 |
78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published |
One such book is Pat Walsh's 78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published and 14 Reasons Why It Just Might.
As the founding editor of MacAdam/Cage, an independent publisher, Pat Walsh knows what he's talking about when it comes to why a book is not published -- and why it just might be. It was generous of him to write a book that tells it like it really is. It was smart of him to write such a book with wry humor.
I agree with most of what he says, even when I wince at the cold reality he shares.
This book is not targeted to my usual clientele, writers of non-fiction who plan to self-publish. If you fall into this group, note that he is writing for literary writers who want to be accepted by a publishing house.
So, you might want to sprinkle a bit of salt on his rant against self-publishing.
On the other hand, self-publishing turns out to be more difficult than most writers imagine, so don't ignore his warnings altogether. And he is certainly correct when he points out that selling a self-published novel is like pushing a boulder up a mountain.
Whether you want to self-publish or go the trade route or write fiction or non-fiction, you need the attitude to writing that Walsh highlights in his book. Or alternatively, you could decide to become a plumber. As he says, "We need more good plumbers."
My editor friend and I can't make our clients read this book, but I join her in wishing my clients would read and heed.
Yes, I did say there were two books my editor colleague recommended. You can read my review of The First Five Pages here.
