My book (The Sleepwalker's intoduction to Flight) comes from a writewords writer.

I'ved been doing the same thing that you are all doing.

Wondering if I can write at all.

Everyone told me I couldn't.

Agents told me - they like my work. But they don't love it enough. That's not the same thing as hating it.

I should write a certain way, in a certain niche.


It's very confusing. You don't know how good you are because there are no runner-ups in publishing.


Whatever you think you are right now, I was a year or two ago.
You just keep writing.
An author is a writer who never gave up.

So, I kept writing.

I doubt if they'll ever give me the Booker prize. But soon I'll put my hands around a hard-back book and say 'I wrote that.'

And that will be quite a thing. And it started by writing a few bits and pieces on this site.


Best
Sion

Good for you, Sion. I came across your name in the Harry Bowling Prize (you came second?). I think we can all do with as many inspirational stories as poss. Did everyone really tell you you couldn't write? What made you continue, or ignore them? Or did you take notice and learn from them? Was this your first novel? (I've loads of questions, but those will do for a start!).
Anyway, I'm really glad for you,
Susiex

Ooh, Harry Bowling! Well done, Sion! We share an award nomination then - though my "Maloney's Law" was only shortlisted. Well done on getting to 2nd place!

A
xxx

Er...I'm wondering if it was in fact The Yeovil Literary Prize, actually. Was having senior moment?
Susiex

Thanks Susie and Holly. It was the Bollingbroke-Kent award, Yeovil Literary Festival. Actually people don't tell you that you can't do it but they do love to bandy stats - only 1 in 25 million writers sells more than 6.5 books, only 1 in 7 million writers makes enough to buy a buy a packet of fags etc. etc.
Susie, this was my second. My first was shorlisted for the Fish Prize and nearly made it. It was enough to keep me going at any rate. And I do believe it's all a matter of keeping going.

Best
Sion

Yes, it would seem that keeping going is - apart from writing well - the most important bit.
I didn't know there was a Fish prize for an unpublished novel - must go and research!
All the very best with yours, and thanks for the inspiration,
Susiex

Susie,

Don't know if Fish still do a Novel Prize, but it was a great lifeline at the time, especially the David Mitchell review. It did help psychologically, and of course it's a bunch of words from a literary master which may be hurled at an agent to provoke a response.



Best
Sion

Glad to hear that you still keep up the writing.
Have you ever thought about self-publishing? I know there are quite a few ways to do it now - Lulu etc, but was wondering if anyone had experienced any kind of success by going along that avenue. IT seems to me you would still have to somehow sort all of the promotion out yourself.

So far I've just been writing as a hobby, and sending things to publishers and agents in a but of a haphazard way. I'd quite like to take it more seriously now but it seems that you need to fork out a fair bit of cash up front. I have limited forking ability....any ideas. Money raising cake sale is out of the question as I would probably be sued for poisoning someone!

BF

Well done, sion. It's terrific to have such a positive post

<Added>

Sion, even!

Sion,

These are good words to ponder on. As they say, good luck is just hard work dressed up in fancy clothes. Having read some of your work, I do think it takes talent as well as stamina

vanessa

Thank you so very much for such an encouraging post, the timing of which couldn't have been better (for me - selfishly) Good luck for when your book comes out - you deserve it.
Best wishes
Hannah.

Thanks all. I do think I've been very lucky.

I've just posted a link in the Lounge to a website I've created for one of my characters. If anyone has the time, or inclination take a look at:

www.clavadistaloco.com

Best
Sion

Bookfairy, unless you’re talking about self-publishing, you shouldn’t fork out any money to agents or publishers – upfront or otherwise. Publishers pay you. Agents take a percentage of your income from the publisher.

Dee

Yes - I was talking about self-publishing and how I might pay for that...sorry if I didn't make that clear!

I feel like I need to get maximum exposure for my work and have some kind of proof that it is worth reading to show to publishers. I know a lot of writers think self-publishing is a sell out, but I figure that if this kind of approach has worked so well for music (like lots of bands launching through MySpace) there must be a similar kind of thing for authors. But I haven't found that kind of site yet - one that lets you print your books and promote them.

Unfortunately promotion of self-published books is left entirely up to the author, the best that print on demand (pod) companies, such as Lulu, can offer is a listing on Amazon, assuming you pay extra (I think it's still under £200) for an ISBN number.
Author House is slightly different, in that you pay for a large wodge of cash for a print run of several hundred or a couple of thousand copies (not checked lately) of your book, and they have/or are developing links with Macmillan to get copies distributed into the bookshops. But this is an expensive service and you may well end up with several boxes full of unsold (& expensive) books in the garage.
In the publishing world a lot of new authors books only sell a few hundred, and, after as little as a few months on the bookshelves, in some cases, the surplus books are returned by the bookshops and pulped.
The cheapest option, and assuming you know your way around MS Publisher and PDF files, or similar, is to go direct to a local printer and publish a short print run yourself. Assuming you are going to sell them off your own website (rather than off Amazon - and trust me, it's really not worth selling off Amazon, or through bookshops), then you don't need an ISBN number, which will save you around a hundred pounds.
You can do it for as little as £500 for two hundred copies, which works out at £2.50 per copy - far less than a POD price of £8-£15. And the nice thing is there is no VAT on printing books. If you then sell them yourself via local craft fairs, etc, for £5, that's a 100% profit less expenses.
Treat it as a fun, albeit expensive, hobby, and you'll be fine.


- NaomiM


<Added>

Feel free to contact me if you'd like further details.

<Added>

God, I sound like an advert. I just meant, if you'd like to know more of the ups and downs of self-publishing.