The Right Thing

A small press published my first book. A week passed after they accepted the manuscript. Then—poof—like magic, iBooks and Amazon had it in stock, ready for print, ready for download. What an exhilarating feeling. I got past the gatekeepers. Yay me.

I now have reservations about that experience and am honestly a little ashamed it's available. In fact, I'm wholly ashamed that I self published my last two books. Because, between us, I don't think any editor would've accepted either of them.

But, art is subjective, and who's to tell me what's right and what's wrong? No one. They can speak, but I don't have to listen. Nah-nah-nah-nah-boo-boo.

Here's the thing. None of my books have been past a professional editor, meaning that no one whose primary job is to line edit and make a book better based on their education and learning had seen them. I had committed a cardinal sin.

To spite the publisher who published my first book, I went the indie route. The wrong way. Plus, I didn't know any editors. You expect me to pay $1500-$3000 to someone who claims they're an editor to review my work without knowing if said book would even sell enough to recuperate the cost?

The answer is yes. However, I've found some editors work cheaper than the above prices and do just as good a job. I'm happy to report I've found one.

Although I can't remove myself from my first book, I can definitely fix the other two or abandon them completely. The former is happening now. Based on those results, the latter may come.

There is nothing wrong with self-publishing. But it has to be done right. Like hire a freaking editor. Readers deserve it and I'm afraid I haven't put my best foot forward with them in that regard. This is not to say I'll never self-pub again. I might, but not after exhausting all agents and small presses, both of which will provide a bigger reading audience than I ever could on my own. Also, having someone back you solely on your work is powerful.

If you don't make mistakes, you'll never grow as a person. Or, in this case, as a writer. After attending a writer's workshop last year, listening to professionals who write full time, and reading up on essays by other full time writers, I've decided to take hold of the reins. To not shy away from my errors. I'm in the driver's seat, steering my career in a new direction on the right path. I'm studying query letters before I write my own, having beta readers review my material before I submit to magazines and anthologies.

I've listened.

And I'm still yet to sell a story to a publisher. I came close once, receiving a powerful personalized rejection now framed on my office wall, but the tale wasn't believable enough to buy in their eyes. And that's okay. Craft takes time.

And I'm ready to wait.