Sitting down to write a full length novel is a daunting experience, and, of course, a little bit exciting as well. An adventure. Not really knowing what is going to happen inside the story as well as outside on the otherside of the keyboard. But in the case of Mother, Night, and Water, three years in the works, I have to confess that I struggle with getting the ebook into a hard-copy book, and then getting the end product(s) into a market. This is primarily because of the time and energy it takes to pursue publication, and follow through to get it out to the public. In my case, not so much for any profits as much as for wanting to share the end result; hopefully to reach an audience who will be entertained and perhaps experience something in the process. For those who have never tried doing this, it emcompasses a variety of skills: writing the text and doing the first proofing and preliminary editing, getting it to a good proofreader, and maybe finding help with going over the revisions (plural, folks, plural…many revisions, I’m so tired of looking at MN&W, I love my characters, but… and I’m still working with publishers who want copies) sales, marketing, using the internet (my sorry skills in this department leave me at a disadvantage, but I’m learning), and so on.
There are so many ways to get published these days. The big house publishers are extremely difficult to access without some serious networking, and having professional literary agent support, not to mention a good product. But, let’s be honest, there is a lot of bad writing getting published by big house publishers…so having a good product means, really, having a product that is marketable. It’s corporate, and making profits is primary. One editor said (in an article) “Give me a fair story/mediocre writing, over great writing/mediocre story and I’m interested.” Many very good authors, even award winning authors, only just make a living at their craft. (Great writing/great stories?–Think: Dreiser, Steinbeck, Pynchon, Hemingway, Cather, Mansfield, Dillard, Smiley, Oates.) Still, today’s technology has opened opportunities for beginning authors that did not exist a decade ago. Ebooks is one of those opportunities.
I am close to getting MN&W into a hard copy book. (Stay in touch, that could be soon.) And when that happens, somehow, that will seem more like a book. A product that I can take to book signings and readings and visit with real hard copy people who share my passion for books and reading. Let me suggest that you keep an eye out for a new website very, very, soon. In the next week or two. Look for it and watch for a section of the website that says: Upcoming Events (or something of that nature), because I want to get to meet up with old friends who are reading my books, and to meet some of you readers out there who have been in touch with me, that I don’t know yet.
The new website will be: robertwchapman.com
I will keep the Facebook page: Maine Novels by Robert Chapman, and I will also post any events on there as well.
robertchapmanblog 