Learning in Progress

Today, I thought I would take some time to talk about some of the things I have been learning. Before I get to that, though, a little update on my editing.  I am working on Chapter 16 now.  As I go along, I know I will need to go back again at least once more to polish it as much as I can before the professional editor gets it.  Be patient with me please, this is not a fast process.

As many of you know, I have been researching Publishing companies.  When I started my research, I had no idea how complicated it would be.  Here are some things I have learned:

1. The "Big" Publishing houses only accept a few manuscripts from new Authors a year.
2. They also will not accept manuscripts directly from the Author, but the Author must hire an agent as a go-between. 
3. If they do accept your manuscript from an agent, they pay you to let them publish.  Here is where I am unsure, I believe they receive a percentage from the sale of the books.  Anyway, they handle all the different aspects of making a manuscript ready for the market and then they handle marketing, too.
4. Another way to be discovered, is to go to a conference and find a way to get yourself noticed.  Hopefully someone from the Publishing company will take a look at your work.

So, if a manuscript is published by a major Publishing house, it is no small achievement. Another thing I have learned is there are Hybrid Publishing houses. 

1. These are smaller publishing houses that will accept manuscripts for review. 
2. If they agree to publish your manuscript, they will help you do all the work to publish and market for a price.  
3. There is a contract involved and it will need to be renewed, after a certain amount of time, depending on the company. It will take more money to do this. 
4. They also will get a percentage from each book that sells.
5. There are some of these companies, that have received very good reviews and some who have received very bad reviews. 

I have spoken with people in several of these companies.  We have exchanged emails, phone calls and I have received information on each of them.  They have all expressed a desire to review my manuscript. They all sound pretty good on the surface.  As many of you know, I asked for prayer for wisdom.  The Lord has helped me.  As I was researching these companies, I also reached out to my Writer/Author friends and received many great words of wisdom and advice. Some Authors I talked to, had very strong opinions about a few of these companies. One Author and I talked on the phone for almost an hour one day and she was incredibly helpful.  (Find her book, "The Giving Challenge" by Stephanie L. Jones on Amazon.) 

I learned about self-publishing.  This is very popular.  So many of the Authors I have talked to and met, are self-published.  What does this mean?  Instead of waiting to make it into the big leagues, or paying a one-stop shop to publish their books, they are doing the work themselves.  They either hire out each step of the process or they do it completely by themselves.  Some say it is just more affordable doing it this way.  The steps to self-publishing, as I understand it, are:

1.  Writing the manuscript
2.  Self-editing
3.  Finding Beta-Readers (Readers who are not friends or relatives to read and critique your book.)
4.   Professional Editing (Some Authors forgo this step.)
5.   Formatting the manuscript (Making the manuscript book ready.)
6.   Cover design
7.  Apply for a Copyright
8.   Obtain an ISBN code
9.  Have the book printed.
10.  Market the book to businesses for resale and to readers.
11. When a book sells, handle packaging and shipping.

Lastly, for all of these different methods, the Author has to have developed their Platform.  Every one of the Writers/Authors/Publishers, I have spoken with, have hammered home this lesson.  An Author has to have a Platform.  What is that?  It is an online presence.  Our names or pen names, need to be recognizable to many people throughout the land of social media.  Some people have said, a publisher will not look at you, unless you already have a following online.  So, as you may have noticed, I have been working on my platform.  You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and I have this Blog.  It has actually been a great learning experience for me and it has helped me make so many friendships and connections in the writing world.  Believe me, for an introvert like me, it has definitely taken me out of my comfort zone! Learning to put myself out there for the "world" to see, has been a lesson in faith. Anyway, it was actually a blessing, when that first Author told me, "You have to have a platform!" and I said, "What's a platform?"  She explained it and here I am...growing, learning and starting to get a pretty nice group of people following me on my journey.

So, through all that I have learned.  This is where I am...I go to a conference in September.  I have appointments there with an editor and an agent.  I plan to get my manuscript in the best condition I can, before I go and have another book well on it's way by then (which was also another bit of advice I received).  If I do not get discovered by one of the major Publishers there, I plan to work with one of the Hybrid companies, with the best reviews.  I just don't have time for the "do it yourself" plan.

My plans may change, but I am taking the advice of some Authors, I trust.  I am still praying and asking the Lord to lead me.  So, we will see if He leads me a different way.  How can you help?  Pray for me.  If you are an Author that likes to help us newbies, I would love to hear from you!  Also,  help me grow my platform.  Join me on my different sites.  You can find me, either under the name Sandy Kay Slawson or Sandy Kay Slawson Writer.  Like my stuff, share my stuff and mention me on your own sites # or @sandykayslawson or # or @sandykayslawsonwriter.  The more followers I have, the more the Publishing companies will stand up and take notice.

In Christ,

Sandy Kay Slawson