Comments on: Entering the publishing world http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/03/entering-the-publishing-world/ Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:15:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.15 By: J.L. Penn http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/03/entering-the-publishing-world/comment-page-1/#comment-16606 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 01:02:19 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/03/entering-the-publishing-world/#comment-16606 Hi,
I just found out something very disparaging with regard to entering the publishing world, that I would love to have elaborated on by an actual agent. It seems that despite strong sales and critical accolades, agents do not wish to take on books that have previously been self-published. Is that really true? I understand that for ebooks, people who have already purchased will have the initial rights with Amazon, for instance, to re-download, but the book can be pulled by the author at any time. So, why then is self-publishing so taboo instead of being a good test-market of material?

As much as I do not like the notion that this could be true, it does shed some light on why I have received so many agent rejections for a book that has been labelled an inevitable bestseller over and over again. I shudder to think that I have lost all that potential just for taking the bull by the horns and putting it out there on my own, as my only cheerleader in the beginning.

Is there any silver lining or way around it? If I pulled the book and retitled it, would that make a difference?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

-Jenn (J.L. Penn)

]]> By: David F. Weisman http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/03/entering-the-publishing-world/comment-page-1/#comment-16601 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:06:17 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/03/entering-the-publishing-world/#comment-16601 Wait, for those just thinking of writing a book, shouldn't you remind them that for most people, they would earn more if they took all the time they spent learning to write, writing, selling, and publicizing their book and worked at minimum wage? I believe more people have made a living writing than climbed to the peak of Mount Everest, but as a percentage of those who seriously tried I'm not sure.

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