Do you already know what publishing path you're on, or are you still deciding?
On August 9th, Molly published a blog post about Developing your Craft with Courses and Conferences. In it she mentioned "When Words Collide," a writers and readers conference (aka festival) in Calgary in August. I attended WWC last week and came away very full with knowledge and connections. Several Siretona people were there -- Kathleen Templeton, Nicola MacCameron, Laurie Carmichael, and Joanna Chan -- along with many other writer-reader friends.
Sometimes I struggled with choosing between attending workshops for personal interest and attending workshops for professional development and the benefit of my clients. Mostly I chose the latter, seeking valuable insights my team and our author clients.
I attended two workshops about paths to publishing with different panels. On each panel, the participants brought a wide range experience, showcasing many options and expressing diverse opinions. I found myself disagreeing with some panelists, especially two author-publishers who championed self-publishing (Done By You) and traditional publishing (Done For You), but derided and dismissed hybrid/indie publishing (Done With You) as "vanity," because authors pay up front.
I spoke up: "Is there nothing valid in between self and traditional publishing?" One panelist said no, that publishers should be making money off books, not authors.
This is the point on which I disagree: that authors shouldn't pay for anything up front. We all pay for things, from croissants to cruises and everything in between. We make investments in the things that matter to us, and sometimes that's a book.
What makes self-publishing more valid than hybrid publishing? With self-publishing, you're probably paying individual service providers anyhow, in order to produce the best possible book, and you'll figure out many things on your own. With hybrid publishing, you get a package deal -- sometimes pre-set, sometimes custom -- and a team approach. Why not skip some gatekeepers and pay some money to get help with fulfilling a dream?
While the conversation is more nuanced than that, this is one place to start.
Your choice of which publishing path to follow will depend on a lot of factors, like your vision for your work, your skills and your network, your temperament, and your TEAM (time, energy, attention, and money).
This is why Kathleen Templeton and I are hosting a conversation about it on Thursday evening, August 29th, on Zoom. We want to help you understand your options and make informed decisions. You'll come away with answers -- or at least better questions!
Join us here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
p.s. Jane Friedman does an excellent job of breaking down and explaining the various options. The chart below is available as a free PDF download (no email required) on this blog post.
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