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I have not posted a blog since early November 2012 because I was waiting to hear from my publisher when Murphy’s Troubles would be launched. In late November I received an e-mail telling me while originally planned for publication in 2012 it would not be published until early 2013. The 2rd week of January I wrote my publisher at e-mail asking when my novel would be scheduled for publication since I submitted edits to the galley August 1, 2012. I received a terse e-mail response that the publisher hadn’t received the galley back from the editor (I was not allowed to have contact with the editor – the publisher claimed it was their policy to retain the independence of the editor). The publisher refused to offer a publication date stating: “. . . when a book is ready to be published it tells us.” The publisher also informed me that more money has been spent on my novel than any other title in their catalog and I needed to be patient. My journey with the micro publisher in California began in December 2010 and now it was time to end it. On January 28th I sent the publisher a registered letter terminating the contract. It is now time to follow a new path. I would never consider using a vanity press but do want to explore self-publishing with either Create Space or Ingram. Recently I learned that I can use Create Space for publication, distribution and marketing and still submit the book to Ingram for distribution because I retain the rights of the work. So, I am embarking on the self-publication journey. When you take on a task such as this you find out who your friends are right away. One friend, a retired Journalism professor has agreed to be my editor. Another friend has agreed to design a new book cover. When asked how I felt about terminating a contract with a traditional publisher and venturing on the self-publication path my immediate response was – relief. I am now totally responsible for all aspects of bringing my historical novel to the world, I am up to the task and energized. My target – a September release of Murphy’s Troubles. Join me on the journey. Give me your comments, suggestions, thoughts, what to avoid and what not to avoid.
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Blog 1-23-12
On one of the Linkedin writer chat groups I participate in there was recently a question on how much research was done for the writing. As a historical novelist there is an expectation that, at minimum, that historical facts will anchor the fiction work. For MURPHY’S TROUBLES I read at least 20 books, researched specific facts on Google and visited Ireland before I was comfortable. I believe historical fiction has the responsibility to both be authoritative and credible. Those standards mean more than just having the broad sweep of events correct in the novel but details can be important. For example, to ensure that my characters had accurate Irish names, I used several websites on both Irish first names and surnames. I also researched what type of food was common to eat and researched maps so that when a character travels I could refer to the correct name of the road. I also consulted maps of cities so that street names were accurate although the particular building in the novel could be fictional. The surprising thing is that hours of research often results in from one sentence to one paragraph in the manuscript. Fortunately, I deeply enjoy research and learning about how ordinary folks go about living their lives. I believe, in historical fiction, there’s no such thing as too much research. A writer does need the discipline to stop researching and write, it’s a constant struggle. I’ve learned about myself that research can become an avoidance mechanism for the writing, so I prompt myself with – tell the story. |
rex owensI write to tell the story of our human saga. Categories
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