A Book

[Mr. P]

Has anyone here ever written a book? Was it published?

 

[Kagom]

I usually get about half way into a book and then my mind decides to go ADD on me and I start thinking about something else.

 

[Dan]

I've had a couple stories published. I'm about waist-deep in three different books right now, though I don't know much about the publishing aspect of it. I've been considering self-publishing, though.

 

[Mr. P]

I've had a couple stories published. I'm about waist-deep in three different books right now, though I don't know much about the publishing aspect of it. I've been considering self-publishing, though.

Odd you’d mention self publishing, Dan.
I just read a bit of a writer’s journey to publishing yesterday. One thing I read that stands out is, if you’ve had 500 rejections there’s probably a good reason. So why spend big $$$$$$$$ to self publish what so many have already rejected.

 

[jillian]

Odd you’d mention self publishing, Dan.
I just read a bit of a writer’s journey to publishing yesterday. One thing I read that stands out is, if you’ve had 500 rejections there’s probably a good reason. So why spend big $$$$$$$$ to self publish what so many have already rejected.

Sometimes it's a genre issue. J.K. Rowling got over 100 rejections before Scholastic agreed to publish Harry Potter.

 

[Mr. P]

Sometimes it's a genre issue. J.K. Rowling got over 100 rejections before Scholastic agreed to publish Harry Potter.

Isn't it amazing? You'd think a publisher would want a good work regardless of the genre. I guess they're making enough $$$ to pass things on..:scratch:

 

[jillian]

Isn't it amazing? You'd think a publisher would want a good work regardless of the genre. I guess they're making enough $$$ to pass things on..:scratch:

Well, with HP, they didn't know who their market would be. It was a kids' story, but one that was very adult. People who choose books for publication are risk averse. But eventually it found its home.

Sometimes it's also difficult for a writer to even get his/her story read. Publishing houses don't generally like unsolicited works. Pretty strange, IMO, since every great writer had to start as an unknown.

 

[Mr. P]

Well, with HP, they didn't know who their market would be. It was a kids' story, but one that was very adult. People who choose books for publication are risk averse. But eventually it found its home.

Sometimes it's also difficult for a writer to even get his/her story read. Publishing houses don't generally like unsolicited works. Pretty strange, IMO, since every great writer had to start as an unknown.

Yep. Something else I picked up was, it only takes one person to send the rejection letter, but a committee to say yes. Tough business to break into I think.

 

[jillian]

Yep. Something else I picked up was, it only takes one person to send the rejection letter, but a committee to say yes. Tough business to break into I think.

Yup! You have to be both good and lucky!

 

[Dan]

Sometimes it's a genre issue. J.K. Rowling got over 100 rejections before Scholastic agreed to publish Harry Potter.

What she said.

I'm assuming you probably weren't talking about me in your post, Mr. P, but for the record, I've never really sent out too many letters to get rejected, anyway. But, that's kind of the biggest hurtle any "artist" (and, I cringe when I use that word, as I'm sort of talking about myself here, and I don't really think of myself as an artist) must face is the inevitable, overwhelming rejection that comes with trying to present your art to a larger audience.

There's also the fact that so many artists over the years have struggled to find an audience throughout their lives and only either later in their lives or posthumously did they finally become famous.

Yup! You have to be both good and lucky!

I think in this, the information age, it's actually significantly easier for writers to get their stuff read than it may have been, say, ten or fifteen years ago. On the other hand, I think it's significantly harder for someone to make a decent living as a writer than it has ever been, if only because it's so hard to have a different, unique take on something, between TV and the Net, everything is being constantly analyzed.

 

[Mr. P]

What she said.

I'm assuming you probably weren't talking about me in your post, Mr. P, but for the record, I've never really sent out too many letters to get rejected, anyway. But, that's kind of the biggest hurtle any "artist" (and, I cringe when I use that word, as I'm sort of talking about myself here, and I don't really think of myself as an artist) must face is the inevitable, overwhelming rejection that comes with trying to present your art to a larger audience.

There's also the fact that so many artists over the years have struggled to find an audience throughout their lives and only either later in their lives or posthumously did they finally become famous.



I think in this, the information age, it's actually significantly easier for writers to get their stuff read than it may have been, say, ten or fifteen years ago. On the other hand, I think it's significantly harder for someone to make a decent living as a writer than it has ever been, if only because it's so hard to have a different, unique take on something, between TV and the Net, everything is being constantly analyzed.

No, Dan, I didn't mean you. Another site another person. BTW did you know you can submit via e-mail to many agents out there?

 

[Dan]

No, Dan, I didn't mean you. Another site another person. BTW did you know you can submit via e-mail to many agents out there?

No, I didn't know that. How do you go about doing that?

 

[Mr. P]

Here's a site provided by this guy. I think this is where he found agents that would take e-mail. I haven't looked over the site yet myself.

http://www.agentquery.com/

 

[Said1]

No, I didn't know that. How do you go about doing that?

Here's another good site Dan, loaded with all sorts of infor, including paying e-pubishers for everything you can imagine. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/

 

[jib]

no