Self-Publishing

When two months passed and I hadn't heard from either of the agents who had requested my manuscript, I sent each of them a short e-mail asking if they had made a decision to represent me yet...and whether they wanted the new and improved version I had just gotten back from my editor. One agent got back to me within a week. She said she'd been very busy, but to please send the edited manuscript. From the other agent, I've heard nothing. I'm not taking her silence personally, but it's making me wonder if I have the patience to make it through the traditional publishing process.

The length of time it takes to be accepted by an agent, with no guarantee that they will match me up with a publisher, makes me think that I'd be better off publishing the book myself. However, before I could head off in that direction, I needed to be honest about the importance of external validation. With acceptance (versus abandonment and rejection) at the core of my adoption issues, I needed to be certain that I believe in myself and my work enough to "put it out there" without it being sanctioned by a mainstream publisher. In other words, I needed to set my ego aside and have an honest conversation with my highest self, the one that actually wrote the book and knows that my story will help others.

To help me think this through, I called my friend Steve (Moving Finger Press), who has been down this road before.  Steve self-published People Farm a few years ago and hasn't looked back. To date, the book has sold 12,000 copies and Steve has retained most of the profit--something that has enabled him to fund other worthwhile projects. "You can do this, Jan," Steve said.  My author and highest self knew he is right.

It's not as if I don't know how to begin.  I've read several books on the subject and I've written marketing and public relations plans that have helped others go through the self-publishing process. Most importantly, I am not alone; I know book designers, printers, web masters and others who can help me, and I've squirreled away enough cash to get the process started.  Now, all I have to do is get to work!

To keep myself honest and motivated, I'm going to post my efforts on this blog where I'm hoping my friends will provide me with encouragement and others, who have been down this path before, will share information and experiences to help me along the way.

So, wish me luck on what I'm sure will be nothing less than a memorable adventure.  Now, I'm going to write my own marketing plan.