Back when F3 was founded – when we all rode dinosaurs to the library for meetings – there was one main way of getting published. That is, you submitted your work to a print magazine, or a book publisher, and someone there decided if they were going to put your work out for others to read. Maybe they paid you in cash, maybe in copies, and sometimes not at all.
The other option was something called “vanity publishing.” That was where you paid someone to design a book, put your work into it, and then have it printed. It was totally up to you to get it into bookstores, and probably even sell it directly to readers.
Nowadays, a lot of writers opt for self-publishing. It’s a lot easier – and less expensive – than vanity publishing. Almost all work is finished digitally (a lot of folks like me still write in paper notebooks using a pen for the initial drafts), and even though print books (and bookstores) are experiencing a resurgence, digital books are extremely easy to publish, promote, and sell.
But because the barrier to publish a book is so darned low, ebooks have gotten a bad rap. When even a child can publish a book, a low opinion of self-publishers may be deserved.
One of the major services a traditional publisher provides an author is quality editing. I’m not just talking about correcting spelling and grammar errors, I’m talking about line editing. Do the sentences come together to make cogent ideas? Do the words flow together to make understandable sentences? Are there logic errors in the manuscript?
Many, many self-published authors decline to use independent editors. “I wrote it,” many of them say. “I fixed all the errors myself.” Then they hit the Publish button, and start getting a ton of single-star reviews.
While the final version of the manuscript is still up to the author, a critique group like F3 can really help iron out the major wrinkles. We can help you with why your spaceship’s engine won’t go “Whoosh” as the protagonist flies by, and why your .38 Special revolver’s spent bullet case won’t tinkle as it hits the concrete floor. A good critique group might even steer you away from naming your McGuffin “Unobtanium.”
The point is, no matter what publishing route you choose to travel, a critique or workshop group like F3 is likely to significantly improve your final draft!