Planning for the Future
I’m due to graduate in August. I have one manuscript under my belt, and I’m working on the next. I’m reaching this stage at an exciting time. Writers have more options than ever before. There are the Big Six publishing houses, the large independents, the almost countless small independents, and self-publishing routes. Even the last are watching their old stigmas wear away as more and more popular writers begin to self-publish.
In fact, the question facing most of us newcomers boils down to this: should we self-publish or pursue traditional routes?
- Traditional publishing has the benefits of vetting*, physical availability, advances, and sharing the work of putting the final product together.
- Self-publishing is much faster to market, offers writers a much higher per-unit profit, and avoids the submission-rejection game.
They are opposites in many ways and the question of which to pursue is difficult and personal. We each have strengths and weaknesses that will make one more appealing than the other. Some of us tremble at the thought of designing covers or arranging our own editing. Others grip their verbatim electronic rights with both hands, unwilling to part with them for the chance to see their books available in small book stores and libraries.
I’ve put a lot of thinking into the issue, and this is how I see my plan shaping up:
I want to publish my first novel via traditional publishing. This will give me the benefit of vetting, and a chance to build an audience I might not be able to reach otherwise. During the year or more that will lapse between acceptance and publication, I want to develop my next novel. I’ll reevaluate my situation when the manuscript is finished.
During this process, I will continue publishing my short stories, flash fiction, poems and essays in magazines and journals, then taking them and self-publishing electronic compilations. This way, by the time the first novel becomes available, anyone who likes it will be able to buy more of my work immediately.
As a related side note, I am fortunate enough to have a good reading voice. I intend to take advantage of that by recording and releasing audio versions of my short works.
There are many paths to making a finished piece available, and each of them can offer at least some compensation. I don’t know how many writers can write best-sellers, but I do think that any writer can build a sustainable career through hard work, creativity, and adaptability.
*Humans are funny. People are more likely to believe something is good if others like it. Check out Robert Cialdini’s books. In terms of publishing, the fact that a publisher is willing to put a book out implies to readers that it has at least some merit.
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Submissions update: Since I last posted, I have submitted pieces to The Crab Creek Review, Ryga, Shock Totem, Parsec Ink and Tin House’s PLOTTO contest.
