‘Traditional’ versus ‘Self’ versus ‘Indie’ Publishing

I wouldn’t want to prescribe to others on this question: there are good arguments on all sides. But I know what’s working for me. I started off without any thought about publishing. I wanted simply to write for enjoyment. It was only when I’d started on what I thought was the third book in an envisaged trilogy that I began to think of exploring possible publication of the first book. I was at first resolutely against going ‘self-publishing’ or ‘indie’ (for a useful analysis of the differences see https://tinyurl.com/yby3xkq6 ). I wanted to do it the traditional way, despite reading about the rule of thumb among some publishers: less than one half of one per cent of manuscripts submitted will get their attention.

I did a lot of work on about eighty potential agents and publishers, researching what they were looking for and what they expected from people submitting proposals or manuscripts. I narrowed the list down to about thirty. Then I started sending samples and cover letters–precisely in accordance with their website instructions–to the first six. I was pleasantly surprised and never got beyond number six. There was one ‘no reply’. I got one flat rejection (a circular letter) saying my book wouldn’t fit with their current plans. I then received three supportive and complimentary responses, all praising my work but saying that ‘at the present time’ my book would not be right for their market.

The sixth publisher bowled me over with her enthusiastic response. She’d received the ten-thousand-word sample I’d sent, in accordance with their requirements for book proposals. I quote directly from the email she sent me: she said she was ‘much in need of more text’, and that it was ‘most unfair’ of me to leave her ‘hanging’. She asked me to send her more text and concluded with the statement that she was ‘completely caught up, heart racing…’ in response to what she had read so far.

Naturally I was delighted and sent the full text immediately. She later replied just as enthusiastically to say she would need to consult with her colleagues, that it would take some significant time, but I should be patient. Then, a few months later, the most extraordinary thing happened. Bear in mind this publisher had agreed to keep my anonymity sacrosanct, even from her colleagues: my pen-name was going to be our secret, she said. The extraordinary thing was that I was approached by an Oxford-based publisher, who knew me as a passing acquaintance but who (I thought) knew nothing about either my pen-name or my first manuscript. He walked up to me in a park and said (his exact words): ‘My editor loves your book. We think it’s very good.’ I replied ‘What book?’ Then he realised and said ‘Oh. Sorry. I’m not supposed to know, am I?’

He then explained. The publisher with whom I had first engaged remained enthusiastic, he said, but because of the economics of publishing in my genre and its particular niche she was looking for a partner publisher as a possible way forward. She had sent the Oxford publisher my manuscript and his editorial adviser had then given it a very enthusiastic and positive report. He did not make a formal offer, but asked whether I might consider a further discussion about a possible personal buy-in to support publishing costs. He also said it was unlikely the book could be brought to publication in less than eighteen months.

I retreated and thought through the possibilities, and decided to pursue the indie route. I have been enormously pleased with this decision. Why? Mostly because within three years I had fifty thousand downloads from readers. Had I turned my back on indie publishing I could still be waiting.