First of all, thanks for writing this! Secondly, i would encourage you to rewrite your pitch and try again. When you started you were not where you are now. At this point you have a concept, you have built a platform and you have a body of work. Self publishing is very doable (I have done it) but you have something to say, and while you don’t need the approval of anyone, a major publication can help those words reach others. I think you have something here, and enjoy your newsletter, so matter what you decide. I am excited to keep supporting!
Thanks for the encouragement. You're probably right. A lot of this is about framing, and I have a platform, it's just hard to explain what I do on it, LMAO. Schizo type shit for sure. Thanks for your support. You'll know what happens one way or another!
Why not do all three? Agents take forever, as you know, so why not adjust your pitch to reflect that this is a multi-media work in progress. Add a card or bookmark (like something you put in a book, not the browser kind) or whatever novelty goods you're thinking about to your pitch, too. Then, while you're waiting for replies, start thinking about how you'd like to self-publish. As one of your other commenters (Alex) said, there are a lot of ways to get the book out there, so take some time to really consider which one(s) you want to use if you decide to go that route.
Smart take, as usual. You're probably closest to what will actually end up happening. There is a pitch contest closing tomorrow... and if I can get my episode finished today, I'll review my proposal and submit. And I do have a few pages of a fun workbook in a draft....and once I get tired of waiting and more familiar with KDP, I'll probably just publish it myself.
good on you for writing this post, and honestly I wanna read this book! You could publish the whole thing on substack, or sell it on gumroad or lots of things I could say that are easy for me to say and way harder to do when its your own thing.
Thanks, buddy. Looking back, I see that my first draft was missing a lot of my humor. I was super sad and serious when I wrote it, and so, I've been rewriting bits here and there. I will put it out in 2023 one way or another. Thanks for the love and support. <3
Never give up on any of the options you presented— do all three in a sense that the only one that counts is you. As a mom & a little old fashion leave out the “I’m a pussy” lol. You are a great writer have wonderful ideas, have a knack for putting your very big thought process into laymens terms and often see things before it materializes. Keep going!
Years ago, I was struggling at a job I didn't like. I had moved away from New York City to a little town 20 minutes from the Jersey Shore (don't ask). I felt lonely and unfulfilled. I wanted to move back to the city. When I spoke to my sister about it, I fully expected her to support the move back to the city, but she didn't. Not exactly. She asked me if I had given the new job a real shot. I hadn't. Then, she gave me a piece of advice that has always stuck with me: "Operate from a position of strength."
She told me to give the job a real shot. Kick ass and take names. Give it a few months. If at that point, I still didn't like the job, if I still didn't feel like I was getting something valuable from it, then I could make the move. So that's what I did. I proved to myself I could do the job well, but I still didn't feel fulfilled. So I moved back, only now I didn't feel defeated. I had done it on my own terms.
I bring this up because I, like you, have been grappling with rejections from agents, and I, like you, have toyed with the idea of self-publishing. But when I ask myself what my sister asked me all those years ago, if I'd really given it my all, I have to be honest. I haven't. I haven't burnished my manuscript to a gleaming shine. I haven't perfected my query and my agent targeting. Once I've done that, whether or not I've piqued the interest of an agent, I can choose to self-publish from a position of strength.
It seems like you're further along the process than I am, so maybe none of this applies to you. This is just what jumped to mind reading about your deliberations about what to do with your book. Either way, I hope the path you choose is right for you. Good luck!
I totally agree with your sister. However, I think I've known the position of strength all along for me: and that's a position of curiosity. I pitched because I saw a pitch workshop held by the London Writer's Salon and was curious what it would look like to go he traditional route. I self-published a board game a few years ago - which was a great experience, but I did it under the radar because I was afraid if the corporate sector got wind of it, it would effect my job prospects in the future. I found out I didn't want those kinds of jobs anyway, and so I launched this newsletter.
Writing in the open with no pseudonym, no hedging. Just me, playing, exploring ...this is my position of strength. I will probably rewrite the proposal and give it another since I only pitched a quarter of the number of agents recommended.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. Love it. And I'd love to chat more about your book and where you are in your process.
First of all, thanks for writing this! Secondly, i would encourage you to rewrite your pitch and try again. When you started you were not where you are now. At this point you have a concept, you have built a platform and you have a body of work. Self publishing is very doable (I have done it) but you have something to say, and while you don’t need the approval of anyone, a major publication can help those words reach others. I think you have something here, and enjoy your newsletter, so matter what you decide. I am excited to keep supporting!
Hey Stanley, I made this into a challenge on a really cool platform where you can get paid for your ideas... you should enter your idea here! https://bignerve.com/challenges/what-could-be-a-surprising-way-to-get-a-book-published-f2081bf8/?scout_id=natasha_mott
Thanks for the encouragement. You're probably right. A lot of this is about framing, and I have a platform, it's just hard to explain what I do on it, LMAO. Schizo type shit for sure. Thanks for your support. You'll know what happens one way or another!
Why not do all three? Agents take forever, as you know, so why not adjust your pitch to reflect that this is a multi-media work in progress. Add a card or bookmark (like something you put in a book, not the browser kind) or whatever novelty goods you're thinking about to your pitch, too. Then, while you're waiting for replies, start thinking about how you'd like to self-publish. As one of your other commenters (Alex) said, there are a lot of ways to get the book out there, so take some time to really consider which one(s) you want to use if you decide to go that route.
Smart take, as usual. You're probably closest to what will actually end up happening. There is a pitch contest closing tomorrow... and if I can get my episode finished today, I'll review my proposal and submit. And I do have a few pages of a fun workbook in a draft....and once I get tired of waiting and more familiar with KDP, I'll probably just publish it myself.
good on you for writing this post, and honestly I wanna read this book! You could publish the whole thing on substack, or sell it on gumroad or lots of things I could say that are easy for me to say and way harder to do when its your own thing.
here if you wanna chat thru it
sending love
sash
Thanks, buddy. Looking back, I see that my first draft was missing a lot of my humor. I was super sad and serious when I wrote it, and so, I've been rewriting bits here and there. I will put it out in 2023 one way or another. Thanks for the love and support. <3
Sasha! I made this into a challenge on a really cool platform where you can get paid for your ideas... you should enter your idea here! https://bignerve.com/challenges/what-could-be-a-surprising-way-to-get-a-book-published-f2081bf8/?scout_id=natasha_mott
Never give up on any of the options you presented— do all three in a sense that the only one that counts is you. As a mom & a little old fashion leave out the “I’m a pussy” lol. You are a great writer have wonderful ideas, have a knack for putting your very big thought process into laymens terms and often see things before it materializes. Keep going!
LMAO. Thanks, Mom. Sorry for all the swearing.
Years ago, I was struggling at a job I didn't like. I had moved away from New York City to a little town 20 minutes from the Jersey Shore (don't ask). I felt lonely and unfulfilled. I wanted to move back to the city. When I spoke to my sister about it, I fully expected her to support the move back to the city, but she didn't. Not exactly. She asked me if I had given the new job a real shot. I hadn't. Then, she gave me a piece of advice that has always stuck with me: "Operate from a position of strength."
She told me to give the job a real shot. Kick ass and take names. Give it a few months. If at that point, I still didn't like the job, if I still didn't feel like I was getting something valuable from it, then I could make the move. So that's what I did. I proved to myself I could do the job well, but I still didn't feel fulfilled. So I moved back, only now I didn't feel defeated. I had done it on my own terms.
I bring this up because I, like you, have been grappling with rejections from agents, and I, like you, have toyed with the idea of self-publishing. But when I ask myself what my sister asked me all those years ago, if I'd really given it my all, I have to be honest. I haven't. I haven't burnished my manuscript to a gleaming shine. I haven't perfected my query and my agent targeting. Once I've done that, whether or not I've piqued the interest of an agent, I can choose to self-publish from a position of strength.
It seems like you're further along the process than I am, so maybe none of this applies to you. This is just what jumped to mind reading about your deliberations about what to do with your book. Either way, I hope the path you choose is right for you. Good luck!
I totally agree with your sister. However, I think I've known the position of strength all along for me: and that's a position of curiosity. I pitched because I saw a pitch workshop held by the London Writer's Salon and was curious what it would look like to go he traditional route. I self-published a board game a few years ago - which was a great experience, but I did it under the radar because I was afraid if the corporate sector got wind of it, it would effect my job prospects in the future. I found out I didn't want those kinds of jobs anyway, and so I launched this newsletter.
Writing in the open with no pseudonym, no hedging. Just me, playing, exploring ...this is my position of strength. I will probably rewrite the proposal and give it another since I only pitched a quarter of the number of agents recommended.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. Love it. And I'd love to chat more about your book and where you are in your process.
Thanks, Natasha. I appreciate how open you are about your journey. Looking forward to seeing more of it.
Thank you.
Hi Pablo, I made this question into a challenge on a really cool platform where you can get paid for your ideas... you should enter your idea here! https://bignerve.com/challenges/what-could-be-a-surprising-way-to-get-a-book-published-f2081bf8/?scout_id=natasha_mott
Wayne, I think you're going to like this.: made this into a challenge on a really cool platform where you can get paid for your ideas... you should enter your idea here! https://bignerve.com/challenges/what-could-be-a-surprising-way-to-get-a-book-published-f2081bf8/?scout_id=natasha_mott
Exactly. It's an antiquated system that doesn't serve us. I'm leaning this way, but the little "validate me" winecat inside has been crying about it.