Writers En Bloc
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Publisher? What publisher?
I do not understand: you all belong to the web era: " You blog therefore you are".
Who needs Publisher in these times.
Write what you feel like writing, then post it.
Where? Well hey...you need a nurse or a writing suggestion?
Come on: a blog like this, your own blog, a website, youtube, facebook........come on , turn on your imagination and fly.
The real hurdle is:"how am I going to be visited or clicked" therefore I will be famous or "my books - ebooks are selling.
That is for me the only real dilemma to solve.
So you do not need a Publisher, you need n emarketing person, someone that knows how to swim in viral marketing, webads, webPR etc........
So the only thing to do is: "
JUST DO IT" meaning "......WRITE IT".
No excuses.
The rest will follow. I forgot.
I was serious about youtube or better check this one:
www.selltube.com
Yes, make your own personal video ad, sell your product: your book.
I know, some of you are already having a puzzled smirk on your face.
The market will judge and plus it is more dignified to sell the product of your love rather then......have you seen what else they sell????
Exactly my point.
So again: sing, dance, jump and promote your book. Nothing wrong with that.
Truman Capote or Hemingway would have done exactly this, actually they did it but using different media (NY jet set parties, gossips, the right circle of people.....). You can make your own Black and White grand ball on line!!!!!
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You are right of course, Leonardo. Who needs a publisher? We have a world today where everybody has access. Quality doesn't matter. There is no editorial control. There are no rules, no standards. Anybody can do it. Get on a reality show. Shag a celebrity and sell the film on e-bay. Fame beckons anyone who can get an audience. The web offers so many short cuts. You forgot to mention PornTube.
My personal ambition is much more mundane. I have a dream that one day I'll board a train, or sit down in an airport waiting area and somebody will be reading my book. And they will look as if they are engrossed in the world I have created. For this to happen, the book has to be the proper kind.
I don't want to compromise on the content or quality. (Both will be the best I can do - maybe not F Scott FitzGerald or Tolstoy but 100% of my capacity.)
For this fantasy to become real - call me old-fashioned - I need a publisher. (I've done self-publishing and could write a book on what's wrong with it.) Yes, I will attempt to exploit all the WWW has to offer once I have a book to market but until then I'll plod the old familiar road.
Thanks for stimulating the discussion.
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In know the answer to this question will vary as it depends on each specific situation but generally what are some of the personal expenses incurred when publishing a book?
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Hi Leona
This is another question where it's difficult to be specific. In my opinion, if you think your work is fit to be published and there is a market for it, you should aim for mainstream publication. If you follow this route, there should be no cost to you other than the cost of the producing and sending the submission packages to agents. If your book is taken on by a publisher it should meet all future costs involved with its production and marketing.
If your question relates to self-publishing, you will find costs vary depending on the services offered. In my experience, before committing to a particular deal you should talk to other writers who have books with the organisation you are thinking of using. Also, again from my experience, I think its important that any self-publication service you employ should have a distribution set up so your books are stocked in a distribution centre (not your home) and are available to order through bookshops and on Amazon and the like. Without this, you will have to personally pack and post any book you sell.
I hope this goes some way to answering your question.
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Roughly, how long does it take to publish a book after I finish all my editing?
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Hi Ari
How long is a piece of string? The answer - as with your question - is, it depends. The strength of your proposition, the quality of your submission, your ability - there are so many variables. I can't really do more here than advise you to pick up some specialist reading the process that takes you from writing the first line of the first draft to seeing your work on the printed page.
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What are the necessary steps one must take once they have completed writing their book?
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Hi Ari
Am I right to think that you are looking to be published? If so, the full answer to your question would fill a book! So I'm going to refer you to one. Many (in the UK market) regard it as the definitive guide to this subject. It's called 'From Pitch to Publication' by Carole Blake. It was published nine years ago and some things have changed (eg submission to agents replacing dealing with publishers direct, and the increasing use of submission by e-mail) but the basics are still valid. Whichever market you are in I'm sure there are similar books offering sound advice.
My one specific piece of advice is to make sure your submission package is as good as it can possibly be. This means drafting and re-drafting until you are 100% happy and then asking a critical friend to proof read every part of it - including your covering letter. You may be surprised to hear that agents admit to rejecting submissions without reading further simply because there is a typo in the letter or on the first page of the manuscript.
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How do you become an En Bloc member or should I just subscribe to the blog? There are a lot of good questions here that I would have asked myself, I want to know when the answers are posted.
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Hi Stan,
Subscribing to the blog is a good idea. You will then be alerted when we have new content/entries and if you subscribe to this entry, you will get an email when new comments are posted. I am happy you are enjoying the experience already.
We will be adding much more in the next couple of weeks and also adding a book store to promote members' books. So look out for that.
D
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As a professional writer what would be your dream come true, I mean if you have already had your work published, what would you dream of having next...I know a bestseller is probably there but what else does a writer strive for?
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For me, it is having other people identify with and learn something from a character that I created! Even as I have people read drafts of my novel. I am excited to hear them talk about the characters as if they actually exist
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I have a great question: what are some of the reasons for any of you that lead to you becoming a writer ?
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Writers En Bloc (Michael) Wrote:
One of the greatest reasons for becoming a writer is the opportunity to tell a story. By using the written word, you become part of something unique -- something singular, something that will forever be part of recorded history.
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Should you have a plan when writing or is it okay to write as it flows, I mean in my case I may write a short story and not know the end until i reach it but is it better to at least plan out the plot and then write?
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Hello Ryan,
Writing structures are as individual as writing styles. There are some persons who based on their advanced thought process can do great work without a written outline, plot or plan.
It is advisable, however, for one to start with at least an outline as to how the work will flow from beginning middle and end. My first novel I did by just attacking the blank page and writing. This was most enjoyable as even I did not know what the character was going to experience next. What I found, though, was that by the middle of the novel, I started encountering problems. As the story progressed, I had to go back to change material facts to make the rest of the book flow.
You can avoid such mistakes, by not only doing an outline but writing out the back-story of all your main characters, so that as you make decisions as to what they will do or how they will react to something, you will have a basis for those choices and the characters will come to life.
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I want to know what would you advise someone who is interested in getting published what steps would I need to take?
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My best advice in getting published is to ensure you have all your ducks lined up. You need to be happy with your finished product. You must know the audience you want to reach. You must be prepared to make your case to a publisher. Your presentation should always look professional and exhibit your confidence as a writer. If self-publishing, you need to find the right printer and have everything ready to print when you make your delivery. It can save you tons of money.
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I've always beeen a wide reader and I write every day in a journal...sometimes poems sometimes mini-fantasy pieces. I dream of writing short stories that I will eventually publish but am afraid I will not be any good at it. How do you know you are meant to write?
Any courses you suggest I try?
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The fact that you are interested in the written word and care enough to ask questions is evidence that you have it in your blood. The more you write the better you become. In fiction, you are only limited by your imagination.
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Good evening,
I love your website but you seem to be starting up. I hope it is not too early to ask a question. I guess I will check back in the New Year for the answer. Do any of your writers stick to a schedule or do they just write when they feel inspired?
I have always been told that I write very well but I do not know how to go about amassing a collection of poems as I seem not feel the urge often enough to be taken seriously. Is it normal to force yourself to sit and just do it? I want to write and publish a book of poems within the next year.
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Thank you for your kind words and yes, we are working to fill out the site by mid-January when we launch officially.
Regarding your question, each writer has his/her own rhythm. Some persons wait for the inspiration; others sit in a place that enhances the writing mode and some persons set a time/place to start writing, knowing that they can always edit after.
I will do the unthinkable and ask you - when do you write best? Under what circumstances? Because, only you can know what is the writing schedule that is best for you.
So even if you sit down at 8 every night, wake up at 4 in the morning, or write only when the moon is blue, whenever you figure out the time and place within which you produce your best work then stick to that formula.
I hope my answer helps and I know other members will add their thoughts later.
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