Hey those authoring and playwriting,
What do you do if your story doesn't land with publishers? Do you change it, try submitting to an agent, leave it for a while and come back to it or would you self-publish?
I ask because I have my first commercial novel sitting with beta readers and a possible publisher. If this doesn't eventuate into a contract, I feel like I'm back at step one - trying to find where it fits.
Curious what you all do when something doesn't land.
Thanks Team!
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Are you approaching publishers directly? Please, find a literary agent and let the agent find you a publishing deal. Never, E-V-E-R approach publishers directly.
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Thanks for the tip @jeff!!
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I guess the questions are: (1) do you want to tell what a publisher wants to read? Or (2) do you to have them tell you what they want to read?
Due to collaborations, the answer is ultimately somewhere in the middle, but there must be someone out who is reasonable close to your vision. You don't need to be swayed too much.
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Lauren, I think it’s best to plug away at it for as long as you can bear to.
I suspect the vast amount of AI-generated ‘novels’ that are being self published right now is going to cause real challenges for actual writers who self publish. Do your research of publishers/agents, don’t spray and pray (take it from ome who learned the hard way) and, if it’s decent, it’ll find a home!
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You can always turn your book into a vertical streaming series on platforms like Inkitt. Might be a way to get your story out there.
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Alex Hunter I didn't even think of that - all the AI created novels. I keep forgetting people are doing that and I'm competing with technology. Thank you for the reminder! I appreciate that!
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@wade I didn't know about Inkitt - have you used this previously? I keep forgetting there are more tools than just a word doc, paper and pen to make this happen!
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Lauren Hackney they’re everywhere. It’s like Invasion of the Body Snatchers!
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Lauren, this is such a real crossroads — I think a lot of writers hit this point and it’s rarely a straight answer.
From what I’ve seen, it’s less about starting over and more about figuring out why it didn’t land. Sometimes it’s the story, sometimes it’s positioning, and sometimes it’s just timing.
Personally, I’d let the beta reader feedback come in first and use that as a compass before making any big decisions. After that, you’ve still got multiple paths — refining it, querying agents, or even exploring self-publishing depending on your goals.
Out of curiosity, are you aiming more for traditional publishing, or are you open to building it independently if it comes to that?
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Make it into a comic book!
Charmane Wedderburn It's my first commercial novel, I do have a small traditional publisher interested but I think I want to self-publish it. I will take your advice and listen to the beta reader feedback. Thank you for your guidance.
@preston now that's a plan I didn't think of! Comic books! The territory in which is unchartered for me - tell me more about your comic books.