/lit/ - Literature

I won't write a book until I'm 70 and it will be an autobiography.

I'm on the penultimate draft. It's around 66k words. It's a young adult fantasy romance.

>>22776039
1600 words and 9 a4 pages into one poem and 1500 words and 8 pages into the other so I'd say it's going well

>>22776054
Nice, mine is a young adult fantasy/kingdom-retake. Is this your first book? Do you think you'll be sending letters to agents or self publishing?

>>22776057
>long poems
Yikes. I mean it might be good, but try to keep it as brief as possible. Best of luck anon.

I feel like the hardest part of writing a book is getting it accepted by a publisher. Has anyone on this board ever had luck with being accepted?

>>22776039
Don’t give a fuck about your /sffg/ schlock

>>22776070
>he was denied by a publisher

>>22776069
I’m going to create my own publishing house to brute-force my way to glory (or, at least, being read). I don’t trust the middleman.

>>22776086
if you are serious, you are the beyond based.

My novel is actually going to be available tomorrow. It's been a long journey, but I'm finally done - except some ongoing marketing things, but that's just giving out money, no real effort needed.

Started writing summer of 2020, finished fall of 2021. Wasted a year trying to get an agent (had a few bites), then spent the rest of the time working with an editor, cover designer, and learning Atticus to format the thing.

Next time, I'll skip the agent search and just self-pub to begin with. Easy enough, and I'm already getting a lot of good reviews from ARC readers. Plus I shilled out for a Kirkus, only so I could throw it on the back cover.

If I can get at least 13 copies sold, I'm more successful than most trad published authors. According to what was revealed during the Penguin anti-trust case, anyway.

>>22776137
wow this is insane to read, you think self-pub is fine? How would you handle advertising?

>>22776048
I think I've led an interesting life (29yo) so far. Lived overseas growing up with lots of little anecdotes and now I am STEM PhD. Think anybody would read an autobiography if I wrote one?

>>22776153
ARCs are a big thing. BookSirens is great because it's cheap and gets you a lot of readers. Readers who then give you reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Kobo, etc. Reviews are the lifeblood of books, I'd say. Everyone wants to know others thought it was worthwhile.

As mentioned, I bought a Kirkus Review. Would not recommend it, because it's expensive and doesn't give you much. But I wanted an accredited review for my cover. You can pay them extra to advertise your review, but I didn't think it was worth it. Particularly after seeing the quality of work they do. My review was positive, but written by a monkey. If these are the "expert reviewers," then we need to redefine "expert."

I don't have social media, but imagine you can use that. My editor plugged me on her socials, though. No clue how that's going.

Sent out to some YouTube reviewers, so I'll get them some physical copies soon and hope they feature them in some video or other. Booktubers have a lot of reach.

IngramSpark (one of the two distributors I'm working with) has a publication they send out to bookstores and libraries, and it's about $150/month to be in that. So there's some advertising - too early to know if it's worth it.

And finally, I'll buy some ad space on Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc etc. Can be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be. Ranging from like $20/month to unlimited.

>>22776161
I know I wouldn't.

>>22776066
it's not what you think, anon
it's not 9 page long mememe shesheshe confessional bullshit or rigorously metered 19th century larp
each poem can be broken down into sub-parts many of which can be read as standalone poems

>>22776039
I published it, it's 144,000 words. 374 pages. On sale right now, too. Title is Fedbook.
>>22776175
My experience with Amazon ads was super underwhelming. I'm interested about the other avenues you took, though. My entire ad scheme was shilling my work on my Twitter account, but I'm pretty sure I've completely tapped that market out. I never did get a proper review somewhere besides Amazon or goodreads, but it's because I'm too proud to ask or pay for one. It's a character flaw

>>22776039
I wrote 17,000 words worth of notes on 100 pages of a book I read a few weeks ago if that counts.

Maybe if I shoot myself in the head my family will find them and publish them!

>>22776175
Good to know, thank you

If my book doesn't end up in Barnes and Noble, I will know I failed.

>>22776182
Thanks for your honesty.

>>22776069
>>22776086
Try Kindle.
>>22776137
What percentage of profits do you get?

I finished a novella of about 65k words about 2 months ago and have been sitting on it to see how I feel about it after a bit of a wait. If I read it by New Years and don't hate it, I think I'm gunna take the plunge and try the self publishing route. I'd to get it edited, but I'm not sure if it'd be worth the effort.

>>22776039
29k words, all written during November. Not very happy with it, but it was the most I've written for a novel. My mind doesn't work in longer forms. There is too much at play to make it a tight story.

>>22776069
I don't even try. Otherwise, as it has been for a lot of artists >>22776086 has the right idea, and I may do it myself in a different way.

>>22776137
>>22776175
Saving this. Thanks for sharing. If you don't mind, what has been your experience with a literary agent? Who did you try to find? Why was it a waste?

>>22776209
Sounds based. I want to read it.

>>22776161
Not interesting as an autobiography if you are a nobody, but if you write it as 'fiction', then it might be worth your time.

>>22776224
Don't do that, anon. We'll miss you.

>>22776039
Why did they have to make Alice so sexy? I remember the movie starting with a scene of her on a tree and not even a minute in she lifts her skirt up almost to her underwear and the entire movie changes for me as a perv.

>>22776400
why is it so hard to get accepted? Is the market flooded?

>>22776039
73,000 words, still discovering how I want to conduct everything while going through the first draft. I started with only wanting one protagonist in the beginning. Now, currently, I decided to have 3 protagonists almost equally relevant while adding a couple of one-off characters in somewhat self-contained chapters. I have no idea if it's working, but it's more interesting than before. It's also for necessity since I can't stick to the same headspace of the original character for too long. Her influence is too damaging and neuroctic for me to handle at times

>>22776434
It probably isn't. There are several factors at play. Some other anon can forward you the details, but in short:
>80% of all books are bought by women
>Companies are accepting less books than previously, but are achieving greater sales with that few pool of titles.
>People do not read or purchase books as they once did, and those that do have different purchasing tastes.
>Books are in competition with other media types (television, movies, video games etc.)
>There is a massive emphasis on diversity rather than quality (to the point where large movie companies will turn down really good scripts because it isn't checking the right boxes).

As a "regular" man in North America, I don't even try to compete commercially. I want to live normally, work publicly, and write privately. If there was a circle of 'Traditional' writers that I could join in the physical world in order that I could collaborate with creative projects, I would join them. I don't think such a thing exists. I've made a few connections and might start my own periodical, but I have no faith or desire to try to enter the mainstream through the (previously) conventional ways.

>>22776400
>Not interesting as an autobiography if you are a nobody, but if you write it as 'fiction', then it might be worth your time.
Yeah I would probably try to go for a Bukowski thing (without all the rape).

>>22776464
That's really depressing, but I suppose facing the truth is what reality is about. Damn, and I'm working on an incredibly exciting book. One with struggle, fighting, emotions, a ragtag team going against insane odds. I've had so much fun with it and sharing it with Ph.D holders in my local university I went to motivated me because the professors there said they believe I have something great here, but still...at the end of the day, we all are at odds with the lovely system at hand. If I do solo publish, anyone know any good sites for editors?

>>22776039
>The best book is written in the heart of man
But on the second-best book, I wrote mine twice.

I wrote three slop books, all failed. But two of them sold more than 12 copies

>>22776039
I'm on 27500 words and I've been working on it for over a year. Not sure if I'll finish it before I kms

>>22776039
>33,000 words
Yea ok, Mason.

>>22776374
From what I recall, I get about 70% from ebooks and around 50% from physicals. I should double check that, though. I remember being satisfied with the numbers, but can't recall offhand because sales haven't started yet.

>>22776400
I reached out to about 200 agents. Had a few request the manuscript. I'm hesitant to give any sort of comment on it - as it will only sound like griping - but here's my take on agents:

They have been given extraordinary power by publishers, who use them as gatekeepers to filter out the pile of manuscripts being submitted. They're also a fairly exclusive club, as becoming an agent means starting as an unpaid intern for established agents, and being inducted into that whole world. Now, this would be fine, except...

Agents don't want to work. And I say this only for any of them under the age of 35. Older agents work, and work hard to my knowledge, but they have full client lists and generally aren't seeking new authors. Not seriously, anyways, despite some saying they are. But younger agents don't want to work. They want you to come to them with their jobs done, i.e. having the marketing done (in the form of a catchy query), having a market prepared (in the form of social following), and have a story that is proven to sell (hence why they want comps, and all request the same type of story that has already sold a bunch of copies).

They've entered an industry that is definitely not a 9-5, but that's what they want. They don't want to put in a bunch of effort reading through manuscript after manuscript. They want something easy they don't have to put work into. This is also why so many of them are advocating for agents to be salary instead of commission. They'd rather sit on Instagram and Twitter all day rather than try to sell someone's work.

Honestly, if I was an agent - especially a new one - I'd be taking chances on hundreds of new authors. Even if they'd only sell a few copies, as mentioned, that's what most sell. But I'd still be making something off of that, and get enough of them going and it turns into a nice profit.

So unlike most people who gripe about agents, I don't view it as them being against male authors or only wanting BIPOC/LGwhatever stuff (they all say they do, but that's because it's an easy sell these days). Rather, I just see them all as lazy and entitled like most young "professionals." And no, I'm not a boomer. I'm 33.

Good luck anon
I mean that to all of you retards

>>22776826
Man, fuck that. That's insane, I had a feeling it was a clique club. Not wanting new authors? Damn. What happens if an amazon book were to catch fire? Could someone come to you and ask if they are willing to make it "fancy"? Or...more than just a damn amazon book?

>>22776059
I’m also starting a fantasy novel and wondering whether to self-publish or go thru traditional publishing

>>22776039
Started this month. 5 pages done.

>>22776901
From what I've read, and from the words of someone who I spoke to who were advertising their book at a B&N, I have to say, I've heard of too many exhausting stories of publishing being an utter nightmare. What an absolute atrocity. The market truly needs a readjustment in the regards of how books can go through the entire process. It shouldn't be this complicated.

>>22776893
That's happened a few times, actually, where a self-published book does well and the author gets approached by industry to re-release it under them.

But again, the author has already done all the work. Industry is now just stepping in with larger bank accounts to further the already successful book, and will reap the lions share of the rewards that comes from that.

I don't know. I'm sure there's benefit to trad pub, but I think that's reserved for a very small percentage of people. With todays technology and accessibility, I think self-pub is the way to go. I was at a conference recently with a panel of authors, both self and trad published authors, and they all basically said that, if trying to get their first book out there today, they'd all self-pub it.

>>22776954
What did you read, who did you speak to, and name one of your exhausting stories. The 'absolute atrocity' here is your need for readjustment!

>>22776955
Holy shit that's based. So there is hope!

>>22776955
Anyone have any good resources to link/articles for a guide to self-pub? I'm going at writing. Majored in English, for crying out loud. However, I'd still like an editor whose does this for a career for me to self-pub. I wonder how much they cost for a 80,000 worded book.

>>22776954
>I've heard of too many exhausting stories of publishing being an utter nightmare.

Self-publishing or industry publishing with agents and publishing houses and whatnot? Which is the nightmare? I’m sure each is in its own way.

My goal is simply getting a solid readership and reaching as many fantasy fans as possible. I have some decent money I can put toward making this happen. If it’s as simple as pay-to-win self-publishing I would do that even though I’d be furious about it; I think my books can stand on their own. What I refuse to partake in is the reverse discrimination or going through a bunch of young lazy agents who expect me to do all the work and give them money.

It’s a damn shame I didn’t release anything in the mid-aughts when I was young. Things felt much more honest and merit-based back then.

>>22776039
pretty okay, doing heavy revisions and hoping to bump the word count up to 70k at least. My problem is at the end of every revision I'm a much better writer than I was at the beginning, which leads to further changes.

I'm working on an enormous sci-fi story that spans multiple volumes of stuff. Currently I have three books and one short story complete in it, and I'm working on the fourth book now.

It's also told in a mixture of prose and verse, sometimes switching between the two in a single chapter. I've got narrative poetry for action scenes, I've got a little pastoral poetry (more will be coming), I've got free verse, I've got a meter I am pretty sure I invented.

I really enjoy writing it. It's the work of my life, the story I was born to tell. I've had it in mind ever since I was an undergrad in college, more than a decade ago, but I finally started writing the story in earnest in 2020, when everything was shut down with COVID. I couldn't go out, there was nothing to do, so I just curled up on my bed with my laptop and started to write. I've been at it ever since.

The whole story is probably going to take at least a decade to tell.

>>22776039
I have two books finished in my head. I just need to sit down and write them out. One is a picaresque novel and the other an "entertainment" a la Greene.

I write in Spanish short books and upload them to deviantart for people to read. if you are interested, here it is one:
https://www.deviantart.com/omnicromatisia/art/Espuma-996601457

>>22776410
I feel you

Working on something roughly novella length but I may stick it in the drawer when I'm done and pull from it for other projects. Too much going on, a little too on the nose, interesting (to me) but lacking the kind of punch and character dynamic I want. I could probably gut it into a separate novella and a few short stories but this is the first long form piece I've written in a while and I want to see where it goes.

Anyone have issues finding a new voice after a long hiatus? I barely recognize my old work.

>>22777520
Sounds cool. Hope you shill it here when it’s finished

>>22777599
>Anyone have issues finding a new voice after a long hiatus? I barely recognize my old work.

Certainly with my songwriting and musical ideas. Less so with my fiction writing.

>>22776410
>>22777564

>>22776161
no one cares about a 20 something incel nerd bro

>>22776137
>>22776153
>>22776175
>>22776826
>>22776893
>>22776955
I found this enlightening.

>>22776955
I can answer that last part. Publishers fight hard for film options and international deals because they make bank on both. Very similar to the music industry with licencing and how weirdly successful some things are in foreign markets. The spread of distribution they can leverage when so inclined is also a huge boon. I don't know if library copies still have the same effect but they used to do wonders in the long run. And artificially boost sales numbers.

>>22778118
based

>>22776554

You should finish it.

>>22776990

If you can't edit your own work, you're not good at writing.

88k words on the sequel to The Shitkickers

>>22778477

How many copies did you sell of that?

Chipping away at a proper first draft now, after a year or so of writing unpublished short stories and novels (mostly just teaching myself how to write) and reading different authors who I really like. As I progress with this first draft, I really feel confident in my abilities and the story I am telling.

I plan on self publishing through Amazon KDP. I work at a papermill, and have been setting money aside for an advertising campaign (I plan on buying /lit/ adspace, as well as more mainstream routes.) I am using a pseudonym as well, in order to not get doxxed.

If I can get 5 people, whom I do not know, to buy my book and leave a review on Amazon, I will count this as a success. Once I publish it, I will probably buy like 50 copies to pass out to friends and people I've met at literary events in my area (poetry readings, and my hometown has a Raymond Carver writing festival every year.)

I am already pretty skilled at graphic-design, so I plan on making a striking cover that will get attention (ala Mike Ma, even though I don't really like his books. Mixtape Hyperborea too, I suppose.)

I feel like trad-publishing is dead and gay, and if you shill your stuff enough in the right places, you will gain some sort of traction.

picrel is an old book cover I made some time ago for one of my manuscripts.

>>22778554
I am drunk, it has probably been closer to 3 years now. I got married when I was 18 and then got divorced when I was 20. I started writing thereafter. Not that it matters . . .

>>22778118
Thanks, I try to give my knowledge based upon what I've learned.

Take it with a grain of salt - I'm not an expert by any means, this is all just what I've learned myself.

>>22778160
That makes sense. Publishers will still take the lions share, but you'll be dragged along to success if you have a good movie, I suppose. Win-win in that case.

If that happened to my novel, I'd negotiate with the publisher directly rather than take on an agent. I lost all respect for agents.

First book done at 350kish words, still need to finish my last editing pass on the 2nd half and properly release on amazon but its available for betareaders on RR. The sequel I've been totally fucking off, and deleting, and rewriting, and fumbling and bumbling, but I'm getting back into the habit since Thanksgiving, finished the chapter I've been making no forward progress on for like 5 months, now at 28k words. My goal is be at 75k drafted by new years just need to force the words out and stitch it together later in editing.
Final objective is to start serially releasing the sequel on RR while simultaneously doing the proper ebook release for the 1st on kindle. Hopefully Q1/Q2 2024.

>>22776039
105,000 words, it's technically finished but I'm filling in bits in the middle that will probably make it balloon to 400,000 words or so

>>22776039
my first novella finished, my first novel is in proofreading, and my second one is almost 300 pages into the first draft and not even halfway through.

>>22778853
just realized you asked about word count, Novela is 44,493 words long, and the novel in proofreading right now is 182,197 words long and has taken me almost five years to write.

>>22776039
I started 11/13. 17 days and 30k words so far.

>>22776955
Do you (or any other anon) remember the name of the author/novel who's the poster child for self-pub then scouted and backed by a major house? I'm getting no luck googling, but it was a postmodernist doorstopper with easy comparisons to IJ, GR, etc. American. One of the many colourful characters was a boxer I think and maybe the title has something to do with velocity or speed? Thanks also for your other words of wisdom

>>22776039
75,000 words. Just a few chapters left to go. Haven't written a word since late August because I can't decide how I want to end it.

>>22778086
They knew what they were doing.

>>22776161
>STEM PhD
It's over. No.

LucyXXX?

>>22776039
There already are too many boks

96k words, been a process. Working on it for the past two years.

>>22780631
yeah, but not with a story as compelling as mine.

>>22776217
I've just launched an Amazon campaign. Even if it sucks, I have it set to no more than $10 a day. I waste more money than that on food and coffee, so I'm fine with it not being the best.

>>22780950
Based, I guess the more you pay, the more the ad shows up?

>>22780956
I don't fully understand it, but it seems like you bid against other people's ads to see who shows up where.

I don't know man.

On the plus side, someone bought an ebook from me almost as soon as it went live, so that's fun. Also have a few physical sales, too. And I'm slowly showing up in the inventories of stores. Already in Barnes and Noble, so that's fun.

>>22781145
Wow, I have too many questions for you. Did you start with self-publishing at first and then you were approached to have it circulating through stores?