One major problem is that I don’t have a completed sci-fi work, yet my mind is already going to the marketing of it. Maybe I’ll take the votes in the comments. Should I proceed with crazy “Absuk” (working title) a far out fantasy about a guy who is vying for control of the Orion arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, or with the longish “Search for Sylvane,” a hero’s journey where takeover of worlds is imminent by several off-Earth powers. Then, there is the just started (50 pp) near term sic-fi about the Space Intelligence Agency taking over as many privately owned spaceships as they can. They are opposed by a renegade from their controlled farm group. He leads a rebel group of farmers, scientists, and spies, on a forbidden journey to the asteroid belt to discover the meaning of a relic found on the moon. I really like this one with Folio Fence, one of my favorite reluctant heroes.
Then there is the problem of how to publish. If I go traditional, I’ll have to suffer through choices by, possibly, committees, or editors, and do rewrites. And, will they promote my book? Only if they accept it in the first place as an outstanding piece of modern literature. And, I am a simple nobody at the present. Perhaps, instead, I should go to Amazon and do a POD (print on demand). The problem with that is that many independent bookstores won’t accept your book for sale in their store because Amazon seems to demand the lowest price, and customers come into the store, then go buy your book on Amazon, instead of from the local store.
This whole scenario makes me cringe. So, I was told by one of my recent acquaintances to simply go to Ingram Spark, after going e-book with everyone. Use Spark as the POD place (apparently they own the POD machine, anyway). Most bookstores can order from Ingram. So that way sounds good. And, first I put the ebook on Smashwords for pre-order. Then, at eboook publishing time, I also come out with the POD on Ingram Spark, and spread the word via social media. Of course, I should also set up a schedule prior to this for interviews on TV, radio, internet, and in local bookstores, who will like me, because I won’t be on just Amazon.
The Space Trade Update 