I'm not proud of everything I've done in my fiction writing career.

When I first started submitting after I finished my first book, I was astonished at how easy it was to get an agent. I must just be that good, I thought. I happily wrote a check out for a couple of hundred bucks (that I really couldn't afford) for all the copying and postage that the guy was going to have to use to send my book out to the best publishing houses. After all, the book would be a hit and I'd more than make up for it, right? Every so often, the guy would send me a list of places he'd sent my manuscript. When I stopped hearing from him, I started calling. I never could reach him and finally it sank in that I'd been taken.

Fast forward a year or two. I'd been accepted and published in a few magazines and e-zines. A couple of them were okay, one of them never paid me what they were supposed to, and another one put my work in the midst of some of the most vile garbage I've ever read. I didn't pay attention to what I was doing. I was simply happy to be accepted by someone, anyone, that I pretty much soiled my name.

After all that, I learned my lesson and paid attention to what I was getting myself into. This is why I am diligent in my research. I do preliminary research to see if the listing is a right fit. If it is, I submit. Then, if someone bites, I research further. I even try to gather information on how happy other authors are working with those who I might have the opportunity to sign a contract with. And I definitely read other work put out by them.

Scam? Maybe not.

Not everything I've had a bad experience with, though, is a scam. Sometimes, it's more of a situation where the entity isn't a right fit due to different opinions about business practices. This is my most recent situation.

I'd been accepted into a couple of anthology series. The prize was upfront money plus royalties based on sales. The first sign that something was wrong was no communication for a very long time. So I started asking around and discovered that royalties wasn't guaranteed as the publisher is fairly new. There was a stipulation that costs had to be covered first before royalties were paid. But I found it odd the company couldn't afford to pay royalties but was footing a majority of the bill for two representatives to fly across country to attend a conference. Even still, I was willing to give this publisher the benefit of the doubt until I read something else: the publisher, who still doesn't have enough money to pay royalties, was also donating money from sales to some charity. I'm all for charity but I have to wonder if the publisher asked the writers who were owed royalties if that was okay with them. Writers are a starving breed. In essence, a lot of us ARE charity cases and need money for our work. I just don't agree with that business practice.

I don't think this publisher is intentionally being deceptive (which is why I'm not listing their name). I also think the person who runs this company is a good person. It's just that the whole operation gives me a chaotic vibe.  That in itself, plus the lack of royalty payments to writers published with them, made me decide to pull my submissions. I hadn't yet signed a contract so I was well within my right to do so. I fault no one for sticking with them. That's their choice. It's a simple fact that just as some written work isn't a right fit for certain publishers, the same can be said vise versa. Just because a publisher might want your work, it doesn't mean you would be a right fit for the publisher. You shouldn't feel bad for wanting to do what's right for you and your work and you shouldn't let others make you feel bad, too.

And don't allow yourself to be so desperate for publication that you shake your misgivings off. Is today's high worth the frustration and heartache down the road? I didn't think so.

I'm not trying to be picky. It's just that I've had my fair share of writing faux pas. I'm more careful these days as well as we should all be.

I've written before on the subject of self publishing and the reasons you shouldn't self publish. Today, I'm going to touch on something similar. We all know that one of the reasons authors decide to self publish is because of rejection from traditional publishers. That's fine. There's nothing that says just because your novel was rejected by a traditional publisher that it's bad. I believe there are many fine self published authors out there. But there's something I want to make clear to those who haven't done it yet but are considering it.

 If you are self publishing because you just can't handle the rejection, then you need to reconsider. Why? Because any rejection you can possibly get is not going to be near as bad as some of the reviews you'll get once you're published out there. And trust me. If you write long enough, there will be that one person (or more!) who like to pound nails into your heart by writing how horrible your work is. And they will not hold back. AT. ALL.


So how do you differentiate between just being tired of rejections to not being able to handle rejections? First, what is your reaction to a rejection? If your primary response is anger, then it's probably a sign that you aren't equipped to handle a rejection yet. That's not to say that you will never be but just imagine that rejection coupled with a detailed look at everything that is wrong with your novel. If you are getting angry at a single rejection, what would you do with a negative review? And if you retaliate with either, you end up looking like an unprofessional fool; the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish.

So really take stock of why you're self publishing before you actually do it. It's a heavy commitment and if you aren't doing it for the right reasons, you will fail. If you take every rejection personally, then you will likely take negative reviews personally, too.

I understand that it's hard not to take it personally, even for those of us who have been doing this a long time. How you react to it is the key here.

Best wishes to all of you.

While researching markets in a Writer's Digest market book, I came across Silver Leaf Books, a listing that seemed like a good fit on first glance for one of my projects.  While most listings in Writer's Digest are on the up and up, it is more than a good idea to research any listing fully.  Find out what other writers think about them; find out if all is legit.  While I can't out right say that Silver Leaf isn't a legitimate publisher, there is one aspect to their business that is questionable.  When I went to their website, here is what I found:

This is on their submission page as of this posting date:

"Is Publishing Right for You ?
By submitting to Silver Leaf Books, you are hoping to have us sign you as an author, publish your books, and provide you with a royalty for the sales of your books. Since the cost associated with the publication process is ours, there is a fairly lengthy application and review for consideration of each and every title that comes in. We look not only for good writing, a good storyline, and a marketable idea, but also for the right author (outlook and persistence).

If you are looking to just publish your book without going through the review process, to maintain 100% control over your project, receive all revenues and not just a royalty, and do it all yourself with some help, then Silver Leaf Books is not for you. However, if this is the model you desire, then we would recommend visiting our sister-company, Creative Strategists for a quote to help your book get in print. Creative Strategists provides you with quality service and a professional product.
If publishing is right for you, please select the appropriate link for submission guidelines..."

There is just something that didn't sound quite right about all that.  Is publishing right for me?  If it wasn't, I wouldn't be spending hours researching the appropriate markets. 

This sounds like it is specifically targeting writers who haven't been in the submitting stage very long.  This is targeting writers who really have no clue (yet) that submitting is a marathon and takes time, care, and patience.  This is targeting writers who have the unfounded notion that by publishing traditionally, they will lose rights to their work and it will spiral away from them.  In other words, it sounds as though they are trying to discourage writers from submitting the traditional route while promoting their self publishing company.

Is it common for a traditional press to own a self-publishing company?

Common?  Maybe.  There are a number of companies out there who have both but most remain separate for good reason.  They have enough sense not to mix one with the other and they keep marketing for one another separated, too, as well it should be.  It's understandable in a time of economic downturn to expand on services in order to offset the tremendous cost of traditional publishing.  But it is simply bad business to use one to promote the other.

It's really insulting to a writer  who is seriously researching markets for their work to come across something like this.  Furthermore, it is discouraging to a newer writer, who goes ahead and submits to them, only to have a rejection come back... with an offer to publish under their self-publishing company.  If that isn't sketchy, I don't know what is.

Beware

It's my advice that you need to be aware of companies such as this.  This is no better than a vanity press taking your submission and saying "Congrats! Your story has been selected for upcoming publication! Now all you have to do is buy the anthology it will be published in!"  Um, no thanks.

Asking writers to submit while pushing these services onto them might initially seem like a good idea (to them and an inexperienced writer) but in the end, experienced writers will see the shadiness in this.

Here is the Silver Leaf site.  For additional reading, here is a thread on Absolute Write Forums about Silver Leaf.  In a related topic, I found this article on Suite 101 about the differences between self publishing, vanity, and subsidiary publishing.  I get the terms confused myself sometimes so this was a good read for me.  Maybe it will be for you, too.

Final Thought

Taking a moment to make a final thought here, I realize that I have a lot of beginners who read my advice.  So here's the ultimate advice.  If you are going the traditional publishing route, stand firm in that.  If any agent or publisher tries to get you to pay for anything, always approach with heavy caution.  And don't let these "professionals" tell you that your work isn't up to industry standards and you'd be better off self-publishing at "Insert name of company here".  Chances are, they are being paid to refer you and had no interest in ethically representing or publishing your work in the first place.  When in doubt, ask on a writer's forum or throw me an email at pamelacaves@rocketmail.com.

Peace, happiness, and determination,

Pamela

It's been a long journey with DAW thus far.  For those who don't know who DAW is, they are the science fiction imprint of Penguin USA. 

Their submission guidelines are somewhat different than standard guidelines.  They want an entire hard copy of the manuscript with a cover letter, not a query letter.  This is almost unheard of for such a publisher.  And unlike many other publishers who accept novel-length fiction, they do not accept simultaneous submissions.

This was the worst submission I'd done in a long time.  Printing out almost 300 pages isn't bad... unless your printer starts sputtering, then runs out of ink, then starts sputtering again.  I finally managed to get it all printed and sent off, wondering all the while if it was worth the trouble. I wouldn't even had thought about sending it out in its entirety (or even exclusive) if it wasn't for a big name.  This was in June of 2009.

Two months later, I received a letter from DAW letting me know The Influence had passed the first reading.  (The DAW process is First Reading, Second Reading, Editorial Review.)  I can't begin to tell you the excitement that I felt.  I proudly displayed my letter on the fridge for all my beer loving buddies to enjoy and moved on to the art of waiting. 

The letter said it would take awhile for a second review.  They were severely backed up and knowing how slow publishing is anyway, I knew it would be more than "awhile".  I just didn't realize to what extent. 

Here's what I've learned about the DAW process along the way.  I have not had the pleasure of conversing with anyone who has had a manuscript accepted by them.  But they are still releasing books so they have to be accepting them somewhere.  In any case, I did speak to a couple of other writers who had also passed the first reading, some who had been waiting longer than I had, others who had pulled their submission from them because of the wait time, and a couple who had never heard from follow-ups.  The question came up about whether they accepted ALL submissions as passing the first reading.  I have since found out that they do not.  I have actually spoken to a couple of writers who have had manuscripts rejected from the start.  So any question about whether DAW is just appeasing people only to make them wait is false.  I have yet to hear from anyone who has passed a second reading, though.  Reports about this are scattered.  I've asked in various forums and sites about this in order to report it to readers but no one has yet to come forward to say whether or not they have been rejected or passed that stage.  This really isn't a surprise.  Most of the reports are disgruntled at having to wait for so long in the first place that many writers simply do not follow-up and they move on to the next market or quit altogether. 

I've followed up twice at six month intervals.  I've been polite, I've listed credits obtained since last follow up, and indicated that I am still interested in pursuing a contract with them.  The first time, I received a response only a week after I sent my follow-up.  It was a short hand written note from Peter Stampfel, the submissions editor, acknowledging my letter and apologizing that it was taking so long.  The second follow-up was sent the last week of August (about a month ago).  Last weekend, I sent DAW an email about no response to that follow-up and stated that I had no problem with exclusivity as long as communication remained open.  Yesterday, I received a response.  Peter Stampfel responded with another short hand written note, thanking me for keeping in touch and once again apologizing that the process was taking so long.

It has been over a year now but communication is still open so I'm being patient.  (Being impatient never got me anywhere.)  Is it worth it?  Ask me again when I get the final verdict. :)

Next follow-up will be in February.  Until then, I concentrate on other projects and continue to submit.  Thanks for taking this journey with me.

Peace and patience,

Pamela

Question: I've just finished writing my first book.  What are my chances of getting published?

Answer:  There are a variety of ways you can publish but assuming you're meaning going the traditional route, getting your book picked up by a commercial publishing house, small press, or other type of media where you have to submit and wait for an approval, the odds are, unfortunately, stacked against you.

By this I only mean that the number of writers out there who strive to be published are in the millions.  Agents and publishers receive thousands of queries a year (some receive thousands a month!) and you are just one dot among them.  That's not to say you aren't talented or good, it's simply that the odds that you'll pop onto the scene and be an instant hit is not a feasible expectation to have.

You increase your odds by learning more about your craft and the business part of it.  You increase your odds by being consistent and persistent.  This is a cut throat business that can easily wear you down if you let it.  For more information, consult this post: How do I publish my novel?

Self publishing can be a great option for many authors for many reasons.  But if you're self publishing because of the following reasons, you need to rethink your approach.

You don't want your story edited.
Editing is a good thing.  A good editor can add consistency, catch grammar mistakes and typos, and give you a perspective you haven't thought about.  If you want to self publish just because you think an editor will slash your story to bits, think again.  An editor is not against you, they are working to help you and if you can't handle seeing your mistakes in red (or think you can't make mistakes) then you need more learning time before trying to self publish.

You will be a successful author without a major publishing house, thank you very much.
The self publishing world is just as harsh (sometime harsher) than traditionally published venues.  You don't have the added cushion of a publishing house and you have only yourself to rely on for networking and sales.  If you think self publishing will be the easy way to ride around rejection, you have another thing coming!  There is also rejection in self publishing that comes from readers.

Money.
Perhaps this is related to the above point, maybe not.  In either case, if you think it will be as simple as putting your work out there and making tons of moo-lah, you're in for a surprise.  It doesn't work that way.  In much the same way that content writing works, so does self publishing; the more you write, the more you make and it may take a long time for you to make enough to smile at.

The point is, if you self publish for the wrong reasons, you'll find yourself quickly frustrated with it and wanting to give up.  First and foremost, if you're going to self publish, you should do it for the passion of the art of writing itself.

A "discussion" on Writer's Beware last week prompted this blog post.  The topic was on self publishing which of course, almost always turns into a frantic 'bout of "I'm better than you." 

One thing I like about such sites as the Absolute Write Water Cooler forum  is that they have a respect for all writers, be it freelancers, content, self published, bestsellers, or otherwise.  But there are writers out there with their bias and to that I say, good luck earning respect.  You may be successful but you won't have respect from those who were or could be your audience.  You have to show respect to earn it.

From self published writers, the complaint is that those who go the traditional publishing route are sell outs.  They call them "cookie cutter" writers, who will shape and twist and mold their story out of the element of the original idea in order to fit an editor's demands.

From traditionally published writers, the complaint is that those who go the self published route are no good.  They haven't put in the time or learning and they want to get published without doing the work required.  In addition, their self published work is all poor quality and doesn't deserve recognition at all.

I mentioned Writer's Beware because even the person doing their Facebook page fed into the frenzy of it, claiming that she heard more self published writers criticizing traditionally published writers than vise versa.  While I respect Writer's Beware, this statement disappointed me.  As a representative of such a professional site, a bias of either should have been restricted to the person's personal Facebook page.  Now in all fairness, she didn't say anything about whether she thought that self published writers were full of it, but the bias was slightly implied, thus leaving a margin of question there.

In any case, the debate, to me, is useless.  There are good and bad writers everywhere whether self or traditionally published.  Having a high and mighty attitude either way will do you no favors, that's for sure.  And how will poking your nose in and trying to make someone else feel bad about their career decisions help your own career?  It doesn't.  Worry more about your own writing instead.

But bad writers make us all look bad!

Um, no they don't.  Bad writers make themselves look bad, regardless of which platform they've published on.

The lesson here is that if you can't be happy for or support another writer, then go about your own business instead of criticizing their choices.  If you'd like to put in your two cents, then review their work instead of criticizing them as a person.  After all, how do you know what kind of writer they are unless you read them?

I've just spent the last 3 freakin' hours researching over sixty publishers who accept YA.  Staring between my Writer's Digest and my computer screen has created the dull throb known as the "submission headache". 

Out of those, I've marked 12 as listings that I will begin submitting to throughout the rest of this month.  Why not just do it all at once?  Because these twelve markets all want extras in addition to the query so it will take a little extra time for each one.  This reminds me of an article I wrote recently about writers having problems following submission guidelines.  When you have days like today, where you're working to narrow down markets and staring at them for hours at a time, it's very easy to understand how writers can get confused sometimes with all the markets that want specific (and different) things.  Only when you start submitting, I mean REALLY digging in and submitting, do you realize that there isn't one thing that blankets another.  Publishers and agents all have varying opinions on what is the right and wrong ways.  No wonder I have a headache.  This is the part of writing that I absolutely despise.  But whether I despise it or not, the job has to be done if I want to succeed.

And out of all those market listings, I was able to submit only to one today.  Oak Tree Press wanted a query by email.  Since I already had my query ready, I simply sent it.
For all the others that got a "X", I rejected sending my query/novel/synopsis to them for varying reasons.

-Not a U.S. company.  I'm sure there are many great companies outside of the U.S. but I'd prefer to start with a U.S. based company.  Later, who knows.
-Had the little "A" by its name.  Because I can't seem to find an agent that wants the combination of YA, paranormal (not romance) that I'm offering, any publisher marked with an "A" automatically gets an "X".
-I just didn't feel like my novel matched up with anything they wanted and/or what I could research of the type of work they published.

I didn't discount any listing that was "too difficult" (although I do wish that many of these publishers would understand that writers are as busy as they are) but it will take me longer to submit to all of them.  I did however discount one listing whose submission guidelines were twice as long as their requirement for the synopsis word count.  If someone is going to be so nitpicky as to expect me to follow the equivalent of 2 to 3 pages of submission guidelines, then I probably wouldn't be happy working with them to begin with.

Thanks for reading.  I needed an outlet after sifting through all those listings.

Peace and Happiness,

Pamela

One reason why self publishing is seen as a second rate option is because there are too many self published books out there that do not meet the standards of a publishing house.  In non-politically correct terms, there's a lot of crap out there.  There are a number of very good and very well written self published books out there but there are probably just as many that aren't.

Even through traditional publishing, a writer has to listen to an editor.  There are brainstorming sessions, recommendations, rewrites, and revisions.  If you think self publishing should be any different, you still have some learning to do.

Self publishing is all too often seen as an easy way out in the cut throat world of rejections.  While the marketing and such is slightly different, the basics at the beginning are pretty much the same.  In order for the book to be marketable, the story must be solid, the characters believable, and grammar must be concise.  If it isn't, you'll find yourself as frustrated with the results of the sales of your book as you were when you were getting rejected by agents and publishers.

Just because you've been writing for years doesn't necessarily mean that you're qualified to be an editor.  And even if you are an editor, you shouldn't really trust yourself when it comes to your own lengthy works.  You created the work so you will be biased about it.  Having an intimate connection with the work will cloud your judgment.  Hiring an editor will allow a professional to view it with fresh eyes and he/she will be able to give you honest feedback.

Self publishing should go through the same steps that a traditional publisher would do in order to give your work a fighting chance out there.