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On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, author Russell Dean writes about his experiences with publishing his new book, Borrowed Time, and why he chose to go independent.
Written by Russell Dean
You know that scene in the movie Titanic? The one where they’re all in the ocean screaming and flapping their arms trying to get the boats to notice them? That’s what it feels like being an author, sometimes. We’re all trying to keep our heads above water, kicking and thrashing to stay afloat and hoping that our shouts get noticed. Because it’s a big pool, and it’s filled with thousands of others just like us, and it’s easy for our voices to go unheard.
For some, the water is too daunting. They look at it and contemplate and then decide to keep dry, but for others, including myself, despite knowing the perils of what’s ahead, we just keep diving in and hoping for the best.
Writing Journey
For every writer who has a book on a shelf somewhere, there’s a thousand others trying desperately to get their stories out into the world. When I set out on my writing journey, I had no idea of how big the pool was, or how many people I’d be floating alongside. I had a wonderful ignorance, and very little expectation. My only hope was that one day someone else would hold a copy of my work in their hands and be willing to read it. It didn’t seem like a big ask, but I had no idea how much of a mountain I was about to climb.
I’m mixing my metaphors now, but you get the idea.
Traditional Publishers
We all know the names of the big-league publishers, and anyone who has considered traditional publishing routes has probably sent off a query to them. And, if you are anything like me, you’ve probably seen your fair share of ‘Thank U, Next,’ emails in return. It can be enough to make you want to throw in the towel. Nearly every author I have ever met or interacted with suffers from imposter syndrome, anyway, so rejections can hurt like a fist. And yet we power on. We keep jumping back into the water.
In the grand scheme of things, those who get both a traditional publishing deal and also see success with their work, are a tiny minority of the huge number of writers out there who are looking for a break. It’s because those deals are so rare and lucrative, though, that authors idolize and strive for them. But are they really the be-all and end-all? I don’t think so. Not anymore.
Independent Authors
There’s a snobbery around publishing. An elitism. And it’s kinda ugly, quite frankly. I watched a YouTube video recently where a young author was crying because someone had told her that she wasn’t a real author because she was published via an independent distributor. And yet, her work was out there. It was in the public’s hands. It was doing everything that it needed to do, and for some, that still wasn’t good enough.
Independent cinema is a multi-billion dollar market. Huge names flock to appear in indie movies. There’s festivals and awards to celebrate it and it is often seen as being very prestigious. Indie music is much the same. Many amazon artists have gone away from traditional music contracts and they’re celebrated for not being another cog in the machine. But for authors? Well, it seems that many still see independent or self-produced works to be some sort of indication of failure, and it’s mind boggling.
Small Authors Struggle
But here’s the thing; the bit that people never want to discuss. These big publishing deals will often leave authors no better off than they were before. Unless you are a big name, like King or Rowling or Martin or McManus, authors aren’t getting big cheque advances. They aren’t getting POS displays in stores, they aren’t getting huge royalty rights and television deals and very often, they aren’t even getting paid.
One of my closest friends got a deal with one of the most prestigious publishers in the UK, but he was a nobody. It was his first book. They couldn’t take the risk plowing money into promotion and advertising so he was left to grind away on social media. There was no upfront payment like you see in the movies and though his book was in stores, it took nearly four years before he got his first royalty payment because they had to recoup their money first. He was worse off, essentially, than if he’d gone with an independent publisher or had self-published.
Now, his story is not everyone’s. We’re all on different paths and going at different speeds, but there is evidence of success in both areas of publishing. You can, and should, get your stories out there by any means necessary, even if it means doing it all yourself, from the writing and editing, to design and promotion. Do not let yourself be deterred by the big names or intimidated by the indie route.
Borrowed Time
When I was writing Borrowed Time, my new novel which has just been released, I was in a total panic about how it would get from my brain and into the hands of readers, and I researched every possible road I could go down. Borrowed Time is not easy to market. It’s contemporary and also historical. It has time travel. It has romance, but it’s not the main plot of the book, and the lead character is gay.
This, apparently, was a head scratcher for some publishers. Some told me that they had their fill of ‘gay books’, whatever that means. Others wanted more trauma. Gay people should be in a constant miserable battle, obviously. It’s not a coming out story, either, which is a hot trend in fiction right now. Tom, my lead character, is just gay. That’s it. It’s not a plot device, and it’s not used as a way to make him suffer. But that made it a difficult sell, especially when you throw in the fantasy historical aspect.
Choosing To Go Independent
So, I sacked off the idea of the big leagues very early on, and I took my contemporary, historical, gay, time travelling, romantic drama to a small independent publisher and haven’t looked back. I mean, look, there’s still no advance and I still have to do loads of marketing and whatnot, but I have a near total control over everything and don’t have to wait years to see the rewards. Borrowed Time is out there, just like I wanted it to be, and that’s what is important. And without the backing of any big publisher, I still managed to get to #2 on the Amazon book charts. That’s no mean feat for a nobody indie author like myself, and something I’ll be proud of forever.
No author should lose sight of their goals, but they should never be deterred by knockbacks or lack of interest from traditional publishers. More importantly, we need to stop looking at independent publishing in such a negative light. Indie authors are amongst the best, seriously, and to overlook them leaves your bookshelf a lot poorer.
We may all just be thrashing about in the ocean trying to get noticed, but you should dive into the water with us. You won’t regret it.
Find more now:
Borrowed Time is out now in paperback and eBook formats, and also on Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon Store – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B3S5GYVQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
Website – www.russelldeanauthor.co.uk
On The Table Read: https://www.thetablereadmagazine.co.uk/author-interview-russell-dean-borrowed-time/
Twitter – @russdeanwrites
Tiktok – @russelldeanwrites
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