Self-published vs. traditionally-published
I’m no expert, but I am chuffed that my district library has chosen to stock Son of the Ringmaster, and that they’ll also buy copies for all others that come under their jurisdiction.
I’ve always felt that my book is somehow inferior because I chose to self-publish. That because it hasn’t been judged and sneered at by editors and book buyers (well, actually it did), that it hasn’t gone through ‘the system’.
I actually approached over 40 publishers in a period of around 6 months, who were unanimous that the book was good. Not one recommended changing it, or removing sections – indeed, anything like that. But – they didn’t want to buy it.
I could take a multitude of things from that feedback. I like to think that the book was fine but they were unsure of the marketing – that there wasn’t an already chalked-out space in the book market for Son of the Ringmaster, which made them believe they’d have to work harder to capture customers.
Of course, it could mean far more negative things, but my glass is half full. What I want to believe, now the book-buying lady from Wakefield libraries has snapped up copies, is that my book IS just as good as all the others that have been traditionally published – that’s it’s worthy of sitting beside them on the library shelves.
Means a lot, to me.
