I so hate when some new insight or spiritual challenge comes up. Yes, I hate spiritual challenges. Recently, I read Cory Doctorow's essay on giving away his novel. He believes it's a good way to build an audience. So he gave away his first novel on the internet. Creative Commons license. So do I believe that "freely I have received, freely I should give." Do I believe the spiritual (and marketing law) that if we give, we shall be blessed...and (marketing law this) that folks will come back for me? Yep, I'm face to face suddenly with a rubber-meets-the-road kinda situation. And should I do it?
This is my vaguely-thought-out plan: If no one accepts, Cry For Hire (which is a totally fun 50,000 word novella) I shall do the creative commons thing and send it out. Now, I have three possibilities that it could be accepted. I've submitted a small version of it to a yearly anthology, am working on a larger version for Carina, and I have a friend in a small indie pub who would like it. What to do???
Now, I could get out of this spiritual challenge. First off: I've already uploaded some of my stories to the internet. They were published already, of course. In some great anthologies. But I still could have attempted to do the reprint market thing. So, since I've technically already begun to give myself freely to readers everywhere and getting them to know me...I technically don't have to make another book free.
Second: I could really convince myself that this is just me being way too scrupulous. I do tend toward a weird morbid scrupulousness. So this might very well be me being odd and not a spiritual challenge at all.
Thirdly: I could compromise. I could compromise on the whole pricing thing and sell the story for $1 or something. On kindle or some such place.
Fourthly, compromise B: I could compromise on the story and upload a mini-version. Longer than a short story but shorter than the actual novella thing.
Fifthly, I could ask my husband what to do with it and secretly hope he says, "Nah, don't make it free. Bad idea." In that way, I could pull the "obedient submissive wife" thing and say, "Well, God, I really wanted to do it but the hubby was against it...and God works through the man's will." (Not that I listen to the hubby's will much in daily life.)
Sixthly -- yep, there is a sixth-- I could upload the story but sell the graphic novel hubby draws from this.
I'm sure I can think of other compromises as the day(s) goes on. I'm good at coming up with compromises. Heck, I'm a Christian. (::snicker::) But, honestly, seriously, what to do?
This is my vaguely-thought-out plan: If no one accepts, Cry For Hire (which is a totally fun 50,000 word novella) I shall do the creative commons thing and send it out. Now, I have three possibilities that it could be accepted. I've submitted a small version of it to a yearly anthology, am working on a larger version for Carina, and I have a friend in a small indie pub who would like it. What to do???
Now, I could get out of this spiritual challenge. First off: I've already uploaded some of my stories to the internet. They were published already, of course. In some great anthologies. But I still could have attempted to do the reprint market thing. So, since I've technically already begun to give myself freely to readers everywhere and getting them to know me...I technically don't have to make another book free.
Second: I could really convince myself that this is just me being way too scrupulous. I do tend toward a weird morbid scrupulousness. So this might very well be me being odd and not a spiritual challenge at all.
Thirdly: I could compromise. I could compromise on the whole pricing thing and sell the story for $1 or something. On kindle or some such place.
Fourthly, compromise B: I could compromise on the story and upload a mini-version. Longer than a short story but shorter than the actual novella thing.
Fifthly, I could ask my husband what to do with it and secretly hope he says, "Nah, don't make it free. Bad idea." In that way, I could pull the "obedient submissive wife" thing and say, "Well, God, I really wanted to do it but the hubby was against it...and God works through the man's will." (Not that I listen to the hubby's will much in daily life.)
Sixthly -- yep, there is a sixth-- I could upload the story but sell the graphic novel hubby draws from this.
I'm sure I can think of other compromises as the day(s) goes on. I'm good at coming up with compromises. Heck, I'm a Christian. (::snicker::) But, honestly, seriously, what to do?
No comments:
Post a Comment