Shawna Hunter's Blog - Posts Tagged "publishing"
The Publishing Journey
With self publishing the eternally tempting easy road traditional or e-publishing's difficulties seem more and more pointless. They are not. Self-publishing is expensive, time consuming and more often than not you only get pennies in return.
So we jump through the hoops. This publisher wants submissions one way, that one an entirely different way. This pub accepts simultaneous submissions, that one won't even open your email if they don't have exclusive say for months. Wait 30 days for a reply, only 14 days here, up to 60 from us, etc, etc, etc and even when you do get a reply they want changes, always different changes, and throw more hoops your way.
In my current quest to bring A Girl Named Flower to you all I've been told to give up on Brooke's Hollow, that the book "isn't marketable to our readers" (understandable from that pub), and I've even been totally ghosted. Yep, they wanted changes, we discussed it for a couple days, I made changes, they said it wasn't enough, I asked for examples, they promised them within a week and never replied again. It's been almost 2 months and I consider them to have dropped me.
It's a rough process. One full of waiting, bitter rejections and self doubt. It is certainly the furthest thing from fun a writer can experience but it's worth it. Not just to bring a professionally published book to market or to get better sales. It's worth it because the struggle makes you a better author (all those changes are practice), it builds contacts and a professional reputation (how you handle applications and rejections) and it develops character. Being told that you're not good enough, that this book you've worked so hard on isn't worthy and to soldier on because you believe in it.
It's a long, hard road but, then, it is down those roads that the best stories are found.
So we jump through the hoops. This publisher wants submissions one way, that one an entirely different way. This pub accepts simultaneous submissions, that one won't even open your email if they don't have exclusive say for months. Wait 30 days for a reply, only 14 days here, up to 60 from us, etc, etc, etc and even when you do get a reply they want changes, always different changes, and throw more hoops your way.
In my current quest to bring A Girl Named Flower to you all I've been told to give up on Brooke's Hollow, that the book "isn't marketable to our readers" (understandable from that pub), and I've even been totally ghosted. Yep, they wanted changes, we discussed it for a couple days, I made changes, they said it wasn't enough, I asked for examples, they promised them within a week and never replied again. It's been almost 2 months and I consider them to have dropped me.
It's a rough process. One full of waiting, bitter rejections and self doubt. It is certainly the furthest thing from fun a writer can experience but it's worth it. Not just to bring a professionally published book to market or to get better sales. It's worth it because the struggle makes you a better author (all those changes are practice), it builds contacts and a professional reputation (how you handle applications and rejections) and it develops character. Being told that you're not good enough, that this book you've worked so hard on isn't worthy and to soldier on because you believe in it.
It's a long, hard road but, then, it is down those roads that the best stories are found.
Ce la vie I suppose
Isn't publishing fun?
No, no publishing is probably the most brutal thing an author can go through.
Case in point. I have a 120k MASTERPIECE of a Lesbian thriller/erotica novel that I languished over for a year sitting in publisher limbo. 3 have rejected it, 2 have ghosted me. If one of those ghosts doesn't email me back by Friday I'm going to the sixth publisher to try to get that book out there.
The worst part? That book is the 7th in the Brooke's Hollow universe. It's meant to kick off a major three story arc that will fundamentally change my kinky small town and blow my readers socks off.
But, as I said, it's in publisher limbo so (like all of you) I have to wait, and wait, and wait....and I freaking HATE waiting. So to keep myself busy I've been writing other works. As I don't know what changes a publisher may make to my Brooke's Hollow book, however, I can't really start in on the planned books 8 and 9 (and, before you ask, I can't afford editing and cover art to self publish. I'm broke) so what to write?
Well first I decided to amuse myself with a silly fairy comedy story. It was envisioned as a collection of short stories but I couldn't help giving it an overarching narrative and a few week later I had a book. The best part? It got picked up by the first publisher I sent it to! That's right my actual 7th book will be the little diversion book I wrote while waiting to hear from publishers!
Sucks right? Well you know what sucks worse? This is the SECOND time this has happened! Submission Backstory was written while I was waiting to hear from publishers about Their Meddling Aunt! That's the world of publishing for you. Work hard, pour your heart and soul into something and get nowhere but pump something out in a couple weeks and oh it's great.
I mean it is great, it's actually a really fun read but it's frustrating you know?
Ah well, at least I've got another non-Brooke's Hollow standalone I'm working on while I wait for more publishers on the story I took seriously and I've got the prep work for promoting this book when its released in a few weeks. That'll keep me sane. Because I'm not giving up and if that means a bunch of shorter, fun little books in the mean time then so be it.
Fairies, Sword and Slavery adventures, hell maybe I'll write some superhero sex. Why not have some fun? While I wait to reveal a story that will take your breathe away.
No, no publishing is probably the most brutal thing an author can go through.
Case in point. I have a 120k MASTERPIECE of a Lesbian thriller/erotica novel that I languished over for a year sitting in publisher limbo. 3 have rejected it, 2 have ghosted me. If one of those ghosts doesn't email me back by Friday I'm going to the sixth publisher to try to get that book out there.
The worst part? That book is the 7th in the Brooke's Hollow universe. It's meant to kick off a major three story arc that will fundamentally change my kinky small town and blow my readers socks off.
But, as I said, it's in publisher limbo so (like all of you) I have to wait, and wait, and wait....and I freaking HATE waiting. So to keep myself busy I've been writing other works. As I don't know what changes a publisher may make to my Brooke's Hollow book, however, I can't really start in on the planned books 8 and 9 (and, before you ask, I can't afford editing and cover art to self publish. I'm broke) so what to write?
Well first I decided to amuse myself with a silly fairy comedy story. It was envisioned as a collection of short stories but I couldn't help giving it an overarching narrative and a few week later I had a book. The best part? It got picked up by the first publisher I sent it to! That's right my actual 7th book will be the little diversion book I wrote while waiting to hear from publishers!
Sucks right? Well you know what sucks worse? This is the SECOND time this has happened! Submission Backstory was written while I was waiting to hear from publishers about Their Meddling Aunt! That's the world of publishing for you. Work hard, pour your heart and soul into something and get nowhere but pump something out in a couple weeks and oh it's great.
I mean it is great, it's actually a really fun read but it's frustrating you know?
Ah well, at least I've got another non-Brooke's Hollow standalone I'm working on while I wait for more publishers on the story I took seriously and I've got the prep work for promoting this book when its released in a few weeks. That'll keep me sane. Because I'm not giving up and if that means a bunch of shorter, fun little books in the mean time then so be it.
Fairies, Sword and Slavery adventures, hell maybe I'll write some superhero sex. Why not have some fun? While I wait to reveal a story that will take your breathe away.
