Finding a publisher shouldn’t be too hard, right? When I started on the road to get my first novel published four years ago, I had the idea I was going to go the traditional route. Find an agent, get a publisher, etc.

Life Takes Interesting Turns

Instead, much like my life working with startups, I ended up getting connected to disruptive ideas and businesses.

I knew the story had promise. I practiced my pitch on someone in a hotel lobby at a conference and she would have taken the book right then, but she was a YA publisher. It’s definitely not a YA novel. However, hunting for an agent was a needle in a haystack. For example, an agent who took adventure didn’t want a novel with a woman as the main character, etc.

Out of the Blue

Then a startup, Publishizer, contacted me. They had seen me on Twitter and wanted to know if I had a novel I wanted to publish. As a startup, attempting to disrupt the publishing industry, they are akin to a Kickstarter and a Tender (for authors and publishers). The more books I could sell, the more publishers I could connect to. This process skips out on the agent altogether. As luck would have it, I had plenty of experience with crowdfunding, so I took the plunge into presales.

I made my goal of 101 books sold in 30 days, so then I was connected with a bunch of publishers. To be honest, I researched every one and found that I only really wanted one of them. Creativia. I didn’t have to have Publishizer to submit to Creativia, but I wouldn’t have found them on my own. Plus, having people waiting for the book they purchased ensured that I worked hard on the final draft.

Creativia reviewed the novel and accepted me into their circle, and I couldn’t be happier. And now, my novel is live on Amazon! I feel so lucky and honored on this journey. A strange road indeed.

On a side note, I’ve learned that a novel is much like a startup. Work on it every day, don’t be afraid to pivot, listen to your audience (review group), and focus on making the best product you can.

If you’re interested in checking out the adventure novel, set in the Amazon, here’s a link to Toy of the Gods.

I’m Sonja Dewing. I’m published author of  Toy of the Gods and other stories available on Amazon and I’m always seeking adventure. I’m a Social Media Manager and consult with writers on creativity and social media.