Writing: Traditional or Indie Publishing?

This is my post for Day 16 of the Author Blog Challenge.


 
 Did you publish your book as a traditionally printed book, an eBook, or both? How did you come to your decision? Which company(ies) did you use for printing and distribution? How did you select them?

I haven't published my books yet. I have some calendars for sale on Lulu.com and my children have books for sale as both ebooks and print books in the book shop there.

I am planning on using Amazon for my books which will be available as traditionally printed books and Kindle books. Amazon has the widest distribution of all of the different self-publishing firms I have checke dout so far, and the cost is minimal. However, I will only use them if I decide to go the self-publishing route. I haven't decided yet whether I want to go the traditional publishing route or not yet.

I may have to when it comes to my children's picture books, but that is because I have no skill at all when it comes to drawing and am not capable of illustrating my own books. I tried to teach myself to draw, but the best I was able to do just wasn't good enough for the way I want my picture books represented. You can see my attempts at drawing on Designing Doodles. I still have fun trying to draw though.

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Writing for Real

I feel as though most of my writing up until now has been hobby writing, and I feel this way because I haven't actually done much with the stories, articles and poems I have written. I haven't shared them here. I haven't completed either of my novels or started editing them. I still have my three children's stories and they aren't illustrated yet.

What I have done that is not just hobby writing is I have become a regular writer for a magazine. I write monthly on the topic of raising healthy kids for Beverly Hills Child Magazine. This is great, but it's only a start.

I have career goals for my writing and those goals are achievable. I just need to keep working towards them. To this end, I have decided to set up a list of tasks for myself to do in which, with each of the tasks that I achieve, I will be getting closer to reaching my goals.

Watch this space, because I will be published this year and in more than one venue!

What would you include in a list of tasks if you were making the list of tasks for yourself?

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Websites For Hopeful Authors

There's a new way for writers to get noticed and it's on-line and free. Random House's website Authonomy.com is a place where writers can post their writing, the whole book or just a few chapters, and as they get positive comments and constructive criticism from readers, their work can move up the list. The goal is to have your work become one of the top ten in its category. The publishing company Random House reviews the top ten each month.

This is not the only publishing company doing this. Penguin Books has set up Spinebreakers, a similar site geared towards teenagers. And the Arts Council in England has set up YouWriteOn.com.

The publishing world is opening up to wannabe authors.