When I signed up for NaNoWriMo in 2015, publishing was the farthest thing from my mind. I needed to write a first draft, edit it into something I wouldn’t be embarrassed to send out, get beta feedback, edit again – AND THEN I could think about how I wanted to publish it.
Thank goodness, by the time 2019 rolled around, I’d been following enough authors and taking part in several online author networking groups, learning that publishing is anything but straightforward. There are traditional press, indie press and self-publishing to choose from. All three options have their pros and cons, requiring a fair amount of research and soul searching to determine which one is right for you.
Traditional publishing: contemporary romance
My first book, PS I Miss You, is a contemporary romance / chicklit / women’s fiction adventure. I used two rounds of beta readers and hired an experienced developmental editor to help me get the book into good shape.
I spent months wavering back and forth over publishing options, before ultimately deciding to try the traditional route. The deciding factor was speed to write. Self-publishing works best when you can write a series fast. I have always planned PS I Miss You as the first of a trilogy, and I have the concepts for the next two books in my head, but I knew I couldn’t get all three of them out within a year.
I signed up for Query Tracker and used it, Manuscript Wish List and hours searching through agent websites to come up with my final query list. I sent out 30+ queries, carefully selecting each agent based on their genre experience, interest and career length. I also sent out a handful of queries to digital publishing houses specialising in romance. I’ll write more about querying in another post.
Indie Publishing: How To guides
I will be honest and say that I had no intention of signing with an indie press. I have connections with editors and cover designers and can layout, publish and market a book on my own. I wasn’t convinced that, in my specific case, an indie house would bring enough to the table to justify their cut of the book revenue.
Never say never. I had lunch with Louise Boland, CEO of Fairlight Books, an indie publishing house based here in Oxford. I’ve known Louise for over five years and felt comfortable chatting book and publishing ideas over a plate of hummus. I arranged lunch with plans to pitch book marketing support services. I walked out with a contract for a How To guide instead.
Fairlight Books is absolutely the right publisher for my How To guides. With their dedicated focus on debut and emerging authors, their connections with writer groups around the UK and their standing with writing programmes, they brought a unique set of skills to the table. I will admit to being spoiled now by not having to worry about copy edits, cover design, layout or anything beyond writing a great final draft.
I would never self-publish these two books (How to Market Your Book, How to Be Published) and they’d be lost inside a bigger publishing house (assuming they got picked up in the first place). Hooray for Indie Publishing!
Self-publishing: Cosy Mysteries
Last summer, whilst sunning myself on the beach in Italy, I came up with the wild idea to write a series of cosy mystery novels. I started making notes on my iphone, sketching out characters, suspects and death scenes. I’d read at least twenty cosies over the summer (on top of the hundreds I’ve read over the years) and I felt confident that I could quickly churn out a series.
Fast-to-market series are the ideal books to self-publish, if you’ve got the resources to do it. I signed up for NaNoWriMo 2019 and churned out a first draft of the first book. After a round of beta reading, I’m now working with a developmental editor to shape the final version. I’ve hired a copy editor and a cover designer.
Unlike my first novel, this time around I plotted every chapter down the scene. I’ve also outlined the next three books, planning for four book arcs. The first book is taking longer than I hoped, but I expect the subsequent titles in the series to go faster. All the character development work is being done now, leaving less for me to have to guess my way through when I write book 2. My target is to release books 1 & 2 in the series in May 2020.
My experience has taught me that there is no magic bullet in publishing. You should think carefully about which option makes the most sense for your book, your skill set and your genre. Go into the process with an open mind, you may end up surprising yourself. I know I did!