What it Means to Be an Author or at least this author
When I talk about what it means to be an author--I'm speaking of my own experiences. I'm with a small independent press so my experiences will be different from those with a major publisher and different from those who self-publish. Actually I've been published by a major publisher and self-published two books, but those experiences have been a while ago. I've had lots of experience with small presses--some good and some bad. I'm quite satisfied with both the small presses I'm with now, Mundania and Oak Tree. I do not get advances, my books come out in about a year after I've submitted, my publishers do some promotion but I do lots of promotion too. I get royalties--but by the time Amazon, Ingram's, bookstores, take their bite, the publishers get theirs, what's left for me is minimal. (Publishers don't get much either.) If I were in it just for the money, I'd have quit long ago. At this particular time, I want to see what is going to happen w...