I discovered tonight what the term "self publishing" means. For those professionals out there who have already been published this will make you smile at naive little me.
I thought self-publishing was printing and binding the books together yourself. I did not realise it meant paying for the publishing to be done.
I am glad I asked the question and no doubt others will look at this post and say "So that is what it means". If you don't enquire as to what something means or what something entails you never learn anything in life.
We all have to start somewhere.
I am a complete amateur at writing and how I came about joining a writers group will also make you smile to yourselves (especially poor Simon, at least my book was small then!!).
It was 1st July 2008 and I decided I was happy with the outline of my book and what I wanted to achieve so sent it off to a publisher I had discovered on the internet who dealt with autobiographies and such.
This publisher was so sweet in his reply which he sent almost immediately he stated mainstream books should be 40,000 - 120,000 words if they were to get published and that I should obtain the "Red Book" as I call it "The Artists and Writers Handbook for the current year". It was through his encouragement that I searched the internet and found some hints and tips on another website and then finally found Wrekin Writers.
Simon will remember my email so well I expect. I sent him my whole book, consisting of three chapters, the beginning, the middle and the end, it wasn't very long at all but summed up most of what I was trying to achieve in my own little world.
Simon patiently emailled me back pointing out it was not the thing to do and that if all the writers in the group submitted their books to each other no one would have time to write. Needless to say I was slightly embarrassed. Simon in his lovely email also invited me to join the writers group.
I now look back and laugh at my arrogance and naivety. I expect the others in the group will also have a giggle at this post.
Thank you Sue and Simon for putting up with such an ignoramous it is only by making mistakes that we learn from them.
I hope this post has made people smile I am giggling as I type it and am also a bit red faced but if someone learns from this post then it will have been worth it.
Best wishes to you all.
Feex
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Fee
ReplyDeleteWe all have to start somewhere, and even the most famous of writers were beginners and naive once. That's why writers tend to be a supportive group. We've all been there!
Fee - I couldn't agree more. I started off with very small features in a local magazine, progressed to bigger features, then regular advertorials with a local newspaper then a staff job with the newspaper then a few freelance features in a national newspaper then features in a few women's magazines and in-flight magazines then regular articles in a business monthly magazine and then one of the people I interviewed asked me if I would like to write a book about his life.
ReplyDeleteBut I still think of myself as the 40+ mum who enrolled on a correspondence course and submitted my first article and cheered like mad when it was accepted (that was 8 years ago.)
Go for it Fee - you never know what might happen!!
Hi, Fee, you don't have to have someone publish your book. I did that bit myself and then only had to pay the printer. That way, I can get into the market and libraries and make a little from my efforts..hugs x
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