Dear Picklesversians,
Today is the 13th of December, which means the Ides are upon us once again. The last Ides of 2023, if you can believe it. As the Romans would have posted on the walls of their Forum, #TempusFugit.
Time flies.
It’s been a busy year for me as a writer. I launched my website, founded the Picklesverse community, and won my first writing competition. I also learned how to create e-books and published a free short story. All while writing my novel, working full time, and seeing family and friends. No wonder it’s gone by in a flash!
So, what’s coming up in 2024?
Well, the concept of time flying has changed my mind about that…
If you’d asked me the question a couple of weeks ago, I would have said this:
I’ll finish the current draft of my novel, then do a structural edit to make sure I’m happy with the overall shape of the story. After that, I’ll do around 10 editing passes, each one looking at the story from a different angle. When I can’t see any further way to improve the book, I’ll send it to my editor for a manuscript assessment, which may lead to further rounds of changes. Next, I’ll query agents with a view to getting published “traditionally” through a publishing house.
But you’re asking me today, and my perspective has shifted. Don’t get me wrong, I still plan to edit my work as described. However, I’m no longer sure whether I want to go for the traditional publishing method.
I won’t get into the details of all the various pros and cons between “trad” and “self-pub” (unless you’re particularly interested, in which case drop me a line and I can write about this in a future email). It’s a complex decision involving a range of factors.
But the stone that’s recently got stuck in my craw is to do with timelines. When I published Beware the Ides of April, the whole end-to-end process from deciding I was going to write it, through outlining, drafting, self-editing, a professional edit, proofreading, beta reads, cover design, and the creation and hosting of the e-book took less than two months. If my novel gets picked up by a publishing house, it’ll be roughly two years before it’s in print.
Tempus can fugit as much as it likes, but two years is a long time!
OK, granted… Beware was a short story of roughly 8000 words. My novel is looking like it’ll be upwards of 100,000 words long. But still. Two years!
Maybe it’s worth it. Many people still take writers more seriously when they go through traditional publishing houses. It’s like an official seal of approval.
On the other hand, the world of publishing has changed. These days, self-published writers often use the same editors and cover designs as those big publishing houses. Self-pub doesn’t have to imply a lower quality product.
So, what should I do?
Well, after spending the last five years at my day job developing new digital products, only one sensible course of action occurs to me…
Experimentation!
Cue a backdrop of lightning strikes and diabolical laughter.
My new plan is to continue editing my novel, and hold off on making the decision about which publishing method to pursue. Meanwhile, I’ll write and self-publish some other stories. They’ll be longer than Beware, but shorter than my novel.
I’ve outlined the first one already and I’m quite excited about it!
I’ll keep you posted about my progress.
Wishing you all a wonderful December in the meantime. Speak again on the Ides of January if not before!
Marianne
P.S. Please keep your book recommendations coming! Always on the lookout for more titles to add to the pile!
