I write fantasy and science fiction, both for adults and for young adults. My agent is currently marketing my novels. I update this site at least quarterly, with information about me, my fiction, and writing in general. Posts on specific topics are available on the link in the left column. I update my blog two or three times a week with my thoughts on publishing, life in general, and speculative fiction in particular.
I've posted a short story on this site, a prequel to my YA novel Bag of Tricks. The short story is called "Aveline's Price", and it is available under the Free Sample link to the left.
Why It's Hard to Get Published
Getting published is sometimes compared to breaking into profesional sports. If you wanted to play football for a living, you would have to compete for one of a limited number of slots because there are a limited number of teams in the NFL. Fortunately, publishing isn't quite that limited, but there are a huge number of poeple trying to get published. But another difference is that in football, players can be ranked on an objective scale of how well they throw, run, catch, and tackle; how “well” writers write sometimes boils down to how the reader feels about the book. Clean prose and good grammar are important, but there tons of writers who can produce them. Given a plethora of choices, editors rely to a large extent on their own taste, and also on agents to screen their submissions. What do you do if you can't get an agent, or if your books don't seem to match any editor's taste?
Technolgy provides writers a method not available in sports.
There is no such thing as a "print on demand" (POD) football team! So, what is POD?
Basically, it's a marketing plan made possible by technolgy. With POD, the strategy is “don't print the book until someone orders it.” This
didn't used to be economically feasible, but today's technology allows POD companies to
maintain a digital inventory of books that can be printed one at a time on spiffy new machines. Authors can upload their own books through a web interface
and then market those books online. This provides an alternative to the old model of self-publishing, which was to
hire a printer, print a boatload of your books, and then market those copies yourself by going to bookstores
and persuading them to put your book on their sheves.
Pros and cons
The biggest thing in POD's favor is that it's immediate. Once you have a camera-ready manuscript-written, edited, proofed, and formated-in a digital format, you can create and sell your own books. The cons are pretty much the same things. This method is really just a variation on self-publishing but with lower costs. You create the m.s., so it's up to you to see it's a good story in good shape—readable, free of typos, and in an easy-to-read font. And mostly you have to sell it. Just as there is no editor's personal taste standing between you and publication, there are also no production department, design department, marketing department and sales force standing behind you, putting your book out there for you in a way that looks good. Some POD services offer formatting help and marketing online, but mostly it's all on you. POD publishers vary, so if you decide to go this route, check them out to see which one fits what you want to do. Some offer editing and formatting help, for a price. Others don't. Also check out their options: What are the set-up fees? Do they give a price break if you want to order in quantity and sell the books yourself? What is the royalty rate and how is it calcuated? What binding and covers do they offer, and in what sizes? There are a host of questions you need to answer before you publish your book.
Should I go with a POD Publisher?
If you don't have a day job, POD could be a good option because presumably you will have the time to do your own marketing. Or if you really just want to write a family history to pass out at a reunion, or preserve little Sally's first efforts at writing a story, or amuse yourself by writing a parody of Lord of the Rings, then POD is great! If you want to walk into Borders or Barnes and Noble anywhere in the country and see your book, that's harder to do with POD. Some folks have published first with a POD publisher and then, after their books had sold well that way, they were able to get a regular publisher. This is rare, though, so you should never count on it. But if you decide to go with POD, use the web to do some research first.
POD Sampler
Check them all out before you decide! Also, unless you have production experience, plan on ordering a preview copy and revising it as needed, to make sure the book you're offering looks as good as it should.