Novel dilemma solved

My novel progress has ground to a halt. I’ve run into a plot wall and instead of struggling over it have decided to clean my desk, tackle my TO DO list, write some blogposts, and a few other such chores instead.

Meanwhile, I solved my dilemma (whether to pursue traditional publishing or go the DIY route) by looking at the bigger picture. My epiphany came in the shower when I started to think about everything I want to write. This isn’t about one book, it’s about my career.

I intend to write more books, at least two series worth and some stand-alones. There’s room to publish at least one series through traditional publishers and do the others myself. Each approach will gain name-recognition that will help sales in the other.

Which way to go with my first novel is still undetermined. The tentative plan is to hit one or two conferences this summer with manuscript in hand and see if I can get an idea whether the thing is sellable in today’s market. (And whether it is ready to sell at all, of course.)

If my work is good enough but nobody wants vampire novels, then I’ll do it myself. If there is interest, I’ll pursue the traditional route, despite the potentially two years from query to shelf time lag. Maybe during that time I can write and release something else myself.

First I’d better get back to work and finish the darn thing.