Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Guest Post- Lori L. MacLaughlin- Reason #57 Why I Chose To Self-Publish

Today I am welcoming one of my cohorts from the Insecure Writers Support Group to talk about her reason to self-publish- and show us her brand new book!

Welcome Lori L. MacLaughlin!

Reason #57 Why I Chose To Self-Publish



Okay, just kidding. There really aren't 57 reasons, but there are quite a few. This particular reason stemmed from a writers' organization meeting I attended two summers ago. At that time, I was on the fence, trying to decide between continuing my pursuit of publication along the traditional path or veering off down the less-traveled road of self-publication.

The speaker, a mystery writer I'll call Agatha, talked about her experiences leading up to the publication of her novel. She'd written the story from two points of view, with each chapter alternating between the female and male protagonists, who eventually become lovers.

Agatha was delighted when her manuscript was accepted. Her agent/editor (I forget which) loved her story, but told her she'd need to ditch the two-POV style and write it from just one person's POV. Agatha agreed to do this and rewrote the book to the new specification.

Not long afterward, things didn't work out, and she ended up going with a new agent/editor. This person also loved the story, but said Agatha should go back to her original idea with the two points of view. So Agatha rewrote the book a second time to fit this new agent/editor's recommendation.

Her book was eventually published in its original, alternating-chapter format. She has since published a second book in the mystery series, also in this format. Both have garnered mostly four and five star reviews.

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to have to change my story to fit someone else's vision. And while I realize this may be an extreme case, it can happen. It did happen.

Everything in publishing is subjective. What one person likes, another doesn't. What if my story was accepted for traditional publication and I didn't agree with the suggested edits? Or worse, what if I hated the cover? How much say would I have in these matters? I couldn't imagine working all those years crafting my story, only to be disappointed in the results.

I thought about what I would have done if I'd been in Agatha's position. Would I have rewritten the book? Honestly, no. It wouldn't have been worth it to me. If I couldn't have kept the story true to my vision, I wouldn't have wanted it published at all.

That's why I chose self-publishing — one of the reasons, anyway.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Robert Frost


Lady, THY NAME IS TROUBLE

Trouble is Tara Triannon’s middle name. As swords for hire, Tara and her sister Laraina thrive on the danger. But a surprise invasion throws them into chaos... and trouble on a whole new level. Pursued by the Butcher, a terrifying assassin more wolf than man, Tara and Laraina must get a prince marked for death and a young, inept sorceress to safety. There’s only one problem – eluding the Butcher has never been done. Aided by a secretive soldier of fortune, they flee the relentless hunter.

Gifted with magic and cursed by nightmares that are all too real, Tara must stop an army led by a madman and fend off an evil Being caught in a centuries-old trap who seeks to control her magic and escape through her dreams – all while keeping one step ahead of the Butcher.


Lori L. MacLaughlin traces her love of fantasy adventure to Tolkien and Terry Brooks, finding The Lord of the Rings and The Sword of Shannara particularly inspirational. She's been writing stories in her head since she was old enough to run wild through the forests on the farm on which she grew up.

She has been many things over the years – tree climber, dairy farmer, clothing salesperson, kids' shoe fitter, retail manager, medical transcriptionist, journalist, private pilot, traveler, wife and mother, Red Sox and New York Giants fan, muscle car enthusiast and NASCAR fan, and a lover of all things Scottish and Irish.

When she's not writing (or working), she can be found curled up somewhere dreaming up more story ideas, taking long walks in the countryside, or spending time with her kids. She lives with her family in northern Vermont.

Lori L. MacLaughlin

Social Media Links:


Twitter: @LLMacL 


7 comments:

  1. Thanks so much, Marie, for having me on your blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for coming by and sharing your story! Your books sounds awesome!

      Delete
  2. Making our own choices from content to cover is one of the reasons that I like Indie publishing too. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  3. I was totally nodding along. I have changed my story based on someone else's assessment, but it was after I personally noticed that some people's reading tapered off after a certain part of the book. I asked the editor I hired what she thought, and she made some suggestions. It was my choice whether or not I wanted to implement them. Maybe in a traditional route, I'd have that choice, and they could choose to say, "well, sorry then." This way, I still had the option to continue regardless.

    Best of luck, Lori!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Loni! That's exactly what I didn't want to hear from an agent or publisher — the "it's our way or the highway." I prefer it to be my choice.

      Delete
  4. I like those reason. You created a beautiful book and I was submerged in your story. Best of luck,
    Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

    ReplyDelete