What exactly counts as publication?
My goal for this year, next year, actually my ultimate goal of all goals, is to get published. I’ve been submitting stories for the past couple of years, and I’m working on a novel, so it seems fairly obvious what I’m aiming for.
- Image via Wikipedia
Except over the past few years there have been a lot of changes, and a discussion about what really constitutes publication broke out on my Facebook page this week.
I posted links to two writing competitions. The first, from the BBC, requires that entrants to the competition should be published writers.
The National Short Story Award
The other one goes in the opposite direction, and asks that entrants should not be “professionally published”
Perfectly Formed Short Story Competition
It’s not entirely clear what this means. I know that in my own case I can safely enter the second competition but not the first. I haven’t had a story published anywhere yet. Many years ago I did win second prize of a whole £100 in a crime fiction competition, but only the first prize story was published. And in the last couple of years I’ve been shortlisted but had no story acceptances yet.
I’ve only written a few stories and submitted mostly to various competitions and print magazines – acquiring a steady stream of rejections.
But as I said, the world has changed, and being something of a crabby old bat, I’m perhaps a little slow to change with it. There are other ways to be published, and I’m just beginning to investigate them. There are an increasing number of online magazines which publish some very good fiction. Many of these markets don’t pay, or only pay a token fee – but they still constitute publication.
If they don’t pay though, surely that excludes them from the ”professionally published” category?
And again, there are now many ways to self publish your books. Still being a crabby old bat, this isn’t a route I prefer to take for myself. That’s not to say I think it’s wrong – in fact I’ve read several very good books that have been self published. Generally speaking though, they are non fiction or very specialised niche books, and in my opinion, that’s what self publishing can be very good for.
But when it comes to fiction, I really think that as a reader, I prefer to read stories and novels that have been through a selection process, that have been held up to some kind of scrutiny and have been professionally edited.
So my ambition is to get a novel published the old fashioned way, through finding an agent and a publisher.
And I know, the first and essential step, is to get on with the writing of the novel.
But while I’m procrastinating, I’d really like to know what you think of publishing and self publishing. Do you ever read short stories online, for instance? Or have you read a completely brilliant crime novel that was self published?
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About Ann GodridgeAnn Godridge has just completed her first crime novel, The Mermaid's Shroud, and has started work on the sequel. Her story the Tree of Knowledge was shortlisted for the Asham Award. She writes about writing and sometimes about textile arts at her blogStraw into Gold. You can find out more about her here - About Ann G.
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14 Responses to What exactly counts as publication?
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That's a good point – I do think when there is likely to be local interest in something, that may be another good reason for self publishing.
I've certainly bought several good self published books on local history that might not other wise have been published.
In itself it doesn't mean anything at all about quality, Morag – although clearly it makes a huge difference when it comes to entering competitions and complying with the rules.
I do think, though, that most stories are improved by rigorous editing. I think there are other ways that can be done than through the conventional publishing route, but I do think it's necessary.
I udnerstand that even if you get a publishing contract now you still have to do lots of work towards marketing. I guess there's no easy answer to this one.
I think I have read a self published crime novel, will just check to see if it was… back in a jiffy
Is replying to myself the same as talking to myself? just checked it out, it was published by a small publisher with big ambition – http://www.kentonpublishing.co.uk/unnaturaljust…
It was a good read and I did enjoy it and crime/murder isn't my thing, but it does mention Harwich and Tilbury, so it had a local connection beyond the authors dad giving us a review copy at a BNI meeting
Almost all the short stories I read are published online. I'm not convinced by the argument that online publishing or self-publishing makes it any less worthwhile as a piece of writing.
I'm in the middle of writing my first novel (and my first non-fiction book, thanks to Suze's excellent book on the subject), and my 9 year old son has volunteered to do the illustrations. Interesting idea, because I hadn't actually planned on any illustrations…
I used print on demand for my book, because publishers said it wasn't commercial enough and to write something different. I was happy with the result, which went on Amazon just like a 'proper book' so now it has some decent positive reviews. The main problem is that you are up against the might of the big publishing houses for marketing and it is almost impossible to persuade bookshops to stock your work. If you are a talented self-marketer then this may not be an issue but I have zero ability in that direction.
I think that if you have an obvious niche audience and can reach them via the internet, then print on demand is definitely a good way to go, as agents and conventional publishers get ever more wary of trying anyone who isn't already famous.
Carolyn, if you are publishing a non-fiction book, it is worth looking at the people Suze uses for her books. They seem to have a very interesting business model, and I plan to use it for my own non-fiction book which is currently in production. I haven't written or published it before, though the idea has been there for years, because I was frightened by the idea of finding an agent or a publisher, and too scared to try the self-publishing route.
I chose to self publish as I wanted control over making donations from the royalities to children's charity, and this was important for my children's novel.
You have to consider many factors when self-publishing – for example the need for a professionally designed cover for the book, as this is essential!
The biggest downside to self publishing is that you don't have a company behind you working on PR, and this is what I have struggled with the most, as you have to constantly work on this.
But in all it's been a good experience for me and glad I made this choice
Twitter: NitaJoyDesigns
That does sound interesting, Suze
Working out exactly what is meant by the various rules and regulations for the competitions is quite difficult. Some even count it as “published” if you share a story for critiquing on a private forum.
That's a good point, Anita.
I wonder if there isn't a good business opportunity there for some specialist PR and marketing person. It sounds as if many people are put off self publishing for that reason.
The whole publishing picture is changing very fast at the moment and what constitutes something being “published” or even “professionally published” now, is not the same as it was even five or ten years ago. Ann, if you put one of your short stories on your website, that qualifies it as having been “published” – even this reply to a post on BOTB is going to be “published” when I hit the post button. So for a competition rule to require entrants to be “published” authors is a bit of a nonsense, really!
Morag mentioned the people who published my “How To Write Winning Non-fiction,” and are going to be doing another three with me in the next year or two. They are conventional publishers in as much as they don't take on books that don't fit in with their lists, but they don't pay advances. They do, however, pay a much higher royalty on sales than conventional publishers. As Morag says theirs is an interesting business model. If anyone's interested in checking it out, see more at http://www.Bookshaker.com or email Joe Gregory, joe@bookshaker.com and mention my name. Joe is an ad copywriter by trade but is now steaming ahead as an author and publisher and is a really nice young guy.
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
That's an interesting idea Ann, definitely a new market to be cornered.
Thanks for the information Morag and Suze, will check them out.