The Many Roads to Publishing
The May meeting, held on May 18, 2024, featured an esteemed panel of published GCWA authors sharing their journeys through the various forms of publishing whether it be self, hybrid, or the traditional route.
The panel, moderated by Claudia Volkman, consisted of Ed Donlin, Charley Valera, Patti Walsh, April James, and M.E. Roche. Here are a few highlights from the discussion.
- Speed counts. In general, publishing in the traditional manner (agent, publisher) takes writers approximately two years to see their words in print. Additionally, marketing is often left to the author. For this reason, many writers opt to go the self-publishing route to ensure having a book in hand in the not-too-distant future.
- Costs for independent publishing can range greatly from several hundred for cover art to $5,000 for start to finish.
- The majority of the panel agreed on the importance of an editor with some great tips whether choosing to hire one or not.
For example:
Read your story out loud to catch mistakes.
Purchase the professional version of Grammarly for $160.00/yr.
Hire an editor from Reedsy (as one option).
Check out ideas from book marketing expert, Rob Eagar, at Writer’s Digest. One takeaway shared was, “You want to be known as an expert, not as an author.”
Claudia provided several interesting self-publishing statistics:
– 250 books sold on average
– 90% of authors sell less than 100 copies
- 20% self-published authors make $0. Average author makes $9,000/yr.
Business Items
- GCWA Annual Writers Contest – Deadline Extended
The deadline for submissions into the annual GCWA writer’s contest has been extended from May 31 to June 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Due to unforeseen hiccups with transitioning to our new web platform, the gift of time is being offered to writers around the world. Submit your best work!
- New Members
We were delighted to welcome two new members to GCWA this month: Curt Ayers, III and Kate Matthews. The group looks forward to meeting and collaborating with you both.
- Website Update
Ed Donlin shared the Website continues to be a work in progress. If any members are having difficulty logging in, please email him directly at: boatguyed@gmail.com and include your first and last names.
- Community and Conversation
Seven GCWA members joined together at Buckett’s for nosh and networking after the meeting. Consider adjusting your schedule to go to lunch with other writers after the June 15th session.
