Kay Mellor once said of Fat Friends that she loved writing, but when she got the chance to act in it she realised how much fun everyone else was having with her work. That's how I feel about book covers, marketing and even visiting the printers and trying to squeeze them for more discount. If you've spent 5 years on a project, isn't the publishing process your reward?
I realise publishers are the experts at packaging a book to its best commercial end and are also responsible for distribution, but as Ian Phillips points out in his blog, distribution is a largely automated system these days, so only the Rowlings and Kings and Grishams of this world get around it prior to the success of their new publication. It's an uphill struggle for a new author and most of the time the success they achieve is down to how much they put in at the beginning and a large dolop of luck, so why wouldn't you take on the exciting parts of the process as well? I do feel as if publishers have offloaded rights onto agents and the possible failure of a project onto authors or just bad luck, just to be left with success, all the fun graphic decisions and event organising for themselves.
If you need assistance with turning your MS into a marketable product, there are PR agencies who have diversified to assist authors with a strategy. Publishers aren't the last word in professional help for an author and, of course, copy-editing, typesetting and the like can call be found in other places.
Can anybody justify the position of the modern publisher? I'm not stuck in this view and would like to change it, but for now I don't see a reason to.
Hi again. Oh dear - complicated things to read about tax. Never mind - I'll have a look at that tomorrow. There's more to this book writing lark than just sitting writing out your daydreams after all. Seriously though - thanks again - it is all something of a maze at the moment. The one thing that seems to jump out from almost every single article or comment I read or hear about publishing is how very hard it is and almost impossible to get published. I wonder how many aspiring writers are put off.
You have logic! Thank you. That was my last disection as it is a pointless pursuit. I'm heading off to try my luck at Kindle now for speed and honesty. Thanks again. Kath
Sorry if I'm not writing this in the correct bit but thanks for yoru reply Victoria. After reading synopsis publisher asked to see more - I sent six chapters then they requested whole manuscript; told me they were really enjoying reading it - all very encouraging. Two months later I asked had they made a decision as whether or not they would be publishing; they replied that yes, they were very interested in publishing my book; they then sent me a rejection letter three days later. I've read enough comments to know how hard it is to get published but with so much interest expressed in my book I did eventually believe in it. I have the problem now of not knowing whether or not it was actually read!