It's not that traditional publishers are trying to turn out cookie cutter books, they're not, but their focus is on making money. They look at trends and go with popular depictions of heroes, heroines, and plots. They're a hesitant to take on a story too different or one that doesn't fit a clear genre mold.
Libby has been published with traditional publishers, been nominated for prestigious awards, but having contracts don't always equate to a steady income. But, I'll let Libby tell you of her writing journey.
Only the luckiest authors achieve
publishing success without some rejection. In fact, it’s not unusual for lots
of rejection to precede “The Call” from agent or editor offering a contract.
My story is no different.
After writing for several years, having manuscripts rejected right and left, I
finally reached publishing’s happy ending – first, a contract for young adult
mysteries from Bancroft Press, and then a contract for a “chick lit” novel from
Harlequin. After that, other contracts followed, from Dorchester (for paperback
rights to my first two YAs), Sourcebooks (more chick lit – or romantic comedy),
Five Star/Cengage (my first hardcover!), and even a film option deal.
Each step of the way, I
thought to myself: This is it. I’ve made it. I can make a steady income from
what I love to do best – writing fiction.
And every time I thought that
goal had been achieved, I faced disappointment. An Edgar nomination for my
first YA didn’t make sales soar, nor did it ensure future publication of other
works with other houses. It did get query emails answered more quickly, though!
Some excellent reviews had
the same effect—that is, they didn’t jack up sales noticeably but did help me
get my manuscripts read by other editors. Even a film option deal, in the works
before the print rights had sold, didn't guarantee that a publishing house
would take on a project!
I also learned the hard way
that when a publisher doesn’t get your book reviewed by the main trade journals,
it can have a deleterious effect on your sales. A couple times this happened to
me, each time for a book that was near and dear to my heart. While it’s
impossible to tell precisely what reviews from the Big Journals (Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal
and the like) would have done for these particular books, I can’t help
thinking that the lack of such reviews meant booksellers and librarians
wouldn’t be paying much attention.
Nonetheless, like all writers
committed to their chosen field, I struggled on. I snagged online reviews when
none were appearing in print. I did book signings, virtual book tours, and paid
for one full-page ad in a romance magazine.
And I kept writing, often
finding, unfortunately, that my manuscripts were like “square pegs” that didn’t
quite fit in the “round holes” of various imprints. Some of my rejection
letters read like back cover blurbs.
Then something wonderful
happened. The Kindle was released and vigorously promoted by Amazon. Other
e-readers followed—the Nook, the iPad, and new life for the Sony E-reader.
Authors everywhere started to
discover they no longer needed to be supplicants of the “Big Six” publishing
houses in New York in order to reach readers. Self-publishing quickly and
surely began to lose its negative connotation. It no longer implied vanity
publishing, an ego-driven exercise by failed novelists (and isn’t seeking
publishing by the Big Six an ego-driven exercise anyway?).
Now there is no such thing as
a round hole into which your square peg of a novel won’t fit. Authors can
publish their slightly-off-the-beaten-track novels on their own, and many are
doing so.
Count me in with that crowd.
I now have five novels e-published through my family’s e-publishing house,
Istoria Books. One of them, an inspirational romance that had been rejected by
editors in New York and beyond, is now regularly among the top 100 bestsellers
in historical romance – in both print and e-books.
And my latest offering, a
romantic comedy (Aefle and Gisela by
Libby Malin), allowed me to explore satire – satire of academe, no less! Who in
the traditional publishing world would have taken that on?
That’s the real happy ending
of this story. E-publishing has given me the freedom to write the kinds of
stories I want to write, without that pesky shadow editor on my shoulder saying
things like: “But remember how that agent told you this kind of plot doesn’t
sell or that one said the heroine has to be this way or another one suggested
you try for this kind of hero…” Those voices have been silenced.
Now I can let my own voice
sing.
_________
AEFLE AND GISELA BY LIBBY MALIN
Stopping a wedding -- what could go wrong?
History Prof Thomas Charlemagne takes a dare and stops a wedding in an attempt to put his "Timid Tommy" reputation to rest at long last....Only problem? It's the wrong wedding.
Legal problems ensue that could wreck his career as the world's leading expert on a poetry-writing medieval monk, Aefle, and his secret love, Gisela, both of whom provide a template for Thomas’s own struggles with life and love.
A heady mix of outlandish comedy, sharp wit and biting satire, Aefle & Gisela is the perfect summer beach read. EXCERPT
Hurry—it’s on sale for only 99 cents as part of a book
launch promotion!
_______
Libby
Malin is the award-winning author of romance, literary, mystery and young
adult fiction. In an attempt to thoroughly confuse her reader fans, she writes
comedy under the name Libby Malin and serious fiction under the name Libby
Sternberg. Her first young adult mystery, Uncovering
Sadie’s Secrets, was an Edgar nominee, and her first romantic comedy, Fire Me, was optioned for film. She
lives in Pennsylvania, has three children and one husband, and confesses to
watching “Real Housewives” shows despite enormous amounts of culture-guilt.
Visit
the author’s website at: http://www.LibbyMalin.com
Visit
the Istoria Books blog to read an interview with the author by her alter ego: http://istoriabooks.blogspot.com/2011/09/libby-interviews-libby-about-aefle.html
Some
praise for Libby Malin's other comedic novels:
Booklist -- Malin
creates a world of wit and chaos that is …smart and insightfully written (My
Own Personal Soap Opera).
Publishers Weekly -- A whimsical look at the vagaries of dating... an intriguing
side plot adds punch and pathos to the story...(Loves Me, Loves Me Not)
_____
