A Writers Community: What Direction Do You Take?

In continuing with the theme of writing and self-publishing this week, I wanted to share more information on additional resources for support and guidance in navigating the writing community. As a writer, support is a key component to success, as it can be a long and arduous road. And in any industry, community is a necessity to survive.

Here are a few links to review:

Playwriting

National Alliance for Musical Theatre

Keep Writing

As well, I have been dabbling with an idea for a potential children’s book geared towards dance. Since researching self-publishing options, I have been sparked with new passion for writing and ready to get my scribbled, or locked up, ideas out into full visualization. However, there can be pros and cons with self-publishing.

Taking the route of self-publishing can prove to be quite costly and you will want to ensure you have an idea the market needs in order to sell. Even if you chose a site to help self-publish and get to keep all revenue, the upfront cost can be quite expansive. Yes, the traditional route of publishing may seem easier cost wise in comparison with self-publishing, but going the traditional route can prove just a tedious. There is a complete process writers and authors go through to get their work published, and can take years before seeing the fruits of their labor. Traditionally, a writer has to research the various literary agents available, and then prepare a query letter to get the agent interested. Once you get an agent interested, it’s about shopping your work to publishing houses through the means of well-prepared book proposal. If a publishing house is interested, then it’s the process of rewrites, edits, rewrites, edits, and so on until all parties involved feel they have a New York Times success ready for print. In the end, as new and unknown writer, you may not even have full control over your creativity and work, because of the different involved in helping bring the book to life wanting their share. Whew! It’s all a process, and which route is best is up to you and your needs.  

Thanks for reading,

LaKesha, xo

Self-Publishing the Arts

Recently, I have been learning about self-publishing and the various resources available to a writer. Now, I know some of you may think what does self-publishing have to do with performing and culture arts? When we think about theater and the roles that come into play to bring a production to stage, it begins with an idea penned to paper. The idea is birthed into a full play production, and the creator is a writer. And though that writer may copyright his/her work, a writer may decide to expand upon script writing and turn ideas into a collection of published work. Self-publishing is a great way for an author to get their work published without the additional red tape.

There are many self-publishing sites available, however diligent research is needed to find the right and legitimate company. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a situation of loss over control of your creativity and work. Here are a list of some of the top sites:

•   CreateSpace
•  Tate Publishing
•  Dog Ear Publishing
•   Lulu
• Trafford Publishing

Depending on your needs, each site provides an array of services to help with building and publishing your work. One of the key factors to keep in mind when selecting a site is control. As an author, control is key to reaping the full benefits of your work.

In doing research on the topic of self-publishing, I thought of how it could be helpful and beneficial to my business. Although, I do intend to write books someday, that is a personal goal not directly related to my business. After much thought and research, I realized that as a nonprofit, ticket sales will make up roughly 30-40% of income and the remainder will come from sponsors and donors of the arts. The question is what other means can be used to generate income? Answer published work. Published work could include a book of photos featuring the dancers of the company, a dance calendar, and original work of scripts and performances. Through the right site, the company maintains control of the work produced and can reach a broader audience to generate new fan base and income.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you believe self-publishing can be beneficial for you and/or your business? Below are some great sites to visit for more information on self-publishing.

Publishing Perspective

Huffington Post

The Cadence Group

Thanks for reading,

LaKesha, xo