Have you ever been published?

tracyt1800

tracyt1800

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Aug 29, 2005
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187
The Have you ever written a book? thread made me think of this.

Adn how about some details?

Novel, novella, short stories, etc? Did you get paid, get free copies of the magazine, get something else? Self-publish or go through a publishing house or established magazine or newspaper?

I have not been published for any fictional works. I did work at a college newspaper about XX years ago (yes, double digits) and was published pretty much every day for about 3 years. And I was paid (minimum wage for 4 hrs a day max despite working 6 to 10 hrs per day). But ... that's not what I was talking about.

However, I'm planning to mail off my first short story next week after I get one final critique.

Tracy
 
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Become your own publisher.

Learn how to market your own book online. Whats so great about the big publishing companies anyway. The internet will show you what they have been doing for years.
 
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BLACK HAMMER said:
Learn how to market your own book online. Whats so great about the big publishing companies anyway. The internet will show you what they have been doing for years.
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OK ... so have you been self-published?
 
I have been published...I had a short, very bad poem published in an anthology when I was at school lol... :D

Seriously, my only 'proper' published work is my short story "Musings of a Vampire", which appeared in Nocturne 1.5 - a British horror magazine. :)

I'm currently awaiting my contributor's copy and my fee. ;)
 
tracyt1800 said:
OK ... so have you been self-published?
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Yes. TOTAL CREATIVE CONTROL!
Are you looking to make millions on your stories? If not, post them on this site and I will read them.
 
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Just some mag stuff and five books, scuse me for bleating my own baaa!

It's a mixture, children's, comedy, sf, and non-fic...

Dec 2005 Becoming a Children's Writer (marketing has started)
Aug 2004 Lost Property - Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Issue 14
Jul 2004 The Beast of Moogill - Blake Education
Jun 2004 Failed First Contact Attempt 957 - Antipodean SF
Jun 2004 10 Ways to Tell If Your Star Trek Costume is Too Small - Visions Magazine
Dec 2003 Jericho's Gate - Antipodean SF Awards Issue
Oct 2003 A Red Hot Pet - Blake Education
Aug 2003 Diary of a French Eel - Hullabaloo
Apr 2003 Diary of a New Zealand Sheep - Hullabaloo
Apr 2003 Calf Day - Hullabaloo
Apr 2003 News-Zealand - Hullabaloo
Apr 2003 To Eat or Not to Eat Kiwi - Hullabaloo
Oct 2002 Take Me to Your Leader - Blake Education
Jun 2002 Interface Shadow - Antipodean SF
May 2002 Jericho's Gate - Antipodean SF
Dec 2001 Her Good Man - Reader's World
Sep 2001 Empty Spaces - Scifidimensions
Oct 2000 Honestly Ernest! and Ernest's Mice Mischief - Nelson ITP
 
Can't compare with the sheep, but;

Seven Threads co-author with Hereford Eye published by EQ books. review Here

Short story "Death Won't be Cheated" will be published in Event Horizon issue 3 in May 2006

You might have "TOTAL CREATIVE CONTROL" as Black Hammer says, when self-publishing or e-publishing without any editorial input. But you also don't have your ideas challenged or anyone pushing you to "do it better."

Another pair of eyes and a sharp mind behind them help you improve your work more than anything.
 
BLACK HAMMER said:
Learn how to market your own book online. Whats so great about the big publishing companies anyway. The internet will show you what they have been doing for years.
Click to expand...

Yes, learn how to market your own book online... when you've had it put out by a genuine publisher.

Do not self-publish. Do not vanity publish.

I cannot stress that enough.

Writers *need* editors.
 
Mathain said:
Yes, learn how to market your own book online... when you've had it put out by a genuine publisher.

Do not self-publish. Do not vanity publish.

I cannot stress that enough.

Writers *need* editors.
Click to expand...


I agree writers need editors. You can find them online. Plus all the right steps to self-publish
 
I had a mainstream short story published called "The Third Law" and was paid $200.

I am currently under contract with HarperCollins for a three-novel fantasy series. The first book, THE AMBER WIZARD, will hit stores on April 1, 2006. Yes, I was paid a pretty decent advance. The other books will follow at one year intervals.

I also have a young adult novel called FOREVERNESS out at a few places. My agent also said that he is working on a three-book deal in Germany for my series.

I am not a fan of self-publishing. Very few people take it seriously because absolutely anything can be published via vanity presses. The name escapes me at the moment, but a group of professional SF/F writers took turns writing random garbage and sent it to one of the larger self-publishers, who accepted the mess and actually put the thing out.

I love writing but I also want to be paid for it, with the goal of making a living at it full-time. I'm well on my way to that now, but that is pretty much impossible if you self-publish. And the editorial input I've gotten has been very helpful. I certainly don't feel like I've lost any creative control.
 
I agree again, Places like 1st books and vanity print anything. I would not advise anyone to use such services. If you self-publish, take it seriously. Create your own publishing name and seek out a place like Book Masters. Some of the best publishing houses use their Presses.
 
Like Sheepie, I've also only been published a few times in mags and anthologies. Nine times to date and 15 stories out and about waiting to hear word back.

I'm hoping to have my first book sale soon and it's thanks to people like Kat, Sheepie, Kevin, Gary, and an abundance of others that my work has improved as much as it has. Should I ever see my name on the spine of a book, all their names will be on the inside under Acknowledgements.
 
But... but... you'd have to have five books as well to be only like me... :confused: ;)

David Forbes, you didn't tell us about your HC fantasy series, last time I asked, did you? Can you tell us now or is there an embargo date on mentioning zee books? (I'm always breaching embargos by accident).
 
Hi Sheep. I sure thought I mentioned it -- one of the reasons I'm here is to raise awareness of my work among those who are most likely to be interested in it. I posted the map to THE AMBER WIZARD in another thread here, and I'm sure I've talked about it.

What is it exactly you want to know?
 
Diligently Trying in Vain

I have to be honest- I cannot seem to figure this publishing thing out. I tried to get my first two novels published. No luck. So I self published my second novel Portal and managed to sell 500 copies at concerts all over US. Still no agent- no publishers. Not even a nibble. I have approximately 15-20 stories on this website- all with 4-5 little world thingees and according to the stats several thousand reads total- I can't get past the form letter stage with anyone. I've got 5 finished books now sitting on a shelf and in about 2 months I'll have a sixth finished.
I know there is no magic bullet- but can anyone help a guy out with some concrete advise beyond Keep Chuggin? At this point I think I'd keep writing even if a genie told me I'd never get a book in print- but it'd really be nice to quit my day job and actually live my life doing what I love best.
 
There is no substitute for determination and the never-say-die spirit. And you're right, there is no magic wand, no three steps to publishing etc. If there were, everyone would be doing it.

You just have to keep writing and submitting and trust that one day, a publisher or agent will pick up your work and like it enough to publish it. And don't neglect your approach letter.

If it helps, I began submitting work to publishers when I was 22. I wasn't published until I was 34. I didn't give up the day job until I was 39, only 18 months ago now. By that time, I had six books under my belt. And I still wonder if one day I won't have to don the suit again.

For most of us, it's a massive, long slog if it happens at all. For the few it's a breeze. No point in hiding from it, getting published is difficult. It is a tough commercial business. But in the end, talent will out, and if you have talent, have faith in it.

NOM
 
William Hrdina said:
I have to be honest- I cannot seem to figure this publishing thing out. I tried to get my first two novels published. No luck. So I self published my second novel Portal and managed to sell 500 copies at concerts all over US. Still no agent- no publishers. Not even a nibble. I have approximately 15-20 stories on this website- all with 4-5 little world thingees and according to the stats several thousand reads total- I can't get past the form letter stage with anyone. I've got 5 finished books now sitting on a shelf and in about 2 months I'll have a sixth finished.
I know there is no magic bullet- but can anyone help a guy out with some concrete advise beyond Keep Chuggin? At this point I think I'd keep writing even if a genie told me I'd never get a book in print- but it'd really be nice to quit my day job and actually live my life doing what I love best.
Click to expand...

Sold 500 copies, several thousand reads. Sounds good to me. I Know you want it to be more then a hobbie, but whats wrong with that. If you want to increase your chances, put the pen down and start marketing. Find some free press releases on the net, make some posters, make your book audio. MP3's are big right now. Channel your creativity. Im sure theirs tons of things you can come up with to get the ball rolling. I'm making a movie trailer for my books. Think out of the box and just maybe someone will pick you up.

Starting your own Publishing company is another option, but it takes alot of time and money. I started one with with some success, but I'm still in the hole.
dakhelm.jpg
 
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William Hrdina said:
So I self published my second novel Portal and managed to sell 500 copies at concerts all over US.
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At concerts? I don't know the subject matter of your book, but when I go to a concert I'm rarely looking to buy a book. A cd or a tshirt, maybe. But not a book.

My neighbor's son self-published a book. It's not the best I've ever read, but it was a decent little novel. I know he's sold several thousand copies. Part of his approach was to go back to his hometown and do book signings at the local Barnes & Noble. He also went back to his old high school, junior high and grade school and did readings and answered questions for some of the young, aspiring authors. BTW ... his novel is a Young Adult novel. He also does readings at the local schools in the town he lives in. Apparently he does a great dramatic reading and he's been recommended to other schools in the area near where he lives.

I think a lot of his sales have been generated by this school readings. Of course, if your novel isn't appropriate for the YA crowd, school readings might not be the best approach.

Just a thought.

Tracy
 
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