Monday, January 9, 2012

Expanding your options

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm doing a blog post today about options-with the message that there are many ways to be published, and this year should be the year that all romance writers should open themselves up to opportunities, and investigate them.

When I first started putting my writing out there, I had a couple of goals.
1. To find an agent.
2. To be published by my ideal publisher, sign a contract, and see my books in print on the shelves of my local bookshop.
I haven't achieved either. Things just didn't work that way for me. I certainly tried it, I have a drawer full of lovely rejections to prove it. I was despondent about it. Dispairing even. But after a few rejections of what I considered to be good work, I altered my approach, and it seems to be working for me.

My first romance wasn't good enough to achieve publication. I had a lot to learn, and the more courses I did the more I realised I didn't understand all the components that are needed writing romance today. The second romance I wrote is Bound to Love. Agents weren't interested. My ideal publisher turned it down at partial stage. Another publisher read the full, and turned it down. I worked on it, changed it and rewrote. Then I wrote another story. This one followed the same route. Agents weren't interested. My ideal publisher turned it down at partial stage (but gave good feedback). And then a second publisher, The Wild Rose Press, liked it enough to buy it. Woo!

Last February for the first time I achieved half of one of my goals. I had a book out in print, although it wasn't available on the shelves, but rather through Amazon. I was happy, up until the publisher went bust, and my rights reverted to me. To be honest, the temptation to stuff the book in a drawer and sob on the sofa was strong.  Years had passed, and I still hadn't achieved my goals. But like all writers out there, I had options, if only I'd consider them.

I decided to re-release Bound to Love as self-published. Sure, I hadn't achieved my goals, but it was time to modify those goals. To readjust my thinking. Since then I've had 2 more books accepted by Wild Rose, and at the end of December, had 2 more fulls out with publishers. I'd love to say I was selling lots, but I wasn't. The self published route or small publisher route is a hard one, there's a lot of promotion and networking to be done to get reviews, build an online presence etc. But all the writers I know are doing this anyway, published or not. We have to.

For me, I realised that my goals were based on giving me validation that my writing was good enough. I wanted an agent to like it. And being accepted by my ideal publisher would be fantastic. But when it didn't happen and I took a fork along the path to publication, I got what I wanted anyway. Readers. People who liked my writing enough to buy one of my books. And found a group of fabulous friends who have helped me so much along the way. Things went crazy for me last week when 19,000 took advantage of the opportunity to try Bound to Love for free. That's 19,000 people who hadn't read a book of mine before. I hope all of them like it.

So this year, if you haven't achieved your goals, maybe it's time to listen to your critique partners when they tell you your writing is good. Have faith in your writing. Explore your options. Don't let a rejection crush you (or at least, not for long). Try something different. I'm glad I did!

14 comments:

Kat said...

Have stood on the sidelines and watched in awe over the last weeek or two, Sally - it's been an amzing success.
And although you're too modest to mention it - the after sales have been awesome too, eh? You've def given me food for thought, there IS another way.

Sally Clements said...

Thanks, Jo. Yes the sales after have been great. And the boost in confidence even better. What it shows is that just because one publisher doesn't like it, doesn't mean that that book is finished. Given another chance to shine, it has! xx

Romy Sommer said...

You are our Minxy shining light, Sally. You brave new paths, and open new opportunities for all of us.

I am so pleased and proud that apart from those 19,000 free downloads, Bound to love's sales have also risen dramatically since then. You deserve it!

Anonymous said...

Sally, you are an inspiration!! Wishing you a very very prosperous 2012!!

Caroline said...

Wise words Sally - thanks for this. I need to dust off some of my MS's and try and see if another publisher will consider them! Caroline x

Anonymous said...

Thank you Sally. Every shared posting/story gets me excited. Tells me to go for it. To not give up. Thanks for Inspiring and Sharing.

Maya Blake said...

Fantastic post, Sally. You deserve all the success you're getting and such an inspiration to every writer out there. Go, Minx!

Sally Clements said...

Thank you, everyone! what a difference a week makes! I'm looking forward to seeing all my blog friends break out too in 2012. It's a great time to be a writer. x

Sutton Fox said...

Wise advice, Sally. Congrats on all the new readers, and the after sales. Thanks for a very inspiring post!

Robyn said...

Congrats on your success, Sally. And thanks for encouraging the rest of us to consider all of our options ;-)

Sally Clements said...

Thanks Sutton, and Robyn. Let's all have an awesome 2012!

Lacey Devlin said...

Fantastic post, Sally! I'm so excited for you. You're an inspiration.

Maria said...

Well done and congratulations!

Jackie Ashenden said...

Such a cool story, Sally. I am inspired! Especially after my crap year last year. You're certainly proof that things can work if you want to do it a little differently.