Sometimes, I’ve been extremely fortunate in my writing journey. When I’ve needed them the most, I’ve met people who have shown me that ePublishing is not only possible, but in some ways it is preferable to traditional publishing.
During my year of querying agencies and receiving a whole basketful of raspberries, around the time I’d started to build my author platform, I quickly began to encounter other writers, some of whom were still querying, others who had decided to go it alone by self-publishing.
And as they proved to me that there is definitely hope after rejection, one author in particular steered me towards the tutorials that explained how I could complete the process myself. Thanks Ryan!
I’ve also become friends with several other authors who went on to recommended exactly the right cover artist.
Thank you everybody! You are my guardian angels. Or at the very least, he recommended you all. 🙂
Now I am entering a new phase in my writing. By sheer chance, and some very fortunate timing, I have become friends with Tara, an aspiring editor who began by examining my first chapter, but went on to review the entire MS. We are now working together on a complete and thorough edit of CoA.
When I wrote the post How to accept editing feedback I thought that accepting a professional critique would be much more daunting, but Tara has been fair as well as thorough with my MS.
She even likes my jokes… 🙂
As I write this, we have already made some major changes to the story and I now have several words to purge from the MS, on pain of nagging.
It seems that I use the words ‘just’, ‘like’ and ‘sigh’ a great deal (thanks, WordSmith!), to the point where it has begun to leap off the page at Tara. *Sighs* We are also discussing the intricacies of ‘forwards’ versus ‘forward’ and it looks as if I have sinned with ‘towards’ as well. Taking into account that I write in British English (BrE), we both understand that different rules apply on our respective sides of the Big Pond, but she may have me cornered in this instance. 🙂
However, Tara seems to enjoying the peculiarities of BrE and I’m slowly introducing her to some of our colloqualisms. I’ll soon have her speaking like a native of the UK and then we can be china plates for life!
Once we’ve finished my fish hook, of course.
Toodle-pip!
Capt Jill
Nov 04, 2013 @ 05:00:41
Good luck with your writing and getting it published. I didn’t even know you could self publish. That would seem to make things much easier.
I just wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog and see what you were up to here. Thanks for following me. I’m pretty new to all this. I basically started the blog as a way to get my writing and photography out to the world without having to go through an editor. Now trying to figure out how to get readers without going through a magazine/TV/etc.
I think its pretty cool how many bloggers are already published. Lots to learn here. 😉
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 04, 2013 @ 13:54:36
Self-publishing is always there as an alternative to the traditional route. A few friends of mine are currently selling their photos on line these days – via Instagram, I think. I believe Shutterstock is another outlet for pics.
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Nicole Bross
Oct 31, 2013 @ 05:32:59
In Canada we also use British English, but as I’m submitting mostly to American agents and publishers, I’ve had to Americanize my writing (including the title! That one hurt) in order to not inadvertently turn someone off by what looks “wrong.”
Do you plan on revisiting traditional publication options once you’re done your edits, or is the plan to re-e-release the book as a second edition?
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Andrew Toynbee
Oct 31, 2013 @ 09:30:40
I didn’t realize (!) Canada used BrE. Interesting…
I’m still fighting to complete my CreateSpace version and create a paperback for anyone who hasn’t embraced eBooks (I’ve lost count of the people who, crestfallen, say ‘It isn’t available as a real book?). But as regards traditional publishing, I think I’d like to complete the trilogy first – to show consistency – before I even consider querying again.
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Nicole Bross
Oct 31, 2013 @ 16:07:39
Yep, there’s extra U’s and L’s all over the place over here 😉
Querying is a special sort of hell, isn’t it? Actually, so is formatting… good luck to you!
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Andrew Toynbee
Oct 31, 2013 @ 17:07:12
I was unemplyed for a short time before the turn of the century 😀 and got used to sending out query letters to prospective emplyers (to no avail, as it turned out). Querying agencies feels a lot like the same thing, which is why, after a year I decided to self-publish and post a few novels on Amazon before trying again, this time saying ‘look what I done!’ Best kind of CV, I figure.
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sanuelle
Oct 30, 2013 @ 17:59:29
Hi! I’m quite new to WordPress. I was hoping maybe you could check my blog out?
http://idratherdaydream.wordpress.com/
Thank you ♡
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Jacqui Murray
Oct 30, 2013 @ 15:29:50
Val McDermid sold me on British English (BrE? Love that) along with Tony Hill.
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Andrew Toynbee
Oct 30, 2013 @ 15:33:28
I have seen BrE on a couple of websites and Tara used it in correspondence. Is that enough to make it official? 😀
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Jacqui Murray
Oct 30, 2013 @ 15:47:05
Oh yes. We’re writers so we’re allowed to be neologists.
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Andrew Toynbee
Oct 30, 2013 @ 17:16:16
Darn it! I had to Google that! 🙂
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Experienced Tutors
Oct 30, 2013 @ 10:15:08
Loved your post. It really hit home with me.
I’m about the start the first edit of my first draft of my first novel – repetition to gain effect, not over-used words to be edited. 🙂 I will then be looking for a editor that won’t ‘crush’ me. Could you please give me a contact for Tara.
Interesting what you said about language differences with our friends across the pond. My last but one post I touched upon this: http://experiencedtutors.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/words-sneaking-in-from-across-the-pond-grumbles-private-english-tutor/
Good luck with the journey.
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Andrew Toynbee
Oct 30, 2013 @ 11:27:20
Hi
I’ve passed Tara your email addy. Let me know if you guys hit it off! 🙂
Andrew
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Experienced Tutors
Oct 30, 2013 @ 20:50:19
Thank you. She has replied already. Why can’t I be as efficient?
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