A Literary Hail Mary Pass!
I’ve mentioned before my plans to self-publish my YA fantasy novel, Worlds Apart, with Xlibris. It was not a decision I made lightly, in fact, it was one the wife and I approached from several angles before deciding we could make it work. So, I revised and revised before printing 4 copies to go to strategic readers, chosen according to their individual strengths. But a funny thing happened as I started getting their notes back.
After reading How I Got Published, a compilation of several authors and their success stories, I decided that I might send out a query letter or two. After all, I have until August to either fish or cut bait with Xlibris. That’s roughly seven months to get queries out, hear back, and (if someone wants to see more) get chapters out. If things go well, I can pull out of the Xlibris deal, get my money back and bet my chips on the literary agent. If no one sees my genius for what it is (snark!), I can still self-publish and put all my effort into promoting it. Then the next manuscript can get the full-on push to agents.
Now, you’re probably thinking that it’s ridiculous to allow only a few months to get something positive back from an agent. I agree. But this is a hail mary pass. It’s a chance, it just isn’t much of one. I could be a one in a million success story. Then again, I could get a mailbox full of rejection. The things is, I don’t really have anything to lose. If no one wants it, I can publish through Xlibris and put my heart and soul into branding myself and my characters. My book will see the light of day one way or the other. The hail mary is just a desperate hope flung toward the heavens with a prayer that it’ll find a receiver. If not, I still have another down with my running back, Xlibris.
Am I crazy? Sure. Most writers are. But the thing is - you have to take steps, put yourself out there, dare to dream that someone out there will really get what you’re trying to do, or the game will be over before it starts. I’m a writer. I know it. I believe that my work can be marketable. I really do. So I’m going to do what I can to get my work into the hands of people who can help me realize its potential. No matter which play gets me yardage, I’m keeping my eyes on the goal line. Are you? How committed are you to your passion for writing? If you aren’t willing to throw a hail mary from time to time, I dare say you aren’t committed enough.
Want to prove me wrong? Write more. Write now.
J
J. Patrick Lemarr @ January 9, 2008