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SubscriptionsSites I Read
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| Tonight I decided to finish looking up the publishers I'd picked out to contact the last time I looked through my guide.
Here are my observations as I perused the various websites in hopes of finding my book's publishing home.
-Badly done websites will scare authors as well as readers away
-If the website given in the guide has already changed companies since the guide's publication, chances are I don't need to track down this publisher
-When a publisher asks you how many of your own books you are planning to buy, it's probably a sign to pass...
-It's frustrating to be told on the website that unless you are a somebody and can promise to sell many many books through your already established network, you're wasting their time. "Are you a pastor? A speaker? A Bible Study teacher?"
-One typo on a website is understandable, though disconcerting to find on a publishing website. Two typos, followed by a suggestion to check your own work for proper spelling and grammar issues, make me want to keep looking
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| I became a fan of my local Christian book store on Facebook long ago, when they promised me something free. When the appointed day arrived...the free prize wasn't all that great. It was my first clue to ignore updates from the store. I soon forgot about it.
As I was browsing my Facebook page Friday morning, I watched a clip of the owner of this store appearing on the news. He was announcing a local author book fair. Ten local authors would be there with their books. Though the owner announced they'd been promoting heavily, it was the first I (a Facebook fan) had heard of it.
I decided to get up early the next morning (well, early for me), a Saturday, in order to be sure and attend this event. I had the chance to talk to published authors who actually lived in the area. Perhaps I could get advice. Tips. A publishing lead.
I purposely arrive half an hour after the event has started. I have about 45 minutes to browse and mingle before leaving for another engagement. Sure enough, large dry erase board is placed just outside the store, announcing the book fair.
The ten authors and respective books are squeezed onto two rows of tables. The store is rather small, and the tables are blocking the store aisles. The back of the store, which houses the music (probably the store's biggest money-maker) is inaccessible.
The first thing I notice is that I am the only person under 40 in attendance who is not a store employee. Had I not driven 20 minutes to attend, I would have likely turned around and driven home.
I looked over the respective books. None of them are novels. They are either devotional books or nonfiction -- things I don't read. One book cover catches my eye for all the wrong reasons. The artwork looks like it was done in the 80's. I'm fairly sure it was a new book.
I finally worked up the nerve to talk to an author, asking how long she'd been writing. Our conversation doesn't last long, but I learn she had been writing for nine years.
I examine the books on display again, judging their cover appeal. The best book of the group has a wheelchair with wings on the back. After the author's name, the front proclaims "an autobiography." The short summary on the back says that the author developed MS. He is now a swimmer.
The author is not by his books. I see a man in a wheelchair behind the second set of tables. I am horrified by the lack of planning involved in this event. The cover of the book tells you this man is in a wheelchair. And they put him in the front row, which would make traffic behind him impossible? The author was stuck behind the other table, far away from the books he's trying to sell.
I make my way to the second row of books in order to peruse what they offer. One book has an interesting title. I pick it up and read the back. In the summary, the author references the title of her book. The title isn't capitalized. This tells me a great deal about the quality of editing in the book, if not the quality of the writing.
Before I can finish reading the back, the author of the book with poor editing starts talking to me. Not wanting to be rude, I stop reading the back and enter the conversation. Not surprisingly, I learn she self-published. Yet another reason not to go that route. We actually have a good conversation. She hears I'm trying to write, offers to help, and writes her number on one of her cards. I don't tell her I'm not going to self-publish and accept the card. It can't hurt to have the information on hand.
I examine the book beside the poorly edited book. The author is on the cover. The title is interesting. I flip over to the back. There is a short quote that accompanies another picture. The quote is in a fancy cursive font. It's cute and goes well with the quote. I read the rest of the back, but discovered the entire back of the book is printed in this fancy cursive font. Large sections of text in cursive font are hard to read. Finding yet another thing to criticize, I set the book down.
I finally pick up another book that looks halfway interesting. The author notices my interest and stops me before I can finish reading the back and discovering what this book is about. He tells me a story about the cover picture which is actually pretty neat.
The conversation may have gone well if his phone hadn't buzzed. The man flips open his case, sees a notification and hands it to his wife, asking her to take the call. She puts the phone to her ear, "Hello?" Before we can return to the actual conversation, the wife hands the phone back. She's discovered he has a text message. It takes the guy another minute or two to figure out how to read and then delete the said message from AT&T.
I wouldn't find the encounter noteworthy had it not been for the man's comment as he pockets his iPhone. "I believe the more we use technology, the further away we get from God."
I paused for a few moments, deciding whether or not I wanted to argue with the man's theology or talk with him about writing. I finally decided I couldn't let the comment slide. He was, after all, wrong. "That's interesting."
He explains how watching the news and reading the paper can make you depressed. As Christians, we're supposed to have the mind of Christ. I counter that we're redeemed by Christ's blood, and basically we can still function in society and stay informed without succumbing to anything harmful.
"Well, I just get discouraged by all the hypocrisy in the media."
"People can get discouraged by all the hypocrisy in the church. That doesn't mean they need to stop attending."
The author soon steers the conversation back to writing. Before I leave, the author comments that his website is listed on the newsletter I'm holding. "I also have a blog."
I walk away thinking things I know better than to voice. So technology takes us further away from God. Yet this doesn't stop you from having a blog, a website and an iPhone...
I didn't go to the book fair to find things to criticize. I went there to learn and gain insight from local people who'd found the light at the end of the long tunnel of the publishing world. Instead, I mostly talked to self-published authors, found errors in their products, poor planning on the store's part, and walked away still mostly discouraged.
I'm still not sure what to take away from the book fair. I learned a lesson or two somewhere in there, besides the Godly advice I'd heard before. I'm just not sure what those lessons are. Perhaps my writer friends can point out what I'm missing...
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| So, I finished editing my book on Friday evening. It was officially time to start looking up publishers.
But it was the weekend. So I didn't.
I soon got bored, opened up WordPerfect and began writing another story following the Tree House family. I knew from the moment I started writing it would not be another book. The storyline is far too short for my normal book lengths.
Yet, I'm still writing it. I'm trying to focus on details, since I have a hard time remembering those during my first rough drafts.
I'm enjoying the new story. But I still don't know why I'm writing.
Unless I've invented a new form of procrastination...
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| So the dreaded rewrite turned out to be more of an edit. But I finally finished! Woohoo!
I'll need to check on publishers now. And start writing query letters again.
Hmm. Maybe I need to edit my second book instead... 
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| I've been making steady progress on my novel. I only have about 40 pages left until I reach the end of book one.
Then I get to peruse the publishers that accept simultaneous submissions in my area, sweat over query letters, and eventually email and mail the people, hoping to forget about them until I hear back.
Yeah, editing is looking more appealing every minute...
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