Final Stages

Hymn is in the final stages of pre-production. In fact, I'm simply waiting on the proof to be printed up and arrive in the mail before it's set to go on out there.
I decided to go the route of self-publishing first while attempting to shop the manuscript around or wish upon all the stars and 11:11s I come in contact with for it to fall into the correct hands. Heh.
I suppose, though, that any hands which find their way around the cover are the correct hands. They're the hands of those I want to be reading my work.

One of the downfalls of the self-publication, however, will be the price. I went with the hard cover edition which jacks up the price. Follow that up with the retailer mark-up (in this case about 110% from production cost) and you're left with a hefty price for a short novel. It'll retail for $32.99. That's as low as it would let me go.
The downside is that I will not make a cent off any of the books sold, except those sold directly through my marketplace on Lulu.com. The upside is that Hymn should be available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Borders.com. It could possibly even find its way into stores.

I also need to check the fine print in the Lulu.com marketplace contract to see if I'm allowed to upload the content onto Kindle. As I retain the rights, I legally can (and will), but the pricing may prove an issue. I vaguely remember reading a clause in there that disallowed selling the work for a lower price than that which is offered on Lulu. But that could only pertain to the printed editions.

We shall see; we shall see.

In the end though, it's incredibly exciting to have finished - and be putting out there - my first official novel.

Now to really get cracking on the two I've got bubbling forth now.

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And Round One goes to...

Despite a major ass-kicking, carpel-tunnel-inducing, hell-of-a-lotta work, I finished my first editing run through of Hymn. I am currently waiting for the new copy to come back from the printers, at which point, I'll no doubt give it a few too many weeks before delving in again. After spending the last three years with these characters and this piece, I'm not too sure that I will ever be one hundred percent on it. But I suppose that is just a part of the business. Or at least part of that pesky human condition of self-doubt.
As I impatiently await the new copy, I'm dividing my time between not writing enough on the two new novels circumnavigating through my brain and not contemplating enough on the issue of self-publication versus shopping around to the big wigs. Perhaps that's because every time I do sit down to really think through my options, I talk myself into a big circle. And no, not in that Elton John/Lion King sort of a way. And yes, I often do actually "talk" myself through these rotations.

The way I see it, I have three options. Self-publish; Attempt to find an agent and then a publisher; or a combination there of.

Self-publishing:
PROS: I retain total control over the work. I can get it out there fast. I'm partial to the whole DIY aesthetic.
CONS: I retain total control over the work (and thereby perhaps do not open it up to a larger audience). I can get it out there, but not really OUT THERE. The whole DIY aesthetic.

Agent/Publisher:
PROS: Professional quality, well-edited, and, if I'm lucky enough to find both who believe in the work, a chance at nice marketing and wide-spread distribution.
CONS: The publishing industry is in the toilet right now, making it very hard for first time authors to get a foot in. It adds months if not years onto the process of getting the piece out there. Loss of control, some rights, and possibly voice. (Some of these may be totally irrational fears.)

Combo:
PROS: Get the work out there now. (See self-publishing.) In the meantime, I can shop the piece around. With self-publishing, I retain the rights and therefor can opt to move to a different publisher.
CONS: See above.


I really find myself leaning towards the combo. Self-publishing is on the rise, with many authors really making a name for themselves through this channels. But there is that want of wide-spread distribution, something I simply cannot afford in promoting my own work. And in the end, it's not so much about making a name for myself as it is about having people read my words and thoughts. And if I can make a living doing it, all the better.
I understand that self-publishing is the safer route. I don't have to expose myself to rejection. I don't stand the risk of validating my fear of being told to keep my day job. Is that why I keep falling back toward the option?

Circles.

As for the two new novels in the works, I don't want to reveal too much too early. I will say though, that one is entitled "Taste" and centers around a chef/taster/critique with political ties. The other is tentatively titled "Daredevil Amphibians." And that's all you're getting on that.

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