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starrigger · 07-02-2010, 02:22 AM

Well said, BillSmith.

Steve, here's the thing (responding not to the whole discussion but to your own situation as you've described it). If you hope to generate more sales from the ebooks, then you probably have to work at publicizing your stuff in many more places than just this forum. And what others have said about placing your books in as many outlets as possible. It's not just enough to have it on your website, it needs to be where people will stumble across it.

Keep working at improving your craft. I'm not making any judgment at all about your writing; I haven't read your novels. But the fact that you haven't sold to traditional publishers might mean that there are some aspects of the craft that you haven't fully mastered yet, and that's why your books didn't sell. I'm not saying that's the case, just that it could be. Are you involved in any sort of workshop situation where you can get good, constructive criticism of your work? If not, that's a good thing to do. I've been part of a workshop for thirty years, and I can't imagine sending anything out without improving it through that process first. Consider attending one of the SF workshops such as Odyssey or Clarion. If you were in the Boston area, I'd invite you to my own.

What if that's not the problem? Or what if your next book is the one that might put you over the top? Don't forget that Dune was rejected something like 40 times before it found a publisher. And The Hunt for Red October was published first by a naval institute press because all the regular publishers turned it down, until they saw what a success it was. Don't believe for a minute that publishers aren't looking for new writers, because that's absolutely untrue. New writers are their lifeblood, and editors love to brag about new finds. That said, it is hard (but not impossible) to sell without an agent. And finding an agent can be as big a challenge as finding a publisher. But that's always been true.

Bottom line? If fiction writing's really in your blood, then don't give up. I know how discouraging it can be. But I also know how rewarding it can be (not in money terms, necessarily) when you break through and find an audience.

07-02-2010, 02:22 AM	#102
starrigger Jeffrey A. Carver Posts: 1,355 Karma: 1107383 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Massachusetts, USA Device: Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus, Droid phone, Nook HD+	Well said, BillSmith. Steve, here's the thing (responding not to the whole discussion but to your own situation as you've described it). If you hope to generate more sales from the ebooks, then you probably have to work at publicizing your stuff in many more places than just this forum. And what others have said about placing your books in as many outlets as possible. It's not just enough to have it on your website, it needs to be where people will stumble across it. Keep working at improving your craft. I'm not making any judgment at all about your writing; I haven't read your novels. But the fact that you haven't sold to traditional publishers might mean that there are some aspects of the craft that you haven't fully mastered yet, and that's why your books didn't sell. I'm not saying that's the case, just that it could be. Are you involved in any sort of workshop situation where you can get good, constructive criticism of your work? If not, that's a good thing to do. I've been part of a workshop for thirty years, and I can't imagine sending anything out without improving it through that process first. Consider attending one of the SF workshops such as Odyssey or Clarion. If you were in the Boston area, I'd invite you to my own. What if that's not the problem? Or what if your next book is the one that might put you over the top? Don't forget that Dune was rejected something like 40 times before it found a publisher. And The Hunt for Red October was published first by a naval institute press because all the regular publishers turned it down, until they saw what a success it was. Don't believe for a minute that publishers aren't looking for new writers, because that's absolutely untrue. New writers are their lifeblood, and editors love to brag about new finds. That said, it is hard (but not impossible) to sell without an agent. And finding an agent can be as big a challenge as finding a publisher. But that's always been true. Bottom line? If fiction writing's really in your blood, then don't give up. I know how discouraging it can be. But I also know how rewarding it can be (not in money terms, necessarily) when you break through and find an audience.