Home > Writing > Self-publishing

Writers, Don't Give Up! Publish That Book On The Web

by Lana Waite

Have you given up on getting your book published by a traditional house? Here is a pep talk for using new techniques on the Web, by someone who has done just that. Greetings fellow writers. If you're unpublished read on.
I know vast numbers of you have been writing for years. I know you send manuscripts with SASE to editors and agents without cease. You join groups to get a handle on why you can't sell. You go to conventions of fellow writers. You study "How To Write" books. You surf the Internet. And—maybe—at last you give up. It happened to me.
I have written, over twenty or so years, five complete books. Not all were professional enough to publish. The last one, "Buried In Burrywood," seemed good to me and I started sending it to editors and agents. The first letter I received said, "Your opening is excellent, the writing is terrific, and the characters are appealing." But the book was rejected. Fifteen agents and twenty-two publishing houses later, I gave up.
What the story didn't have, and what everyone seemed to want, was a lead character who had some special quirk—cats, quilting, driving taxis, antiques, private eye. My characters in Burrywood were interesting but ordinary small town people dealing with a murderous crisis. I simply could not sell it. Here were a few more years of my writing life gone down the drain. And here's what some published writers have said about that: "Writing is the hardest way of earning a living with the possible exception of wrestling alligators." - Olin Miller. And another: "The profession of book-writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business." - John Steinbeck
But what my story did have was readability. I knew that. The characters were clearly written and interacted in an interesting way. They weren't psychotic. They weren't mean. They worked things out. The story was pleasant, and sometimes made you smile. I really wanted people to read it. I put it away, with reluctance, but I didn't forget it.
I changed course and taught myself how to design Web pages. That seemed like a good second choice for someone who enjoyed creating things.
In surfing the Web day after day for the Web design business, I found publishers; places where I could produce "Buried In Burrywood" as an ebook and/or a trade paperback on my own. I studied these, and the words written about them, for over a year. There were many choices. At first glance it seemed like throwing money away to pay to be published (and there were various prices). But the longer I thought about it, the more interesting it became.
And here's the thing. I didn't want to leave unpublished manuscripts lying in the cupboard for my kids to throw out. Either I'd throw them out myself, or I'd publish them on my own.
I got out "Buried In Burrywood" and reread it. Sat down at the computer and started a new Word folder. Then I retyped the story, making editorial changes as I went. I was on a mission. Here's another quote: "If my doctor told me I had only six months to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster." - Isaac Asimov. I typed faster.
When it was written to my satisfaction, I submitted it to Booklocker.com, my choice among the Web publishers I'd found. They took "Buried In Burrywood." Great! I chose to have it published both as an ebook and as a trade paperback. Formatting, which is the author's job, took some time. I did the editing myself, which also took time. And I picked a cover from Cathi Stevenson of BookcoverExpress.com. She did a wonderful job. The book is handsome.
Of course there's a catch to self-publishing. You have to sell it yourself. It's a challenge. It's much easier with non-fiction "how-to" books—harder with mystery fiction. I've rejoined a couple of mystery writers groups. I've gotten the book into our library system. I'm meeting with reading circles. I'm contacting local bookstores. The book is on Amazon and Barnes&Noble on the Web. I'm learning. I'm aiming for sales some months from now, when my labors might just pay off. Meantime, I'm retyping the next book.
So here's my message to all of you: Do it! Go for it! Don't quit! Don't let your manuscripts languish in a cupboard. Study this new publishing technology. You might find just the right place to get your books in print. And you might be able to apply the following quotes to yourself.
"I am an enormously talented man, after all it's no use pretending that I am not, and I was bound to succeed." - Noel Coward
"It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous." - Robert Benchley
About the Author
Lana Waite is a mystery writer who grew up in Seattle but now lives in Northern California. Her current book is "Buried In Burrywood." The story is set in the Pacific Northwest, in a quaint coastal town with a group of eclectic, close-knit characters. The townspeople appear in several short stories that can be found on her website.