Sept 25, 2023
If you were given a large advance by a traditional publishing company and told to produce a series of books in a certain amount of time that obviously you would have to give up the rights to (maybe they would alter your writing too) and do all your own marketing, would you take them up on the offer?
Over a decade ago, When I first contemplated releasing a book, I did my research. Should I try for a traditional publisher or go independent, which was at the time, not quite new anymore? Ultimately, I chose to go indie, for many reasons.
First, I wanted to write a book that went against some of the genre rules. I was writing a wolf-shifter book that included romance, but no sex scenes. I had researched the market, and everything I found included erotic action. I simply had no interest in including those in my story. (Although it could have been done. There are several places where it would have been easy to add in one.)
Then I looked into payment. Sure, some authors get a big advance, but they are rare. What the normal author gets per each book sale is a fraction of the book’s cost. What I didn’t realize back then was how much publicity can cost for an indie author, but many signed authors still have to do all the groundwork to sell their writing.
Writing as an indie, I can also write at my own pace and not be beholden to someone else’s schedule. I’d be in a world of hurt if I had to write my current WIP based on a tight timeline. I’m at 35000 words, and I’ve written more words than that in one month, but not for this story. A publisher would be nagging me daily at this point. (And that wouldn’t help my motivation!)
But the major point in my choice to go indie was my age. I’m not a young thing, and I know finding an agent and selling a book to a publisher and getting a manuscript through editing and production can take years. And years. Like I said, I’m old. I didn’t want to wait that long.
Would I change my mind if I was offered a large sum of money?
They say that everyone and everything has a price. While that may be true, I don’t know mine. I write for the joy of writing, (even when it gives me grief). How can a price be put on that?
I’m looking forward to seeing how the other authors in this hop respond to this question. Find out by following the links below.
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
Sept 25, 2023
If you were given a large advance by a traditional publishing company and told to produce a series of books in a certain amount of time that obviously you would have to give up the rights to (maybe they would alter your writing too) and do all your own marketing, would you take them up on the offer?
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