On Fri, 01 Nov 2002 12:12:18 -0800 Quinn Tyler Jackson 
writes:

> I've more or less toasted my chances with my last three novels in
> terms of regular publishers. They won't want my novels now, because 
> I
> decided to try an experiment. Who wants a previously published 
> novel,
> even if it only sold 20 copies? Nobody.

Actually, I know for a fact that's not entirely true.
Justin Matott POD'd his first book, My Garden Visits [...One day in his
garden a very special miracle occurred. Justin felt the loving presence
of his mother, who had left this earth five years before. Why had she
come? What could her invisible yet palpable presence mean? As he sowed,
weeded, and harvested, he listened to his visitor's silent communications
and felt the movement of change and growth within himself. In the
forget-me-not, he was reminded of the precious uniqueness of his mother
and every other part of creation. Along with crocuses and daffodils,
memories of childhood...]. Now this book turned into a best seller,
partially due to word of mouth and also to the fact that Justin
understood the need for self-promotion (he says he still keeps so many
copies of his books in his trunk the car drags on curbs). So he will walk
into a bookstore and promote himself. [Nerve which, I readily admit, I do
not have -- at present.]

However, Garden Visits took on a life of its own (amazon says it only has
2 copies of the POD version left), and ended up the focus of a NY
Publisher bidding war.

Right, this is not the norm, this is lightning from the Gods of Bounty
striking.
[And opened the door for his other stories to be published through the
usual channels]

However, POD or NY Publisher, Justin still has needed to bang his own
drums of self promotion.
And you, Quinn, with these course listings, might try again.... though if
I were you I'd probably focus on a smaller or University Press.
[And, since distribution seems to be a problem, wrangle having cases of
books on hand in the meantimes (and, yes, I know, that's a pricey
proposition, and possibly unworkable).]

While stories like Justin's (or Clancy's Hunt for Red October, which was
originally published, by of all things, the Naval Institute Press) are,
indeed exceptions, they prove that there are back ways into mainstream
print. 

But, just as POD requires self-promotion (and not only, as I understand,
POD, but ANY publishing), so does ferreting out the tunnels under the
perceived bullwarks between us (the uncontracted masses) and big
publisher print runs.
Sometimes, of course, for a given book, a given author, or, as some might
say, a given constellation of stars, "it," indeed,
"can't" be done. But
I'm detecting, and forgive me if I'm misconstruing, a bit of
hand-wringing (though not without merit) generalization.

But then, promotion (e.g. marketing results) going to the persistent is
something I have directly experienced. And one of the rules of successful
marketers is not only to "keep trying" but also to "keep
testing," e.g.
trying new things, new approaches, etc. And no, just like soothing a
colicy baby at o-dark-thirty, some things don't work -- and sometimes you
have to restart at the beginning of the list (e.g. try that first, or
fifth, failed the first time approach again).

Exceptions may not prove the rule, but they prove something. 
And Hope, springing eternally, shouldn't ALWAYS be put up on fraud
charges.

=smile=

-B

======
I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the
ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own
abhorrence. --Frederick Douglass
======
Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom
consists in not exceeding the limit. --Elbert Hubbard

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