Presenting Solstice Author Erika Lindsen



http://www.erikabooks.webs.com/



I would like to thank G. B. for having me and my work on his blog today.

One question that seems to be ever popular among authors and their blogs is the process of writing. But what about after the book is finished? There isn’t a list where you sign your name and publishers come knocking on your door, begging for your manuscript. Dare to dream…

The first step to possible publication is still in the work. You have to make sure it’s so polished that it resembles a cop’s sunglasses from the 80s. Then, just when it seems the work is perfect, polish again. Some people swear by critique groups and beta readers. Their help is immensely helpful. I usually use one. Even if I only run my MS by my best friend to check for typos. Every writer is too close to their work. An extra set of eyes will only improve the work as a whole.

After it has been perfected, next comes research. Do you want to try for the big houses? If so, most New York/Publishers that get your books on shelves require the gatekeeper aka agents to do the submitting. Like anything in life, some agents truly want what’s best for your novel. But then there are the scammers. Some charge you for everything, even to read your novel-no guarantee if they’ll even work with you. I’ve seen one agency charge just to send them your query. One rule in publishing always stands-MONEY FLOWS TO THE AUTHOR.  Do the research and back history on any given agent/agency and make sure they don’t charge and have sale records to back them up. Find agents who represent authors you like or have heard of. Always and only submit to those that rep your genre.

Now for your second option you could choose to submit to e-publishers, which is what I did for my novella Soul. How I got hooked up with Solstice Publishing is in November 2010 they accepted my first children’s book. A friend had a good experience with them and I took a shot. They agreed to publish it. So when it came time for my young adult novella, I hoped they would take it on. Many people set up e-publishing houses overnight. It really isn’t a hard thing to do. So much like agents, do your research. Is the e-publisher selling well? How are their covers? I contacted a few of their authors for personal experiences. Never settle. A wise man once said “If it’s good enough for one person, it’s good enough for all.”

www.erikabooks.webs.com

The third option is self-publishing. There is a ton of work involved in this. For one, a beta or editor is almost a must. Like I said earlier, mistakes always happen. Since there is no gatekeeper, putting out the best work can be challenging. All of the promotion is up to the author. So is the cover art. Self-publishing can be very rewarding as you get more money, but putting out an attractive product to get the money from the sales is where the work comes in. I self-pubbed my adult novella Tyran’s Thirst to see what that experience would be like. So far, I am happy with the results.

No matter what path you undergo in the publishing process, every avenue is work. Joining groups of fellow authors is a great way to learn more about the business and make friends. One word of advice that I know authors and readers all agree on-NEVER SPAM J