The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
-Sylvia Plath
First things first! Congratulations to Rebecca Yelland for winning the giveaway hosted by Vania Rheault! Let me tell you what she won:
- Signed copies of Sex, Love, & Technicalities and Sex, Love, & Formalities.
- A cute notebook
- A shawl perfect for snuggling up with a book on a cool night
- A candle
- An inspirational mug
- A full-sized bag of *delicious* micro-roasted coffee (Dirty Nekkid Lady!)
- Three samples of my favorite loose-leaf teas from my favorite little tea shop…and…
- A $25 Amazon Giftcard
This subject came up recently after introducing a real, live person to one of my paperbacks. After a few minutes of questioning me on things like how does an author even come up with an idea they can turn into an entire novel, to how the heck does someone even know where to find a printing company (the answer to everything, kids, is Google) she asked me if I always wanted to self-publish or if I’d ever want to “go the other way.”
I’m going to be completely honest with you:
I HAVE NO IDEA.
If someone came to me and said: “Aila, that idea you have there is top shelf, and we like the words you wrote, so here’s a check, now go write something else!” That would be hard to turn down. But, that shit ain’t easy.
I’m not saying that the sheer amount of work involved in getting traditionally published would keep me from trying. I’m just not sure I’m patient enough to wait years upon years to find out if someone is that interested in one of my book babies.
See, I’m not one of those people who think that a self-published book is only self-published because it’s “not good enough to warrant traditional publishing.” I’ve read some amazing self-published pieces of work. I would like to think that the work I add to the self-published community only adds to its validity, not diminishes it.
That said…getting paid up front for something would be nice. Maybe I’ll give it a go. With my upcoming project, Alabama Rain, an immense amount of work is going into it. It is Historical Fiction meets Women’s Fiction, set as far back as The Great Depression. Research is critical. There is a very particular feel and mood I am going for each scene and for the book as a whole that will require me to stretch my writing skills farther than I have done to date. (Which by the way, I think should be the goal of each new project) By the time I am finished with it, I very well might cast my line into the traditional publishing waters and see if I get a nibble.
If I do, I do. If I don’t, I don’t.
But, Aila, how long will you go fishing? I dunno. I’m not sure how long to give it before I go ahead and self-publish the story. Six months doesn’t seem long enough at all. A year would probably feel like an entire lifetime. Hell, I’m already itching to share the story with the world and it’s nowhere near ready yet.
So, I suppose this was the most pointless blog post of mine to date. I started with a question, and I’m leaving it mostly unanswered. I’d love to hear from you, though. Which publishing avenue tickles your fancy, and have you ever dreamt of crossing paths? (I’ve heard of a few trad-published authors who longed for more autonomy and say-so in their book baby’s journey.)
In other news: I’ve actually mapped out an entire year’s worth of blogging dates and even pending blogging topics! Every Monday I’ll discuss tips or pertinent news about writing, publishing, or marketing, and every other Thursday will be more of a personal blog post where I post my writing goals, update you on previous goals, share a new recipe I’ve concocted…whatever is happening with me in that week.
I had so much fun with the launch and Vania’s giveaway for Sex, Love, and Formalities that I’ve decided I want to do more giveaways in 2018, so be on the lookout, because some of them may be quickies! xoxo
What do I have in store for Monday? We’re looking ahead to expanding our writer platforms in 2018 and examining the Social Media climate for the coming year. Spoiler: It ain’t looking good for me unless I make some changes. How will you do?
Have a great weekend my lovelies! xoxoxo
Aila Stephens 