I met a man who possessed the ambition of writing a novel. He took classes in grammar, writing techniques, and computer operation for the express purpose of fulfilling his dream. Preparing for that dream was similar to preparing oneself for a mountain climb.
Months of training was required for him to fulfill that dream. He attended several college level classes he knew would help. On the day the climb was to commence, the man sat down at his computer to 'write' the great novel. He stared at the screen for several hours wondering where the mountain was located. It finally came to him that there was no mountain. He had no story to write.
For those writers with a story locked away in their imaginations, their obstacles are not the mountain, but time and determination. Months and even years can go by and the climb continues. When the peak of the mountain is finally visible, time is robbed wherever possible; sleep, communicating with spouses and kids, television, sitting at the table for meals, etc.
When the manuscript is finally written and rewritten, articles on writing queries are poured over. That chore is often times more difficult than writing the book. Once it's completed, a copy is sent off to the selected agent. Agents, for some unknown reason, prefer the writer to query only one of them at a time. This is where the waiting starts.
After six months, the writer finally gets the hint there will be no answer to the query. To save time, and aggravation, multiple queries are then sent out. Several of the agents will respond with their "I'm sorry but after 'careful consideration', we do not feel this agency can offer you the representation your novel requires," or some variation of that thought.
The cost of stamps being what they are, the writer now either gives up or searches the internet for agents who accept electronic queries. I recently read an article about an agent who was pressed for time and rejected 21 manuscripts in 25 minutes. Ernest Hemingway could have been in that group and still be rejected.
The next attempt will be a passing fancy with sending queries directly to the publishers. As I say, a passing fancy. It was at this time Douglas and I agreed to work together to attempt having his stories published. I became DayDreamin' Stories. We were unsure where to turn next with his science fiction novel entitled "Zog". In one of the fine writers e-zines he subscribes to, I noticed a 'bragging' section where a woman spoke about an e-publisher who had accepted her manuscript.
We immediately dashed off a query. Included in it was a brief statement saying if the reader was interested in an adventure in outer space, they were able to join Commander Zografos and the crew of the Tartainia. They could also meet Shahailian, the woman Zog fell in love with.
Within a short time, Douglas received an answer stating the e-publisher was interested in his story which included adventure, love, and revenge. We asked them questions, they answered them. On their web site, I found the amount of money they charge the customer per download and what percentage of that amount the author received. Very straight forward. The e-publisher sent him a contract. They did what they said they would do and we did what we were supposed to do.
Loren Douglas was now a published author. He was in a much better position when approaching agents about future works, or so we thought. What we didn't realize was two things. Fiction e-book novels are a marketing nightmare and agents could care less if the author is listed with an e-book publisher.
Sales of "ZOG" were disappointing, to say the least. I spent hours on the internet putting ads where I thought they would help. It seemed the more time I spent on the net, the more I realized I was wasting my time. There had to be a better way.
Douglas was ready to send out his second novel, a detective story entitled, "VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE." Again, the agents were not interested. It was at this point I realized the writers drive had to include far more then just writing the story. That alone would discourage most people. Getting the story in front of an audience was another kettle of fish, as Douglas would say.
We decided we had to become more aggressive if we were to succeed. I found a book entitled, "THE FINE PRINT of Self-Publishing" by Mark Levine. In the book, he reviews the contracts and services of 48 self-publishing companies. As a lawyer, he goes into detail what all the writer should be looking for and why. This is a must have book for any author considering self-publishing.
After reading the book, I contacted Booklocker.com. Levine had given them a very high rating and I felt we should try for the best. What I liked about them is they reject authors whose work did not meet their standards. Many of the Print On Demand companies will print anything the author sends in.
The amount of information on the internet negates any excuse for an author not knowing the facts of life pertaining to their after-write experiences. When a print publisher takes on a book, they fully expect the author to aggressively market their product. The days of the author sitting back and raking in the bucks are long gone.
I would suspect the biggest problem facing an author is whether or not it's actually worth the time required to market. Book signings seem to be a gray area. Are they worth it? An author can sit in the store all afternoon and not sell one book. Would the time be better spent on-line looking for places to advertise? Who knows. Each author must decide for themselves.
If a new author is not thick skinned, they might consider another line of work. When the agents reject a piece, it's not the author they are rejecting. It's the work they're rejecting. And who is to say these agents' opinions are the final word. One's opinion can be 180 degrees away from the next agent.
I read an article about an agent Douglas had contacted. This woman wrote back and agreed to represent him. Be sure to drop the check in the mail first. What check? The one for $200, of course. For what? Up front fees. The interesting part was I later read where this same woman was a person of interest for the police in her area. The moral of that story is be careful when dealing with agents. Not all of them are who they say they are.
To introduce myself to the internet community, I put together a sixty eight page e-book on stress entitled "Take Time Out For Me." I am offering it for free. Anybody wanting a copy has only to contact me at: ddinpaidra@yahoo.com and be sure to include the word STRESS on the subject line.
If somebody wishes to view the table of contents, please go to: http://www.squidoo.com/pollyklaas/lessStress The Polly Klass foundation is a very worth while institution and the reader would be well served finding out about them while at the Squidoo site. Don't hesitate to check out my other lense while there.
Don't be discouraged by agents or publishers who reject your work. Also, don't be discouraged by people in your circles who simply don't understand what you are doing. This, I might add, can include family members. They do not understand a writer's drive.
Allow me to recap the situation. The writer has completed her or his manuscript. The writer sends it off to agents. The writer is rejected. If the writer were accepted, she or he would have to put forth a substantial effort to market the book. In this case (the norm) the agents reject the work and no marketing is necessary.
The author then submits the manuscript to a Print On Demand who accepts it. The author must put forth a substantial effort to market the book, but this time, she or he receives a larger cut of the pie as reward for their efforts. The author is published and has the chance of catching the eye of a print publisher. Or is happy sticking with the POD and having total control over their work.
Angela and Richard Hoy own and operate Booklocker.com. They are both very supportive of their authors and are more than willing to help whenever possible. I realize this sounds like an advertisement, but it isn't. I enjoy passing along information I have found useful. Thank you for spending a few minutes with me.
If you are interested, please visit my blog at: http://wwwddinpaidra.blogspot.com
About the Author
Paidra Delayno earns her living working in a nursing home. In her free time, she markets the fictional works of Loren Douglas under the name DayDreamin' Stories.
