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The Book Publishing Process
- Freelance Writing: It Really Is A Job!
Freelance writing take a ton of work but with passion and determination it is possible to make a living.
It began with a dare of sorts; after reading a book by Tom Robbins I challenged myself to write something truly bizarre, something that would stretch me as a writer. Those who know me well would probably say that bizarre is not much of a stretch for me, but when it comes to writing I am usually mired in a particular genre and rarely venture outside of my safety zone. So I accepted the challenge and began writing.
Thus was the genesis of my first novel, “The 12/59 Shuttle From Yesterday To Today.” I finished what I thought was the writing exercise in an afternoon but then a strange thing happened: the story took on a life of its own, and before I knew it pages upon pages had been written. What was once nothing more than an exercise became a short story, and then a novella, until eventually it had reached the length where it could no longer be considered anything other than a novel…..and then….nothing!
I had reached a point I was all-too familiar with, the point where I had to either put up or shut up with regards to my writing. During my lifetime I have always toyed with the idea of being a writer. Ever since Mr. Jahner in high school told me I had a talent for writing I have dreamed of one day writing a novel that the world would swoon over, a novel so rich and deep in meaning that fame would be mine and the literary world would bow at my feet. Unfortunately there is a rather wide gap between dreaming and making a dream reality, and that gap never grows smaller if the courage to make it happen is lacking. Judging from my other failed attempts to write a novel there was only one conclusion I could make: the courage was evidently missing from this fledgling writer-wannabe.
SO WHAT HAPPENED BILLYBUC?
What happened was I was lucky enough to be dating a woman who believed more in my writing than I did, and her persistence and unflappable support of my novel finally transformed me from the writing coward I had become to someone willing to take a risk by putting the novel out there for the world to see.
What followed was a seemingly endless barrage of rejection slips from publishers and agents essentially saying the same thing: “We don’t believe your work fits into our plans at this time but we wish you well in your endeavors.” In other words don’t call us, we’ll call you, and please don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.
So what was I to do? I have spent the better part of my teaching career telling my students that the world is filled with unlimited possibilities and that often we are the only serious obstruction to success. Was I now going to tuck tail and hide within the safety of my writing studio, never again to take a risk? Had I lied to my students when I told them that they were capable of damn near anything if they were willing to work hard? I’m not sure if I shamed myself during my retrospections or if the continual support of Bev wouldn’t let me quit, but eventually the decision to throw caution to the wind was made and I ventured forth into the world of self-publishing.
SO WHAT DOES SELF-PUBLISHING MEAN EXACTLY?
When you know nothing about this subject, as I did when I first set out, it can be a bit overwhelming. After about two hours of online research it became even more overwhelming. There are so many packages offered by so many self-publishing companies that I was hopelessly lost and in need of a tranquilizer within a short period of time. Luckily I had friends who were willing to take over the research so that I could hold onto what sanity I had.
In a nutshell, there are companies who offer just about any service you could want. One of the more reputable is Lulu and they offer the basic package of printing and ISBN number for around $700. The packages increase from there depending on the number of sites they include i.e. Amazon and the amount of media blitz they undertake, so that you could end up paying over $7,000 for the biggest package.
Okay, scratch that, I was scraping by for cash having just quit my job, so I went in search of a local printer and found one thirty miles away called Gorham Printing that would print me 100 copies for a little over $600 provided I gave them the cover art and changed my Word doc into a PDF that would fit their files. Since I had no clue what that even meant I turned to a former student of mine, Mark Mauer, who was able to do all of that for me and in so doing we had just finished Step One in the process.
NOT SO FAST BILLY BOY, THERE WAS MORE TO DO
Well, yes, there was! I was now six weeks away from having my novel delivered to me but how do I sell it? I mean, it’s nice to have a published novel but it would also be nice if I actually sold one or two to offset the rising list of expenses. Enter Mark again who designed a website for the book and then Bev had a brainstorm. She thought it would be a good idea to make and sell lavender products like the ones mentioned in the novel, so that the products would help advertise the book.
Sounded like a good idea to me so that’s what we did; those same products can be seen on the website mentioned above. However, that still left us with how to sell it all.
YOU MEAN THERE IS MORE?
Oh yes, there is more. We then turned to the social media, namely Facebook, for some free advertising. We each took a character from the book and we opened a Facebook account under that character’s name. Then each character would drop hints daily that there was this great book about to be released, and the fictional characters started a daily banter all the while adding Facebook friends. By the end of that onslaught we each had close to 700 friends and the word was spreading. I also had a blast being my character, Tweetie, as he is an aging hippie who is just plain weird.
We also had car magnets made that had the book logo and website on them so anywhere we went we were carrying free advertising. Business cards were of course printed, as was a banner, and press releases sent out as well as articles for the local newspapers to pick up.
AND YET MORE!
Finally the day arrived: My book was printed and ready for the world to see! I am not a very demonstrative person but I have to admit to a certain amount of pride the first time I held my finished novel, all shiny and new. My baby was born and now it was time for it to take its first steps.
We went around to the local bookstore owners who were more than happy to take a novel written by a local author, on consignment of course. It was a thrill to see my work sitting on their shelves, and if that sounds silly so be it. Of course I then contacted all of my friends and family and shamelessly hawked my book and made big plans for continuing the advertising blitz. YouTube videos were made and posted and I am quite certain that my friends were so tired of hearing about this book that they just bought it to shut me up.
AND THEN REALITY HIT
Self-publishing is work, and to do it properly it takes a lot of time. I simply did not have that time. Bills had to be paid, jobs had to be worked, reality had to faced on a daily basis. The time and resources to adequately market the book just were not available and so here we sit, six months after the fact, with the book a not-so-distant memory, waiting for the effort it deserves. Such is life! The good news is that the book will always be there when the time and resources are available. The bad news is that moment is not now.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So, was this endeavor a success? I guess it depends on your definition of success. For me the goal was always to just publish the book, so from that standpoint it was a huge success. If, however, my goal had been to write a bestseller and be known worldwide, then this book failed on all accounts. Only you can answer that question should you decide to go the self-publishing route.
If you have the money and the time then I wholeheartedly recommend self-publishing. There are so many avenues to take that just might net you some income and notoriety, but it requires hard work and determination….and a little luck of course! For this writer it was all about the journey and I am more enriched because I was willing to take the journey. In the end I was able and willing to walk the talk and to back up the lessons I had taught my students in so many classrooms over the years. Knowing that I did that was reward enough for me.
2012 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)
If you would like to purchase my novel in Kindle format go to:
Related
Comments
- Author
Lea, whenever I need a boost, you are there. Thank you dear friend. I don't know what is in store for me. All I can do is become the best writer I can be, and then step back and let God handle everything else. He's much better at those things than I am. :)
love,
bill
Hi Billybuc, I am back for the third comment to this great hub about the 12/59 Shuttle. I FINALLY took the 10 minutes to watch the video, and it is terrific. You are so honest and genuine during the interview, and your end sentence to find something you love to do, then do it...says it all. You focus on the love of writing, and share your story about self-publishing. I have no doubt you are on your way to major success.
I heard on the Family Life Network the other day - the announcer said, "God knows all about you. He knows what you are having for lunch today, even if you still have no idea what you are having!" I LOVED that...and with you, God KNOWS what is going to happen with all you are doing ahead of time. I cannot WAIT to see what surprises God has in store for you. God bless, Sparklea :) PS: I just love that ladybug in the 12/59 shuttle!
- Author
Thank you AngeShearer...I appreciate your kind words.
Thankyou sooo much for sharing your experience I found it to be very helpful and easy to read understand and relate to.....not an easy venture by far lol well done and wish you all the best for future novels xx
- Author
wilsonsmith, you are very welcome. Good luck if you decide to do this.
Nice information, There is obviously a lot. Your points are very valuable and knowledgeable. Thanks for sharing this great blog with us.
- Author
Lea, thank you so much, not only for buying the book, but for being so gracious in your praise of my writing ability. You are greatly appreciated and I look forward to reading your letter.
billybuc HAD to let you know I mailed a letter to you today about your book which I FINALLY finished, in between all the brouhaha that has been going on, so watch for it in the mail...I have NO idea how long it will take to get to the state of Washington from Upstate New York. Guess it depends on whether it comes covered wagon or carrier pigeon...anyway, I hope you receive it soon!
Your creativity is incredible. So glad I ordered your book! Blessings, Sparklea :)
- Author
Crazzy, I'm glad this inspired you. If you want to write a book then by all means do it. Feed that passion so you never have regrets.
You have inspired me, Mr. Billy! I too want to write a book. Will start working on it TODAY :)
Really useful hub and voted up!
- Author
Lea...LOL...I have no idea where it came from in all honesty...one day it just came alive while I was playing around. Thank you my dear and blessings to you as well. p.s. Tweetie is my favorite character.
Hi Billy, just a quick note...has been very hectic, appointments, errands, etc. but I've finally started your book. Although I've only gotten to the middle of Chapter 3 I must say I am very intrigued with Sheila. Delilah, the ladybug cracks me up. Your description is phenomenal. I will keep you posted along the way. You are a TERRIFIC writer. Where did you come up with this stuff??? Blessings Sparklea :)
- Author
Doc, thank you so much for the Kindle order. I really do appreciate it and your kind words warm my heart.
Very informative and helpful hub. I ordered your novel for my Kindle today. I've only read a little bit, but so far it's great!
You asked if your endeavor was a success - the answer is absolutely yes, because you did something, instead of just talking or thinking about it. Sure, some monetary success would be great, too, but you're a good enough writer that if you keep writing, that kind of success could happen. Great hub, voted up and useful.
- Author
Spy, I'm just a person but thank you! I just try to do what's right and help others with my words..If I do that then I am happy with my life.
- Author
Lea, thank you so much! I sure hope you like it. I'm still a little concerned about the language in the book but if you can get through that the message is a good one.
Blessings and love,
bill
Billy, you are very very amazing. Thank you for sharing this. You inspired me with every experience and story in store for us to read. Congratulations and will have to check this book. Thank you!
Billy buc: HAD TO TELL YOU! I received your book in the mail today, and I'm SO THRILLED! THANK YOU for signing it! What an honor to own this book! The next two days are going to be very hectic for me, but I WILL get back to you in the future about your book, hopefully by next week. Just wanted to thank you for mailing it to me so soon, and to let you know I am now the proud owner of your creativity! :) God Bless You Real Good, Sparklea :)
- Author
Thelma, thank you. The book is available in Kindle version for sure; shipping a hard copy to Germany would cost too much. I appreciate you stopping by and best wishes to you in your writing career.
Thanks for sharing this adventure of yours, Billybuc. I would like to read your book and I hope I can order it here in Germany. Thanks also for sharing this information to us. Who knows, I´ll be following your self publishing method. Voted up and very well written.
- Author
Thank you Lea! You are a gem!
Billybuc: NO HURRY! I know you are very busy, and I will just love receiving a book written by you! Blessings, peace and happiness to you, too~! Sparklea :)
- Author
Thank you Lea! I hope you enjoy it! I'll have it in the mail today or tomorrow for you.
Peace and happiness,
bill
Billybuc: NOT TO WORRY. I am not a judgmental person, and I can handle sarcasm and crude. I know I won't be offended at all. I KNOW who the author is :) Being a bookaholic, I have read all types of stuff. My husband sometimes jokes I live under a rock, but I really don't. Blessings, Sparklea :)
- Author
Oh Lea, I'm first of all grateful to you for buying my book but I'm also a bit nervous. This book is unlike anything you have read by me...it is sarcastic and at times crude and I hope it doesn't offend you. Please, if you are offended let me know and I'll refund your money. I would hate to see you spend that money on something that you hated.
Thank you kind lady!
Billybuc, I tracked down your book and I ordered it! What an honor to be able to own one of your creations! I look forward to receiving it. I am so glad you shared the story of your adventure in putting this whole thing together. I will share this hub with my sister. I think she is going to join HubPages in the near future!
Blessings, I SO appreciate you, too! :) Sparklea :)
- Author
Sparklea, I hope you are able to publish your book soon. It is a wonderful feeling to hold your own book in your hands...and thank you so much for always being so supportive of my writing. I greatly appreciate the person that you are.
Hi Billy Buc! Voted up, useful and interesting! TERRIFIC story, and tremendous for those who have considered self-publishing, aka, me :) My sis self-published a book and has had a lot of disappointment with it...mostly because it got too expensive for her to keep promoting it. She did do a presentation at Barnes & Noble which sold some of her books. So I am quite familiar with the frustrations...I helped her proofread it, very easy read. I will look for your book on Amazon. Can't play your videos as I am at Barnes & Noble and the speakers would be distracting...but I will @ home :) Thank you for this very interesting Hub. I think most of us on hub pages would like to publish a book :) I know I do...working on one now... God bless you read good today, Blessings, Sparklea :)
- Author
Thank you Alice and I wish you well too!
Thanks billybuc for sharing your story it's was very interesting and I wish you the best !!
- Author
Jpelczar...whew, what a name! That's very hard to type. :) I wish you luck with your dream of publishing. If you want it bad enough it will happen and I will be very excited for you.
I always said I will write a book someday. This is very helpful. Thanks.
- Author
Thank you Vinaya; I hope you get to experience that some day. It is pretty exciting to hold your own book in your hands.
Once I had contacted a publishing company based in the US about self publishing my book. They offered me a $1000 package, which included ISBN, editing and proof reading, designing and little bit of marketing. I was satisfied with what they had offered to me. Then one day I knew, I can also self publish e-book that will cost me virtually nothing.
Though I have not self published books, I look forward to publish in one of these days.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
- Author
Sky my friend, someday we will sit down together over a warm beverage and we will talk about our travels for we seem to have taken the same path and arrived happily at the truth. I will always follow one such as yourself who has paid his dues and speaks with passion and love. Peace to you my friend.
What I already know is that you would not give up. Sop in piecing it all together , I understand now what you said earlier to me .
It's not much that I can tell you , after reading and listening some of your journeys . You have done real great and I for one have no doubt as to what will happen in your time.
Truth still will be the key and I see it even more so after reading and listening .
Keep climbing and keep being you! Congratulations, and know that your life is already a best seller. I am quite happy that you did not take your take the rejections to heart but you actually learn from it.
That's the idea after you find you everything you meet after wards is a bonus.
Stay strong .
Give Thanks.
- Author
agalia, I am happy that your book is doing so well. It is a process that can only be understood and appreciated by those who go through it. I wish you the best of luck with your other projects.
billybuc, thanks for the hub. I too am a writer and a teacher. I also went to a print-on-demand publisher for the children's book I wrote- and I went through with it. We have sold over 300 books so far and are one our second order. we also set up a nice website: www.threebettygoatsgriff.com
I have several other books making the rounds in search of a publisher and I continue to send out queries to folks for a variety of work. It really is a long, long process and one you have to continually work at. You provided some good information.
- Author
James, you are very welcome, and thank you for following along and taking the time to comment. You are appreciated.
I appreciate your needful Hub. Your story is quite interesting and I enjoyed your interviews, too. Thank you for sharing this with the HubPages Community of writers.
- Author
Vox, we simply ran into a wall regarding time and money and effort. Plans were made and life got in the way, so there the website sits waiting for us to pick up the ball again. I appreciate your kind words; it was a labor of love and one I would do again in a heartbeat.
Proud papa, I read the synopsis of the book and I'm intrigued. Can't say much about the book right now, but I can tell you're a great writer. Love your sense of humour. Publishing a book has been on top of my head for a while now, so I'll make sure to read this article again before I publish a "novel so rich and deep in meaning that fame would be mine and the literary world would bow at my feet." LOL I'm wondering why you don't use print-on demand system with Amazon or PayPal paying option on your website.
- Author
Aliswell, then I wish you the best in completing it. You raised an interesting question: what did I start out to accomplish? First and foremost to simply finish what I had started. Next to see if I actually would follow through on a dream. Finally to send out a message of love and hope. Thank you for your comments and thoughts.
- Author
angela, you do the same, and you can always get a copy of my book...just say the word.
Billy, I believe the Real question in my mind is: Of all the millions upon millions of books written every day, what will make a person pick one up and read it?????
Is it the allure of the cover first and foremost? And coming in a close second, the opening summary on the cover? What did you start out to accomplish outside the satisfaciton of simply seeing your words in Hard print versus the computer screen script?
I am basically Lazy so I find even my very abreviated Life Biograpy to be too dedious to complete. I do however plan to finish it to simply fulfill my 94 year old Aunt's request to read it before she passes.
awww...will i be able to get a copy of ur book then Bill? *smiles* virtual hugs are special things i give to people who make sense to me. good hubs such as urs encourages me to keep my fingers working on serious things rather than just browsing over facebook. *lol have a good day!
- Author
angela, you now have me smiling when I see that you have left a remark...thank you kind lady, for bringing happiness into my life. I am a lucky man and I eagerly accept your hug.
- Author
William, I thank you and believe me I was just like you. I have several unfinished novels that have sat on the shelf for years...just not good enough. I was running out of years so that was my motivation. I wish you luck with yours.
Great hub Billy...i'd say, u weren't born with a golden spoon as the old saying goes, but rather was born with a mighty pen.^^ not easy being able to write as candidly, with such vivid thoughts and imaginations. it's just simply amazing! a congratulatory remark is not just enough for such a wonderful writer as u are, but a "great big hug" to let u know that i understand how it feels being able to accomplish doing things we truly BELIEVE & greatly LOVE.
Billybuc this is awesome that you were able to publish. I have been writing since I was 12 years old and have been told I am a really good writer and that might be pushing it. The point is I never pushed myself to write and publish until Hubpages. Though I write fiction normally I think writing here is helping me. But I admire your willingness to persevere and see your novel through. I have always wanted to write a novel but of course I never finish anything. I always think what I write is bad. You my friend are amazing and I say kudos to you for publishing your book. Great job man!!
- Author
Michele, that means a great deal to me. Thank you so much for your continued support.
billybuc congradulations!! What you have done is very hard work, but you did it not matter how hard it was. That is wonderful. I am happy for you, thumbs up!
- Author
I will do that Pcunix, and I appreciate you dropping by and reading and commenting.
- Author
Tanya, I so agree. Thank you so much for the comment and may you enjoy your childhood each and every day.
I strongly recommend you read "How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months! " by John Locke.
I've sold close to $4,000 worth of my e-books with almost zero expense ($50 for cover artwork). That may not be much, but it's almost 100% profit..
I just LOVE a good story! Thank you so much for sharing it. My fave Tom Robbins quote:
"It's never too late to have a happy childhood."
- Author
Born2care, you are a nice guy, pure and simple. Thank you for the wonderful words of praise. I am proud to have you follow me and I learn from your positive messages each time you post a hub. Keep up the great work you do spreading the message.
Congratulations Billbuc!
What I enjoyed about this hub was the purity of its content! Even more than that, is the message this accomplishment sends to your students and to those who get to see your YouTube vidoes.
The best message is about doing it! You did it! You did it! You did it, and so can anyone else who continues to dream and work at that dream without being deterred. When you said, "find something you love to do and do it," that was the bestseller and you proved it.
You Inspired me!!!
In my mind the greatest teachers are those who know how to illustrate and to convey the message of the value of learning. You did that here too, Billybuc!
Thank you!
- Author
cleaner3, you are very welcome. Persistance and determination are the keys. I wish you luck with your books and thank you for reading my hub.
Biilybuc, thanks a lot for the info, I am working on two books right now and your hub has opened my mind to how hard the next step of publishing will be. Thanks again.Great tips.
- Author
Dee, you are very welcome. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't change a thing; it was well-worth it and I hope you can experience it too.
I love reading about the journey of others and a writer journey is, I think, sometimes lonely but full of adventure. Thank you for sharing and giving us a little insight into the world that many of us are thinking about entering.
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Ann, that was very sweet of you and yes it is work, but work combined with passion is a sweet endeavor! I appreciate your comment and I wish you the best as well.
Thanks for the insights. It's work, ain't it?
I wish you all the luck you need along with your talent to be happy in the writing field.
Ann Davis
- Author
Tricia, thank you for your comment. It can be confusing trying to find the right house to work with when self-publishing but Lulu seems to be better than most. Best of luck to your sister in her endeavors.
- Author
Alocsin, Lulu will be glad to publicize your book for you...for a cost. Check them out and see what they offer; they are as good as most. Thanks always for reading and commenting.
Thanks for the insight...My sister is just about to publish her book too but it is themed and she has avenues in which to sell. Self publishing is good to get the book out there but from others I know that some self publishing firms talk a lot and deliver little. It is hard to know what is best
Thanks for relating you adventures. I was thinking about doing this, so it's good to hear how it's done. Aren't there services that will publicize your book for you? Because it does take a lot of time to do that. Voting this Up and Interesting.
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