Some thoughts about publishing an e-book

Getting published is a long, hard road that requires time, patience, an a lot of research. Those might be the keys to getting a good publisher that won't turn around and screw over you as an author the first chance they get, but there's one remaining key: why you want to be published and how willing you are to work with editors and cover artists and all the rest of the publishing team.

I recently found out there is an actual phobia for the number 13 for people who are terrified of the number. I can't be afraid of it for one simple reason: it's my birthday. Worse, for those who are deathly superstitious, is the fact that it was Friday March 13th I was born. For me, on the other hand, is the fact that it's been a lucky number for years. The first time it was proven lucky was when I was a kid. I was too young to buy the scratchers ticket, but I wasn't too young to scratch it. Technically, my parents only won $10, but it was a Friday the 13th, so we went to the toy store and spent the winnings. Luck abounds for me as this year, even though my birthday was a Saturday, I got my first publisher's acceptance letter but the catch was an expensive investment I had no hope of affording.

Well, in light of that, my search continued of course. It was my sister who suggested e-book publishing. You can research this yourself: e-book companies don't mind new authors for lack of printing costs. It's harder to find a print publisher when you're a new, never-been-heard-of author. It's taken me about two months to find a good e-book publisher that's accepted my story. I had one big problem: my story is very short but well-written. I've gotten rejected simply for word count. Publishers would say they liked it, but won't publish it simply because it's too short. That was a signal to me, that said, "move on to the next one." The law of averages states that eventually one will hit. Time, patience and research: the leading keys.

Now, the final key: why and how? The why is something you'll have to search your heart for. Me? I just want people to enjoy my stories as I do. It's something I love and want to share with the world. How willing am I to meet that goal? Extremely, but to some extents. I'm going to work closely with the editors and cover designers to make my story the absolute best it can be. Just because they've accepted and there's a contract involved, doesn't mean I roll over and let them take over. Nuh uh. Not by a long shot. I keep a sharp eye on what they do and keep up my involvement heavily. I drive them nuts with questions and suggestions of my own. It's still my work, they have to respect my thoughts.

I don't have the contract yet, but I've gained somewhat of a following and begun generating interest already. The contract's a piece of paper that says both sides must work together to make the book the best possible and continue working together to market as much as possible. Again, here's research sneaking up on you. The need to find ways of marketing a book is never ending. An author's work is never done.

The one thing that will keep you from making mistakes with a publisher when you want something done and they don't know about it: never assume: it makes an a$$ out of me and you! If you want readers and publishers to remember something: restate it several times, especially if it's important to story development. Don't just repeat the same words over and over, though, say it different ways each time.

Once you cross the bridge, you must be willing to go the distance and beyond.