Taking
the Long Road with Book Publishing
I've been writing and publishing
books for a long time now. I hate to say how many years, so I won't. But I will
say that even though I've seen some aspects of publishing change dramatically,
other things have remained the same.
For example, it is still a massive
bummer to get a rejection from a publisher. Readers assume once you have a
publisher, they'll accept everything you send their way. This isn't true, and
having a long list of books in print is no guarantee that anyone else will take
your newest creation. Some books nobody wants to publish. No matter what your
publishing history looks like.
Unless you are J.K. Rowling. Which,
or course, most of us are not.
Another aspect of publishing that
has yet to change is the pace. It's always taken a long time to hear back on
submissions, and now, in the digital age, it still takes weeks or month for a
publisher to decide on your work. The bigger the house, the longer the wait.
This encourages new writers to self-publish. After all, your book could be in
print and selling before you even get a rejection slip in your inbox.
But what if you receive an
acceptance letter?
Then…the wait continues. Because
even when a publisher does contract you, it still seems to take forever before
your book is released. This holds true for most digital publishers as well as
the print presses. This is because your manuscript has to go to the bottom of
the pile and edge its way slowly upward until it sits on top of your editor's
desk. You have to wait your turn. And the bigger the press, the longer that
takes.
Finally, you receive manuscript
edits from your editor. Hooray! But this is only round one. Depending on what
needs to be done to polish your manuscript, there might be one, two, or more
rounds of edits before the manuscript moves on to the next stage of editing.
And still, your job is not done. You will be looking over the line edits. Then
you will look at the galleys.
Do I have to say here that the
editing process is a long one? Being able to email your manuscript back and
forth with your editor does speed up the process. We used to have to trade
editing rounds through the U.S. mail.
After you and your editor have
selected the cover design and agreed on the back copy, your book will be
assigned a release date. Sometime in the future. Possibly way in the future.
The publishing process used to
frustrate me. I spent a lot of stressful hours, days, weeks and months worrying
about my books in press. What a waste of energy! If I knew then what I know
now, I would have used the time to prepare promotional campaigns and conduct
research for the next book. Because there is serious lag time between the
completion of a manuscript and holding the book in your hands—or seeing it on
your screen.
But this is the way publishing
works. Just like honing your craft to improve your writing, the publishing
process is an art. And it takes time.
Being a saint helps when you are
waiting for a book to be released. I am not a saint. But I do think the process
is worthwhile. With the help of a publisher, the errors in my manuscript are
corrected. Rough edges are smoothed. The cover is artfully designed. Skilled
professionals have given me feedback and shared their expertise. So when my
book is finally released, I can feel confident it is the very best I could do.
As for what has changed in publishing
during my years as an author, that's a topic for another blog post. But as
every writer knows, now you have the option to do it all yourself. It's fast,
cheap and easy. So, if you just can't wait any longer, you can always choose to
be your own publisher. I'm always thinking about doing that myself.
* * * *
Mickey J. Corrigan writes pulpy
fiction. Recent books include Whiskey
Sour Noir and Vodka Warrior, two
novellas in a series about hard-drinking women and the men they love (The Wild
Rose Press, 2014); and Sugar Babies, a
thriller about soft prostitution (Champagne Books, 2013). Visit at www.mickeyjcorrigan.com. To read the
original post, visit: http://roomwithbooks.com/corrigan-sugar-babies/
