Okay, it’s almost the end of September, and regular blog-readers will know that I intended to publish Chion at some point this month. Am I going to make it? No. October, then? Maybe not.
Here’s the deal. Earlier in the year, I entered a short story called “Time Travel for Dummies” into The James White Award competition. The results are due in October, and I have to believe there’s a chance I can win (otherwise I wouldn’t have entered, would I?).
My guess is, the magic words “I won this year’s James White Award” would go a long way to attracting the attention of a literary agency. And in order to approach an agency, I need to have a fresh, unpublished product available to shop around. So, it makes sense to hold off from self-publishing Chion until I see whether I’m in with a shot with the big boys.
After all, as indie writers, finding an agent and being traditionally published is our big aspiration.
I hope you win, Darryl.
But, um, I thought you were a self-publish-only guy. Or has things changed? Or did I misread one of your posts from waaay back (can’t remember which one)?
I’m a defender of self-publishing, and I chose that route because I’m realistic about the poor chances we all have with traditional publishing. But when an opportunity permits itself, I’m going to try to grab it. This competition, for instance, is significant because it wasn’t open to pros.
Also, the way I’m feeling at the moment, recalling the exhausting experience of trying to sell Ulterior, I’m not sure I’ve got it in me to do that twice. And in my experience, as soon as you stop actively promoting a work, sales drop to zero; it doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a smart-looking website or not.
It would mean a lot to me have somebody else handle the whole promotion and distribution side of the business. And having a couple of thousand copies of my work in circulation would be a big plus.
All in all, it’s worth waiting for the competition results.
Hi Darryl
Is any updated release date for Chion available? Just curious.
Best,
Mick
Hi, Mick.
Well, you’ll be glad to know that I’m no longer planning to hang around and truck the book around various agents.
I haven’t set a date for publication, but it makes sense to get the book out during winter, as it is a winter themed story.
Keep your eyes on the blog for more news.