There’s so much opportunity today for a writer to get their work published. They call it “self-publishing.” It’s now possible for virtually anyone with a decent story to tell to be an author.
Still, I tried and I tried to go the traditional route (visions of my book stacked high on a front table at Barnes & Noble). But after about 50 submissions to literary agents in the U.S. and the U.K., and a few full manuscript submissions to independent editors and small presses, something became very clear.
In retrospect, Last Bridge to Memphis wasn’t ever going to pass muster with a literary agent cohort and a traditional publishing industry locked into a narrow mindset: publishing the tenth or the hundredth novel from best-selling authors, or launching buzzy (but not necessarily well-written) book club entries in genres of fiction that my novel just doesn’t slot into.
But that’s okay. I figured from the start that the mere hint in my book pitch of a still-alive Elvis in 1980s Memphis might send agents running. To their credit, two very sweet agents did write back that the subject matter was near and dear to their hearts but it “wasn’t a good fit” for them.
If the shoe fits
And there you have it. Not a good fit. Like a too-tight pair of shoes. Or maybe too loose.
Well, I’ve got these shoes on and I’m walkin’ here. They may not be blue, or suede, but they feel pretty good to me. And that’s why I’m sprinting ahead on a path to self-publishing my book.
You can find hundreds of videos on YouTube and more articles on the web about how easy it is to self-publish. Actually it’s not. Not if you want a quality product.
Sure you can design your own cover — if you want it to look like clip art. You can lay out the book yourself — if you’re fine with a formatting disaster. I didn’t want that.
And then there’s book sizing and pricing. ISBNs and barcodes. Library of Congress listings. KDP vs. IngramSpark. It’s not easy and it ain’t simple. And don’t get me started on social media and self-marketing. This stuff is not for the faint of heart.
My first, my last, my everything
Will this be my first and last book? I sure hope it’s not. I have a sequel in mind! But whatever this is going to be, I want it to look professional. So I engaged some professionals for the cover art, the interior, my photo, even a map illustration
It all takes time. But time = quality. Believe me, I know. I took a year just editing and re-editing and editing the re-editing. Even changed the beginning and the ending a few times. It’s all good. This is the way.
So stay tuned, as they used to say in my old profession.
We’re doin’ this.
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