Your Hosts: Dan, DongWon, Piper, and Howard
“Should I go self-pub? Should I go traditional? Can I do both? How do I decide where my book fits?”
In this episode we’ll cover these, and many more questions as best we’re able.
Credits: This episode was recorded by Bert Grimm, and mastered by Alex Jackson
Liner Notes:
¹ RWA membership is required for these forums. This episode was recorded in September of 2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:37 — 17.7MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Write the “choose your own adventurous publishing path” flow chart with decision points, and write a fun little fiction about your future career possibilities.
Hello,
I wanted to say that referring to the crisis happening in RWA (and that has happened in other writing organizations) as a “membership meltdown” feels dismissive to the serious and significant issues happening.
Dismissive language is frequently being used by podcasters, news outlets and writers outside of romance to describe the serious issues happening. This is far more than a bunch of romance writers having a meltdown. This is about racism, bigotry and inclusivity.
Is there another way you could refer to it in the episode show notes to convey the seriousness and impact of these issues to the wider publishing industry?
Thanks for listening!
You are absolutely correct. We’ve amended it immediately to “recorded in September of 2019” while I have a discussion with the rest of the team.
If you’re interested in learning the self-publishing methodology, 20 Books is an invaluable resource.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k
This is a community of some of the most successful indie authors currently publishing.
Writer Beware indeed:
One thing to understand, any company calling themselves a “self-publishing company” is a rip-off. Period.
They make their money out of you, the author, they do not care about your book.
This episode frustrated me. As a self-published author, finishing up a first draft in a new genre, I was most curious to hear guidance on which path to choose for my current book.
I already know romance and PNR can do great on KDP, but my current work is science fiction, not LitRPG, not harem, not urban fantasy, not any number of other genres and sub-genres that I know can do well self-publishing.
Obviously you can’t take a deep dive and tell me specifically that my particular ‘girl on an alien planet overcomes self-doubt and tragic loss to save her village’ is a better fit for trad or vise versa, but I had hoped for more from a podcast with such heavy scifi/fantasy leanings.
This is where I wish y’all would throw out the “15 minutes long” line and just dive in. I’ve got an hour if you want to go deeper, two if you also have insight on how to wrap this one up and whether to use my own name or a pen this time around.
It’s been over twenty years since I stopped collecting rejection letters. Is it time to take it up again?
Thanks!
Trad, indie, hybrid? Dan, Dongwon, Piper, and Howard set off along the adventurous publishing path, exploring just how traditional publishing and self-publishing and mixtures of the two might be part of your career. From picking the right outlet for your work to avoiding “10 easy tricks to publishing success” and making a stunning debut or winning awards versus writing good books, the foursome offer some great insights that may help you in your journey along your own adventurous publishing path. Going read all about it, in the transcript available now in the archives.
The transcript is also available over here:
https://wetranscripts.dreamwidth.org/167999.html
I’ve been learning how to submit to small press anthologies. I’m writing short works and getting commercial, critical, editorial feedback and experience without the personal investment a novel requires.
Please Piper use complete words. I didn’t unterstand half of your abbreviations.