The Stories We Tell

 

Just about mid way through the summer we be. I suppose it could be winter on the other side of things. So...midway through the season. That should cover everything. Are you midway through any new projects? At the end? At the beginning? Somewhere all hey diddle diddle that's not the beginning, the end, or the middle?

Did you say hey diddle diddle? Now you are fibbing and telling tale tales. Maybe short tales. Maybe we're back to the all hey diddle diddle beginning, end, or middle. I guess that would be tall, short, or average, but that doesn't have the same flow. Either way, I now know.

You made a story up. You wrote it. You said it. You just let it roll off the tongue without thinking about it. See? You can tell a tale. May not always work or be good, but it can be told. To get it to the place where it needs to be, you may just have to look beyond the fog. Hence the pic above.

Scattered thoughts all around or near the surface, but the true aspect of your tale is beyond in the fog. A little focus while ditching the hey diddle diddle and, like the sun rising on up, the fog can clear and you can stop being hey diddle diddle somewhere not the middle.

The important part though is to tell the tale you want to tell. First time through, it could end up crap. Though the structure is there and now you're more aware. Also...you stopped getting hung up on the hey diddle diddle.

Everyone has their own course to get through the hey diddle diddle. The important part is to get through it. Because...

Things can always be re-written.

Nothing is ever going to be perfect. Especially not from the get go.

No matter what you are doing, everyone gets better the more they do it.

Everyone has thoughts and doubts about every aspect that you have. Don't let such doubts deter you. Being a tad crazy helps...just fyi.

There will always be aspects of the story or the process you aren't fond of.

You can't please everyone. That includes yourself sometimes. Somethings you may not like that others love. Even in your own writing. That is just how it goes. Don't get hung up on your own dislikes.

And most of all....most of all....getting there....almost there...

Don't let the stories you tell stop you from telling the stores that you want to tell.

How's that for some backwards logic? Or would it be straightforward? Are we back to the hey diddle diddle again? 

Did I make any sense? See what crazy can do? Just gets all hey diddle diddle.

Have you ever let your own thoughts stop you from writing what you wanted to write?

Hopefully I didn't hurt your head too much, and the rest of your summer or winter or hey diddle diddle is enjoyable.

Is Working with a Small Press Right for You?

By Kate Larkindale

Is working with a small press the right choice for you? Well, I don’t know for sure, but as an author who has published six books with two different small presses, I can speak to my own experiences and give you an insight into the pros and cons of choosing this particular publishing path.

One advantage of small presses is that you can submit directly to most of them without an agent. Some are open to submissions at all times, while others have set reading periods in which you can submit.

Most small presses don’t offer an advance. This can be seen as a positive or a negative – on the one hand, a lot of authors who receive advances never earn back that amount and never see any money beyond the advance. Without being paid an advance, an author gets paid a percentage of the royalties from day one.

How big a percentage varies from publisher to publisher, but from my own experience, anything between 30% and 50% is pretty standard.

For their share of the royalties, the small press will (or should, if they are worth their salt) take care of all the production side of the publishing process – the layout, cover, ISBN, copyright registrations etc and make your book available to retailers. Some small presses only publish electronically, so do your research. If you’re a writer who wants to see their book on library and bookstore shelves, an e-book only publisher is not going to see you realize your dream.

My current publisher does physical books as well as e-books, but they are print-on-demand and therefore it’s on me to get them into stores and libraries myself. I live in New Zealand, and by the time I add in the cost of freight and customs fees, plus the store’s commission, I lose about $10 on every book I sell in a physical bookstore. So… I don’t.

I’ve had two rounds of edits on each of my small-press published books, but they are not substantial edits. I’d consider them primarily copy-edits to ensure the book follows the publisher’s style guide. I have certainly never had any significant developmental feedback, but I do have a fabulous group of critique partners and beta readers, so my books tend to be pretty well self-edited before they get sent out. But, having been agented for a few years, and knowing the level of editing my agent required before they would consider taking a project out on submission, the amount of editing I get with my small press is minimal.

On the plus side, I get a lot of input into the cover. I’ve been sent covers I really disliked and sent back feedback and examples that have led to covers I love and am proud to have my name on.

Marketing and publicity is still largely in my hands. I negotiate the release date with my publisher to make sure I have ARCs and cover art at least three months prior to the release so I can start getting reviews and building buzz. If I accepted the release dates they suggest, I wouldn’t have that lead time. The publisher might do a few social media posts on release week, but in my experience, they don’t do a lot of publicity for any single title. That said, in recent weeks there has been a lot more social activity on their pages, so I suspect they may have someone new working for them who has fresh ideas. Watch this space…

At the end of the day, whether to publish with a small press is your decision. I like that I don’t have to worry about the practicalities of publishing a book, but there are definite disadvantages too – for example, my latest book ended up with completely crazy keywords including non-fiction and sci-fi & fantasy. I write contemporary YA novels! And because I’m not the publisher, I can’t change them.

Kate Larkindale is the author of YA novels Standing too Close, Chasing the Taillights, An Unstill Life, The Sidewalk’s Regrets, My Murder Year and Stumped. She lives and writes in Wellington, New Zealand where when she’s not writing, she works for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and teaches spin classes at the gym.

Find Kate on her blog or Facebook

What Would You Like to Change About the Book Publishing Industry? The Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month and encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts today are Rebecca Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray!

July 1 question: Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?

There are so many aspects of publishing that could be changed or adjusted:
Marketing
Royalties
Fees and hidden costs
Vanity presses
Book returns
Book events
Book tours
Consignment
Printing costs
Shipping costs
Amazon monopoly and eBook returns
Use of AI and AI authors
Copyright infringement
Big publishers and agents
Bookstore monopoly by bigger publishers
Book reviews
Audio book royalties

The list goes on and on…

As the owner of Dancing Lemur Press LLC, I know the one area that needs to be changed – book returns. They began during the Depression and never stopped. Book stores and wholesalers/distributors to book stores have 90 days to over a year to return unsold book, demanding a refund and sometimes shipping for books that are no longer in good condition. This results in a negative balance to publishers and authors. It is a practice that is long overdue to be retired. Along with Amazon’s 7-day return policy on eBooks – they are the only ones who allow returns.

What aspect of the industry do you think needs to change?

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