Beyond Traditional Publishing: Author Success Stories
The publishing industry is a nightmare to navigate and far more fail than succeed. StoryForge will provide a better path to publication for those that want it; but even now there are works finding their way to readers in non-traditional ways.
Some people have started out by publishing their stories in installments on websites and or used little-known or completely digital forms of publication. The methods can vary but one fact remains the same: each of these authors managed to get their stories in front of readers who resonate with the narrative.
Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree
The first book on our list is also the most recent. Legends & Lattes actually started out as a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project for Travis Baldree who published it as an ebook on Amazon. It’s since been republished, is on several best sellers lists, nominated for several awards, and is currently being translated into nine languages.
The Martian, Andy Weir
Andy Weir started publishing his book one chapter at a time for free on his website. He later compiled it into a book that he published on Amazon Kindle and rose to the top of the science-fiction bestsellers list. This book, The Martian, would later go on to become a New York Times best seller. Oh, and it also became an award-winning film starring Matt Damon.
Wool, Hugh Howey
You may have heard of Wool as it’s now an AppleTV show by the name of Silo but author Hugh Howey originally published his novel himself through Amazon. He kept writing and eventually was signed to a major publishing deal. Even though he sold the film rights to the series, Howey maintained the full rights to continue distributing Wool online himself.
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Most of us have probably never read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens but we almost all know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts of past, present, and future. It’s been made into a number of movies and TV series over the past decades but Dickens actually paid to publish this book himself after his previous books had all been flops. A Christmas Carol is generally regarded as Dickens’ most popular work.
Fifty Shades of Grey, E. L. James
No matter your opinion of the series or the subject matter, everyone has heard of Fifty Shades of Grey. What started as Twilight fanfiction was published by The Writers’ Coffee Shop which is a small virtual publisher out of Australia. It was initially an e-book and a POD (print-on-demand) paperback. Fast forward a few years and the trilogy was the best-selling books of the 2010 decade. It also became three major motion pictures that combined to gross over $1.3 billion.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, Becky Chambers
A unique entry into this list is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. She took a different path and used Kickstarter to help cover the costs so she could dedicate her time to writing, editing, and publishing. She had plans to self-publish but was able to secure a literary agent with Hodder & Stoughton who published the book in 2015. Along the way she was providing sample chapters and other teasers that helped convince backers that it was a worthwhile venture.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
Last on our list is The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. This book almost never got published as Potter received a number of rejections and many who were interested wanted colored illustrations which were against Potter’s vision for the book. Potter would eventually publish the book herself before it was later picked up by Fredrick Warne & Co. who had originally rejected it. Now over 45 million copies have been sold.
As you can see, it doesn’t require an agent or major publisher to become a well-known author. What matters is getting your story in front of the right audience, and StoryForge can help you do just that.
