Does a deal with a traditional publisher sound appealing to you?
Again, as the previous four columns have argued, I believe it’s possible to break in.
I know what you’re going to say, that 1 to 2 percent of all manuscripts submitted to an agent crack through the sludge / slush pile and land a contract.
The odds are against you.
And that’s why you need to make traditional publishing your battle cry.
Again, to be clear, I believe—with every writer bone in my body—in the power of independent publishing. I love that there are no gatekeepers. I love that there are more stories making their way out in the world and finding their audience (in quick fashion!) because any writer can become their own publisher. And, to be extra clear, I know it’s entirely possible and often probable that lots of independently published authors will find more readers and fatten their bank accounts faster than the traditional route.
But today it feels like the default choice is going independent.
And I think the old-school traditional route should remain an option.
Step one? Forget that independent publishing even exists.
Step two? Make traditional publishing your battle cry.
Step three? Think long-term.
And keep writing. Write and write some more. Pitch and pitch some more. Network and network some more.
In theory, you could sit at your kitchen table and write the most glorious novel of all time, ship off a perfect query letter to one agent, get noticed immediately next week, and sign a six-figure deal after a major auction next month.
But more likely is that you’re write a few novels, keep chipping away at improving all aspects of your craft, and slowly but surely have better conversations—and more meaningful conversations—about your writing career.
I think agents (and publishers) want to know you’re a writer. That you’re thinking career. That you’re treating it like a business.
I have a friend who was very well published for four books and then got dropped because the sales numbers on her last couple of books didn’t match the earlier ones. She had knockout reviews and worked her butt off with marketing. After a break of many years, she finally landed another agent and sold a new book. The first thing the new publisher wanted to know is, “what’s your brand?” and “what else do you have in the queue to show us?’ and “what other ideas do you have?”
They were treating her like a new writer because they were about to reinvest her career.
And that’s what it is. In your own mind, you need to elevate it to that level of seriousness and importance. What would it take for you to bank the mortgage on your writing talent?
Well, how do you approach any other professional career? You go to school, of course, and you show up on day one at work on time and ready to go. And you come back to that job every day and get better and more efficient at your work and you make friends in your line of work and you build a network, go to conferences to share tips and insights, and keep getting better.
So that’s a wrap on this series of columns.
Don’t automatically run to self/independent publishing.
And, no matter what you choose, good luck.
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Photo by Faith Enck on Unsplash