I have decided to self-publish Fatal Score, the first book in my Mayfield-Napolitani series, this November. It has been a difficult decision, a long time coming. I have sent many queries to agents, mostly unanswered. I’ve queried a handful of small publishers, mostly answered but no takers (though one expressed interest for a 2020 release).
As I toted up the rejections and ignores, I kept thinking the way we hopeful writers do, “Maybe next time. It’s not that my book isn’t good; it’s just that I haven’t found the right match at the right time.” Underneath it all, though, believing that to self-publish would be to admit failure.
A couple of years ago, a thought began whining in my ear like a Minnesota mosquito: maybe the traditional way of getting published is not for me.
And now I’ve decided: I’ll self-publish through my micro-publisher, Gotuit LLC, and release in November.
I am going to reorient this blog to track progress with weekly or bi-weekly comments on the many moving parts of the process. Mark Twain called the exercise of writing about writing “chloroform in print.” I am grateful to the 250 readers who have been thus anesthetized over the several years of me reporting on my learning experience. I hope the process of publishing will be a little more interesting. If that proves true for you and you have not already done so, I hope you will sign up for e-mails (right margin).
Most important, I will look forward to your comments.
Next week: The industry
Gotuit. Perfect name for your publishing company!
Hope so. Good to hear from you, and thanks for a great presentation of Pumping Sunshine
Subscribed and await with interest …
Congratulations on this decision! I understand your sentiments regarding publishing versus self-publishing. However, it would appear that it’s just not the industry in which those sentiments were formed. This is a great way to get your work into the hands of readers, where it belongs. It may also be the best commercial path, as well.
Chad, When you looked at the website, was the comments box visible at the bottom of the post? or did you see and click on the balloon in the title line? (A couple of people can’t see the box.)