I woke up today realizing how much work publishing your own book is, but I still recommend it, at least to get started. Getting started on anything is the thing. I'll write when I've retired. I'll get serious about my art when I've made my first million. Uh huh. Do it now, dudes and dudettes. Now is all you have. Enjoy and employ it.
Wouldn't it be better to get a publisher, you say. Wouldn't they take care of all that? No and, anyway, publishers are hard to come by. Big publishers don't think they can sell Queer books and they only want bestsellers anyhoo. Publishing is a business. Businesses want to make money. They think what they've sold a thousand times will keep making them money.
Unless you know someone--and if you do, introduce me--I think you might as well go for it on your own. What are the odds you'll find an agent and a publisher? Very slim, my friend. And, if your goal is to make a living writing, good luck with that too. Statistics say only 5% of writers do. So, what are you left with? Desire, drive, a belief in your words maybe?
Having gone from writing the first word on paper a year ago to planning and executing our book tour now, I am glad I did it. Glad I have a book. Whatever happens, the book exists. Along the way I recommend having small expectations, small markers of success. This is also called being reasonable. If your goal is to sell 5 books at an event and you sell 5, it's party time! If your goal is to sell 20 and you sell 5, you are not a happy person.
And you never know: your book might be discovered. I met someone at our first book tour stop who is trying to set up a meeting for us with a publisher. Friends who did Guide to the Modern Bear got their book picked up for wider distribution.
Speaking of events, the Ginger Choo Choo will be in Los Angeles this weekend, 4-6pm Saturday, Oct. 27 at Neveux Artisan Creamery, 7407 1/2 Melrose. Free ginger ice cream, me reading stories, David showing photos, and you playing games for prizes. Hope to see you there.
Preview Ginger Snaps: Photos & Stories at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3577527.
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