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I've started writing a book.
I expect it to be a difficult read. Some parts will be done as a sort of pastiche of the style of finnegans wake. Very postmodern style & narrative. I don't expect it to be very lengthy.
My question is this: how much of a nightmare is publishing going to be? I know it's usually hard for first time authors and it seems as though this will be a relatively "obtuse" book, lacking broad appeal. Also want to know about the feasibility of alternatives like self-publishing.
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No one is going to read a book like that if it's your first novel. You're one of thousands to try their hand at something that has only been done well a hand full of times.
Self-publishing is viable if you want ten people to read your book.
I would advise writing short stories and getting them published. If you're good try sending in stories to McSweeney's and similar places. Try a hundred times. You won't be published over night.
Sit on this novel of yours until you have publications from reputable sources. Otherwise it will be entirely unread.
Being an author is a long road. I've been published seven times since 1995.
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>>7589697
good advice on /lit/? that's not what i came here for!
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>>7589697
I guess I should add, though, that university presses are a wonderful resource for publishing books like these.
Are you a student? If you really, truly feel you are a gifted writer and can skip the pedigree-building process to release something like that your university may very well publish it for you.
Also degrees mean a lot. If you aren't a student or graduated you almost certainly have to do what my above post advises.
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>>7589697
Would getting it published be easier if I tried to get a commendation from a respected author beforehand?
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>>7589733
Yes, of course. Mainstream publication is the following three things:
Who endorses you?
Where is your degree from?
How good is your writing?
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>>7589718
I'm in my last year of high school. No plans for university. I don't know if I'm 'gifted', but people have said that I have a good writing style. Here's something from a previous project which I abandoned; it wasn't going well and I wanted to be writing a different sort of book, something more humane and personal. Poor quality but I'm posting from my phone.
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>>7589748
Keep writing.
Give it ten years. I'm not kidding.
Write short stories. Submit them anywhere you can find. If people are publishing your work you are good. If people aren't you need to find another hobby. This only applies after five years of trying.
I would strongly advise going to a good university if you are serious about trying to make something out of writing. Get a job, apply everywhere your SAT/ACT/whatever will let you, and spend the next 10 years of your life writing and studying. If you get published you will be able to teach somewhere, so don't worry about that. Work anywhere for now. Anywhere that will take you and allow you time to do well at your university.
Otherwise you should give up being a writer. You know nothing right now, and without surrounding yourself with others with similar goals you will never reach your potential.
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>>7589773
Will work on writing short stories then, try to build up a reputation/portfolio while I write this novel. Thanks.
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>>7589748
>with it's dust
[it's] and [its] are tricky little bastards, OP.
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Write a long book, get exactly 1 copy printed, make a really creative suicide, taking the book with you.
succes.
your book will be a best-seller
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>>7589814
PostScript: regarding university, I have never been a very good student. Always had poor marks in English class. Only ever did especially well in music.
I learn better when left to my own devices. So I'm not sure whether I should just continue my studies by myself, rather than go to uni.
This is an arrogant stance, I know.
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>>7589835
That's an older draft, from a couple months ago. Ditched that project anyway though
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>>7589853
You will miss out on lots of sex and drugs though.
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>>7589882
I'll be pulling mad audience pussy once I'm published
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>>7589607
If you're going out of your way to write in a post-modern style it's going to be shit that you're just writing randomly and hoping to be good.
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