I’m a huge fan of letting nothing go to waste (hence the palazzo pants hanging in my closet . . . someday I’ll be wanting those!). In this day and age, nothing gets tossed out when it can be reused. As an author, I’m a firm believer in the word recycling! Because a clever phrase is a terrible thing to waste.
There’s a time-proven adage that if you wait long enough (and have enough closet/memory space!) your old favorites will be back in style! Being a waste not want not child of the ‘60s and ‘70s with parents from the Depression era, I tend to hang onto everything until it finds another chance for a useful life (sorry hip huggers, you are not among them!). Old vases from former Valentine’s Day surprises, Amazon shipping boxes and mailers, hotel pens from just about every state, leftover mashed potatoes . . . you never know when you’re going to need them! But the one thing we writers seem to discard thoughtlessly are words.
If you wrote (and rewrote and rewrote!) it, own it! So many authors make the mistake of letting their no longer Prime time books lay fallow in the fields, ignored by their original publishers. If you haven’t talked with your agent or editor to broach the idea of starting up a promotion cycle to catch new readers who weren’t around for the initial ride, what’s stopping you? That second go-round made stars of many a writer with a backlist. Buuuut, if they’re content to let the work lie, it’s time to get those rights back and consider either a new house or self-pubbing. It’s not as scary as it sounds.
In publishing, as with everything consumer-based, content is king. If it’s something that will spark excitement in new readers or nostalgia in older ones who’ve lost their dogeared paperback copy, having that decades old novel available in e-formats as well as print can earn a whole new tier of readership. And a whole new level of income.
If you can tempt a new or small press to take on your backlist (after you’ve carefully fine tooth combed your contract to make sure it’s unencumbered by legal obligations!) and get it back into print and e-book with a facelift – and even tack on additional books in an older series – as I’ve done/am in the process of doing with my By Moonlight shapeshifter series, Midnight vampire series, and “Dana Ransom” historical and contemporary books, there are royalties to be made, especially if they’re willing and able to promote it through their own channels .i.e. LIFETIME INVESTMENT w/a Dana Ransom is enjoying another rebirth and is on SALE this month:
Published: September 30, 2014
Length: 178 Pages
Note: if the work was represented by an agent, check your contract. Chances are, without definitive wording, they still get a percentage of those new sales! If not, self-publishing is the way to go.
Self-pubbing doesn’t have to be a scary new world. Do your homework. There are tons of information-backed workshops offered through targeted groups, i.e. from FF&P and Paranormal Romantics to writing organizations or industry professionals offering online classes. There are homebased companies who’ll do all the legwork of reformatting, re-registering, and supplying new covers and back blurbs. You can even send in those dog-eared oldies to have them re-scanned so you can re-edit them! And there are those out there who will take your money and leave you with nothing but empty promises – so do your research! Learn, listen, ask, ask again for more in-depth information from those who’ve been there. And realize that those wildly successful did-it-themselfers who pull down millions probably had half again as much to invest up front. Do your research and take the road that best suits your intended destination.
♚♚♚♚♚
Nancy Gideon on the Web
3 comments:
We are two of a kind, Nancy. My folks, too, survived the Great Depression with the waste not, want not attitude. That's how I got into self-publishing. My first book was out of print, rights returned. And it was just sitting there doing nothing. Not earning a penny. I grew up with DIY parents and learned to do it myself in many areas. Enter Smashwords and Kindle Direct Publishing. Free instructions for those who are patient enough to read & follow them. You're right, there are lots of people/companies out there ready & willing to take your money to do the work for you. Why, when you can do it yourself?
There are 2 things I can't/won't do--edit (always hire a professional) and cover art (no talent here). Workshops, online groups, and writer friends are there to help those who want to help themselves. I love that you're bringing back your backlist. You go, girl!
Thanks, Diane!! Where would we be without out Writer People to encourage and advise and assist?
Ah, yes. I need to do that with some of my old stories. There are some I don't promote because I do want to rework them. Must set that as a goal for this year. Great advice, Nancy!
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