Sharion wrote:I'm a bit late to the thread but I've just released a book through Amazon's CreateSpace. You can write fiction or non-fiction and self-publish. I'm delighted with how the book turned out and I've sold a few. You need to figure out a really good marketing plan though as nobody is going to do it for you. They have forums full of helpful writers at CreateSpace and I'd definitely recommend it if you're into writing books. Don't expect to "get rich quick" though
I published a guest post that addresses exactly this issue. She has had some success with developing an online writer platform and shares how she did it.
If anyone's looking for a critique group, I highly recommend Internet Writing Workshop. It works a bit like Critique Circle, but without all the credits. You just crit a few stories a month (for the fiction list, you have to crit two), and you submit stories of your own for crits. Here's the address - http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/
WC, curse you for posting that link. I spent my whole evening reading and critiquing stories and chapters! I submitted a chapter from one of my books too. I love commenting on other people's fiction, but I should be writing more and critiquing less!
Actually, Debbi, it was a cunning plan to distract you from Constant-Content so that I could gazump you on the public requests
Seriously, I received 6 critiques (only 1 of them was a little poor) on my first submission, and have so many more ideas for how to rewrite the first chapter of my novel now! Not only does your writing improve because of the feedback, but also because of your own observations when critiquing.
Critiquing is fun and so helpful. I learned a ton about fiction writing from critique groups. One of these days I'll get back into it. I had been discouraged by the whole trying to get an agent/publisher process but my sister has shown me that it's not impossible. She decided to write a YA about a year ago and has a two book deal with one publisher and sold another book to a different publisher based on just 15 pages! I'm amazed! She was able to get an agent by attending a writer's conference and the agent had her rewrite, rewrite, rewrite before shopping the first book (that one is the two book deal). Meanwhile, my sister was also working on the next book idea and the agent pitched it to a publisher that turned down the first book and the publisher bought it then and there - sight unseen.
Some of the stories/book chapters I have been reading and critiquing on the other CC have such great plots and characters, I just want to grab them and rewrite them all! I think maybe I should be an editor or ghost writer. The temptation is so strong. Not to steal, that's not what I eman, but just to polish them up for authors that have sterling ideas but not that much writing experience. Heh, I wonder if the people who crit my work will say the same thing! Sometimes it is a matter of differing styles, but usually I think it is a matter of having an objective eye and not being emotionally attached to the words being used to express the underlying ideas.
Too bad I don't know how to make money rewriting other people's work. Most writers are as impoversihed as I am--and as devoted to their wordsmithing as I am too. *Keep your paws off my words!*
Just want y'all to know that I will happily be a beta reader for anyone who wants to send me their stuff. I read reeeeeeeeally fast and I think I give good feedback.
There's a fairly new genre called 'flash fiction'. It's gaining popularity online and there are several sites that actually pay upon publication, but it's not easy to please the publishers. Flash must be no more than 1,000 words and the prose must be somewhat sparse, but still very engaging. The publishers seem to favor highly unique, fantasy, sci-fi and other offbeat storylines. If you're interested check out everdayfiction.com and flashfictiononline.com.
For those who want to entertain me (and anonymously if you wish!), I have a revised first chapter up under the Young Adult section of CritiqueCircle as of today...I have the same screen name as here!
