Getting E-Published: The Good, Bad, and the Okay

Having a great story isn't always enough. Without an author's platform, a big "celebrity" name, or something so clearly a best-seller that a publisher can justify spending money on marketing your work, it's hard to get your foot in without ... well, having your foot in.

Traditional print publishers are still the dream of most authors. There's just something about seeing your name in print, on paper you can hold sandwiched between two glossy covers that can't be beat. Until you get there, though, you might want to think about wiggling your foot into that door with an e-publisher.

E-publishing doesn't necessarily mean self-publishing - though it can. There are some very respected publishers that advocate e-publishing and because the method costs less to distribute and market, are able to take on more authors than a traditional print publisher. Some well-known advocates are Ellora's Cave, Triskelion, and Cerridwen Press.

Don't let the horror stories fool you ... there are some huge benefits to e-publishing that the horror stories won't tell you.

Researching E-Publishers

E-pubbed authors are something akin to astronauts or the explorers of old: they're bravely embarking in a new territory, taking the good with the bad, and refining the world of publishing.

To help eliminate most of the nightmares you could encounter in this "new world", it's vital that you prepare yourself by doing some research before you submit a single sentence to anyone.

How to get started? Check out writer's forums and ask for opinions - if a publisher is bad, you'll hear it from dozens of authors within days of asking. A good publisher will shine through from authors who have published with them, and offer you the first shining nugget of hope.

Another way to get started is by checking out the different e-publishers online. Carefully look over their current offerings, their list of soon-to-be-released works, and keep checking back every week or two. If you don't see a lot of movement, the publisher isn't attracting a lot of authors ... and there's usually a very good reason for that.