September 22, 2009
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Which One????
Here’s the thing… I have two unpublished YA novels- an earlier one from 5+ years ago that has gathered 10 + rejection slips so far and the new one I want to self-publish. I am a much better writer now than I was 5 years ago and I think the new one is better. This is a major YA contest. IF I enter the new one, I can’t publish it until March or April if it loses- which means I miss the Christmas market. IF I enter the old one, I need to do one more major rewrite in the next month, and I can’t submit it anywhere until March or April. I can send one and self-publish the other, of course… but which one?
I’m off to the library tomorrow to read all the old winners I can find to see what they like and that might help me make the decision.
The older one needs a new title, but all the marketing pieces for it are done and I was going to start sending it again in a few weeks anyway.
We need to see something break here- between the job market being so bad and not getting paid for writing, I need to concentrate on marketing and job hunting full time. I don’t know that I can afford for a novel to sit in contest for six or seven months. I need to make some money or see some kind of real progress as a writer. I can’t keep writing and not selling (well, actually I could, but that doesn’t help with the bills!)
I have a full body of work here: the manga story- which is waiting for the artist/creator to have time to finish it before it can be published, the screenplay that failed in the screenplay contest, two YA novels, 1 adult novel, the outline for a new manga with the first episode sketched out, half of YA fantasy novel done, half of a YA girl novel done, ideas for a third YA sketched out in my head, a screenplay screaming for writing time, two complete TV pilots written, and enough school stories for its own book. We’ve agreed that I need to sell something or at least market my heart out. I’ve been living with 2009 Writer’s Market open, doing my homework, visiting publishing sites, checking out their catalogues, and I am slowly identifying a few that might be a good match. I should be sending things out again in a week or two.
I could send both YA’s to the contest as well- but then… what?
Open to any reasonable suggestions…
Comments (26)
A writer can always write. Which one is worthy of the YA contest? Yes, you can send both and write a new one. Or rewrite the first and send it because it’s the one you tried ten different other times. What’s the point of a contest? Are you still at contest level? Isn’t submitting to a major publisher like submitting to a contest? They publish, you win. I don’t know, just guessing. You’re still further on as a writer than many I know. All the best!
@POETIC_ISIS - the contest is with a major publishing company. you win- they publish… and if you’ve not sold then you’re still at the contest level i’m afraid. i’ve been rejected by the best agents in the business and some of the not so best lately! and for YA you tend to need a agent for most of the big publishing houses. thanks!
Best of luck.
Which one “feels” better? And a random thought: do you have a conference near you where you can pitch like there’s no tomorrow and get feedback on your delivery or topic or…? It helped me a whole lot!!
You basically said yourself above that you CAN “keep writing and not selling (even if it doesn’t help with the bills).” It may be hard financially but why not enter your best product in the contest? You may make some money if you self-publish for the holiday season market but is that money worth keeping that book out of the contest?
I don’t have advice, since I don’t even have the energy to send out my manuscript, but I would enter the best piece in the contest, since self-publishing does not turn into income — and if it does, by sheer hard work or good luck, it takes time. Don’t make the decision based on making money from self-publishing. Your stockpiled unpublished work shows great determination! Good for you!
oh my! I don’t have suggestions since I stopped joining writing contests years ago. But I like your idea of researching past winners (winning pieces), I did that before and it was a great help. Knowing the trend can help you decide.
Wish you luck!
~Yang
I want to say to submit the new one for publication and polish and rework the old one for the contest… but man, I don’t know. YA is such a hot market right now despite the economic downturn. Now… if you could just write erotica, I have an editor and publishing house aching for good submissions.
@BoureeMusique - that means learning a whole new vocab- erotica that is!
@hapax23 - thanks!
@CanadianNational - i have a bit of hard time condensing book 2 into a pitch- as if i can’t get a handle on what it’s really about.. i keep trying tho
@SammyStorm2 - think you’re right! sigh!
@ideaguy - i have worked nearly every day at writing for 4+ years now- thus the body of work. i haven’t worked consistently at the marketing part.
@furtherthoughts - i agree and YA’s aren’t a hard read so it’s been worth my time!
If you think the newer one is better, submit it if you are committed to submitting something to the contest. Self-publishing is expensive, and it could take you several years to recoup your printing costs. You self-publish out of love, not because you want to make money. So submit your best work to the contest for your best chance at winning.
I realized something at this last conference: I am NOT a marketing person. So, I decided that (for me) I will need a person to do that for me, aka an agent. Have you pitched to agents? Let them do the hard work – and since $$ isn’t a major concern for you, it might be worth the 15% they receive for their work.
???
Just wanna wish BEST OF LUCK to you!
It looks like you have a lot of good advice.
Like you said, you are a much better writer today than five years ago when I first started reading you. When I asked myself the question about how much ego had to do with wanting to get my book published it completely changed my direction. I am much more interested now in using my writing to connect with truth. If I can practice here and connect with you and others like you I feel satisfied. It’s about the sharing.
But I realize you are used to a bigger circle, and, being bicultural, your circle is huge
@AuthorSmokyTrudeau - there are a lot of self-publishing options open that don’t cost a ton upfront anymore. you still have to do all the marketing, etc to make a profit and it will take awhile. and i think i could bring the older book up to speed fairly quickly- it’s not that one is good and the other is bad as much as one is currently better.
@CanadianNational - agents… i’ve been rejected by the best so far…
thanks!
@ydurp - my goal has always been to be published- from the very beginning. it’s one of the reasons i’ve worked so hard on my writing. there are plenty of writers content with publishing online and my readership online has been very satisfying. i wish it was enough for me!
Wow…sorry, I’ve no advice as I know nothing of publishing fiction. As strange as it sounds, academic publishing is a completely different animal…especially with a large university publisher. Without professional knowledge, I would go with submitting the 2nd one while reworking the first. But give yourself a set time-frame as you don’t want to be reworking it forever right?
@athanasius2k4 - so send in the 2nd one and try to have the first ready to self-publish in a few months? maybe that’s not a bad compromise! thanks!
RYC: Thanks – we’re good for now.
Try self-publishing first, then try your luck again with the publishers.