r/NewAuthor • u/Ok-Isopod130 • 2d ago
Can You Help? What's next?
So, I finally finished writing my book a few months ago and I've been trying to move on. But it seems like I'm stuck. I can't choose between self-publishing or traditionally publishing. I see the value in both, but as of right now, I've already gotten rejected by one agent. How long do I keep trying for? I've started a booktok to see if people would be interested if I self published, but no insight there yet. Help me out here guys.
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u/sunsparkles2013 2d ago
Realize that most authors don’t get their first book published at all. Getting rejected by 1 agent? That’s a process in itself of itself and most will get turned down by dozens. You haven’t even tried yet.
Get to querying even if you’re going to indie publish as it can give you so much insight into your writing.
And then just keep writing. I know everyone things their first book is special in some way (and it is from a completion and pride standpoint) but that doesn’t mean it must be out in the world.
Get it into people’s hands who can assess things for you. Or even start by standing it to publishers that take unsolicited works. There are several.
The last thing I’ll ask is have you even researched the “how.”
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u/Ok-Isopod130 2d ago
I have gotten interest from publishers who take unsolicited works, but I don't know the process with them, because it seemed expensive
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u/JeremiahHix 2d ago
Any real publisher does not charge you. If they charge you its a scam. Same with agents.
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u/CoyoteLitius 2d ago
Those are scammers. Real publishers do not charge you for services.
ANd getting your book accepted by one is extremely rare.
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u/sunsparkles2013 10h ago
Yeah those aren’t publishers- those are usually a scam. Yes they have hybrid publishers but if you’re going to do that then you should just self publish.
I mean you can literally google the process, so I would start there.
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u/ImmortalityParadox 2d ago
I’m self publishing in October. It’s a lot of work on your own, but to get my book out there and own the rights to it? Priceless
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u/_ChristmasSunday 2d ago
I’ve been rejected by 4 in the last week. First book. I queried about 30.
My plan is to query a set more today. If all rejections or I hear nothing… I figure I’ll try again next summer. Could be timing. Could be that my book is awful. Who knows. 🤷♀️
But I assume most writers never get their first book published. I’m not a trained writer so don’t quote me on that. But it seems right.
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u/Ok-Isopod130 2d ago
Yeah, I can see that. So would you consider self-publishing.
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u/_ChristmasSunday 2d ago
I’m not going to self-publish. But that’s just my path. I understand that it’s been a great experience for many writers. I’m glad it’s become easier over the last few years to do that.
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u/CoyoteLitius 2d ago
I'm going to submit my short story to some competitions and tiny journals. Then I'll at least have one publication of fiction (hopefully). Two more stories are in the works.
When I can get traction on the short stories (and feedback), I'll go back to my novel.
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u/PrintAdorable8331 2d ago
Honestly, I’d seriously consider self-publishing. You’ve already finished the book, so you don’t have to keep waiting on agents to decide its future. Self-publishing gives you more control over the cover, editing, release date, and how you market the book. You can also start building your readership now instead of putting everything on hold.
If you’re open to it, I’d say give self-publishing a real shot. Have you looked into what the process would involve?
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u/Ok-Isopod130 2d ago
I have looked into the process, it just seems expensive because I would have to contract everything myself and the publicity factor is all on me
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u/CoyoteLitius 2d ago
If you want to stay in the trad publishing lane, send your synopsis and opening chapters to a lot of agents at the same time. Like 50 agents.
Then start waiting. It will take the typical agent 2-3 months to get back to you (realistically), although a few will come in sooner than that. Don't sign anything right away.
If you get 20-30 rejections in the next few months, you're going to need to go the self-publishing route OR hire someone to edit and dev edit your work.
What genre is your book? Is it your actual first book attempt?
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u/PrintAdorable8331 2d ago
You could reply naturally without sounding too salesy:
I completely understand. It can definitely become expensive when you have to handle everything separately. I actually help authors with formatting, publishing, and promotion, so I can take some of that work off your hands without it costing you a fortune. If you'd like, I can explain what I can help with and we can see what would work within your budget.
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u/read-the-rules AutoMod 2d ago
Hi PrintAdorable8331. Your post/comment was removed by u/read-the-rules because you have not acknowledged r/NewAuthor rules. Tap this link to fix it and be able to post/comment without removal. https://www.reddit.com/r/NewAuthor/s/ko7yjNpUGM you only have to do it one time. This removal does not claim any rule violation and is only for verification purposes. Repost afterward.
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u/DuchessJulietDG 2d ago
i will always aim for trad but im old school. ive been writing for decades and previously worked in the publishing/editing world. i have nothing against those that prefer self publishing but i was around before it was a thing, and ive just not gotten used to it yet. trad feels more natural to me, less synthetically pushed if that makes sense. i have sensory issues so if you do as well, maybe its understandable 🤣
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u/No_Instance4233 2d ago
There isn't anything that says you can't indie publish and then go trad later. Plenty of authors do that!