Well, hello there!
Welcome back to another intriguing installment of everyone’s favorite drunken advice column, Am I the Literary Asshole? Yes, you heard right: this is the place where all your dreams come true (if your dream is to read about people’s trials and tribulations in the greater literary community). I’m your host, Kristen Arnett, and I live to serve (several rounds of drinks, at least). So happy to have you all here with me! We’ve got a great round of questions today, folks. Might as well get started!
It’s boiling hot in Florida and it’s only the first week of May. Why don’t we try cooling off with some lemonade (add your own vodka). Clink of ice, let’s get to pouring:
1) I do a little publishing business on the side, which relieves me from focusing on my own historical fiction and supplements my meager social security check. I edit, design, create covers, and format books for self-publishing authors who don’t have the skills to do those things for themselves. I only work with novels and memoirs that I would be proud to stamp with my imprint. I reject about half of the submissions up front. But when I think a little self-editing could get a manuscript in shape for publishing, I will line-edit the first 25 pages (for free) and write a short memo that explains what I’ve done. If they can get the novel or memoir ready themselves, they save money, and their book can reach the market quicker.
