Sometimes, publishing a book feels like giving away something that is near and dear to us. If we seek an agent and traditional publisher, we too often are left to feel that, unless we were already big-name writers, we did not stand a chance. On the other hand, if we self-publish, we must pay to be published by someone who will not help us market our book.
Many people are perfectly content to write without having any expectation of being published. Other people feel that they are, shall we say, wasting their time when they spend so many hours writing without attempting to bring in an income.
When I first attempted to publish a book, I submitted query letters and sample chapters to more than 125 agents and publishers. Three liked my manuscript but did not feel that it would sell enough copies to justify the expense of publishing it.
The next time I submitted a manuscript, it was to a print-on-demand publisher that, as it turned out, was of questionable repute. Several writers who published about the same time withdrew our books from publication rather than suffer at the hands of that publisher.
Feeling left out, I looked about to see how other writers were marketing their books. One places her marketing efforts on teaching aspiring writers how to write and advertising her books through her teaching website. Another established a common theme for her books, purchased a motorhome, and traveled throughout the areas where her books were set in order to sell her books. A third writer developed a following through social media. All three achieved a certain degree of success, although none became a big-name writers.
As for me, I turned away from books and to creating and maintaining a moderately successful website, Remembering Jack Lord (RJL). Actually, RJL began life as Memories of Hawaii Five-0 (MofH50). A friend remarked, "This isn't a Five-0 website; it's a Jack Lord website." I took another look, decided my friend was correct, and gave Jack his own website. Some years back, as costs of maintaining websites rose, I moved the MofH50 material into RJL and closed the MofH50 site. We receive an average of 125 visitors each day and have had visitors from 164 nations (84.10 percent of the 195 nations recognized by the United Nations). That's not bad for a website that is much like a dissertation.
For the most part, I have been too busy with the websites to write another book. In recent years, however, as RJL moves close to the end of its run, with members participating less and less, I have written other books. Perhaps, I should say I am writing other books, for I keep going back and adding new ideas. So, again, the question arises: Should I try to publish these books through a print-on-demand publisher or should I keep my story and my characters to myself?
To publish or not to publish: that is the question. I'll be John Brown if I have a clue about which way to go.
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