No
As the end of editing Bunny Trouble approaches and I work on finishing the nail-biting query letter that I have been working on forever, my thoughts turn to finding an agent.
Sometimes people ask me what I like to do and beyond “harassing the Wife Unit and Playing with the Kids”, I mention I like to write. Eventually it comes out that I have written two novels and am on my third. This raises eyebrows.
Blessed with wonderful friends and polite acquaintances, I have yet to run into anybody who thinks that is a waste of time or stupid. I do get people who want to know, in detail, the plot of my novels. Yeah, that is no-go area for me other than a very small group of people. My literary bathing-suit area, if you will. Sorry, you are just going to have to wait for it.
Or get me drunk. I do mention my blog. A regular reader will be able to ferret out major themes.
A repeated question thrown my way is “Are you going to self-publish?”
With no hesitation, my answer is no.
I have studied self-publication at length, along with the traditional route of getting an agent.
With an agent, I am responsible for:
- Writing a great novel
- Squealing like a little girl when landing an agent
- Not being a dick
- Squealing like a little girl when landing a publisher
- Revisions
- Not embarrassing my agent when talking to my editor
- Collect check
- Massive self-promotion
- Squealing like a little girl when seeing my book on a bookstore shelf
- Hopefully, collect more checks
- Not being a dick
Self-Publishing:
- Write… something.
- Owning the entire editing process end-to-end
- Owning the entire self-publishing process end-to-end
- Collect a minuscule check
- Massive self-promotion
- Collect larger check… maybe.
Frankly, self-publishing is a waste of my time. It worked for Larry Correia, but it will not work for me. Larry’s goals are different. Furthermore, Larry totally owns the sub-genre he carved for himself. Larry is the master of the B-Movie Urban Fantasy Novel. Just call him King Larry.
I’ll just leave out the fact that Larry is probably more talented than me, heh heh heh.
Owning the entire self-publishing process end-to-end is an enormous time sync that I could spend writing. With a full time job, my writing time is precious. It is blood. It is the wine that I must drink daily. There is no other option. Fifteen percent to an agent in exchange for my writing time is gold. Money is the side effect. I need the validation. I crave it. I must have it.
I have no illusions that finding an agent could be a long, onerous process. As an isolated writer, the thought of someone working with me for that fifteen percent sounds like a small slice of paradise.
I choose the long, onerous process with the light at the end of the tunnel! At the end of the day, it comes down to this:
At no point in self-publishing would I squeal like a little girl.
and you have to admit, squealing like a little girl is what it’s all about…
December 29, 2008 at 1:57 pm
yes that squealing thing is very appealing!
I envy your location – there are like two agents in NZ…. so I can opt to approach a NZ publisher directly, or find agents overseas who will accept e-queries and hope I get lucky. I’ll be checking my options out more carefully in January I think.
December 29, 2008 at 1:59 pm
my writing time is precious. It is blood. It is the wine that I must drink daily. There is no other option. Fifteen percent to an agent in exchange for my writing time is gold.
~This is exactly how I feel. Although I can’t say I would never self publish. When I’m old and I want my children and gchildren to read old gram’s books, I might consider it. But it would be the last resort.
Good post.
December 29, 2008 at 2:11 pm
~*squueeee!*~
See, I practice daily.
December 29, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Squealing like a little girl is SO COMPLETELY AWESOME.
I hope to do it again in the next couple of months.
And you got it exactly right: having an agent means you’re not just doing this writer thing alone anymore. Well, the writing part, yeah, but the getting it to the world part? You’ve got a partner. And it’s so, so great. I’m all about the validation ; )
Here’s hoping you get there soon.
December 29, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Well, this post was great writing, so I’d say you’ll do just fine!
I’m pursuing publish-on-demand with my novel, which has been my goal from the start. To me, I love the idea of the challenge! Especially with all the marketing tools available through social media these days. Traditional publishing may be the challenge for my next novel–I don’t know yet. But right now, despite the 15-hour workdays, six days a week, I’m loving every minute of it.
What really excites me about your post is the fact that you’re just as enthusiastic about traditional publishing as I am about POD. It goes to show how every author is unique, everyone’s path will be a different one. If something works for a person, it’s the right way to do things.
Good luck!
December 29, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Anthony, we absolutely DEMAND an audio clip of you and the squeal when you get your agent!
December 29, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I do not believe you fully understand what you are asking for, BJ.
(O_O)
December 29, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Thank you for your kind comments, everyone (blush).
December 29, 2008 at 9:21 pm
I join BJ’s demands for an audio clip. Then I will hijack radio frequencies in Charlotte and deafen every person listening.
December 29, 2008 at 9:30 pm