change (and shouldn’t, in my opinion) just because I’ve talked to the author.
So I’ll continue to check samples and listen to the opinions of those I trust. If I believe in the work, you can bet I’ll put everything possible behind it. I’ve already pre-ordered the eBook for Sophie Perinot’s debut in less than two weeks, and I also plan to hit a brick-and-mortar store release day to buy a hard copy … maybe two. (Who has a birthday coming up and likes historical fiction?) I’m already earmarking money for several copies of Mindy McGinnis’s debut novel (which I was privileged to read and critique pre-querying), and that doesn’t come out until Fall 2013.
Am I too picky? Am I missing the boat of Authorial Solidarity? Have you ever found yourself stuck between a writer-friend who wants your support and your integrity that says, “This really wasn’t ready to go out into the world?” How do you handle it?
Speak up:
2 commentsIf You Think It’s Easy, You’re Probably Doing It Wrong
DISCLAIMER: I have not self-published (yet … I know, I keep saying that). That said, I’ve gone through a lot of the necessary processes—practicing, if you will. I’ve played with designing covers, some of which you can also see by clicking the title tabs at the top of the page. I’ve done interior formatting and had proof copies made. I’ve made eBooks in both EPUB and MOBI formats (not just preparing my Word doc for some company’s automated conversion process—I figured out how to do it myself).
So that’s the headspace the following chunk of opinion comes from.
There’s a lot of buzz lately about literary agents forming e-publishing wings. Some are set up more to facilitate their existing clients’ self-publishing efforts, while others seek to be full-fledged publishers. The latest is over at Bookends, with lots of very passionate responses on both sides of the is-it-ethical and is-it-smart debates.
I’m not going to weigh in on those aspects. People far more intelligent and experienced than I are already doing that. But there’s a particular idea in the responses that I’ve seen many times. Not just there—I’ve seen it in various writing forums whenever self/e-publishing comes up:
“Do it yourself. It’s easy.”
Okay, the physical act of uploading your manuscript to Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords is easy. But I’ve been scoping out the results, and it’s clear many writers are missing the truth:
Doing it is easy. Doing it well is hard.
Forget the trials of marketing, getting anyone to even find your book among the many on Kindle. I’m just talking about the front-end job of getting it prepped for daylight. Let’s look at the aspects that as a reader make me tear my hair out.
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COVERS
Oh, my … covers. My brother is a graphic designer. I don’t know nearly as much as he does, but I’ve absorbed a few things through conversations with him. And I’m not saying my covers are super-fabulous—remember, I’m just playing and experimenting so far. (But an editor at HarperCollins did compliment my Fingerprints cover. *blush*)
Do you honestly have a good eye for design? Or do you think most things look “good enough”? Scanning the Kindle listings, it’s not hard to spot a “homemade” cover. (And I will say, certain smaller publishers aren’t much better with their cover designs.) If you’ve cut elements from different images and stuck them together, have you really made it look like one seamless whole that was meant to be that way?
In most cases, no.
So, what to do? Pay for a graphic designer? Maybe. But if so, beware. I’ve seen freelance graphic designers with credentials and everything who create crap cover designs. If you’re paying far less than $100, you might get a very nice (but basic) cover, or you might get something my high school students could out-do during their lunch break.
If you want something really high-quality, that doesn’t scream DIY from a mile away, you have some options. Invest some real money in it. Have/develop the skills and tools yourself. Or be lucky enough to know someone with the talent who’s willing to do you a favor.
And for goodness sake, make sure you have the proper rights to use any stock images you need. Just because you found it on the internet and did a right-click/save doesn’t mean it’s fair game. Same goes for fonts. (You didn’t know you can’t just use whatever fonts you have installed on your computer? Go do some homework.)
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E-FORMATTING
I’ve already done a full rant on this subject before, so I’ll just reiterate a few things.
If you use a meat-grinder, you get hamburger … not steak.
Maybe you like hamburger. If you do it very carefully and make sure the “meat” going in has everything just right, you might be able to get a five-star, gourmet burger out of it.
Personally, I have a hard time trusting automated conversions, even specialized ones like Kindle uses. I really don’t trust an automated process that takes one file and spits out five or six different formats. You don’t have to be a control freak like me, but triple-check your results in ALL formats to make sure the result is pristine.
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EDITING
Oh, yeah, this is about a story people will (hopefully) read.
This is the biggest roadblock for many. To get the kind of intense, whip-it-into-shape editing my friends with Big-6 publishing deals have gone through, you would have to spend more than $1000. It’s not just proofreading, though some of the errors and typos I’ve seen in self-pub’d works still make me shudder. Here’s a little story to illustrate:
Once upon a time, there was a novel posted at an online writers’ community. I read the first few chapters and thought it was marvelous. Surely this would be picked up by an agent. Surely it had a better shot than most at being published.
Alas, it did not happen. Eventually, the author decided to self-publish. I remembered loving what I read, so I gladly made the purchase.
As I read the whole thing, I was heartbroken. It quickly became obvious why it didn’t make it on the traditional route. Nothing to do with the mechanics of the writing; everything to do with the craft of the story. Repetitive recaps every time a new character entered the picture. Disbelief that could no longer be suspended even by a reader eager to love the story (such as myself).
There are those who say you can edit well enough if you have a good critique group. I believe that can be true. But is your critique group tough enough on you? Do they know enough to spot overarching problems, or are they just good for helping you polish and tighten sentences?
If you can’t afford a 4-digit editing bill (and really, how many of us can?) there are other options. Read with a critical eye, not just for the words on the page, but how the story is shaped and woven together. Look at some books on craft until you find some that work for your style, genre, etc. Maybe take a class or two.
And if you’re lucky enough to find critique partners who really know what they’re talking about and can tear your work apart in a way that makes you thank them for the torture … dig your claws in and never let them go.
* * * * *
I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface of what goes into making a self-published book top-notch. It’s NOT easy. (Neither is going the traditional route.) It doesn’t mean you necessarily have to spend your life savings. It does mean you should work your tail off … and put in some major time between finishing the “writing” part and putting the product on the market.
Is it worth it? After all, you’re probably only charging around $1-5 for your eBook, right? Maybe you’re embracing the concept of a pulp fiction revival and are glad to be a part of it.
That’s great. But I say you should still respect your readers enough to make sure anything you put in front of them is nothing less than awesome.
Did I miss anything? Other pet-peeves in self-published work? Or am I just way too picky? 😉
Speak up:
4 commentsAccomplishment vs Prestige
Some … interesting conversations I’ve observed lately had me thinking about the distinction between the two ideas named in this post title. The whole writing/publishing world is changing, with more options readily available than ever before. And naturally, people are making value judgments.
Person A: [This, that, or the other non-traditional route] isn’t real publishing.
Person B: Why are you tearing down other people’s success?
Person A: You’re deluding yourself.
Person B: You’re a jerk.
Mud-slinging and childish behavior ensue. Any chance for rational discussion of pros and cons is lost.
Aside from personality flaws I’m not qualified to diagnose, it seems part of the problem arises when one or both parties fail to differentiate between accomplishment and prestige. So I’ll stick my neck out and discuss it.
All of the following are accomplishments that warrant unequivocal pride and satisfaction:
- completing a novel
- writing a query letter that garners requests
- securing an agent
- landing a publishing contract with a big-name publisher
- landing a publishing contract with a mid-sized publisher
- landing a publishing contract with a small/niche publisher or micro-press
- learning the formatting gymnastics required for self- and/or e-publishing
- releasing a book through self- and/or e-publishing
- selling books
- finally telling your family you’re a writer, and surviving the laughter
But the fact is, some of these accomplishments are more prestigious than others, and measuring “success” is complicated. I have a friend who’s well into six-figures with advances (Big 6 publishers) and foreign rights sales with her debut novel, and it’s not even released until this fall. I have other friends who’ve been published by start-up indie publishers founded by fellow writers, and some are doing quite well. Still other friends have gone entirely the DIY route, and a few of those are also doing impressively.
If I say that first friend with the Big 6 contracts is more successful than the others, does that mean I’m disparaging the others’ accomplishments? Not at all. I’m saying she’s reached a higher level of prestige. We can’t all be Olympic gold-medalists. Even if some of us eventually get the same level of success as my friend, we won’t necessarily take the same route. And that’s okay.
(Incidentally, all of my aforementioned friends have accomplished more than I have in those respects. I’m still working on it.)
Part of the problem is likely the implication that novels that are self-published or released by a small start-up aren’t “good enough” for the big-time. Is that true?
Let’s be honest—sometimes it is.
There are other possible reasons, though. Not hitting the right timing with trends. A topic/genre that’s more niche than mainstream. Or an author that wants to keep complete control over their product, for whatever reason, so they never even try the traditional route.
I’m in no position to say which category any given book falls into. But my advice to all is to acknowledge that there’s always going to be someone “better” and more successful. Compete against yourself. Choose a route, set a bar for yourself, and focus on surpassing it. Next time around, get a bigger contract, or a higher percentage of positive reviews, more downloads at a specific price point, or whatever makes sense to your situation.
Not everyone can be at the top of the prestige tower … but everyone can move higher bit by bit. Be realistic about where you are. You’re not as high as someone else—the latest Big-6 bestseller or whatever. You don’t need to pretend you are. Take what you’ve accomplished, own it, and enjoy it. Then get back to work.