I Wrote a Novella… Now What?

Nearly eight years spent toiling over character development, plot holes, themes, and everything in between. Countless PDFs saved with the infamous _V689 tacked onto the end. I’ve attended my fair share of writing workshops and even swapped WIPs with published authors, editors, and two handfuls of beta readers.

Now, finally, it is ready.

I think.

Really, I need to put the axe down. Instead of continuing to chop away at the fat trimmings, I need to publish the damn thing.

If you think I’m going to dive into the synopsis and try to sell you my little horror novella, I’m not. Instead, I want to share a very real process I’m currently going through because, well, I think it might help other insecure writers who eventually reach this same terrifying point.

You see, the natural thing to do once you finish a novel or novella is to shop it around. Enter the world of endless queries.

I’ve done enough research to understand two major things about publishing through a traditional publishing house: they can provide access to professional editing, distribution, marketing, and industry connections that are difficult to replicate on your own, but you also give up a certain amount of control over what happens to your book.

Mostly, though, traditional publishing means being prepared for rejection. A lot of it. And even when you finally get that coveted “yes,” you still have contracts, rights, edits, deadlines, and plenty of other details to consider.

Can you make good money with a traditional publisher? Of course. Plenty of authors do. But traditional publishing also requires accepting that your book becomes part of a larger business.

The alternative is self-publishing, which can very easily turn into a money pit with absolutely no return.

But something about that money pit is appealing: control.

You choose the cover. You decide how the book is presented. You determine when it comes out, where it is sold, how much it costs, and what happens next.

So, faced with these two options, and after working on this damn thing for eight years, I’m going with the money pit.

Throw me in. I’m ready.

Mostly because I’ve accepted the reality that I am probably not going to get rich off this single book. I’m not that delusional.

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Self-publishing may attract the attention of a few readers. It may help me get the attention of an agent or publisher. Maybe, somewhere down the line, I’ll work with a traditional publisher on a project that I haven’t already spent eight years pouring my blood, sweat, and tears into.

But this novella is my baby, and if that means I wrote it for free, then so be it.

After all, my goal was to publish a book, not get rich off one.

Too often, I meet writers going through the pain of querying, waiting months for responses, and wondering whether anyone will ever give their work a chance. Traditional publishing is incredibly competitive, and the way people discover and consume entertainment has changed dramatically. Books can find audiences in unexpected ways now, especially when writers are willing to put themselves and their work out there.

I envy the people who can put all their eggs in one basket and chase writing full-time. Still, I have always been a practical, logical Aquarius.

I work a boring 9-to-5 corporate gig. I have a 401(k) and health insurance through my employer — thankfully — and at night, I write. I may only make a few bucks from my efforts compared with the hardcore authors who push out a book every year, but I’m still writing.

And that counts for something.

As the years pass, I’m sure I’ll find more time to write. For now, I have kids to raise and feet to keep firmly planted on the ground while my imagination stays somewhere in the clouds, dreaming up the next monster to write about.

So, now it’s on to choosing the cover art, studying the drama that is the KDP publishing world, and figuring out how exactly I’m going to turn a PDF with _V689 at the end of its filename into an actual book someone can buy.

And maybe, eventually, I’ll be back with part two:

I Published a Novella… Now What?

To stay in touch, reach out via Instagram or check out my website.

Stay spooky!