Who here is a published writer?

SilentTony

SilentTony

Hi I'm Tony I'm an unpublished writer. Ok I've said it now, admitted it. I’m ready to take the twelve steps. OK I know a lot of people on here post about their books and successes. All I want to know is who is published by a publishing house, who is self published and of a greater interest to me, who is not published and what do they want to achieve? Are you yet to be published writers out for publishers or will you be considering or even doing the self publishing route. Until I came on here I thought POD was something to do with Apple and my broken MP3 player. I am genuinely interested and grateful for all your posts.

Jay Mandal

Hi, Tony. I'm a published writer, with six books (three novels and three collections of short stories) published by a small publishing house. Care with POD - sometimes it means print-on-demand (merely the way of printing, and some big houses use it, too); other times, publish-on-demand (which means nothing is vetted for quality).

Howard

I'm not published. I have little choice but to look for a manstream publisher as I live abroad. I couldn't promote a self published book in the UK and over here the market is less developed. Anyway, I wouldn't have the time to promote a book unless I retired early. 

Helena

In the past five years I have

* self-published five books written by me and published eight by other authors.

* been published by two big publishers (one of which is the Oxford University Press). In both books I was one of a number of contributors.

* been published in a number of magazines

Katy

Hi Tony. I am about to become a published writer for the first time this year. The book - The Self-build Survival Guide - is being published by a publishing house (How To Books) in July. I have plans for 3 further non-fiction books - all at various stages of development - on the go at the moment.

Carol

Like Nenastew I've had articles published online and newsletters, and a few fillers in a specialist magazine.
I've put the novel writing on the back burner this past year, but will return to it later this year when the younger children go to senior school and I can give more time to it without breaking off.
Initially I will approach mainstream publishers, as historical romance would be harder to sell self published I feel.

Betsie

Hi Tony - I'm sure you'll be a published writer one - it's a matter of slogging away continually and having faith in yourself.

I've had stuff published over the years but don't consider myself a success - more a case of 'don't give up the day job'.  The odd short story, several articles and several poems published but over quite a long span of time.  However, I get much pleasure and modest remuneration from encouraging others in their writing - I chair the local writers' circle and tutor occasional courses.  I wish you success with your own writing.

Betsie

can you stick the word 'day' in there for me (sorreeee)

amboline

I've never had a book published, but have had several poems and a couple of short stories published in the independent small presses. I've also written chapters for two academic textbooks and had a number of scientific articles published. All sounds a bit dull when I list it like that. I take it, Tony, that you're more interested in the experience of *book* publishing?

writeman

I'm an Independent Author with one novel published & another due for release at the end of the month.

I've also had articles, a poem and short stories published in small press magazines with one short story ending up in book form alongside others and used for academic use in the English Comprehension Classes at a university in Moldova.

SilentTony

Thanks for all the replies. It has been a very inspiring thread for me. It's wonderful hearing about all the different success and the different routes toward them. I like the word unpublished rather than the prepublished one posted. This is because if I keep telling myself I'm unpublished it gives me a kick up the backside to take away the "un". Until I joined Talkback I genuinely thought every writer was waiting to be given a huge advance by a mainstream publisher. This site has been so educational and helpful. My goal for this year is to finish my novel, even if that ends up being a great exercise to set me up for writing a second. I also want to have one of my stories published somewhere this year. I have found since setting these goals I write every day and have a bag full of determination that I lacked before. Congratulations to everyone on here, published or not the message seems to be that writing is its own reward.

Evaine

I think you're right that the writing is its own reward.  There is something immensely satisfying about a story, or even a scene in a story, that comes out exactly as you wanted it - or that wonderful moment when the characters get a life of their own and take you where you weren't expecting to go!

I'm unpublished (apart from one very short story) but trying.  At the moment I'm working on a YA fantasy novel which is almost ready to send out.

Jenny

I don't know if this counts but some of my short stories and a poem have appeared in magazines and one short story and a monologue were in anthologies. This was as a result of winning or being a runner-up in competitions.

Writers need self-discipline to write a novel - not a talent I possess!

josiehenley

I’ve been writing for years but only recently got published. I haven’t had one of my novels published, but for the past few years I’ve been writing non-fiction articles for magazines, and my most recent success is a short story in an anthology – published by a ‘genuine publisher’ a literary small press. They are now considering my novel. I feel like I’m on the first steps of a long ladder, but at least I’m on the step instead of looking at it which is what I was doing before. A few years ago I would have been very happy being able to say ‘I’m a published writer’. But the goalposts shift with my ambition and I’m still not satisfied because I’ve not got a novel with my name on it. Maybe when that happens (note ‘when’ not ‘if’) I’ll be wanting to see it in the Richard and Judy book club or on the shelves in Tesco etc.

Jay Mandal

I've just realized - the published writers seem to have their full names, rather than just a nickname.

Helena

Once you are published you don't feel shy any more!

Helena

Once you are published you don't feel shy any more!

Helena

Once you are published you don't feel shy any more!

Helena

Once you are published you don't feel shy any more!

Verica

I've self-published a book and have had many articles published in Later Living and women's magazines, mostly non-fiction, poems in Writers' Forum, Chimera, many Anthologies, etc.

Good luck with your writing and eventual publication.
                       

josiehenley

good point Jay. One of the reasons I use my real name as a username is because if someone does a google search on me, they're going to come up with these posts as well as my writing. It's all publicity.

Viv

I am published widely in the fiction pages of womens magazines under my own name Vivien Hampshire, and have had some childrens poetry published too as Rosie Kent. Despite writing 4 novels, I have had no luck (YET!!) in getting them published. I also write articles about writing for LINK, the magazine of the National Assn of Writers Groups, and have had a couple in Writers Forum too. Seeing your name in print makes it all worth it, and it's really not about the money - although a lucrative novel deal that allowed me to give up the day job would be very nice!

Howard

From the unpublished side of the fence, I'd like to say that I understand the need for publicity, but it's also admirable that a majority of published Talkbackers also achieve humility; something I'd struggle with if my name ever appeared in print.

Stirling

The only reason I use a nickname is to protect myself from identity fraud and my bank balance from thieves.

Honestly, I am prouder of my work at University than anything I've had published.  I would rather have a published research paper than a bestseller.  Also, I would rather be known for being controversial than because I've made a lot of money.

I'm published, but my novel is yet unpublished, and if it's meant to be, it will be.  For now I'm happy to have my place at Stirling University.

themoabird

"the reasons I use my real name as a username"

The reason I don't use my real name is because if I get Googled, then there's a chance it will be associated with my themoabird identity!

If it weren't for the money angle, I'd also rather a research paper than a bestseller.

montholon

I've had articles, short stories and poetry published, but no luck so far with the novels.

Hush Puppy

I've had a short story published in a women's magazine and one of my poems is going to be in an anthology being put together by CRUSE, the bereavement charity.

Stan2

I have two books published - one by a Christian publisher in 1996 and one self-published. The publisher - Evangelical Press - has requested sample chapters of the book I'm working on at present. I've had many articles and book reviews published in religious magazines and a few letters in local newspapers. Last year I became a sub-editor of a Baptist magazine. I've commissioned four articles - and written one - on famous Christian women for the May edition. It has been very interesting attending editorial meetings and seeing how a magazine is put together. Tony, I wish you well with your writing.

SilentTony

Thanks Stan and everyone else.I feel as long as I keep going I won't have to resort to graffiti as the only means of a public medium of writing. The thing I have gathered here is that people feel differently about what "published" actually is. Some say does competition success count, does short stories, articles etc count. I feel if you have been recognised in any format and your words printed or displayed then yes you are a published writer. Is that right?

Jay Mandal

I think there's a thread on a similar topic - something like 'Are you a writer?'

James Barrington

Two books in print by Macmillan at present - Overkill and Pandemic. Book three - Foxbat - will be out on 7 September this year, and book four - Timebomb - about the same time in 2008.

Tessa Tangent

Four longish short stories published in women's magazines (2,500 words) back in the 90s at £250 a throw - I note the pay doesn't appear to have changed much since then :O)  Erotic fiction for women but with plot and story and I felt pretty intelligent at the time.  The funny thing is that I notice now that the things I wrote about, which were pretty "breakthrough" at the time, are now written about fairly ordinarily or shown in film.

Some coffee-break fiction (1,300 words) in Bella, Best, Take A Break.  Frankly, I'm not wild about my efforts there! 

I write here under my nickname.  And it's that many years since I've been published, I'm trying to find the confidence again with this second novel.  The first fizzled out with a depression; the writing went flat at around the halfway point.

People who've read it ask why I don't carry on with the first but I'm not interested in that subject any more.  It features, in small part, in this second novel.

I've only ever received one rejection slip (from Duncan Minshall when he was in control of Radio 4's short story) but it was encouraging.  It crippled me at the time!

I've also written for local newspapers and wrote and edited the main part of the ski-slope newsletter when I was a ski-instructor at a dry slope. 

Helena

Tessa it sounds like people have nicked your ideas!

Only one rejection slip? Yes they are painful at first but some writers collect enough to paper the bathroom, and laugh at them!

Tessa Tangent

Huh, well times change and maybe my ideas became more acceptable to write about.

Secondly, yes, I framed my rejection!

Helena

I wonder if JK Rowling framed her 20 rejection slips?

Tessa Tangent

She must have large wall-space if so.  Hmmmm.  J K Rowling?  Large wall-space?  Large accommodation?  Er, yes, I think she has the space.  Bless her, if she really has framed them :O)

Hush Puppy

Hi Tessa T.  I did well with my one story in Bella, then.  It was just short of the 1000 word mark and I got £350 !  Shame they didn't want my next one.....

sal

I am published writer with second book in progress. Otherwise, over a hundred published short stories, six hundred articles, photo features,children's stories and competition wins. I write and write and write every day. And I send out everything I write to some poor editor no matter what...

SilentTony

JKR has the space! I think she OWNS space itself.

Stirling

I think she owns a bookshelf in every bookstore.  Why on earth do booksellers feel the need to give a whole cabinet of precious shelf space to one author?.  What is wrong with having a kind of bin filled with the books like Asda does?.

josiehenley

haha, thanks for the laugh Stirling *love* the image of a bin full of JKR books. Lol. Yes Jay there is the other thread, sometimes the same themes pop up, showing our particular concerns.

We get onto the subject of ‘what is a writer’ and ‘what is it to be published’ quite often. If ‘being published’ means having your writing publicly accessible then anyone who posts on this forum could say they are published. If we have to be paid to be deemed as a ‘published writer’ then that would exclude a lot of academic writers, poets, literary writers etc. I think that debate could run and run.

TT well done! I’ve always wanted to do that coffee time fiction thing, quite lucrative from what I’ve heard.

Stirling

Preferably the bargain bin as far as I'm concerned.  Well, that is where the new book will be at Christmas anyway isn't it?.

I was in a second hand bookshop in North Shields last week and there were shelves upon shelves of her books.  If they had been mine, I think I would have gone home and cried . . .

Better to have a small audience and loved, than to have a massive audience and discarded after one read (if you call this skimming that the kids take part in reading, "and I read it in six hours).  That is not reading!.

Rant over.

Jenny

I looked at a couple of Harry Potter books in the children's library but didn't think I'd enjoy reading them.

However I've heard Stephen Fry reading two of them on audio tapes and he's brilliant - great to listen to while you're cooking or washing up!

Butterfly

I have had a few short stories published, but none of my children's books yet. I will, but until then I still class myself as published and those small pieces of work keep me focoused on getting the book deal I'm striving for. I don't have an agent, but am trying and I don't have a book published by a publishing house but I'm a little further up the ladder than I was at the begining. I think anything you get paid for you can class as you are published.

SilentTony

Yes I guess that is the way most people think. If you have your work printed and you have been paid then you are a published writer. I too would love a book deal with a publishing house (if I ever finish the damn thing) and understand that other's think this may be a wrong route to take. But in my mind unless I was being paid to do that by somebody who took a chance on my work then I would not feel satisfied. I understand POD and self publishing is  a good way to go but that is just my feeling, may not be right, but it is how I look at it. Though saying that I have a collection of stories with a threaded theme which I know unless you're a best seller they would never see the light of day so maybe POD would be a great way to publish this collection.