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kip_123 · Oct 12, 2008, 09:54 AM

What are some effective ways to make money writing short stories? I have heard of ebooks, blogs etc... but in your experiences in what ways did you find successful?

Also, I don't really know what's involved in getting books published but I know it cost enormous amounts of money to get one into print. Where on earth do people come up with all this money to publish their book? Is there something I am missing?

Thanks in advance,
Kip

JudyKayTee · Oct 12, 2008, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by kip_123

What are some effective ways to make money writing short stories? I have heard of ebooks, blogs etc... but in your experiences in what ways did you find successful?

Also, I don't really know whats involved in getting books published but I know it cost enormous amounts of money to get one into print. Where on earth do people come up with all this money to publish thier book? Is there something I am missing??

Thanks in advance,
Kip

Are you talking about books, articles, short stories? Have you sent anything to magazines or publishing houses?

There is also any number of vanity publishers but you have to be very careful.

There are also Internet websites that actually pay you for articles you write - it's not a lot but it's a start. Have you researched this on the web?

kip_123 · Oct 12, 2008, 11:34 AM

Hi Judy, Thank you for your response. I haven't published anything yet. I am just looking for ideas as there is a story I want to write and if it goes well, It might lead to more... who knows?

Yes, I have done some research on the web and I have found that there are sites that pay you a tiny bit for an article, that's not what I am looking for. I think the direction I might be more interested in is either an ebook or a blog but not sure how to go about it and what's entailed or even how much money I have to put out vs. my return. Plus I was wondering if there is any other possibilities that I am unaware of.
Like what you just mentioned "vanity publishers" I have never heard of it so could I ask what it is?

Thank you,
Kip

JudyKayTee · Oct 12, 2008, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by kip_123

Hi Judy, Thank you for your response. I haven't published anything yet. I am just looking for ideas as there is a story I want to write and if it goes well, It might lead to more...who knows?

Yes, I have done some research on the web and I have found that there are sites that pay you a tiny bit for an article, thats not what I am looking for. I think the direction I might be more interested in is either an ebook or a blog but not sure how to go about it and whats entailed or even how much money I have to put out vs. my return. Plus I was wondering if there is any other possibilities that I am unaware of.
Like what you just mentioned "vanity publishers" I have never heard of it so could I ask what it is?

Thank you,
Kip

Sure, vanity publishers publish your works and you pay the publishing costs but you get to keep all the profits. Some of them offer proof reading services, editors, others do not. Depends on the "house."

The only way to get recongized and signed by a big publishing house is to see what their requirements are - story line, first chapter, last chapter? - finish those, send that to them, see what they say. Or you could start a blog on line, do limited entries and then charge people to access the full site.

I wrote a book about growing up in the great depression - no, it's not about me! YIKES! - and I've shopped around for a publisher for about 2 years. One editor wanted so many changes I no longer recognized the book; another one wanted a hefty fee; a third wanted another chapter after already receiving 3, which made me nervous.

Is there a rep for a publishing house where you live?

kip_123 · Oct 12, 2008, 04:45 PM

Hi Judy, About the vanity publisher's you experienced... Wow. That is too much.

I think I might investigate the ebook or blog more and see what I can do with that. I don't have much money to work with and certainly lost a bunch with the market crisis.

Thank you for explaining that to me :)

JudyKayTee · Oct 13, 2008, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by kip_123

Hi Judy, About the vanity publisher's you experienced ...Wow. That is too much.

I think I might investigate the ebook or blog more and see what I can do with that. I don't have much money to work with and certainly lost a bunch with the market crisis.

Thank you for explaining that to me :)

I think I would do the blog and then sell over and above that - and please come back and let us know how it's going. Publishing is not going to be big business for a while now, anyway - I went to the book store on Friday and there were not a lot of people there. I just read in the newspaper that library circulation is up 33% - people are not buying books right now because of the economy.

Good luck.

kip_123 · Oct 13, 2008, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

I think I would do the blog and then sell over and above that - and please come back and let us know how it's going. Publishing is not going to be big business for a while now, anyway - I went to the book store on Friday and there were not a lot of people there. I just read in the newspaper that library circulation is up 33% - people are not buying books right now because of the economy.

Good luck.

Thank you so much for your help Judy.

I also am sort of leaning toward the blog thing but could I ask you what you meant by"then sell over and above that"? Not sure what you meant there... sorry

Thank you again so much!
Kip

vingogly · Oct 13, 2008, 03:41 PM

Two great options for self-publishing hardcopy books on demand on the internet are CreateSpace (an Amazon venture) and Lulu. They provide marketing as well as publishing tools. They're not really vanity publishers, they represent a new model for publishing and marketing books.

Another marketing approach you might consider is publishing a blog in your subject area with a link to your book, and posting free articles or a free e-book chapter on Scribd.com and Published.com as a teaser for a for-pay e-book. If you know someone who can help you build a web site, you can sell your e-book as a digital download with E-Junkie.

JudyKayTee · Oct 13, 2008, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by kip_123

Thank you so much for your help Judy.

I also am sort of leaning toward the blog thing but could I ask you what you meant by"then sell over and above that"? Not sure what you meant there .... sorry

Thank you again so much!
Kip

I was thinking in terms of a website featuring your blog and posting a chapter or two, sort of a teaser. Then if people want to read more they could either buy your book (which you could self publish) or, using credit cards or Paypal or something, purchase chapters - or the whole book.

I know I'd take a look at it. You might have to hire someone - or find a college student who wants the publicity - to set it up or you might be able to do it yourself.

Hey, Steven King tried it!

kip_123 · Oct 13, 2008, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by vingogly

Two great options for self-publishing hardcopy books on demand on the internet are CreateSpace (an Amazon venture) and Lulu. They provide marketing as well as publishing tools. They're not really vanity publishers, they represent a new model for publishing and marketing books.

Another marketing approach you might consider is publishing a blog in your subject area with a link to your book, and posting free articles or a free e-book chapter on Scribd.com and Published.com as a teaser for a for-pay e-book. If you know someone who can help you build a web site, you can sell your e-book as a digital download with E-Junkie.

Very good Ideas, very helpful... Thank you very much! I will check these out and see which one will work the best.

Kip

booklover · Oct 29, 2008, 09:16 PM

Hi Kip. I'm pretty sure that you are now on the right track. You may want to know more about how to self publish your book. I found this FREE self-publishing kit in the internet. This could probably help you. The publishing packages they offer are really good and they have options depending on your need and budget.

Keep it up! Can't wait to see your book in print! :)

asking · Oct 29, 2008, 10:35 PM

The professional writers I know like Lulu if they decide to self publish. But the reality is that very few people make money writing fiction. You have to do it for love and assume your money will come from a day job.

vingogly · Oct 30, 2008, 03:37 AM

Originally Posted by asking

The professional writers I know like Lulu if they decide to self publish. But the reality is that very few people make money writing fiction. You have to do it for love and assume your money will come from a day job.

That's absolutely right. One writes because one has to write, and all writers have day jobs. One writes even if success seems a fantasy and the world doesn't appreciate one's work. Go to your local bookstores and look at the shelves full of romance/western/crime/sf/whatever genre novels. Most of those novels will earn the novelists a few thousand dollars... and that for many months' hard work. Quoting W. S. Merwin's poem Berryman:

"...as for publishing he advised me
to paper my wall with rejection slips ...

I asked how can you ever be sure
that what you write is really
any good at all and he said you can't

you can't you can never be sure...
if you have to be sure don't write..."