Hi everyone,
I have been asked to give you all an update on my self-publishing dilemma.
Just in case some of you do not know, I decided to give self-publishing a go for my first novel, Jacob Jones.
At the beginning of April of this year (seems like last year) I found a company that said they could do all this for me in 4 weeks but mostly they get it done in 3 weeks.
Well I have a website ready but NO books yet, No PR, No Posters or Bandstand, NO e-book ready and No confidence left in them.
I had to cancel two press statements because I did not have a book or a cover. On the third attempt I HAD TO PRINT A COVER OFF AT HOME and rap it round a book to make out it was my book… Shame, I felt like a prat.
I was promised everything on my doorstep by the 30th. When I phoned them today to see if it was on its way I was told, "What more do you want us to do"
My book launch is in two weeks…. Just got an e-mail to say the proof copy will be with me before 1030am.
Do not let this put you off, Just don't go with the same people whatever you do…….
Have a look http://www.jacobjones7.co.uk/
If you have been down this road we would love to know, good or bad.
Damien ;(
Hi Damien - in part I'm replying to your post from the other thread to keep from derailing that one too much.
Re the cut and paste form responses: yes, it is frustrating, and yes, it can feel as though the agent hasn't even read the thing especially when it comes back addressed to "Dear Writer", or without a salutation at all, or to the wrong gender, or to a misspelled name (oh yes, I've got a lot of form rejections) - but if an agent is open to submissions, they are reading them (or, at the very least, having the intern do a first pass, which is not a bad thing for us given how competitive publishing industry internships are). I've seen many claims of slush being rejected unread, but I've never heard it from somebody who has actually had a really real job in the industry. Those people say the opposite.
Now, I'm not going to pretend every single sub gets the same amount of consideration, or that every sub is read to the end - every agent is different. Some won't look at the attached material if the cover letter is full of basic errors; some may ensure to read a certain amount (but it will probably only be a page or so - those first 250 words really are crucial). You can be confident that enough is read to make a decision.
What makes you think your work hasn't been read? Honestly? Because if it had been you'd have an agent by now? I'm not trying to be a knob-head here, but that's what it (always) sounds like when people claim subs aren't read.
Consider it from the other side of the fence.
Juliet Mushens of the Agency group recently tweeted that she's received 775 subs since December. This is an agent who probably isn't in the Yearbook (because she moved to The Agency Group in Dec from PFD), and whose agency website doesn't mention that she's open to subs. Of those she says she requested 20 MSS. She's offered on 6. Do you honestly think it's fair to expect her to write 750 individual letters, especially when they are all essentially going to say the same thing? What else *is* there to say apart from "Thank you for sending me you work, I'm afraid It's not for me"? Remember, feedback is subjective and agents already get plenty of abusive letters without venturing an opinion.
Yes, it is tough, but the bottom line is agents don't owe us anything. Part of being a writer is learning to write well, and that's something we have to learn without agents' help.
As for when to stop - when you want to. When it becomes more damaging for you to send the suckers out than not doing so. Publishing deals are not a matter of maths. It doesn't take X number of rejections before you get a deal. All X number of rejections tells you is it may be time to take a step back and look again at the MS. I can tell you why the first thing I ever subbed got me nothing but form rejections - it was *rubbish*. At the time I was hopeful, but I recently dug it out and, well, cripes it was bad.
99 times out of 100, something is rejected over and over because it's simply not good enough to sink however many tens of thousands of pounds a publishing company spends on producing a book. It hurts, but it's no different to any other business. If you can't do your job well enough, you won't be employed for long.
Onto this post: I'm sorry to hear about your troubles with your self-publishing company. Are you willing to name them here?
Anyway, the first issue you have is how to sell to children. You mention in one of your replies here the site is a simple click and buy because it's aimed at 8-12 y/olds. Do you think your target audience has free range access to the internet and the ability to buy a book they've seen on a random website?
You need extracts from your book. You need to go over the copy on your website (I'm not going to buy a book for my imaginary children if I think it's going to have grammatical problems as suggested by your blurb).
I would also remove the JK Rowling quote. For a start, if I was JK Rowling I'd be narked at you for doing it (because it dilutes blurbs she/I might actually want to give). Also, JK Rowling doesn't habitually give blurbs to self-published books so I assume you are either a) lying or b) being disingenuous (which in this instance you are). If you want to keep it, give it fair context, so "Thank you for [sending me a copy of] Jacob Jones".
You have got to sell me this book. You can't bank on the fact that Harry Potter is so popular - there are lots of Harry Potter type books. If I've read JK Rowling, there's Diana Wynn Jones and Neil Gaiman, there's Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, there's The Dark Is Rising sequence (although it's probably a bit tough and dated for a younger kidder reading independently). Why would I read yours instead of theirs? That's what you have to convince me of. Go to it.
(I'll also mention you can give away review copies on sites like Goodreads and LibraryThing - lots of members will also post their reviews on blogs or on Amazon. It's a good starting point.)
Good Luck.
Hi David,
I think your all right I need to add about me on the website so I will do that. If your daughter buys one let me know and I will sign it and I hope she loves reading it as much as i loved writing it.
Its with all the Help from the writers & artists website and everyone on it that has got me this far so Thank you all for your great input and tips. Happy to help any one in return. your all stars.
Regards
Damien
Damien,
Hi - you're clearly very serious about this. I take it the cover art is from the publishing house you mention? The website looks like it will be a good vehicle for promoting the book once you get the wheels in motion.
I agree with the statements already given - people want to know a bit about the author- it can help them connect with the book. A biography (albeit brief) needs adding - even if it's a few pages deep.
I also have to agree (to a point) about the JK Rowling quote - there's not enough substance to it really. I'd be torn too though - as having the name associated with your book can only be a good thing on the face of it.
My daughter is going to love reading this though - so you've got 1 sale just from being on writers and artist!
regards