How do you write? Are you kidding me!!

I’m a Mentor? Really!! OMG

Greetings Loyal and True…here is yet another bit of randomness that I have decided to share with you. Interesting news at the end of this….*Cheshire cat grin* -- no cutting to the end of the line, I’ll get very emotional and end up bawling all over the place. Not kidding…I own waterworks inc.

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Publishing Questionþ
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:36:14 -0700
From: H
Subject: Publishing Question
To: kiix@hotmail.com
Hi there. My name is H and I received your email from a friend on AFF. I hope that's okay. If this is not a good way to contact you, please let me know and I will completely understand. I'm also a writer on AFF and she had mentioned to me that you told her that you had either been published or were self publishing. I'm very much interested in both and was wondering if you have some advice as to how to get started. I have a lot of editing and cleaning up to do on my work but I would love to get it out there once they're revamped and ready for public consumption. If you have any advice or leads I could follow, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much for listening!

~H
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--- On Tue, 3/24/09, Rikki Snake wrote:

From: Rikki Snake
Subject: RE: Publishing Question
To: H
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 10:27 AM
Hi, I got a heads up that you would be contacting me.

I am flattered that I'm considered a mentor when I feel as if I've just been stumbling along like a bull moose. I've been chronicling my trials and tribulations, emotional highs and lows, etc, etc on AFF.net in the original, humor section with a work called 'HOW DO YOU WRITE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!" There's about 50 chapters there some on my writing process, character development but also rejection letters and other things that have prodded me to eventually go forward and self-publish my work.

The big thing is that you have to have CONFIDENCE in your work. Maybe I should say, have grounded confidence. You know as well as I do that there are some writers on AFF that really need help with their work. I came to AFF timid and unsure of my writing. I used to write a lot when I was younger but I had abandoned it for about 10 years. When I finally sat down and started up again, I realized that I cannot write in isolation -- I need interactive feedback. My friends don't read the same kind of stuff I do, and my writing is - lets say a unique niche market - so I got tired of hounding them. The feedback and fandom I have received from AFF has been a great and surprising boon.

The novels I offered up to publishers all were rejected but the rejection letters are better than the ones I was previously receiving. I could tell that they had read the sample chapters that were forwarded with my query submission. The editors basically said I could write but my content was 'too dark' for mainstream publishing and it was a couple of different editors that suggested I go the self publishing route. Since I don't have scads of money laying around to purchase 500 hard copies, I started looking around the internet at self-publishing companies.

In the end, you have to put your money (sweat equity) where your mouth is. I went with lulu.com because I didn't have to pony up cash to get started. In turn, I have to do everything - formatting of the final text, layout, cover design, etc. etc. My first attempt is THE BLACK TOWER and I rushed it. It is still better than other self published books I've seen but this is a learning experience. THAT'S WHAT BROTHERS DO cost me money out of pocket, because I commissioned artwork for the cover but I have received good, gushing really, comments back about it. Most of my sales are from e-books probably at a ratio of 80%. I purchased 10 hard copies and have been selling them privately. I've mailed my book out to Indonesia, the USA, France and Australia. There is a reason why it's called the world wide web. I'm not making buckets of money, but I am making more than just having my little pieces of muse sit on my hard drive.

I have been lucky that some of my readers, who I call the Loyal, have offered up editing services - non-professionals but with a fresh set of eyes to catch those mistakes that the author just doesn't see anymore.

I don't know if this helped but as I said check out HOW DO YOU WRITE, you can probably get some ideas. If you got specific questions, give me a shout. Happy to help out.

Kiix

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From: H
Subject: RE: Publishing Question
To: Rikki Snake
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 10:27 AM

Kiix, thank you so much!! This is priceless help and I will be sure to check out all of those things! The only thing harder than getting started in this industry is figuring out where to even start. I appreciate all your help and wish you the best of luck! Again, thank you so very much!

~H

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Now this probably can be tied in if you cross your eyes and willingly suspend your disbelief, I mean really willingly suspend your disbelief. I have been contacted to be a subscription writer for an on-line publishing company due to a recommendation resulting from THAT’S WHAT BROTHERS DO. This like a domino effect. You give yourself a hernia getting into print but then things just start getting a little easier or else I’m just damned lucky. It’s probably more of a 40/60 split in my case.

So this means that if I can bring a novel idea forward, aha, made a funny, or maybe pick up a novel from AFF and expand upon it, I would be considered a professional writer. Apparently self-publishing isn’t considered to be published – by Canadian government definition anyways. In the end when the novel is complete, it remains mine but the on-line publisher has first rights of refusal. This means either the company publishes it or gives it back so I can do my own thing. I’m really not seeing a downside right at this moment. *Doing the chair dance now* Wheeeeeee

I’ll keep you in the loop,

As always,

Read, Review and Enjoy

Kiix