1 post tagged “book”

This evening I've been looking into sending off my novel.  I've already sent for a book version from lulu, but I've been looking at publishers and literary agents. The way I see this I can go three routes...

• Send manuscripts to publishers directly. - I like this idea, however many don't accept unsolicited submissions, and at 50,500 words mine is only just acceptable.  On the other hand it is something I can do personally, and Macmillan New Writing and Random House will accept them.
• Find a literary agent.  - This seems difficult, there are thousands of them, they all take different things, I don't fully understand how it works, it seems needlessly complex and the hardest option.  It also seems that it's the one with the best success rate.
• Publish Myself. - This is what I would enjoy most. Because I'm a web designer the idea of knocking up a site and selling direct appeals to me.  The problem with this is that the internet is a very big place and I'm never likely to sell very many copies at all as I'd not be able to get reviewed or anything (I don't think?) or sold in stores.  However it does let me be creative.
  

Added to this is the fact that I really have no comprehension of if the novel is publishable.  I enjoyed writing the story.  I can't critically judge my writing ability though, because I just don't know.  I have no idea.  I enjoy the story - but then of course I would as it came out of my imagination.  I can also be pretty damning in my self-criticism and tear my own plot apart, but I think that's also me being negative about myself.

I have also considered doing the self publishing route with a view to later getting published, but I'm not sure if having sold it myself effects that or not.  (Although as long as I keep all the rights, this shouldn't be a problem, right?)

Anyway, I am pondering all of the above.  In the mean time, have a tune..