So near yet so far . . . advice required

Number of posts : 4 Registration date : 2010-11-21

I am posting this in the hope that I can receive some advice that will be of benefit to me. I assure you that every word is the absolute truth.

My story:

I have been an occasional non-fiction writer for many years, around 4 years ago I began writing fiction for children. When I finished my first story (approx. 14 000 words, suitable for age 7+) I was convinced it could achieve great commercial success; in my work as a primary school supply (a.k.a. relief) teacher I was able to read the story to numerous classes, all of whom were completely entranced by it.

I sent a copy to every publisher I could find (in the UK, where I live) who accepts unpublished manuscripts, all of whom rejected the story without comment. Some time later I sent an improved version to every agent I could find who accepts unsolicited manuscripts, all of whom rejected the story without comment.

I also wrote a second story (approx. 32 000 words, suitable for age 8+) that I consider even better and more commercially viable than my first story. I sent it to every publisher and agent I could find who accepts unsolicited manuscripts, again it was rejected by everyone, without comment. I also submitted it to the Times/Chicken House Children’s Story competition, and it failed to reach the long list. Yet I was convinced the second story was a masterpiece that could become a million seller.

Reading the above, the obvious conclusion is that I am delusional, which is nothing unusual in this day and age. Be that as it may, I decided earlier this year to self publish my second story. I spent considerable time and money setting myself up as a publisher and trying to make the book look as professional as possible, meaning a cover illustrated and designed by a professional artist, plus a website, PO Box, ISBN number, and barcode. I got 200 copies of the book printed.

I registered as an Amazon trader and sent 30 copies to Amazon (to be sold as ‘fulfilled by Amazon’ meaning I don’t have to worry about shipping). I then wrote, under an assumed name, to 50 local primary schools, stating that I am the managing director of a new publishing house and our author is willing to give a free presentation about being a writer, provided he can return the following day to sell signed copies of his new book at a reduced price (the book retails at £6.99 but copies from me are £5.99). I contacted everyone I know via word of mouth and Facebook to tell them I have had a book published, and I gave copies, along with a press release, to my local newspaper, 2 local Waterstones branches, 2 other local bookshops, 1 national online children’s book retailer, and The Guardian newspaper.

The cost of all this has been around £1800.

The response was a few sales to friends and acquaintances (one of whom posted a 5 star review on Amazon), and universal rejection from the bookshops I contacted (one of whom informed me that the story is ‘not from a child’s perspective’). My local newspaper told me it was not newsworthy, but four local schools were willing for me to give an author visit.

I imagine all this is not unusual, I suspect there are a number of writers whose work is not commercially viable but who self publish, due to being convinced they have talent and the potential to ‘make it’. What happened next, however, is in my opinion highly unusual.

Last week I visited 3 local primary schools to give a presentation to Key Stage Two pupils (ages 7 to 11) and sell copies of my book. On the first 2 visits I read to approx. 90 children at each school then returned the following day, selling 15 copies at one school and 9 copies at the other school.

My third visit was to a village school with only 75 pupils in Key Stage Two. I attempted to up my sales by reading more of the book; instead of reading just chapter one as I had done previously (taking approx. 10 minutes) I read chapters 1, 2 and 3, taking me around 20 minutes. The following day I returned to the school and, of the 75 pupils who had heard my reading, 28 (sic) bought copies. (Incidentally, these children did not already know me.)

Am I right in believing that this figure (i.e. 28 sales after reading to 75 children) is highly unusual? Would a professional children’s author be able to achieve a similar figure?

And where do I go from here?

I would like to continue along similar lines, and there are another 60 schools in my locality I intend to contact. But I will have to get more books printed (1000 copies will cost me £16000, and I am still running at a massive loss), also I will soon run out of local schools who are willing to let me visit, and if I visit schools outside my locality my travel costs will rise considerably. I can re-contact my local newspaper and bookshops, informing them of my recent sales in the hope that they reconsider, however previous events suggest they will remain uninterested. As my sales are almost all to children it is unlikely that I am going to get people talking about my book online or Amazon reviews.

With all the rejection I have received from the publishing industry, both before and after I self published, the obvious conclusion is that my work is not suitable for publication. And continuing to work outside the publishing establishment is probably going to be impossible, due to the costs involved and the limited opportunities to make sales without any publicity or support from shops or the media.

Yet I remain convinced my book can be a million seller. 28 sales from reading to 75 children? Who else achieves that success rate?

Please advise.

Five Star Member Number of posts : 5044 Registration date : 2009-03-28

I think you already know the answer to your question, but I'll spell it out, anyhow.

Your 28 sales to 75 children was obtained at great cost and effort. I don't know why so many bought it at one time (assuming this is "so many" -it's not that impressive), but since it only happened once, you can't draw reliable conclusions from it. Plus, you yourself said you're running out of schools that will let you visit in this manner.

My advice is to either get commercially published or give it up.

Subject: Re: So near yet so far . . . advice required Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:28 pm

Dear Cal,
I understand your quandry. The only person I know who has the knowledge to give you advise is Shelagh Watkins. She is a force. She is also the adminitrator of this forum.

Love,
Betty

Admin Number of posts : 12662 Registration date : 2008-01-11 Location : UK

Thanks Betty! I've learned a great deal in the last five-six years -- and I'm still learning!

Hi Cal,

I won't talk about me, Ill address your experience instead. If you set out to test the market with a product that was slightly different to similar products in the marketplace, you would not think it unusual to do thorough market research before you invested time and money in your product.

How much market research did you do?

Having decided that you wanted to go ahead, did you cost this whole project? If you decided to spend £1,000 on printing the books and £x on distribution (selling in schools and libraries after giving a reading), did you know exactly how many books you would need to sell to cover your costs?

Did you cost this project properly?

Number of posts : 4 Registration date : 2010-11-21

Hi Shelagh, thanks for replying to my query.

Shelagh wrote:: Hi Cal,

I won't talk about me, Ill address your experience instead. If you set out to test the market with a product that was slightly different to similar products in the marketplace, you would not think it unusual to do thorough market research before you invested time and money in your product.

How much market research did you do?

I read the story to numerous children, pretty much all of whom responded very well to it, and I received numerous rejections from the publishing industry. Completely contradictory responses, as my book is for children I chose to act on the children's responses rather than the adults'.

Shelagh wrote:: Having decided that you wanted to go ahead, did you cost this whole project? If you decided to spend £1,000 on printing the books and £x on distribution (selling in schools and libraries after giving a reading), did you know exactly how many books you would need to sell to cover your costs?

Did you cost this project properly?

Not really, my position was this - I believed that this book could be extraordinarily popular with children, I attempted every single route to getting published, to no avail. My only option was to forget the book or self publish. Now that I have self published I have seen the response for myself - 28 out of 75 children who heard the opening chapters of my book found £5.99 by the following day and bought a copy.

As I stated earlier - isn't this as good, if not considerably better, than the response a published author would get?

You may well be correct in implying that, without the backing of the publishing industry, I cannot make this financially viable. However the fact remains - I have received a response to my book that most published authors could only hope for. Doesn't this prove that, with the backing of the publishing industry, I could have a very successful book on my hands? Should I really discard this project because it is not financially viable to continue as a self published book? Or can I use my success to make the publishing industry wake up and realise the money waiting to be made from my book?

Incidentally, I have no contacts within the publishing industry so I may be mistaken in thinking that the figure of 28 out of 75 willing to buy a book at £5.99 is highly unusual. Perhaps it is not as unusual a response as I think it is? (If that is the case, I would have thought every children's author out there would be bombarding schools with offers to visit, so they can return the following day to sell 28 copies of their book.)

Number of posts : 4 Registration date : 2010-11-21

Hi LC, thanks for your response.

LC wrote:: I don't know why so many bought it at one time (assuming this is "so many" -it's not that impressive)

I disagree, as I stated in my response to Shelagh, I believe that this response is considerably better than most authors could hope for. Someone who is involved in children's publishing may be able to correct me on this point however.

LC wrote:: My advice is to either get commercially published or give it up.

How do I do the former?

Last edited by Shelagh on Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:55 am; edited 1 time in total

I'm sorry to have to say that 28 books sold is not in the least bit unusual. From Wikipedia:

"Although the authors sent excerpts to various publishers under the title The Highfield Mole, they did not pursue that avenue as they decided to self-publish the book, which they did on 17 March 2005 with a limited run of 500 hardback and 2,000 softback copies, financed by the sale of Roderick Gordon's house. The book received some trade press attention before launch and the entire hardback run sold within a day."

The authors: Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

Article in the Guardian newspaper:

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Five Star Member Number of posts : 5044 Registration date : 2009-03-28

Quote :: How do I do the former?

By giving them something they want. You haven't done that yet.

Don't put too much stock in the fact that kids bought a book after you read it to them. They may have been buying a souveneir of the experience as much as the book. Publishers have to sell books off a shelf. Clearly they don't feel yours resonates enough to do that.

Number of posts : 4 Registration date : 2010-11-21

Thanks for the responses, I will keep you informed if there are further developments.

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