Hi all, I'm Joey, or Renegade Folk Hero. While I've had a very small number of pieces published, mostly poetry in University Journals, I'm working aggressively towards becoming self published. I'm currently working on a plan through my blog, and I'm looking to join various writing communities for support and criticism of my work, as I strive towards my goal. If you want to check out my blog, it's at http://renegadefolk.wordpress.com and it's where I'm currently working on putting together my book. I've got a long term plan, where I'll have the book as a print on demand, with the first third available online free of charge. I look forward to meeting the members of the forum, and getting your advice and insight. Joey/Renegade Folk Hero
Hi, Nice to meet you. Sounds like you know exactly what you're here to do so I can't wait to have a read. Welcome and goodluck!
Hello Joey, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Glad to be here, everyone. Thanks for the advice, Cognito. I understand how publically posting work for free affects its chances of being published, and so I'm very picky about how and where I display my stuff. I'll start building up a bank of critiques, so that when I'm ready to post my work, I'll qualify. Got to say, I'm already enjoying myself here.
welcome to the site! i'm curious as to why you'd not want to consider trying to interest a paying publisher in your work and intend to self-publish instead...
I'm looking at self publishing first because I want to mantain a great deal of control over my creative vision. I'm also not sure I have a lot of faith in the traditional publishing industry, especially in Canada, where I live. A great deal of it is dependant on having content that is considered especially relevant to the Canadian viewpoint, and I don't want to limit the scope of my work to one particular national or cultural identity. I think we live an exciting time, with completely new ways to get our ideas, our art, and our work out there. I want to be part of the push forward, of the inovation of how artists work in a world where national borders, cultural boundries, and physical access have way less meaning. I want to try using new formats, reaching an audience in new ways, and not necessarily limiting myself to a particular media. I don't mean to sound like I have contempt for existing publishing companies. I don't, and I'd be happy to work with them. It's just, right now, they hold all the power, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable in that paradigm. I want to see how it works our for me to try this new route. Just because I self-publish my first book, it doesn't mean I can't go back, and sell my second book to existing publishing houses. It's just the route I'm interested in exploring right now.
