• Welcome to the Fantasy Writing Forums. Register Now to join us!

Be Honest: Why are you Really Not Published Yet?

While I would like to be trad published, I haven't gone down that route due to the timeframe involved. I've heard small publishers who said that they choose only five books a year, and if they chose mine it might be two years before it was published. I write so that people can read (and hopefully enjoy!) my work, and the idea of having to wait two years before the public can take a look really made me change my plans.
 

locofife

Acolyte
So far I am unpublished because I haven't actually submitted anything to anyone. It's also a possibility that my writing is absolutely awful and not worth much. (Though preliminary reviews have been positive.) I really just need to sit down and write. I keep thinking about it and never doing anything. This is the year I plan to make a serious effort at writing and possibly submitting a few short stories.
 

Ronald T.

Troubadour
I have no problem finishing a work, so I must assume my writing skill hasn't yet reached the level that's required for final acceptance into the realm of published authors.

If that's the case, I can only work harder at studying and practicing my craft. Giving up isn't an option.
 
I'm not published because right now I'm not writing for the public. I'm basically writing Dungeons and Dragons modules in the form of novels for myself. Maybe one day I'll send them out for publication. I don't know yet.
 

Demesnedenoir

Myth Weaver
A good bump IMO... 2017 will be the first year I've a finished product I'd put my name on and send out for rejection (not including screenwriting). Technically, I have been published, it just wasn't paid nor was it fiction... hells, that was so long ago I forget what it even was, LOL. Seems like it had something to do with Chaucer, heh heh. But my writing had to get to a happy place before I'd finish anything, let alone submit. Delusional or not, I think I'm there!
 

Peat

Sage
I've yet to finish something I'm willing to consider submissible, either in the trad sense or to the public in the form of trade publishing. Hoping to break the duck this year.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
I'll be submitting my novel, Goblins at the Gates to agents and houses this summer. I'm about a fifth of the way through final edit. If I get nowhere by winter, I'll be self-publishing it. Of course, if it gets picked up, it'll be two years or more before it sees light of day.
 
I'll be submitting my novel, Goblins at the Gates to agents and houses this summer. I'm about a fifth of the way through final edit. If I get nowhere by winter, I'll be self-publishing it. Of course, if it gets picked up, it'll be two years or more before it sees light of day.
Good luck, congrats

Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
I have two WIP series under way: 'Labyrinth' and 'Empire.'

One thing I gleaned from writing the second book in each series was this:

'Don't publish the first book in a series unless you have a rough draft - or at least a good outline - of the last.'

Reason for that is changes in later books often require tweaking earlier books.

Which is why I am sitting on a lot of rough drafts at the moment.
 
Like skip, I plan to submit my WIP to agents this summer. If I get nowhere, I'll self-publish, putting it up for pre-sale for maybe a year, during which time I'll be writing the sequel, which I would plan to put up for pre-sale at the same time the first book goes on sale.
 
Cuz I'm not ready yet and neither are my stories :p

Look, I'm 16. I have plenty of time. :p

Definitely no rush when you're under 20 :) In fact ... you might prefer to hold off until you're more confident in your craft (basically ... you'll know when the timing's right.)

I submitted a Flash Fiction piece to 2 online journals/ magazines - one pro, the other just getting started. I submitted at the beginning of submission season so I've been waiting months to hear back from the one, the other ended up going belly up.

My goals for this year are to transition from ghostwriting novels for others to writing & (indie or self) publishing my own. Also ... I want to get more Flash & Shorts out there with my name on it. Thinking I might have better luck starting out in the unpaid markets and working my way up once I can establish a bit more credibility. Novel or short, I'm gonna get something published with my name on it this year, if it kills me (though hopefully it doesn't come down to that ... I prefer to live)
 

Russ

Istar
I'll be submitting my novel, Goblins at the Gates to agents and houses this summer. I'm about a fifth of the way through final edit. If I get nowhere by winter, I'll be self-publishing it. Of course, if it gets picked up, it'll be two years or more before it sees light of day.

It's not quite that bad these days. My wife sold her debut novel end of January last year, it is is stores now.
 
Top