Over the past year, I’ve had several people to email me and ask how they can self-publish their novel – they’re usually assuming that I self-published my books. I then state that I’m not self-published, so I’m not the best person to give advice about that subject.

I still feel I’m not the best to give advice, but since so many have asked me, I thought I’d share some thoughts I’ve garnered through the internet. First I’ve noticed that some self-published people want a traditional contract, however, you need to realize that self-publishing your novel is not the key to landing a traditional contract. People will name The Shack as an example of a self-published novel that is now traditionally published and has sold milllions of copies! That’s true, however, The Shack is an exception, not the rule. Most self-published novels are hard to sell, so you need to be sure you have a solid marketing plan to get rid of your books.

Literary Agent Chip Macgregor did a great blog entry about this recently. Check out the link here. Be sure to read the comments as well as the blog post! I felt there was useful information in both the post and the comments!
I did think the Lightning Source option seemed reasonable, pricewise – more reasonable than Thomas Nelson’s and Harlequin’s vanity models, however, the price would go up once all of the editing and cover design was done.

Also, I’d think you’d need to seek out those who’ve successfully self-published a novel and ask them for advice, one-on-one. However, success is relative. Someone may self-pub a novel, sell one hundred copies, and consider that a success, and someone else may have a much higher measure for success. So, I’d think you’d need to decide how many copies you’re trying to sell, and then try and target self-pubbed authors of novels who’ve sold around your targeted amount (or even more than your targeted amount.)

How do you go about finding a reputable content editor, copy editor, and cover artist? I’m not sure! I’d think an internet search would help you! Also, like I’d mentioned above, if you can find some good self-published titles, then you can ask those authors who did their cover art and editing.

I’ve never hired my own editor, but I’ve heard good things about these two freelance editors:

1. Andy Meisenheimer – I believe he used to work for Zondervan, so I’d think he’d be a good choice. From glancing through his website, it appears he only offers editorial services for work contracted by traditional publishers – but he does offer mentoring services for unpublished novelists. I’m assuming the mentoring service would help to improve your manuscript?

2. Camy Tang – I’ve heard people mention that she’s a good editor, too.

Also, my sister is a great artist! She has designed covers for self-published books before! Here’s her website if you’re interested!

That’s all I know about self-published novels, and this is based upon what other people have told me, not upon my own experiences!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

I can’t believe it. I just found out today that Harlequin – the largest romance publisher out there, has now started their own self publishing division called Harlequin Horizons. Yikes! Sad, sad, sad. I know they want to make money, but then, I think about all the hard work I’ve done to get published. Now somebody can just pay to be a Harlequin author…I did look through the website. Not sure how to comment on the prices and such since I’m not very familiar with self-publishing models.

Also, if you submit the traditional way to Harlequin, if you get rejected, they’ll just tell you in their rejection letter…why don’t you give Harlequin Horizons a try?…Now, they might be able to make money from the slush pile…but not with traditional contracts. If the Harlequin Horizons title is what Harlequin considers successful, then they might offer you a traditional contract. My mind is beginning to wander now…will Harlequin Horizons eventually take place of the slush pile? Think about it, you get tons of people to pay money to get their romance novel published, then, when Harlequin has some open slots to fill, they just pull out the list of stats for their Harlequin Horizons titles. When they figure which ones are successful, they offer the Harlequin Horizons authors a traditional contract, and then have no need to dig through the slush anymore? Frightening thought!

I’m not knocking self-pubbing, but, I’m just shocked that Harlequin’s doing this. First Thomas Nelson, now Harlequin…who’s next???

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Novelist Hillary Manton Lodge left the following comment on this blog post:

I think it’s important to add that, even as you shop books, it’s important to be writing others, and mention them in your queries/cover letters. If an agent/publisher likes your writing style but isn’t interested in that particular story, listing others can be a wise move.

Thanks for pointing that out, Hillary. I’ve come across lots of writers who do one book and work hard to find a publisher, but they don’t do another! You have to keep writing…start another project. Let those editors, agents, and publishers know that you’re working on another piece. If you meet an editor at a conference, and she doesn’t like your idea, you could always say…”Well, I’m also working on XYZ project, maybe you’ll like that idea better.”

It’s worth a shot. For the most part, I’m always working on something, and if you’re trying to get a contract with a commercial publisher, then you should always be working on a book!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

I’m finally finished with the project that I mentioned here.

I’ve been working on this thing sporadically for about five years…BUT, the only reasons it’s taken me so long is because:

1. I had a baby (who’s now four years old).
2. I’ve been selling other novels to Barbour Publishing, and contracted work takes priority over my recently-completed project entitled Southern Comfort.
3. I’ve also written another novel, since I’ve started this one, that was rejected. However, writing that other novel took time away from my working on Southern Comfort.
4. I work full-time, and I run a household! Takes lots of time to do that!
So, there you have it! That’s why it’s taken me years to complete this big tome of a book! I plan on submitting the full to an agent who requested it awhile back. I’ve also got two other agents that I’m going to submit to, also. I normally don’t take this long to write a book…I can usually have one done in a matter of months if I set my mind to it and concentrate. When you have a contract, you’re forced to finish by a certain time!

Just feels good to be done! Now hopefully, and prayerfully, my Southern Comfort will find a home!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Kelli wrote to ask me this question:
Could you please advise what a writer is do when all
avenues have been exhausted in trying to get their book
published and self-publishing/co-publishing is not even
an option. I am feeling a little like I should just stop trying and stop
writing, this is my second book.

My response:
Don’t quit! I was writing for FIVE AND A HALF YEARS before I got a contract with a traditional/commercial publisher. During that five and a half years, I wrote during most of my spare time and completed several books – most of those will remain in my basement closet, they’re so bad! All I can say is put that book back on the shelf and start another novel. Also, are you involved in a writers’ group or a critique group? If you congregate with like-minded individuals, that may help you. Since I write Christian romance novels, the two organizations that have helped me the most is Romance Writers Of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. Both of those organizations may have chapters and critique groups that meet in your area? You’ll need to check and see. Also, two blogs that you might want to visit regularly are Literary Agents Chip Macgregor and Rachelle Gardner. I visit both of these blogs and they are always giving cool advice for both new and seasoned writers. Go to those blogs and scroll through some of the old posts. They’re a wealth of information to use if you’re trying to get your work commercially/traditionally published.

I can’t really advise about self-publishing because I’m not very familiar with it. I know I never wanted to get self-published – I wanted to sign a contract where I’d be getting an advance and royalties for each copy of my novel that sold. I didn’t want to pay to have my work published. I do know that if you self-publish, you need to be sure you have a solid marketing plan so that you can sell lots of books. I know self-publishing USUALLY works better if you’re doing NON-FICTION.

Vanessa wrote:
I’m a writer and I’ve been “shopping” my novel around for a little while. I’ve gotten good responses from editors, but no one is willing to give me a chance so I’m trying to decide how to proceed. I’ve done some partner publishing with Beckham Publishing on two other books with my husband, but my novel is what I really want to get released. Any advice? An editor from a major company really liked my book but when it came before the larger group it was rejected. This person has put me in touch with an editor they use and I’m planning to work with her to do final edits on the book before proceeding.

My response:
Read my advice for the previous question. Also, you might want to send that editor, the one from the major publishing company, a letter, thanking her for considering your work and, you’d like the opportunity to submit another project to her in the future.

Got anymore questions? Please send them in!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

I still have one or two book reviews that I’ll be doing within the next day or so. However, I have to place a self-imposed ban on books over the next week (at least!). Reason being, I’ve been blessed with some great reading material lately for my blog…so great that I haven’t been able to put the book down! Reading has been dominating my life over the past week and I need to put a stop to it so that I can work on my own writing!!

So, hopefully, my self-imposed one-week book ban will help me catch up with my writing projects!

I’ll be reviewing The Hope Of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall tomorrow. Great book that took up a lot of my time…but it was oh, so enjoyable! 🙂

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Anonymous left the following question on this post.

You said that you were judging a contest? What criteria do you use to decide to give a person a high score?

I’m about to judge another contest, and I recalled that I never answered this question. I usually give a person a high score when I’m mesmerized by the entry so much, that I feel like I’m reading a book instead of a contest entry. When I judge contests, I notice that a great majority of the entries read as if it’s somebody “trying” to write a book. When I lose myself in the reading of the words, wanting the story to go on past the pages provided by the entrant, that’s when I know they’ve done a good job. Usually, when I give somebody a high score, I feel as if the entry belongs on a bookshelf, so that others can enjoy it.

I rarely give high scores on contest entries – usually the stories need a lot of work before they’re up to publication standards…at least they do in my opinion!

Hope my explanation helps!

Do you have any questions about contests or how to commercially publish your novel? Feel free to email me or leave a comment with your question and I’ll answer it sometime in the future!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Yesterday, my local Romance Writers of America (RWA) Chapter, Washington Romance Writers (WRW), had a discussion about plagiarism. Author Nora Roberts and blogger/author Sarah Wendell talked about the different reactions from readers once plagiarism is discovered. Nora was plagiarized by Janet Daily back in the late nineties. I remember this well. I was still going to RWA conferences regularly back then, and everybody was talking about it. Here’s a summary of what Roberts talked about yesterday. This is from this Wikipedia link, under the Plagiarism heading:
In 1997, another best-selling romance writer, Janet Dailey, admitted to repeatedly plagiarizing from Roberts’ work. The practice came to light after a reader read Roberts’ Sweet Revenge and Dailey’s Notorious back-to-back; she noticed several similarities and posted the comparable passages on the Internet. Calling the plagiarism “mind rape,” Roberts sued Dailey. Dailey acknowledged the plagiarism and blamed it on a psychological disorder. She admitted that both Aspen Gold and Notorious lifted heavily from Roberts’s work. Both of those novels were pulled from print after Dailey’s admission. In April 1998 Dailey settled the case. Although terms were not released, Roberts had previously indicated that any settlement funds should be donated to the Literacy Volunteers of America.

When Sarah Wendell exposed the Cassie Edwards’ case on (NOTE, THIS IS A SECULAR ROMANCE SITE AND THERE’S SOME PROFANITY ON IT. I’M LINKING TO IT BECAUSE IT’S THE BLOG POST THAT EXPOSED AUTHOR CASSIE EDWARDS’ PLAGIARISM AND IT WAS THE SUBJECT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY.)her blog, it was a more recent event, but there were mixed (many negative) reactions from her blog readers.

It appears that when this happens, some make the plagiarizer out to be the victim! Now, that’s frightening! And we’re not talking about just one sentence that was copied. We’re talking about whole passages that were copied from one author’s work to another author’s book…several passages! They may have changed the character names, and a word or two, but it’s basically the same passage!

If a writer is the victim of plagiarism, then they have every right to let others know that their words were stolen! I feel that some readers don’t realize how much time and effort goes into writing a book! If this were to happen to me, I’d be dumbfounded, hurt, and highly upset.

Nora and Sarah took questions, and somebody asked how they felt about the younger generation and plagiarism. With the internet, it’s easy to look stuff up, copy and paste it into a document, change a few words, and then call it your own? Nora said that the kids need to be taught that it’s wrong to take words, change them a bit, and then call them their own! This question prompted me to mention this fairly recent case, involving Kaavya Viswanathan, and her novel How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, And Got A Life. Kaavya was around twenty when this novel was released. What bothers me is, Kaavya apparently got to keep her advance? I did read this novel (even though it had been pulled from the shelves) I already had a copy. I also had the Megan McCafferty book from which Kaavya had stolen passages. I loved the Kaavya novel, but couldn’t get through the McCafferty book. Was it youth and immaturity that played into Kaavya’s decision to plagiarize? I feel she knew what she was doing! Also, since I enjoyed the novel, I feel that she could have developed a talent, eventually, to write a good novel. By making this foolish decision, she ended her literary career forever (at least I think she did)?

However, when plagiarism happens, the plagiarizer will sometimes go on to another publisher, and continue to write books and get them published! That’s a frightening thought!

A used bookstore owner was present. She had two old Harlequin/Silhouette titles by two different authors. She said that someone came into her store a long time ago, upset because, apparently, there were passages that were copied from one book to the other. This made me think that plagiarism is a problem that needs to be fully brought to light and squelched! Often, when the crime happens, the offender continues to publish books! It doesn’t always ruin their career!

I believe there MAY be several books out there that were plagiarized – however, the crime may never be discovered since there are a gazillion books published, and the chances of someone reading the two books back to back (which seems to be how this crime is sometimes discovered) is minimal. However, with the internet, it is sometimes easier to find copied books, especially with some books scanned on Google. This would therefore make it easier at times to find passages from novels that were used elsewhere.

I got to thinking about this yesterday and wondered if this problem exists in the Christian market? I’ve never heard of it happening there, but if anybody has, please comment on this blog post and let me, and other blog readers, know the details.

Oh, well, I guess we have to do what we can, and leave the rest in the Lord’s hands!

~Cecelia Dowdy~