sensasi: [Self-Publishing] Re: Novella?

Selasa, 26 Februari 2008

[Self-Publishing] Re: Novella?

Hi Rob,

>Here is my question: is there a market for 60,000 word, 120 page fiction
novellas? (Or 200 pages if the word count is about 300 words per page). I'm
also working in the genre of science fiction and fantasy so I realize that
is a genre with a relatively small audience. I certainly have my work cut
out for me. :-)

I've seen a couple of books that were 2-4 novellas put together. Yours is
rather long. I'd either beef it up (explore some of the side issues of your
theme) to make it a "real" novel (note the quotes. In point of fact, this
doesn't sound like a novella, but a short novel), or cut it back to make it
a novella.

Fiction is very, very hard. Novels (and most written material) has now
entered the realm of "branded merchandise." You've done it yourself. At an
airport bookstore, which will you spend $12 on - a novel by someone you've
heard of, or by someone whose name is in small type. (Of course, try and
*find* a book by someone without a big name in an airport bookstore.) We've
all done it. Strike that. There are some folks more conscientious than I.
Make that, many of us have fallen into that trap.

What you - and other fiction writers (myself included) - need to do is build
an audience base. What is your book about? Who reads that genre? Where are
they? What opinion makers do they trust to recommend new stuff? Are you
blogging? Do you have a newsletter? Would you be willing to serialize the
novella - chapter by chapter - and give it away (make money on the next
book. Build your fan base now)?

If you have a subject that interests people outside the Web, will you go to
where the people are? List Member Kim Murphy dresses up in period clothes
and goes to every Civil War re-enactment she can find. I do pirate
symposiums (for my novel Captain Mary, Buccaneer). Can you do something
similar?

Even if you are going to go the traditional publishing route, building up a
newsletter or blog roster of several thousand is a great deal cincher. Every
publisher is interested in an author who understands how to market (it's
just a question of matching your material with their interest and product
line).

HTH,

JCSimonds
Beagle Bay Books http://www.beaglebay.com
Book Packaging http://www.creativemindspress.com/bkpckg.htm
Self-Publisher's FAQ http://www.creativemindspress.com/newbiefaq.htm