As of right now, I have 51 subscribers on WordPress and fewer than that on Twitter/X/Evil Elon. I have an Insta account, but I don’t post photos of meals I’m about to eat (I like to paint, so I post them on occasion). I have no idea who most of you are, but I thank you sincerely for sticking with me after years of inactivity. There’s a reason I’m poking my head out of my shell: I’m an author who hopes to get a book deal this year. I know, join the club.
I’m previously published through independent presses and even garnered praise from several New York Times bestselling authors and Bram Stoker Award winners. I’m also terrible at publicity, but I would like that to change. I mentioned a book I hope to get published. It’s humor-based, and that’s my calling. I’ve written supernatural thrillers, horror, and straight crime thrillers. Most, if not all, of them had elements of comedy in them, but stayed more along the serious side. This new one, a Krampus novel, is rooted in satire and humor. The sophisticated kind, not the lazy bathroom variety.
My options are as follows:
- Query literary agents (which I’m currently doing);
- Submit to independent presses that accept unsolicited manuscripts (also in the works);
- Go it alone. Take the plunge. Become a true Indie Author and publish it myself.
The third option is the most daunting because I’ve never done it before. Fortunately, though, writers have this option. If you’re an indie filmmaker, you need to buy/rent a bunch of equipment, scout locations, hire actors, and probably a million other things I cannot think of. How do you distribute the film without studio backing? I have no idea, but filmmakers do it because they love it and want to share it with the world. Do they want to make money? Sure, that’s part of it, but not the primary motivator.
That’s where I am. I’ve written a book I love and believe is funny, and I want to share it with the world and give it the best chance to reach readers. The Big 5 publishers are the best way to do this. But like with everything in life, that ain’t easy. You need a literary agent to get your work in front of them. And it’s challenging to get one. But it’s not impossible. I had one years ago for a book I wrote, but we weren’t able to get a deal. That’s fine. It’s called dying on submission. Happens all the time. I ended up getting it published without that agent (who literally vanished on me).
I’ve neglected this blog for years, and it’s my New Year’s Resolution to post something every day. (That’s not difficult, actually. I mean, I could post a sentence that reads “This is my post for the day,” and it would qualify.) But I’d like to share this daunting journey of rejection and hopeful acceptance with readers. And if I go it alone, I will explain what I’m doing and why I hope it works. If you’re an indie author reading this and have thoughts, advice, or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you. Likewise, if you’re an agent reading this, I’ve probably queried you or someone in your agency. Hello.
The one thing you won’t get from me is complaints about the publishing world, like, it’s so unfair!
Grow up!
Here’s what I ask if you’ve gotten this far. I’ve created this Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mattmanochio
Please give it a look and feel free to subscribe/follow if it strikes your fancy. And if you’d like me to follow back, please contact me, leave a comment below. I’d be happy to chat. It’s a vast world out there, and I hope to meet a few of you.