Publishing
Do you intend to self-publish or use the traditional route to publish your novel?
I have always defended the traditional route, but I am now more inclined to self-publish, because the odds are stacked against the would-be author.
However, I will exhaust the traditional route to test the water, before I turn to Plan-B.
Although founding a publishing concern was a dream of mine from years ago (among other things, I wanted to publish children's books BY children), it wasn't until I got "burned" by an editor that I made my dream a reality.
The editor had OKed the text, the whole publishing house had OKed the text, they were about to decide on the illustrations (which I decided to do myself, and which the editor in question had been quite positive about), when I wrote to him asking whether they were likely to aye or nay it... and mentioned that I needed PART of the advance that he'd mentioned in order to buy a SECOND-HAND computer in order to PhotoShop the illustrations. I had no computer at the time and owed several friends money.
The editor replied that no money would be forthcoming until the book was at the printers.
I admit that I blew up. "But you SAID that you pay an advance to the illustrator!!!" [NOT, you note, the writer.]
It turns out that the "advance" was to be paid 18 months AFTER I submitted the perfected images, only 3 months before the first REAL royalties would be paid me... and LONG after I needed the money to FINISH THE BOOK.
The editor sent me a snooty e-mail, hinting that I should grovel and beg his pardon for blowing up, that - if we were to work together - I had to have absolute faith in him.
I replied, apologising for blowing up, but pointing out that he hadn't informed me fully about the conditions of the advance* (hinting that he was partly to blame for the misunderstanding).
By neglecting to grovel, I said goodbye to almost 2,000€ in advance, a possible 3,600€ in royalties if the 2 first editions (Spanish and Catalan) had sold out. (And these publishers DO promote their books.)
So now my book is out (self-published), selling next-to-nothing... and I'm determined to treat any authors / artists who submit to ME with a LOT more respect.
I'd rather LOSE money than be treated like dirt.
* Not to mention a whole list of details that he "had no time" (refused point-blank) to make clear to me.
In part it depends on your genre and the market for it.
My current genre is Regency Romance, and the chances of getting a good publishing deal on such a novel is small (even if it is the best novel of its kind ever written). I plan to go with self-publishing (e-pub and POD) when the darn thing is eventually finished. Better to make maximum return out of a small cover price than a tiny one from a larger price where the publisher grabs the lion's share.
Yes - I admit to having that combination of low self esteem and a big ego that means I need a traditional publisher to affirm my work. I have been fortunate in having all my work traditionally published so far. I am not saying I would rule out self-publishing, of course, but I heard a great quote from a writer called Catherine Ryan Howard who said 'Santa didn't bring me a typewriter when I was little so I could dream of having a book out because I put it there myself'. That's kind of how I feel!