My Experience with iUniverse
The Publishing "Hump"
By Deborah O’Dowd
As you can imagine, people are curious about my experience with iUniverse. I put this small article together at the request of my friends at the Southern Arizona Writing Project to answer some of the most common questions:
Ode to iUniverse
Desperation drove me to you
Stubbornness hooked me
Quality sealed it with a kiss
At the age of twenty-four, I knew everything. A 2nd year English teacher, newly married, future mother of three, I thought my life was ‘on track.’
Unfortunately, I had a secret, a secret that perched like an invisible hump on my back. Looking in the mirror, I imagined its green eyes staring back at me. Going through the motions of my normal life, I often wondered, “Am I the only one who sees it?”
Apparently, I was a novelist, a stubborn novelist.
Not a journalist. Not a short story writer. And I openly rejected the idea of being a poet. Me a poet? Ha!
Yes, I did attract the attention of an educational publisher, Didax, for Poetry Made Easy in 2000. But that was different, right? That was a utility sort of thing; a near-allergic reaction to the incomprehensible corporate anthologies and spelling books shoved at me my first year teaching… Like a baby spitting up.
But the ‘hump’ was different.
Why iUniverse?
Desperation.
You’ve heard the analogy that writing a novel is like the gestation and birth of a baby. Yes. But babies grow up. They leave home granting their parents opportunities to rediscover themselves and evolve.
But the ‘hump’ I birthed at age 24, my first novel, never grew up. Instead the atrophied body curled up behind my right shoulder to paralyze my growth as a writer.
Desperation: specific. Goal: narrow.
When I began my research on self-publishers, my desperation was specific and my goal narrow: get the poltergeist MS of my first novel OFF MY BACK.
Is that a clear definition of desperation? There’s more when you consider the prejudice against self-published and print-on-demand books juxtaposing my hard work, dedication, expertise, education, etc. In short, utilizing iUniverse might be looked upon as an act of insanity. But it depends: exorcisms are never free. I was performing my own exorcism. (And I was keeping my day job)
Great Results!
My first novel, The Pack (by Nikki O’Neill), is beautiful. I cried when I saw the cover. It’s an heirloom for my future generations vetted by hundreds of young adults moving through my classroom who gave me encouragement, and even demanded that I “Do Something!” with it. Still, I couldn’t afford the editing services, so I was ineligible for the Editor’s Choice Award: the key to taking a book to the next level (and eligibility for Publicity Services). But since the publication process began, I’d GROWN.
“Okay, okay, so now I might be ready to accept I might be a poet,” I told my students who challenged me to write, perform and submit my own poetry into contests as I’d encouraged them all these years. And in 2006, I did that. I won the AETA Teachers as Writers Poetry Contest. This genre change led to another genre change: my first juvenile novel, Fashion Fighter, winner of the iUniverse Editor’s Choice Award, 2007.
So, I love iUniverse. The exorcism worked and I’m convinced I’ve gotten more than my money’s worth!
#1 Submission Process:
Review your checkbook and goals. Pick your iUniverse publishing package. Submit your MS as a Word document by attaching it to an email. Send.
#2 Publishing Process
For less than $1,000, iUniverse will begin the publishing process. Most importantly is the ‘review.’
The reviewer gives you feedback and recommends iUniverse services. You’ll then select or decline further services.
Selecting services: For The Pack, I was unprepared to afford extra services. But I secured a loan for Fashion Fighter and based on my reviewer’s comments, I selected the Editing Service and also added 50 pages to my MS. After that, I elected to buy a 2nd review.
Editing Program Learning Curve: Truly a “do it yourself” service, the iUniverse contracted editor proposes changes and makes comments on the MS using a colorful editing program. Writers can see the recommended changes along with comments on their MS and then “accept” or “reject” these changes by clicking his/her mouse. If a writer has no experience using the editing program, the ‘learning curve’ can be a challenging hurdle at first. (But simple once learned).
Cover: you will be asked to suggest ideas for the cover art. Biography and marketing: you will write these. Back cover polish: I recommend this service because the back cover is important and they do beautiful work (free with some packages).
#3 Post-Publishing
a) I received 40 free copies of my book.
b) I received the Editor’s Choice Award.
c) I applied for and received notice that my book will be displayed in the New Title Showcase at BookExpo America May 29-June 1, Los Angeles California and also at the Frankfurt Book Fair October 15-19, 2008 in Frankfurt, Germany.
d) I selected the Publicity Services (only offered if you win Editor’s Choice).
e) I ordered 100 more books at the author discount.
f) I’ve been attending rallies,educational speaking events, political events, etc.
g) I am still keeping my day job
h) I am now free to write other things. Yay!
#5 My Next Goal
My next goal is to use iUniverse contracted publicity services (not cheap!) to eventually sell 500 books to become eligible for the iUniverse Star Award because brick and mortar bookstores can consider putting a Star Award book on their shelves. See the tabs on my website for the publicists' hard work and all her information (press release, pitch, etc).
#6 Classroom Application
My experience of feeling "blocked" before finally pushing myself to publish has reinforced to me the power of publishing in the classroom (because students are real people/real writers, too). Writing is for publishing. Without publishing, what's the point? The "hump" wins.
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