Hello, dear reader. I know you’ve been following my Facebook updates regularly, curious to find out the next turn in my self-publishing adventure. You’re clamoring for a list of what I’ve done so far, and what I’ve learned from…ah, who am I kidding.
Dear Jessie:
Here is your Toadhouse Trilogy self-publish list to date:
- Write the first in a young adult trilogy about a sister and a brother who learn they must travel into classic literature to save themselves. Books ARE magic.
- Submit to your agent. Have her love it.
- Due to her connections in the industry, have all major publishers reject it in record time.
- On May 14, 2012, choose to self-publish, as if you have another option.
- Submit book concept to Crowdspring so graphic designers can begin designing possible covers.
- Choose to begin distributing your book only on Kindle so you can take advantage of the Kindle Select program. Immediately mourn your relationship with indie bookstores, whom you love. Wonder if you are a horrible human being.
- Figure out how to format a book for Kindle and what other requirements they have.
- Decide to go with CreateSpace for the hardcopy version of your book.
- Choose to purchase an ISBN through CreateSpace that you can take anywhere with you, even if it means you have to pay $99 and CreateSpace won’t let you distribute them to libraries. Also, stumble across mention of fleurons and realize you must have them in your book.
- Hire a copyeditor, as you’ve already the manuscript substantively edited by the best in the business.
- Contact your web designer and come up with a plan for the new website. Scare her by saying you’d like it up and running by June 1.
- Develop a promotional plan, the key focus of which will be to get free reviews, which can be a challenge for independently-published books.
- Realize that to get good copyediting and solid reviews, June 1 is way too soon. Move The Toadhouse Trilogy, Book One, publication date to July 4 because you like fireworks.
- Wonder if The Toadhouse Trilogy, Book One, is a lame name for the first in the series. Discuss other options with your close friend Burgermeister Meisterburger and decide that you both like the title just fine.
- Write a first draft of a press release. Throw around names for your fake publicist. Judy Doright? Jack Donaghey?
- Sit back impatiently, awaiting edits and your book cover so you can go to the next phase: advance publication date promotion.
More to come!
The upside to being self-published at this point is you have a huge track record of trad publishing behind you. So... I think people will take you seriously. I can't believe publishers turned down this idea, though, especially with your writing talents behind it.
ReplyDeleteAs long as your free reviews do not need to be from people that buyers will recognize then I volunteer my kid.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Dana except for one thing- I know so many great writers with manuscripts that get turned down over and over. A good friend of mine wrote what I honestly, truly think is a brilliant novel,(not just because she's my good friend, but because its a wow! novel) and she's shopped it for years. It did finally get picked up and I fully expect to see it sitting on a Bestseller list.
ReplyDeleteWith you two on my moral support team, Dana and Aimee, how can I go wrong? And Aimee, I will take your kid.
ReplyDeleteKelly, you'll have to tell us when her book comes out out so we can look for it!
Also, please raise your hand if you noticed my typo in the "editing" bullet above and were too polite to say anything. I just caught it, btw, but I'm going to leave it because I love irony so much I want to marry it.
I'd marry shame if I could.
ReplyDeleteIt's never too late to marry shame, Mario. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat list is intimidating, Jess. I'd rather retire from writing and crochet shawls instead. :D
ReplyDeleteJess,
ReplyDeleteSo excited for you and for your journey! You are a brave soul and I love that you are doing this. I believe in you!!