The Dos and Don'ts of Writing / Publishing?
I wanted to write a quick entry about what is considered to be the Dos and Don'ts of the poetry / writing world. Well, I may very well have have broken the number 1, golden rule: don't self-publish! However, in recent years, self-publishing has become more common and accepted, and with the right attitude (essentially, not to expect millions of pounds from it), there's no reason why it can't be fun, enjoyable and work for you. I love designing my own book covers and just seeing a final copy in print, then telling everyone about it knowing that I made that happen is great! If I can get off my arse and work on a few press releases too, even better.
The second thought was about networking sites. It's probably seen as a big no-no to post poetry on online sites, offer free previews and downloads, etc. I believe that certain people view this is a dilution to the work or to the market. However, authors that are published by a publishing house have no need to market their own work unless they actually want to, as it's all taken care of for them by people in the know. The self-publishing author needs to market their work 12 hours a day as if it were their full-time job if they actually want anyone to see their work.
I don't see online networking as a no-no. It's a valuable way to get your stuff out there and the world is your oyster. In some respects, you have to not 'care' too much about it though - you have to not be so precious with your work and allow the universe to take it where it will. The key, I believe, is to be sure about what you're writing and posting. Be sure that it's the final version, that you cannot be swayed by anyone's views, who came across it accidentally, rather than someone purposely walking into a bookshop to find your title. There is a difference.
Yes, there is a view that if you're self-published, you're not 'properly' published. You can feel about this how you like. I personally do not believe it to be the case, despite occasional pangs of wanting my future novels to be appreciated! It doesn't mean it's appreciated more if you've been published professionally, it simply means that the marketing is better and more people know about it.
You've still put in the work. You've created the book. The poem or novel still exists as it would (for the most part) if you'd be picked by a publishing house. The only difference is that your contacts and marketing structure is different than it would be. So work on your contacts and your marketing. And if you're crap at editing, hire an editor. I've even seen famous novels with school boy errors in them!
Nothing is stopping you. The only person setting boundaries around your Dos and Don'ts, is you.
The second thought was about networking sites. It's probably seen as a big no-no to post poetry on online sites, offer free previews and downloads, etc. I believe that certain people view this is a dilution to the work or to the market. However, authors that are published by a publishing house have no need to market their own work unless they actually want to, as it's all taken care of for them by people in the know. The self-publishing author needs to market their work 12 hours a day as if it were their full-time job if they actually want anyone to see their work.
I don't see online networking as a no-no. It's a valuable way to get your stuff out there and the world is your oyster. In some respects, you have to not 'care' too much about it though - you have to not be so precious with your work and allow the universe to take it where it will. The key, I believe, is to be sure about what you're writing and posting. Be sure that it's the final version, that you cannot be swayed by anyone's views, who came across it accidentally, rather than someone purposely walking into a bookshop to find your title. There is a difference.
Yes, there is a view that if you're self-published, you're not 'properly' published. You can feel about this how you like. I personally do not believe it to be the case, despite occasional pangs of wanting my future novels to be appreciated! It doesn't mean it's appreciated more if you've been published professionally, it simply means that the marketing is better and more people know about it.
You've still put in the work. You've created the book. The poem or novel still exists as it would (for the most part) if you'd be picked by a publishing house. The only difference is that your contacts and marketing structure is different than it would be. So work on your contacts and your marketing. And if you're crap at editing, hire an editor. I've even seen famous novels with school boy errors in them!
Nothing is stopping you. The only person setting boundaries around your Dos and Don'ts, is you.
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