Before we get to this month's post, a very exciting announcement as submissions are officially open for the next IWSG anthology!
Word count: 3500-6000
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Theme:
Masquerade
A
Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone
they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to
interpretation.
Submissions accepted: September 5 - November 4,
2018
How to enter: Send your polished,
formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to
admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline
passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are
part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group.
Judging: The IWSG admins will
create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our
official judges who will be announced September 5.
Prizes: The winning stories will
be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology.
Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top
story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.
This is a fantastic opportunity for all writers to appear in a prestigious publication. Will you be entering?
Now let's turn to this month's IWSG question which is What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?
Well, this does tie into my insecurity this month as it will soon be time to self-publish the second book in my series, which does take a somewhat darker turn in some places, and I hope readers will go with me on that. It's something I've been thinking about a lot - I'm considering pursuing some form of traditional publication on my next project, but does that allow one to take the kind of risks that are possible with self-publishing? It comes down to the individual publishing house, I suppose. The traditional route is something I have always wanted to experience, and being a hybrid author does come with own its freedom as you pick and choose what is most suitable for each project. Perhaps I would benefit from greater editorial input and intervention too - it remains to be seen if the freedom afforded by self-publishing means I'll be flying too close to the sun with this next book and will end by crashing and burning.
Ultimately, I would hope to work with a company that offers full support to the author's vision while flagging where something might not seem quite right. Perhaps one of the smaller publishing houses?
What about you? Where are you on your publication path? Will you be seeking publication in the next IWSG anthology?
32 comments:
I am still intent on traditional publishing.
Nick, I don't think you need to worry that much about publishing companies being willing to take risks. There are plenty out there that do. One of the messages that's come through loudly several times in my own pile of rejections is that if something's good enough, it can find a home. Even if it's risky. It's a lot of work, and it's a different kind of work from self-publishing, and it can be damn near soul crushing sometimes, but it's still a path some of us are willing to take. Good luck!
Ditto what Jeff wrote. With today's competition, your work needs to be more than good. It has to be great. Bear in mind that with a small trad publisher, you'll do all the promo, just like an indie author. Best wishes on whatever you choose.
I have a lot of concerns with smaller publishing houses. I'm turning my sights to other options! You'll most likely get better results with self-publishing. Good luck to whatever path you choose!
They say hybrid author is the place to be. It does depend on the publisher so don't give up hope on that route.
Small publishers are more likely to take risks with a manuscript. You just have to find the right ones.
Whatever route you take, there are at least options. Yay!
Teresa
Smaller houses do tend to be more flexible. Too bad the mid-range publishers have basically fallen off the face of the planet because they were so ideal! But it is hard to make a buck in this industry.
Hi Nick - going the smaller route seems to be a good option ... I wonder if there are any smaller presses around Glasgow or Edinburgh - yet we have our tried and tested ones amongst the blogging fraternity. Good luck - cheers Hilary
That sounds like a good balance.
I agree with Crystal that smaller houses are more flexible. There are pros and cons either way.
I've done both and both have their positives and negatives. This is not a one-size-fits-all kind of business.
If I tried trad publishing, I'd probably go with a smaller publisher. That said, smaller publishers worry me a bit because they can fold pretty easily and quickly and leave you out in the dust. But any sort of publishing path has it's risks, so you have to decide if it's worth it.
Sounds like from you and everyone else that there are pros and cons to any choice, just like all of life. I'm impressed that you are getting your second book done so quickly.
I've had good and bad experiences with small publishers, and the bad experiences have led me to self-publishing, which I enjoy. It can be fun to work with a publisher from time to time too. The key is finding the right one, which can be difficult. Best of luck with whatever route you take with your work!
Those publishing questions echo my own thoughts. I seem to be hybrid after my debut was picked up by a small press willing to take risks. Then, I republished myself. So, I'm studying both routes going forward.
It is hard to take a risk with any writing, and publishing path. But I think there is always an audience, if you know how to find it. I've read a lot of very dark works, and some light hearted, and all by the same authors. I'm an eclectic reader and writer.
One of my favorite authors, especially when its short stories, is Stephen King. He has a way of making the most ordinary things, events, and people seem extraordinary, given the right circumstances. His first (I think) anthology Night Shift was a long time favorite, and more recently that has been replaced by the Full Dark No Stars collection because of that darkness. The themes of the book is about getting away with revenge killing.
All the above just to say that you will find an audience.
Hybrid, as you call it, seems to be the path I'd like to take also.
Picking and choosing what to do with each project is what I love the most. And even bringing them to different publishers. That freedom is nice.
I'm published with a small press and I have to do most of my own promotion but at least I don't have to hire editors or design covers. It allows me more time to just write.
The anthology theme is a good one. Best of luck to all those submitting.
I'm all about being a hybrid author. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what should go where, though.
With great freedom comes great responsibility (or something like that). Going indie means you take on a lot of responsibility and some risk, but there's no guarantee the traditional publishing will work out any better. In the end you just have to go with which strikes you as most comfortable.
I'm following the trad path for now, but would want to go in for self-pub somewhere down the lines: hybrid sounds like win-win! All the best for your second book :).
Damyanti at Daily (w)rite
Love your statement about author's vision. It would be ideal now, wouldn't it? Best of luck with launching book 2!
Wouldn't it be awesome to have a publishing fairy godmother, or father, who would just know exactly which way to guide you? That's my dream.
But sigh. Until then, I say we take whatever road no one has blocked. Best of luck with the next book.
Maybe all it would take is finding the right editor to work with, one that will help you with constructive improvements while still keeping to your vision?
I hope you find the best route for you!
I think if you end up going the hybrid route, at least you'll get a better idea of which one you like best. Or you might find, as others have, that each project calls for its own consideration. It certainly can't hurt to explore, right?
The anthology sounds great, and I wish I were creative enough to write instead of simply edit other people's words. But my daughter may enter this one.
I'm nowhere on any publication path. Not yet. You seem to be in a good place. I like your ultimate vision of a publisher.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I think you can learn a lot through self-publishing. That's how I did it at first. I think the marketing skills you learn will help if you ever get traditionally published.
I found Susan Gourley/Kelley's response particularly interesting. It seems to me that promotion takes up most of my published writing friends' time. Hmmm...
I'm still working on the first drafts of my stories, so publication options are still a long way away for me. But one thing I like about the technological advances is that they do give writers more options than just the traditional publishing route. Of course, I think most writers do want to try to the traditional publishing route, but it's good to explore other options as well and see which one works best, like you've been doing with your writing.
It is difficult choice to make at times. I've only ever "traditionally published" short fiction. Novel length seems like an almost impossible nut to crack these days. Good luck with your creative choices going forward!
Anne from annehiga.com
I’m with you on wanting to be hybrid, and I think it’ll be the short works that go trad for me. As for the anthology... I may give it a shot, but I’m guessing probably not. YA romance is really not my thing. But if I can come up with a way to twist the genre... yeah, then I’ll be in!
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