It's been a strange couple of weeks on the publishing front. Karin and I have a blog called “two real writers awaiting validation”, and the blog is an exploration of our journey. Which to date has meant a soupçon of hope, a sprinkle of moaning and a thick juicy slab of “look at us, look at us”.
In truth we're not sure what validation means exactly. To be honest, we are both pretty chuffed when any of our friends is enthusiastic. But I think I remember our original definition was to be published by someone – all proper, like.
Of course, we realise that being published only brings with it more fears - whether it will sell, whether anyone will like it, whether we can cope with all the comments from people who don't, and so on. Deep down we know that validation only comes from within. And, unlike Karin, I was fairly sure we had written a book that deserved a wider public. Then again, I have another couple of those that remain in the darkness. So, external validation of any sort is welcome.
So we're pretty chuffed to be able to boast on our blog that we have a publisher. Details here.
As someone who hardly ever touches my Kindle I would have liked to have seen a paperback edition. In validation terms, I'd have been thrilled to see our work on the shelves of Waterstone's in between Dickens and Dostoevsky (or Twain and Updike if I'd won the coin-toss). Then again, whatever else the book may be, it isn't literature.
It's a tough old world out there in book land. Agents and publishers are swamped with more manuscripts than ever before at a time when the printed word could hardly be at a lower commercial ebb. It's often said that everyone writes poetry and no-one reads it. The last few months in the twittersphere has left me thinking the same about novels, as people fall over themselves to talk up their self-published treasures.
Each rejection letter is like a knife-wound. So, we'll grasp what we've got like we've won a cup final, and give thanks yet again to several people and their amazing efforts to get us out there.
In truth we're not sure what validation means exactly. To be honest, we are both pretty chuffed when any of our friends is enthusiastic. But I think I remember our original definition was to be published by someone – all proper, like.
Of course, we realise that being published only brings with it more fears - whether it will sell, whether anyone will like it, whether we can cope with all the comments from people who don't, and so on. Deep down we know that validation only comes from within. And, unlike Karin, I was fairly sure we had written a book that deserved a wider public. Then again, I have another couple of those that remain in the darkness. So, external validation of any sort is welcome.
So we're pretty chuffed to be able to boast on our blog that we have a publisher. Details here.
As someone who hardly ever touches my Kindle I would have liked to have seen a paperback edition. In validation terms, I'd have been thrilled to see our work on the shelves of Waterstone's in between Dickens and Dostoevsky (or Twain and Updike if I'd won the coin-toss). Then again, whatever else the book may be, it isn't literature.
It's a tough old world out there in book land. Agents and publishers are swamped with more manuscripts than ever before at a time when the printed word could hardly be at a lower commercial ebb. It's often said that everyone writes poetry and no-one reads it. The last few months in the twittersphere has left me thinking the same about novels, as people fall over themselves to talk up their self-published treasures.
Each rejection letter is like a knife-wound. So, we'll grasp what we've got like we've won a cup final, and give thanks yet again to several people and their amazing efforts to get us out there.
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