Times Are Changing

I remember when I decided to listen to my family and give publication a shot. It was terrifying. I did everything I thought I was supposed to. I Googled, I researched, I started following editor's blogs, I went to Barnes and Noble and studied the manuals that would help me create a query letter. It took a good month before I had the information necessary to give it a shot. Afterward, I started the process of submitting my material. Many agents wanted electronic submissions. I can honestly say that hitting "send" was one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. My palms were sweaty, my breathing was stinted, and I felt lightheaded. I'd chosen ten agents, submitted to them, and waited.

Some of the agents rejected with a blanket statement, others praised my voice but stated I should continue writing to improve my craft, others never responded at all. It was incredibly disheartening. Believe me when I say a dreaded "R," especially the first, is hard to take. It was around this time that I discovered e-publishing. At first, I wasn't sure. It was an entirely different market. Would people truly want a book in that format? Was there money to be made? Could I make a career out of it? I wasn't sure. It took several weeks to decide I had nothing to lose. Braced for the worst but hoping for the best, I submitted Crimson Moon to The Wild Rose Press and waited. I received word that they wanted the story, but with a revision -- a sex scene. I wrote the scene, got my contract, and I went from being a writer to an author.

Nowadays, trying to decide which is best -- agent, NYT, or e-publishing -- is a difficult choice to make. Yes, I would like to have an agent and be accepted into one of the big six. Will that ever happen? I'm not sure. However, at this point, I'm not certain if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Don't know what I mean? Take a look at the image below:

The photo was snapped in a California Borders bookstore. As you are aware, they are going out of business in many cities. The money simply isn't there. There is also word that Barnes and Noble continues to try and find a buyer for their franchise. This is something everyone in the publishing community is taking note of.

Most like to blame Amazon.com.  Amazon provides merchandise at a low cost, ranging from books, to movies, to clothing (kinda reminds you of another corporate giant who put grocery stores and similar chains out of business. Got to love one stop shopping. Right, Wal-Mart?).  I think this trend is only going to continue. Right now, you can pay a yearly fee and have all the things you order delivered to you free of charge, sometimes receiving the item the very next day. With the cost of gas increasing, it would make sense to order and wait.  Not to mention, now there are reading devices created just for books. It's no longer necessary to drive to your local bookstore. You can get what you want with a click of a button.

Where am I going with this? Simple. I'm not certain where the large NYT houses and agents who supply them with clients will be in the future. This isn't to say I'm jumping on the self-publishing bandwagon. Rather, I'm stating that indie e-publishers such as Ellora's Cave, Samhain, Carina, Loose Id, Liquid Silver, etc have already put themselves on the map. Why would an author need or want an agent when they can do the work themselves and keep their entire cut of  the profit?

Don't get me wrong. I still want an agent. I think all authors do. But I've come to the conclusion that if it doesn't happen, it won't be the end of the world or my career. I'm curious to see what the industry is like in ten or fifteen years.  How about you?

Now, for the weekly eye-candy!

Helpful Resources, Pass It On

After weeks/months/years of working on a manuscript, you've finally finished. Congrats! I know just how long the journey can be, and you should be proud of yourself for accomplishing something that many people aspire to do, but never see through to fruition.  Writing a book is something you should be proud of, regardless of where it goes after.  With that said (and if you're reading this) there is a very real possibility that you want to do more than keep your hard work to yourself.

When I decided I wanted to submit my material for possible representation/publication, I had no idea what I was doing. I did do some research, but since I'm not very techno savvy, most of the good stuff remained out of my scope until after I'd signed my first contract.  This isn't something I'm ashamed of, but it does go a long way in showing you how naive some new writers can be. Google searching doesn't always get it done. There is so much information floating around out there, and I found it difficult to sort through which places were helpful and which weren't.

Which brings me to the focus of today's blog.

At some point in the future, I'll cover query letters, synopsises, etc.  For now, I'd like to direct you toward something you should really start delving into before you finish typing the words, "The End," if you're considering publication. Nothing compares to first hand experience. However, it doesn't hurt when you're pointed in the right direction.

Below are five websites I've returned to time and again. In fact, I still visit them on occasion, as it's the best way to learn what's what in the community before it spreads around.   I'd like to challenge you to add your own links to the list via a comment.  When finished, I'll compile all of them into a future blog that can be bookmarked and passed along to up and coming authors who are daunted by the task and need reassurance that it can, in fact, be done. ;-)

**Please note that I'm only covering free resources. While places like Writer's Market are great, most people can't invest money into something until they start making it.  These are not the only places you can go when you're trying to decide what is best for you and your writing, but it's my hope that in some way that they can help you when you're forced to make the tough decisions.**

My list:

Agent Query: A great place to start looking for agent representation.

Absolute Write: This forum is a must. Not only can you find out everything you possibly want to know about the industry, you can also do a check on the publishers/agents you are considering.  I can't tell you how important this is.  Before you even consider sending out a query, do a full investigation into who you are offering your material to. 

Author Link: Great for up to date news about the industry -- also covers e-books/presses.

Piers Anthony's Internet Publishing: As an author who supports author's rights, Mr. Anthony shares what information he receives about presses in this venue.  There is no sweet, sugary coating.  He provides the information he's been given and allows you to to do your own research on the matter. 

Romance Diva's: Granted, I only "lurk" on the forum, but there is a lot of information if you're willing to search through the threads. Not only do authors discuss the industry, but editors and publishers also post when they are seeking new material to represent.  It's a great way to stay abreast of what you might miss otherwise.

I've shown you mine. Time to show me yours.  ;-)  Share the love!