As I have stated through out several of the posts on my Blog, I researched the Publishing Industry, rather thoroughly before decideing on self publishing via Smashwords dot com and Amazon dot com. I will not share with the readers of my blog the full extent to which I investigated the publishing industry as if I did it may someday prove very embaressing for certain agents, their companies, and certain publishing companies. Plus, I may want to be published by them some day when I am not a complete unknown and have a following, and fan base, and when they would love to have my business at terms that I may get to dictate.
Anyway, one of the companies I contacted in my reseach is persistent at best. They keep contacting me in different forms to solicite my buisness for me to pay them to print my book in one of their many self publishing packages. Unfortuately they do not research their potential client list as well as their client lists investigate them. So because it's the day after the fourth of July and not the busiest Tuesday I could have, I decided to answer their latest query for my business. I thought I would share the E-mail ( My side of it) in a post. In all fairness to the company, which I am sure is a good and forth right company I will not share their side of the letter. (NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT.)
Dear JOAN OF ARC
My publishing package has been decided, and no reflection of MADDIE. We did get along great. I checked with him to get questions answered concerning self publishing. After all the research I did concerning publishing, the do’s and the don’ts, the process of querying agents, to have them maybe or maybe not eventually sell your book, I decided on the newest craze of Self Publishing! Literally Self published, as in my case with the help of Smashwords.com
It was entirely FREE!! Did not cost me a cent. I read Mark Coker’s book to figure out how to format the book and get it ready to download it. Downloaded it! Whaa Laaa, it’s published.
As with any author and their first book, I am an unknown quantity! Until somebody reads my work and decides that it is worth something I will remain an unknown quantity. I am now a published e-book author, I believe we are referred to as Indie Authors!
I have been published since January 2011. I do believe now I may have rushed to published my first Novel, but am feverishly working on correcting that mistake with my second novel. It will be much more polished and professional than the first.
So far my book is selling, getting great reviews, four out of five stars consistently! Not bad for my first book and full of typo’s, errors, and all the other mistakes I made over and over again. My first novel “Whisper” was the weakest of the of the stories I plan on writing, I choose it to do first because I knew being my first book it would always be my worst.
I have a blog http://thomaswilsonstoryteller.blogspot.com/ where I explain about my journey of discovery as a newly published Indie Author, among other things. I am in the final stages of re writing and editing my second novel, and plan to publish it in September 2011. I can’t wait to see what a much better story, much more professionally done is going to do sales wise compared to my first one. I may check into getting an agent, and possibly even traditionally published much further down the line once I am an established author, with a fan base and following. In the mean time I am doing great. I don’t believe I will be needing your services or the services of a publisher at this time in my career. Thank you though for your concern and contacting me about your self-publishing services.
My first book is available for FREE at Smashwords only for the month of JULY. Don’t worry I am getting sales and royalties from the other avenues where my book is for sale. Please check it out. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/38922
I do want to thank Mark Coker, the creator of Smashwords for his wonderful site, James Rollins (Author extraordinaire) for inspiration, My Literary Angel - friend - and Editor - Jo Murphey!!
Most especially Jo, she has so patiently taught me so much about writing correctly, patiently corrects the same mistakes repeatedly until it gets through my thick skull and my typing too fast. She has taken me from a want to be writer with good stories to a really good author with much better stories. I can't even explain how much she has done for me in the last six months. She has taught me to read with a critical eye, to the point I even caught at least one mistake in Mr. Rollins latest book, but I won't say where. That taught me we are all human. We all make mistakes and all have room for improvement.
If you do not have a good editor and you desire to be a writer - STOP what your doing and find one, or put the pencil in the other hole. Those of you who have been following along will get that reference, God only knows what the others will think.
Posted in: Self Publishing Smashwords Mark Coker Editor
1 comments:
Awww, blushing and my ears are turning red.
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