Literally Speaking: Rockin’ the Self-Publishing World

It turns out that the book Karen wrote that summer of 2010 was a different book. That one was adult fiction. “I had this idea in my head that was based on Princess Diana’s life. I kept trying to write it and I never could. Tax season had just ended and I didn’t have a job anymore, and I was sitting around getting depressed. I thought ‘I need to do something with myself. I’m going to try this book one more time.’”

She finished the book (a feat to be commended) and, because she knew she needed some help with her technical writing skills, hired a writing coach to help her. After trying to help with some grammatical and structural issues, “she pretty much told me it was horrible.” The book, however, was not totally without merit. “Some scenes I wrote were flashbacks from when the character was a kid. The coach said those scenes were really good.”

Karen set off in a new direction with the idea of writing young adult fiction instead. In a mere three months, she had written a complete book. “It all just started flowing,” she explains. “It was so much more comfortable for me.”

After she finished the book she set out to seek a publisher. “I did try the traditional route. I probably sent out 60 or 70 query letters to agents. Most I never heard back from, but I got a decent number of rejects. I started looking online to see about other options.”

What Pokras Toz found online was a supportive and helpful world of self-publishers. “Everyone wants to help each other,” she exclaims. “They were so welcoming. One person took me under his wing and showed me everything I needed to get published.”