A Lucky Writer

I have been down the path of working with a traditional publisher and it didn’t work out.  After two and a half years of many versions of my manuscript, my former publisher didn’t meet two publication dates they set in 2012.  Each time a date was missed there was no explanation.  I tried to negotiate a publication date in 2013 but the publisher refused to negotiate.  I threw up my hands in disgust and terminated that contract.

When I started my journey to publication in early 2010 I was hell bent on traditional publishing.  I felt there was a dark cloud over self-publishing.  I was convinced that I wouldn’t be a legitimate author if I self-published.  Check the definition of author, then you’ll understand.

For years self-publication meant vanity press but now there are legitimate alternatives.  I was approached by a subsidy publisher but after careful analysis I concluded only the publisher benefited from that relationship.

For self-publishing I selected Amazon’s Create Space because the Linkedin groups I belong to rated their experience as very good to exceptional and because my friend and author, Marshall Cook, selected Create Space after his publisher of many years went out of business.

Create Space is completely transparent in the services they provide at no cost and those that have a fee.  I have called them for help and written e-mails.  They are patient with me and always offer a solution.  When my browser didn’t work to upload my manuscript file, they did it at no cost in the format they needed for publication.  They offered this solution to my problem, I didn’t ask.

My goal is to publish MURPHY’S TROUBLES in November; I’ve been assigned a Create Space publishing assistant to guide me through the publishing maze.  I consider myself fortunate to have the services of Create Space to help a novice publish my debut novel.  A few years ago, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. 

Traditional literary agents and the publishing industry is risk averse because they are in the business of making money, not encouraging literature.  Create Space has developed a publishing model where there risk is minimal and the cost to the writer is only what they can reasonably pay yet have a high quality book produced.  So what if Amazon is the 600 pound gorilla in the room?  I like gorillas.