Vanity – or common sense?

A friend of mine emailed me a story over the weekend – which detailed a new Kindle ereader scheme that would offer authors an online platform for their work in exchange for a 30 percent share of the profits. All a writer had to do was send in a completed manuscript, set the price – and voila – they would be in business…

I immediately sent him a note back – a regretful one, I might add – stating that to my knowledge this type of self-publishing was classed as ‘vanity’ by the conventional publishing industry, and was therefore the kiss of death to any author hoping to make a name for themselves.

But then I got to thinking…

Could this actually be the perfect opportunity to establish a profile that would ultimately attract a publisher or agent? Okay, the odds of it would be fairly small, but consider this: US singer Mike Posner made his name by uploading his music to MySpace… something that didn’t stop a music company engaging his services when his popularity became apparent.

I thought this would be a great topic for discussion – so am looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I’d love to hear from anyone who has gone down, or is considering, this route. 

Best regards, 

Nadia

Serendipity & Co…

Without wishing to direct you away from this blog (no, please come back!!!) there’s a great story by Anne Rooney on an Awfully Big Blog Adventure that I think you’ll enjoy – if you haven’t come across it already that is. Click here to read... I think you’ll agree that it was a great use of hot pink during a time of frustration!

Anne’s story is a corker in itself but it got me thinking about those little details and coincidences that writers are always looking for. Since I seriously set about coming up with book ideas and storytelling, I’ve been amazed at how much inspiration there is in many of the everyday events I happen to witness and the people I meet. As a journalist I am required to concentrate on newsworthiness – and depending on the publication I am working for, it can be a challenge. When it comes to writing fiction, however, I am suddenly at liberty to draw on all those quirky characteristics and situations I come across and use them as I see fit! Writing aside, I think that’s why I love the creative side of this industry so much. I may not know what it feels like to be a published author, but there’s no doubt that I’m already looking at life through an entirely different lens.

Best regards,

Nadia