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Publishing Poppy
Publishing Poppy
As I said in my last blog, 2016 was the year I decided to publish some of my books in proper printed form.
For some years now four of my novels and my short story have ben published on Amazon Kindle. For those of you not aware of the publishing process, this is a free option, a wonderful way of testing the waters, getting your work out there and seeing it is worth reading. The problem, of course, with this, is that thee is no marketing. It’s pure luck if people find your books and even luckier if they write you a review. I was, in fact, quite successful with Out of Step, but surprisingly some of my other novels, which I consider better, have not sold so well.
The problem with going the next step and publishing a proper printed book through a publishers is the expense. In this competitive day and age you have to be extremely lucky (or extremely talented?) to have your work accepted by an agent or a publisher. I could paper a wall with my rejections slips!
Undeterred, I have investigated self-publishing. Once disparagingly called “vanity publishing” it is now far more acceptable for authors to proceed along this route. On the advice of a fellow writer Annie Weir, author of Judith wants to be Your Friend, I submitted two of my novels Counting the Days and Poppy’s Seed to Matador.
On receipt of their very helpful pamphlet explaining the different ways of publishing available, I opted for “Print on Demand” for Counting the Days and decided not to take up any of their media or trade marketing packages. This novel accompanies my presentations on my On Active Service website and is based on family history. Although it is available on Amazon Kindle have often been asked at presentations for a proper printed book. I also wanted to pass it on to family members.
For Poppy’s Seed I opted for the full package: media and trade marketing, as well as E book marketing.
The official publication date is 28th February but I am pleased to announce that Poppy’s Seed is now available as a paperback from Amazon, an E book on Amazon Kindle, and at independent bookshop Brendon Books in Taunton.
Bethany Askew is the author of eight novels: The Time Before, The World Within, Out of Step, Counting the Days, Poppy's Seed, Three Extraordinary Years The Two Saras and I Know You, Don't I? She has also written a short story, The Night of the Storm, and she writes poetry. Two more women’s fiction books have been accepted for publication in 2020 and 2021 respectively and she is currently working on a new novel. In her spare time she enjoys reading, music, theatre, walking, Pilates, dancing and voluntary work. Bethany is married and lives in Somerset.