I asked a good friend in Portland if she were me, considering I’m 70 and have health issues, would she wait to get a major publisher if they have had my book proposal for over a year. Growing up in the small town of Cottonwood, Idaho, my dream has always been to become a NYT bestselling author. She told me she had goals similar to mine and found herself on her deathbed at age 29. Through tears, her family said their goodbyes and all she could think of was what she never finished or what she was too afraid of to try. Her advice: “Do things while you are still able so you don’t have any regrets when you die.”
Since I have several other books that have been edited that I still want to publish, I took that to heart and contacted my literary agent and gave him a deadline. According to the co-founder of Scribe, less than 1% of book proposals are accepted. Not exactly high odds. Plus, major publishers expect you to sell 25,000 books the first month to your followers or those who are used to buying from you. Sounded like insurmountable odds to me.
Bestseller lists often appeal to ego, chasing them is expensive, and authors might be better off creating a game plan to sell more books. Editors pick who gets to be on the NYT bestseller list; it’s not driven by number of books sold. They track retailers in big cities like NY or L.A. It’s for authors with traditional publishing deals who have large budgets and it is still biased against indie authors. So, since I don’t have a large budget, slim chance that might happen. My sister Karen painted a rock for me that says, “Never give up on your dreams.” Maybe I just need to pivot. Maybe I should focus on getting on Amazon’s bestseller list instead since it has over 50% of new book sales in the U.S. and more than 80% of e-book sales.
My agent offered me a hybrid publisher in the U.K. but I didn’t want to rely on royalties that could be affected by the exchange rate. So, I’ve decided to go the indie route instead. I hired a book designer to do the interior and cover. $$ I also recently hired a publishing consultant. $$$ One Facebook post I read said that you never recoup your editing and advertising costs. The tradeoff is seeing the book in print that you spent a gazillion hours writing.
Lately, I’ve spent time crafting a blurb for the back cover of The Spy from Beijing. Here it is:
In a world where loyalty is tested, Jenny, a Chinese-American FBI agent, uncovers a chilling plot. Her Beijing counterpart, Yìchén, is a double agent, blackmailing and poisoning to steal critical DNA for China’s dominance. But when Jenny discovers she’s Yìchén’s biological twin, everything changes.Torn between family ties and duty to her country, she must navigate a treacherous game of espionage that spans Seattle to Beijing. Can she protect her nation while confronting the shocking truth of her past? Dive into “The Spy from Beijing,” where trust is fleeting, and betrayal lurks at every turn.
I love to hear from people, so hit reply and let me know what you think. Does it grab your attention? Would you read the book? What part stood out to you most? Did anything feel confusing or unclear?
It will be published sometime this summer. Stay tuned.
Enjoy the Super Bowl today and let that Valentine of yours or your family and friends know that you love them. Do things while you are still able so you don’t have any regrets.
Until next time…
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