A Long Walk Home Publishing Back Story

A Long Walk Home is a personal story and I wasn’t willing to put it in the hands of someone who couldn’t feel the story as deeply as I hope my readers will feel it. I’d rather sell fewer copies of a book I recognize than sell the story out and let it get diluted for a few extra sales. I’m not looking for a broad audience, I’m looking for an audience who feels the same way I do. A Long Walk Home isn’t what the bean-counters at the big houses are looking for, so I didn’t really bother to chase that goal. This year, publishing is all about fantasy, romantasy and escape, and A Long Walk Home doesn’t check any of those boxes.

As it exists, the two-hundred-year-old publishing industry isn’t the necessity it once was. The market today is too big and varied. Finding an agent who isn’t overwhelmed trying to make a buck and then finding a publisher who will take a chance on a vision that’s different from what their accounting people want is pretty much an impossibility, unless you sell out at some level. If a book is well-written and tells a compelling story it will find an audience. Technology has nearly made the gatekeepers obsolete. The book (and music) industries are relics of a time when printing, logistics and marketing were difficult and expensive. There’s still a place for the legacy agencies and publishing houses, but thankfully good writers with something to say can find an audience without selling out to people who have no stake in their art. It’s actually a fantastic time to be a writer or creator.

My goal isn’t to become famous or do interviews or get fat royalty checks. My goal, especially with this book, is to say some things I think need to be said. If I reach a few people who can relate and who walk away from the book in a better place than when they started reading it, by my estimation I’ll have found my success.