Hi everyone!

We’ve had a number of writers ask us what we think is the best way to go about getting published in book-length fiction or nonfiction. Here are a few of the questions underlying this issue, and the Writer’s Relief response:

Should I try to get my book published traditionally even though it’s hard, or should I just self-publish?

Once you make the decision to self-publish, it can sometimes be much trickier to convert to a traditional, paying publishing house. Self-publishing only looks easier than traditional publishing. First, go for the gold: Look for a literary agent. Try for a book deal. You WILL get rejections and you will get lots of them. It's been said that the difference between an amateur writer and a professional one is that a professional is an amateur who didn’t quit. Only after you’ve exhausted the possibilities should you fall back on self-publishing. And then, be certain of what you’re getting into.

How do I know when to give up my desire to get a paying book deal?

Writers get rejection letters. It’s a rite of passage that doesn’t end. Every time you open a rejection letter, you should give yourself a big pat on the back. Why? The fact that you sent out query letters at all means you’re ahead of the game (because you’re ahead of writers who give up too soon or who don’t have an effective submission strategy). Each rejection is a symbol of your positive, go-get-’em attitude, and you should celebrate that accomplishment!

It’s been our experience (working in publishing since 1994) that a writer should not give up on getting a traditional book deal until he or she has sent out at least 100 queries to literary agents. And even then, a paying book contract may still be available, especially if your book appeals to the niche markets that small presses often target.

In short, go until you can’t go anymore. Then, keep going. That’s how character (and literary celebrity) is born.

Got a question for Ronnie about the book biz, poetry, short stories, or other prose writing? Send your question to info@wrelief.com.

Remember: If you're looking for someone to help take the frustration out of the submission process, consider Writer's Relief!

And if you want to chat with me in real time, why not come hang out with me on Twitter? www.twitter.com/writersrelief.

Dear Writers,

We get a lot of questions from writers all across the country (and from faraway countries as well) here at Writer’s Relief, and we’re always doing our best to help writers in all stages of their careers. More and more we’ve been inundated with questions about self-publishing.

The subject of self-publishing comes up a lot these days, which is why we wrote this article: Is Self-Publishing The Easiest Way To Get Published? Decoding The Hype And The Facts. Every week we receive questions from writers who have self-published their books. Though there are many happily self-published writers out there, the writers who continually seek out our advice are those who are disappointed with the results of their self-publishing efforts and who want to know what to do next. They feel saddened that their books didn’t hit it big, that their publishers didn’t come through, that they accidentally got stuck in bad contracts with distributors, etc. They also feel concerned about how their self-publishing efforts will be received by literary agents and editors. We love that writers turn to us for answers; we do our best to develop a plan with them so they can get their submissions circulating again.

Self-publishing can be a great way to get your book in print, provided you have business know-how and your expectations are realistic. We hope our articles will help you make informed decisions about when to self-publish and when to keep trying to find a home at a major publishing house.

For this Ask Ronnie post, we wanted to tackle a question that was asked of us recently:

Q. Which makes more money: self-publishing or traditional publishing?

A. Self-publishing and traditional publishing offer very different methods of dealing with finances. The cost of self-publishing is generally absorbed by the author in one form or another; the cost of traditional publishing is absorbed by the publishing house.

With traditional publishing, authors make most of their profit up front (an advance), then, if they are able to “sell through” (sell all their copies), they’ll start making royalties. With self-publishing, there is more variety in how an author is paid, if the author is paid at all. Each self-publishing company will have its own standards. Generally, royalties on self-published books and E-books tend to be higher than royalties on traditionally published books—in part because a self-publishing company has a lot less at stake and puts less effort (and dollars) into a given project than a traditional publisher. Though self-publishing royalties are significantly higher, sales volume tends to be significantly lower in most cases. In the end, how much money you make depends on 1) how good your book is, 2) how well you market it, and 3) how widely your book is distributed.

We hope you enjoy our Newsflash. Send your questions to me at info@wrelief.com. And, as always, keep writing!

Ronnie Smith
Writer's Relief, Inc.
http://www.WritersRelief.com/

P.S. If you want to chat with me in real time, why not come hang out with me on Twitter? www.twitter.com/writersrelief.