Publication or bin?

Publish or bin it?

Well I’m almost there; I only have a couple of thousand words to write before finishing my first book. The stories are there in draft so it’s no great deal to simply write them up and include them into the whole document. Then it’s the chore of putting all in the correct sequence and position, re-reading and editing constantly, arranging a proof read and finalising the title, then I can set about locating a publisher. Phew!

But is the hard work done? Is writing the thing in the first instance the hardest task? No! Securing a publisher or literary agent to take on my book will be by far the most arduous task I face! Unfortunately I am not a 14 year old pop star or famous footballer promoting my miniscule autobiography, so I have little chance of being published.
Publishers and literary agents are often overwhelmed with hoards of enthusiastic would be authors lobbying for their own pieces of work to be placed on the worlds stage, or bookshelf! So actually getting one to agree to read a new book is nigh on impossible. One typo, one grammatical error or mispronunciation is all that is required for a publisher to consign a year of work to the waste bin. The market for unpublished authors is rampant, publication and a possible literary career is purely at the whim of publishers.
Nor do I believe in self publishing, one still needs an impartial mind with a commercial interest to honestly determine if the entire book is crap! I am not arrogant enough to assume I’ve written a best seller on my first attempt, but having read some of the rubbish that has successfully been published, I would consider I have a good chance!

For those slightly interested, my book contains multiple short and humorous (hopefully) stories relating to the UK medical profession. I won’t say more as I feel it may be premature and hinder my already impossible task of seeking publication. I have covered an theme that has been mostly unconsidered, though I do remember a TV show written along the same lines many years ago. So I’m hoping this different angle may win me some brownie points in the world of literature. However I am still watching the skies for the fabled flying pig!

What other choice do I have? Well I believe there is now Epublishing, though I have scant knowledge of this avenue. I would have to examine Epublishing further and seek guidance from those who know before deciding on this route, so it may be a possibility yet.
Or there is self publishing. Self publishing is great if one does not wish to command a cash return for ones efforts. Personally I want to be paid! Plus the distribution of self publicised work depends solely on . . . oneself! And I cannot be bothered with that!
So if I fail to get the services of a publisher or agent, then my book will find its place onto my bookshelf and there remain for eternity, unread, unpublished and unloved. I will strive for literary completion, for my own self esteem if nothing else, but as to whether I will gain publication, I wouldn’t bet on it!