Book Publishing Options and How Being Patient is a Painful Part of Publishing: Me, I’m a One-Third-Patient-Author

Every author knows that publishing a book requires a large dose of patience. Number one, it takes a patient writer to pursue and land an agent and then have their agent pitch and land a reputable publisher. Number two, with that done, it takes another load of patience to wait on the production process to grind along as you peer into the future at a release date you can’t jot down on this year’s calendar. You slog along thinking about how to promote your upcoming book, then get anxious, then promote your upcoming book, then get anxious again, until finally, the big day arrives when your book makes it into the world. It can be a three step process that can take years and years.

I have come to realize that I am a one-third-patient-author when it comes to publishing books. Here’s why.

My introduction to the publishing world

My first three books–The Christmas Courtroom Trilogy–were independently published, but with a team I put together that knew what they were doing. I did not seek an agent. I did not submit to large or small publishers. I eschewed that route in favor of being my own boss, which meant being my own unpaid hourly production worker, too.

This route was difficult work. Like traditionally published authors, I worked with an editor, a copyeditor, an illustrator and a book designer. But I also had to make decisions traditionally published authors don’t have to make about the production process.

On the flip side, I was able to decide on my own cover art, set and keep to deadlines I wanted, and since I was not depending on a traditional publisher to set the schedule, the books came out when I wanted them to come out (too soon, I might add for the first book, because at the time, I didn’t have the patience for a well-planned launch).

How I toyed with the idea of traditional publishing for my upcoming novel

For my forthcoming novel–Deadly Declarations–a mystery that releases in spring 2022, I tried to be more patient, thinking I wanted to seek out a traditional publisher. Though I’d been pleased with the team approach and the control I had in my first three books as an Indie author, I felt really good about my new book–don’t all authors?–and I thought I wanted to try something new, that I wanted to try going bigger. Not because it might make me more money, but because I thought the distribution channels would be broader (and in print, they typically are), and because, like many authors, I had this sense that if a traditional publisher said “yes,” it would be my passkey to the commercial fiction world, that I would be “accepted” as a “real author.” The process was not what I had hoped. It was not a quick fix for my itch of an idea. But it was a valuable learning experience.

The first thing I realized was that if I wanted a big publisher to take a look at my manuscript, I needed an agent, and if I wanted to get that agent, it was going to be a crapshoot that could take one year or more. After researching agents and realizing who was taking on new clients and who wasn’t and who liked mysteries and who didn’t, and after talking with authors who’d spent time looking for agents and who had good and bad experiences, I decided to pass on the process. In essence, I failed the test of patience in hunting for an agent without giving it a chance. Being sixty-three years old at the time–that was earlier this year before the odometer turned over–I did the math on how old I’d be when the book came out if all went well. And when I did, I rationalized that I didn’t have to be published by a publisher who deals only with agents.

Toying with the idea of smaller traditional publishing

Instead of jumping straight back into the Indie pool, I thought I should try submitting to smaller traditional publishers, the ones that don’t require an agent. My assumption was that this would be a better path to having my book in book stores than being an Indie author.

Why did I want my book in book stores, rather than online exclusively? One, I wanted the feeling of having my book on shelves in a number of book stores, and I thought this was the best path. Two, I was still under the illusion that I needed someone in the business to validate my work. How needy we writers can be at times.

What I found when I submitted to this traditional market was that 50 percent of the publishers who take submissions don’t know how to say, “hey thanks, we received your work, and we will be in touch,” and another 50% say it could be three to six months or more before you hear anything from us, “but if you don’t, you won’t.” It’s a slush pile, to say the least, and the small traditional publishers apparently don’t have time to respond.

The few responses I did receive within the first four months led to some discussions and some realizations. I discovered that even if they loved my work, their timetables didn’t suit me. Deadly Declarations is a mystery with the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence at the heart of the story. Meck Dec Day is celebrated in Charlotte on May 20th. Even with a year to go, the traditional route was no guarantee that I could release my novel in time to promote it in advance of Meck Dec Day. I didn’t want that. I had to be in control to make that deadline.

What about the issue of distribution to book stores without a traditional publisher?

I worried that if I didn’t have a traditional publisher–even a small one–that I might only be able to get my upcoming novel into a few independent book stores. Why? Because some book stores have an attitude about Indie authors. I get it. They don’t want to take a chance on an unknown that hasn’t been vetted by a traditional process. I decided this was a chance I would have to take and that I would have to be proactive. I’ve hired a wonderful publicist to help me through the process.

I asked my publicist questions about the supply chain issue of getting my book into book stores. Didn’t I need a traditional publisher with a distribution network to make that happen? In terms of the mechanics, the answer is “no.” Most small press publishers use IngramSpark as their source of distribution, so book stores and libraries can order their books in the IngramSpark catalog, but Indie authors can put their books in the IngramSpark catalog, too. The question then becomes who is going to let the book stores know about your book and encourage them to order it. While some small publishers may do that well, others treat it as another form of marketing left to the author. Like Indie authors, they’ve come to realize there’s good money to be made in the online world. That being said, I concluded that with a little perspiration, Indie authors may be able to get their books in book stores better than some small press publishers whose staffs are too small to spend much time on in-store distribution.

When I realized that small press publishers might not be as diligent as my team and me in getting my novel in book stores, there was only one issue left.

What about my ego?

I had to ask myself a few questions.

How much did I care whether a small “traditional” publisher published my novel (i.e. “loved my work” and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside)?

And, how much would it bother me not to be able to say, with a smirk, “my novel is traditionally published?”

I answered these questions by thinking about the successful Indie authors who’ve appeared on Charlotte Readers Podcast. They are great writers and clever marketers. They write interesting and entertaining books. And while most don’t care very much about having their books in book stores, they have a wide readership.

I also thought about the more than 300 positive reviews that appear online for my first Indie book. Those readers didn’t care who published the book. Why should I?

I finally looked again at a digital copy of a book shared with me by bestselling Indie author Pamela Fagan Hutchins. She appeared on the podcast to talk about her latest novel, but the book I’m talking about is entitled: “”What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes, And How Can I Be One, Too?” She had me at the title.

I learned–believe it or not–that there are things more important than an author’s ego to readers. Things like: Is the book well-written and well-edited? Is it a good story? Are the characters interesting? Does the plot put the characters in a difficult spot? Is the setting interesting? Are there important themes in the book. Are the reviews positive? And as far as distribution goes, do readers like the book (or better yet, do they love it) and will they tell their friends about it?

I decided to spend my time focusing less on my ego and more on creating and distributing (as best I can) the best book possible with a great team.

I admit it. I’m a loser Indie publisher whose hope is that readers won’t care how the book got made, as long as it’s a great story.

Long story short, I failed at being patient in trying to get an agent and a publishing contract with a traditional publisher. I’m a one-third-patient-author.

The one-third of me that remained patient is planning ahead

What’s left in the publishing process to be patient about when you fail to be patient enough to go traditional? After all, once an author is in control, and once the book is ready to go, isn’t it simply a matter of uploading the text online and printing the book?

One of the important tips I’ve received from authors and publicists who talk about the craft and business of writing is that a well-planned book launch is important.

In early November, the book will be tied in a bow and ready to go, but instead of putting it out, I’m being patient. There is a temptation to want to “get it out” in time for the holidays, but there is always going to be that temptation to “get it out,” because as I said earlier, we authors are needy. We want readers to read our books, now.

Authors and publicists have told me that a six month launch period from the time the book is finished until the book comes out is a good minimum. That’s a lot of patience.

And yet, what I’m finding is that there is a lot to do in planning a launch and six months could go by quickly.

In middle school, when somebody was in a hurry, there was this one guy who always said, “Patience, Jackass, Patience.” He had a good point. It’s one I will try to remember as I continue on my publishing journey.

Postscript

Just to be clear, I’m not so presumptuous to believe that a big or small publisher would have offered me a traditional deal had I been patient for a few years. What I did come to realize is that if I am not going to give traditional publishing a reasonable period of time to develop, the least I can do is continue to write and work as hard as I can on the production process so that readers never know the difference.