Publishing Pieces: To Publish or To Self-Publish, This is the Question?

I, as with most other aspiring writers, would have loved nothing more than to market my manuscript to various publishing agents and have one believe in my work enough to represent it and pitch it to large publishing houses. Seeing an advance check made out to me that displayed more than a couple of zeroes would have been, indeed, lovely. I would have proclaimed from the nearest mountain top, "I am an accomplished author!" before tithing and paying off several of my debts. But, the reality is it could take weeks, months, or even years for a publishing agent to believe in your work as much as you. Completing the manuscript is only half the battle. Getting the book published by a reputable publishing company and not a small press is the war.

Knowing how personal Scattered Pieces is to me, and how quickly I wanted to get my voice out into the open market swayed me to begin looking more seriously into self-publishing. The key self-publishing component that won me over was the fact that I would receive larger royalties. Sure, I would be putting more money out upfront as opposed to the backend, but ultimately, if sales went well, I had the potential to make even more money, I could still get re-published by a major publishing house, and I would be in complete control of my project. And, as a woman who has a naturally aggressive personality, I like being in control. So, as with any good consumer, I shopped around. I read up on several independent presses until I finally chose Trafford. Trafford offered me the most bang for my buck. I said to myself, "Alright. With self-publishing you'll be completely on your own with marketing your work. Is it at all possible that you can do this by yourself?" My immediate answer was, "No". However, I knew several individuals with Public Relations backgrounds who could help me. Also, I was confident that my immediate  networking circle was large enough to provide me with an initial fan base.  I asked my friends and associates with backgrounds in public relations if they'd be willing to assist me with promoting my project, and each of them said, "yes". Their support left no doubt in my mind that I could be a successful self-publishing author. 

After I believed I had my P.R. team assembled, I began allowing others to read the first fifty pages of my manuscript. I selected individuals from various ethnic backgrounds, various religions, and various occupations. It was also important that I was not close friends with them, because I desired to obtain their unbiased feedback. The reception I received for Scattered Pieces was astounding. Their feedback let me know that it was good enough to appeal to a large, diverse audience and that it was ready to be pushed forward to a professional editor. The manuscript editing process was definitely more challenging than I anticipated. I can't wait to tell you more about it next Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

Until I Blog Again,

Flora