P.J.’s answer to “Will you be free to indicate what you've ghosted at some point?” > Likes and Comments
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That’s a great question, very kindly put. And I appreciate it because I’ve been asked it before but I think I’m yet to provide a satisfactory answer.
The traditional publishing industry is a lovely, lethargic leviathan which, even if it were to take notice of Anty Boisjoly, wouldn’t be able to provide the discovery and dash that a clubbing, crime-solving eccentric needs if he’s going to be sorting out as many as four locked room murders a year. So I never sought representation for Anty Boisjoly and with the exception of the audiobooks (for which representation sought me) the quality and calendar are my responsibility.
There’s another aspect which is a little delicate, and I’m kind of walking through this reasoning myself — I don’t need much. Certainly I don’t need to be pushing hard-covers and merchandise and boxed sets and anniversary editions and a lot of other, let us say, inaccurately priced products when my exclusive ambition for Anty Boisjoly is that he be accessible to anyone who finds him entertaining.
The traditional publishing industry, on the other hand and by all reliable accounts, needs a lot. It’s got offices in Manhattan and Bloomsbury and it’s got to service entire lines of credit just for the martini division.
Without all that overhead, I can ask the lowest price at which I can afford to write, thus maximising my confidence that I’m giving value for money.
Self-publishing may or may not have been the only option for Anty Boisjoly, but my purblind guess is that it’s the right one.
Again, thank you very much for the question. I’m glad of the opportunity to reflect on it.
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That’s a great question, very kindly put. And I appreciate it because I’ve been asked it before but I think I’m yet to provide a satisfactory answer.The traditional publishing industry is a lovely, lethargic leviathan which, even if it were to take notice of Anty Boisjoly, wouldn’t be able to provide the discovery and dash that a clubbing, crime-solving eccentric needs if he’s going to be sorting out as many as four locked room murders a year. So I never sought representation for Anty Boisjoly and with the exception of the audiobooks (for which representation sought me) the quality and calendar are my responsibility.
There’s another aspect which is a little delicate, and I’m kind of walking through this reasoning myself — I don’t need much. Certainly I don’t need to be pushing hard-covers and merchandise and boxed sets and anniversary editions and a lot of other, let us say, inaccurately priced products when my exclusive ambition for Anty Boisjoly is that he be accessible to anyone who finds him entertaining.
The traditional publishing industry, on the other hand and by all reliable accounts, needs a lot. It’s got offices in Manhattan and Bloomsbury and it’s got to service entire lines of credit just for the martini division.
Without all that overhead, I can ask the lowest price at which I can afford to write, thus maximising my confidence that I’m giving value for money.
Self-publishing may or may not have been the only option for Anty Boisjoly, but my purblind guess is that it’s the right one.
Again, thank you very much for the question. I’m glad of the opportunity to reflect on it.
I was also curious why you've self-published, when it would seem to me any number of publishers would be interested given the quality of your work. I don't see any shame in it; I've self-published a number of books for various reasons prior to working with an established small publisher.