I AM A HAPPY FAILURE

Have to put my half-cent's worth in on this one...

If you e-publish with smashwords, there is no charge. A bit of work to get the manuscript into their format. If I can do it, anyone can.

Second, the whole POD thing is not that difficult, either. Granted, you have to do a little marketing and you probably won't sell a zillion copies. Depends on if you feel like seeing your work in print.

I have not given up on the traditional publishers--not by a long shot. However, I have had a blast with the two books now either on POD or making their way into print.

Perhaps it is vanity. Who cares, really? I just believe I didn't spend all that time and effort getting the books down in words, not to see them filter into the world.
You never know what will happen. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.

I understand the whole health thing. How it takes a lot of your precious energy. How it changes your focus. I DO understand.
Just some things to mull over, hon...

Rhett,

What about the illustrations?

Failure is what a person is when they give up. What would Lane, or Dick tell you?

Domenic

Domenic,

Thanks for mentioning Lane and Dick.

I am reading Lane's new book and it is gripping. It is Lane through and through without so much as one wasted word.

If Lane were here, he would edit it for me.

By the way, his co-author James R Smith is a member of this board.

Lane was editing The Fun Times for me. I sure miss that guy.

Dick was always encouraging.

Do I have to succeed at everything?

It might not be your book, but the letter you sent out. Post the letter, lets take a look at it.

Domenic

The letter was 100% successful. Three letters, three requests to see the manuscript.

I only sent it, the manuscript, to two. Maybe I should try the third. I am just tired of it.

Have you ever heard the expression, "Failure is turning back just before you reach the end of the journey"?

Ann

I did that on Mt Rainier and am alive to tell about it.

There is a time to persevere and a time to call it quits.

If there was a shortage of children's books, I'd persevere.

To have a book out is the easy part. Selling it is another matter.

A book is a living thing. You owe it to the book, if not yourself. Agents may love a book, but if they don't have a publisher looking for such a book they pass. (agents don't work with all publisher.)
Most agents get a thousand letter a week. They may be paying some high school kid to read the book.
There could be a million reasons they said no...maybe none have anything to do with the book.

I could name many great books that had rejects. Big name writers get rejects. It's a hard business. Have fun with the hardness.