I'm new to this forum and I decided to join mainly to get information from other struggling-to-be published writers. After submitting my novel to an on-line reviewer for an independent review - can you really trust friends and family to be honest? - and receiving a glowing review, I set about contacting as many suitable agents as I could find. After 17 rejections, some much ruder than others (is that really necessary?) and a half hearted symbolic burning of my ms (thankfully I'd saved it to my hard-drive) I set out to explore the ePublishing option. Like many others, I'd turned my nose up at it as not being "real publishing" and because I wanted to see my novel on display in bookshops. After some research, I have changed my opinion and I've found a new ePublisher - listed in these pages (www.leakypenpress.co.uk) - which is just starting up and looking for new writers. Their idea is to promote new writers via the web to help establish a publishing record. This will, hopefully, help in any later approach to agents/traditional publishers. I'm just wondering if anyone else has been tempted to go down this route and if so, what has their experience been like?

Did you pay for the online reviewer's pov.
Anyway, I once offered up some work of mine to a couple of sites and after months and months of just sitting there...nothing. Seems to me LH that all Leaky Pen are doing is putting you and your work on view on a website. You could do that yourself. In fact looking through the contract on their web site I'm not sure what else they are doing? Seems you even have to supply the art work for the book cover? I can't see how they can be of much help at all seeing as they are new, have no reputation and don't appear to have any authors on their books yet. Mind you they don't appear to charge. Maybe you should keep trying with the more bona fide methods? Have faith, maybe rework your manuscript, resubmit, it's not easy but 17 rejections is nothing. In short, what the hell do I know, give it a go if you must.

LH - I'm sceptical about on-line publishing I must confess... and a cynic might suggest that a glowing review makes for a happy customer rather than a disgruntled customer.

I'd echo Ian's advice; if you're confident with your work, then persevere. It might be useful to do some thorough research on publishers, make contact and find someone who is at least prepared to read your work and take it seriously. Alternatively, post bits on this site, and you'll get some feedback from independent like-minded writers...

Good luck, whatever

Thank you for your thoughts on this. I'm wondering though how long should one reasonably expect to wait before a publisher/agent takes on you on? I have been very selective in the agents/publishers that I approached. I submitted my worked to Golgonooza and received a medal and inclusion in their exhibition site (access only to agents). This happened well over a year ago. I have decided to go down the ePublishing route. It is only for a year - I get a publishing record and the opportunity to see how my work is received by the general public.

I've checked with this publisher and they also use other ebooksellers so my work isn't restricted just to their site. They also take responsibility for organising credit card/debit card payments - something that isn't easy for someone who isn't in business to do. As for the cover art - their thoughts are that it is just another way for ePublishers and ebook Cover sellers to make money from new writers - people buying off the internet do NOT judge a book by its cover. Leaky Pen are quite happy just to put a plain cover up with author name and title - it's up to the author.

Have I convinced myself? I think I'm getting there!

Any more thoughts from anyone else?