It’s Over

On the thirteenth of March 2013, I wrote:

“Look, boys,” said Mother. “Someone has sent you a package.”

Ten years, ten months, and twenty-five days later, I put the final fullstop (period, in the US) on the final sentence. And the tale ended.

Oddly, there was no jubilation. I did not punch the air in celebration. I took the cigar I had been saving for years to mark this event and smoked it on the balcony in a state of stunned melancholy. For the two days after that, I walked around feeling like someone had kicked me in the stomach. It has been, and continues to be, a huge adjustment. For the past decade, The Talisman has been at the forefront of my mind, and it is a shock to not be either actively writing it, thinking about writing it, or feeling a deep sense of shame for not working on it (that took up most of the time). I now have to get used to doing nothing, and not being guilt-ridden about it.

I have turned, instead, to thinking about the Big Publicity Push, which has not shaped up in the way I envisioned. Basically, my Imagination and Reality went into a room, and only one came out. And it was Reality. Seems I don’t need—or want—a Big Publicity Push. What this project calls for is a series of Small Publicity Pokes; that being more effective and (hopefully) attainable.

I am pleased with my efforts, the books look professionally formatted, I’m no longer ashamed of the covers (thank you, GetCovers), and I am embracing my Self-Published status.

Like Internet Dating, Self-Publication no longer carries the stigma originally associated with it. Sure, it can lead to some dodgy outcomes, but in today’s world, it is a valid, viable option. Often the only one.

In my previous post, I noted that the benefits of a real publisher—unless you snag a contract with Penguin or Simon & Schuster—have diminished to the point where it is almost not worth it. With that off the table, Self-Publication really is the best option, especially for The Talisman series. And here’s why:

• Are the stories good enough for others to enjoy? Yes, they are lean, fast-paced, and full of action.
• Is the prose polished to a publishable standard? Yes, I honestly believe it is.
• Can the books compete with the YA books currently gracing the library shelves? Not on your life.

No publisher is going to touch these books. The stories popular now feature over-the-top action laden with every bell and whistle imaginable, liberally shot through with all manner of socially important issues. In my books, there is an appalling lack of minority characters, not a single mention of the LGBTQIA+ community, and none of the characters is self-harming, grappling with transition, or suffering a traumatic home life. What I have written are good, solid stories, with plenty of action and few distractions, and that is as out-of-date as hunting for your future spouse in the local dance hall.

The problem I’m going to face, however, is keeping people listening after they hear the words, “Self-Published,” finding some way of keeping them from thinking, “Oh, someone else has put a rancid piece a shit up on Amazon and thinks they’re God’s gift to the literary world,” a way of saying, “just because it’s self-published doesn’t mean it’s bad,” which sounds as needy and whiney as, “no, really, we’re happily married, even though we met through a dating app.”

The good news is, the tide is turning for Self-Publication, and there is ample precedent (The Martian by Andy Weir, Eragon by Christopher Paolini, and Jane Austen, to name but a few). Also, I believe in the books, and publicizing them by giving them a kick into the public eye every now and again shouldn’t take as much time, or cause as much angst, as writing them did.

Although I have not officially released the series (the final two books are still being beta read), they are all up on Amazon, so you can buy them at any time (hint, hint). When the beta reading is done for The Isle of Avalon and The Talisman, I’ll let you know. And then, perhaps, we can give this a rest.