I have been writing a novella since March of this year. It actually started by accident and let's say this 'accident' is the best thing that has ever happened to me this year.
Anyway, I was wondering when I finish my novella will it be easier to market into the mainstream in terms of print or through ebooks such as Kindles, Kobo, etc? Apparently it is harder to market a novella because they are not popular as such, although I read it is cheaper to produce.
Help and advice would be appreciate
Thanks
I have written 3 novels, 1 book of poetry, 1 book of short stories, and a book explaining how to write a novel and published these at "Smashwords" (for no cost).
Recently, I wrote a novella titled "Penelope's Wedding", and published this (for no cost) as an e-book at "Smashwords". Because it was a novella, and I wanted people to read it, I made it a "free offering".
The response so far has been encouraging. It has been downloaded by 384 people and is in 15 libraries.
I'm happy to give away the odd piece of writing, if it means people get to read my stories. It may be something you wish to consider?
Jannine,
It depends how you self publish. There are sites where you can upload your manuscript (with cover, blurb, etc.) such as Lulu.com which are then print on demand. Even e-books and Kindle need to be promoted. However the difficulty is marketing your product, which is of course where a conventional publisher has the edge. I'm afraid there is no easy answer. Undertaking the marketing yourself can be difficult, time consuming and expensive, with no guarantee of a return. Many aspiring authors use Facebook, Twitter and blogs, but I'm not sure how successful these are in actually selling books.
@Victoria: Thanks for your help much appreciated!! I have considered the self-publishing route as it may be a 'little popular' with those who want to spend less amount of money on buying a book...
@Katie: I don't know whether novellas are popular now. The only novella I have read was John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' at school years ago. I am guessing the reason novellas are popular because people don't want to read a lengthy book where the plot becomes confusing and drags on (in my opinion). Thanks anyway!!
@Malcolm: Thanks!! I mentioned John Steinbeck and his 'Of Mice and Men' book although by the time that was published he was an established author. I have had thoughts on self-publishing but I am a little concerned whether there would be a financial risk...