Recession-proof publishing?

An idea that’s been gaining traction with me is publishing my new novel, Inventing Vazquez, as a free serialized online novel.

I know I haven’t exhausted my options in terms of looking for a literary agent (I’m now up to about 30 rejections), but the reality is that it’s going to be extremely hard to land one in this economy. So the question facing me is: do I have the will to go through another 70 rejections, or do I want to get this story out, no matter what?

Self-publishing is not an option for me at this point. Not only can I not afford it, but after the nightmare that was having my distributor bought out by AtlasBooks, I don’t know that I want to deal with that nonsense again.

So the alternative is, of course, publishing it for free online. I’ve done it before. In fact, my first ‘novel’ was an online serial, a novel-length Anime fanfic I did way back in the day. It was odd because I didn’t intend for it to be a novel. I started writing a fanfic, thought it’d be a short story, but as the story kept evolving, and my site got more and more traffic from interested readers, the project took on a life of its own. And so, 500 pages later, I’d completed the novel, and amassed an impressive readership.

With Inventing Vazquez, I guess I’d post the first five chapters, promote the site anyway I could, and then start posting new chapters about once or twice a month. And with 65 chapters, I’d say there’d be plenty to keep an audience interested in for a while.

It’d be the best way to tell the story now, and it’s a story I want to tell. As a Latino, I can barely go a week without seeing something on TV or film that insults me. I think most people of color can say the same thing. So this is a story for anyone who’s ever felt like mainstream media treats us like non-entities. And it’s a funny story that, I hope, will put a smile on the face of anyone who reads it regardless of race.

So there’s the sense of immediacy—I want this story to get out, and through traditional publishing mediums, it could be at least two years before it is.

But I have to weigh that against the dreams that I and every other writer holds—we all dream of that first published book (and yes, Solstice was published, but self-published) and receiving that first advance check from the publisher, or even getting that phone call from an agent saying, “I’d like to discuss representation.” Make no mistake, I don’t seek fame or fortune, but I’ve had these dreams too. For as long as I’ve been a writer (the better part of 20 years), I’ve dreamed of the day I became a legitimate author (and I think many people would argue being self-published isn’t legitimate).

Inventing Vazquez, I thought, would be a novel that could get me there. I think it’s infinitely better than Solstice, and has a broader commercial appeal because of its humor. So it’s a difficult decision I need to make. Do I abandon my dream for a while longer and publish a novel online for the sake of telling the story, or do I hold out for the hope that an agent will eventually be interested? Do I take full control over things and publish it online at a price (free) that anyone can afford, or do I trust myself to the universe and hope it’ll help me fulfill my publishing dreams?

The pros of publishing online are, of course, full control, and a chance to interact with readers. That’s one of my fondest memories of publishing my first serialized novel: I got to meet a lot of people online, and chat with them about my work. And, well, there’s always a distant chance that, if the novel gains some traction that way, a publisher might take interest.

The cons are, of course, not being “legitimate,” and not having the tactile reality of a book in your hands, or being able to say the novel you worked so hard on is now available in bookstores.

Well, I guess I have to think on it for a while. Probably harder to do so with all the things unraveling in my personal life, but oh well, have to keep moving forward somehow.

One final note: my band is now named Guru Hissy Fit, and we have a web site with samples of our songs. We hope to start playing out in September. Drop by, take a listen, and become a fan on Facebook if you like.

Peace.