Getting Published

[DirkPitt06]

I've heard all the stories about getting pulled from the slushpile, about pure luck and happenstance leading to careers as an author and a fictioneer. I'd like to ask you Lit folks: have you been published? If so, in what media and genres? And can you offer any advice to the aspirants?

 

[Roxy_Wood]

I've heard all the stories about getting pulled from the slushpile, about pure luck and happenstance leading to careers as an author and a fictioneer. I'd like to ask you Lit folks: have you been published? If so, in what media and genres? And can you offer any advice to the aspirants?

Good morning, Dirk.

My advice is: DO IT YOURSELF.

Wild success in traditional publishing is rare these days. Even NYT bestselling authors (Barry Eisler, Robyn Carr -- to name just two) are self-publishing novellas on Kindle because the income is better that way.

If you lack the skill set to edit, format, cover, and promote your own work, then pay freelancers to do it for you.

You can make a decent living by self-publishing. If you have to share a percentage of each sale with a publisher (in addition to the fees taken by online retailers), it takes twice the number of book sales to make that same decent living.

 

[DirkPitt06]

I had no idea that self-publishing was even a path folks pursued these days. A friend of mine self-published in 2006 and didn't really recommend the experience. Granted, that was prior to the e-book trend really took off. Can you (or anyone else) recommend any links or resources with more detail about publishing electronically?

 

[Roxy_Wood]

I had no idea that self-publishing was even a path folks pursued these days. A friend of mine self-published in 2006 and didn't really recommend the experience. Granted, that was prior to the e-book trend really took off. Can you (or anyone else) recommend any links or resources with more detail about publishing electronically?

Check out Smashwords.com and also "Kindle Direct Publishing"

They'll get you started.