Rebel Woman: Chris-Rachael Oseland says ignore the gatekeepers

What advice would you give to others about writing?

Ignore the gatekeepers. Traditional publishing is a slow moving, increasingly conservative beast. I’ve attended ample panels where publishers say their best financial strategy is to wait for a writer to become successful online then offer them a book contract.

Publishing has very narrow profit margins, so it’s safer to publish yet another dystopian Young Adult novel than take a risk on anything that doesn’t fit neatly into existing categories.

If you think you have a genuinely new idea, take a risk and publish it yourself. You can start with Kindle and CreateSpace for less than $100 (including the cover, if you buy from places like http://humblenations.com/ ).

Both cookbook publishers and SF/F presses told me there was no market for geek cookbooks. I’m glad they did, because if they’d accepted my pitches, I’d earn a $5000 advance (spread out over 3 years) per book and be THRILLED whenever I saw a copy in Barnes and Noble. Instead, I don’t get the ego boost of seeing my books in the wild, but I do get to pay my bills writing things I love. I’ll take that trade.

You may still fail dramatically. After all, Sturgeon’s Law says 90% of everything is crap, and odds are good that your first book or three will fall into the majority. But you’ll never know if you’re not willing to take a chance.

While you’re at it, ignore the naysayers who claim self publishing is akin to painting a scarlet I (for Indie) on your chest. If your book sells well – even if it takes a couple years to catch on – publishers will come to you.

A year after Dining With the Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook came out, I cheerfully rejected an offer from a publisher who condescendingly offered me $5000 for all world rights.

CHRIS-RACHAEL OSELAN is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. She’s self-published several cookbooks including Kitchen Overlord’s Illustrated Geek Cookbook, SteamDrunks: 101 Steampunk Cocktails and Mixed Drinks and her latest book, Wood for Sheep: The Unauthorized Settlers Cookbook.