Look Who it Was Random video

Self Publishing To A Traditional Deal And Back Again. Publishing Options With Polly Courtney

508 views · Published 10 October 2012 · 15:27 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: The Creative Penn · 2012 · Education

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Author Polly Courtney talks about her journey from self-published author to a traditional deal and then back to self-publishing again, after she famously split with her publisher over the misleading branding of her books as chick-lit. Polly tells the whole story and shares her views on publishing options for authors.
How Polly got started as an engineer and then went into the city of London as an investment banker. But the city was not all it seemed so Polly left and wrote a book about her experiences ‘Golden Handcuffs'. At that time, Polly got an agent and tried the traditional route. She was being pushed down the chick-lit route so she self-published, which in 2006 wasn't quite so acceptable. She sold the first print run of 10,000 copies in the first 3 months and got a lot of press coverage. Her success in self-publishing got her a book deal with Harper Collins.
Polly wrote 3 books with Harper Collins and then on the launch of ‘It's a Man's World' she was in the press for splitting with the publisher for marketing her as chick lit when she, as the author, didn't believe the marketing captured what the book was really about. The publisher's imprint was commercial and focused on packaging based on trends rather than content. Polly found this increasingly frustrating as she didn't feel it fitted with her own brand. She had no say over title and cover design e.g. The Fame Factor to capitalize on the success of the X Factor. Polly felt her work was being mis-marketed and was fooling the readers which is disappointing. It's also a lesson about the press as various angles were taken on the story that didn't reveal the whole truth.
On independent authors and the author as a business. Polly believes in being the director of the various elements of the book, which is the independent author approach. Polly has books out under Harper Collins but is increasingly moving back to self-publishing, and she does want to buy the rights back when the books go out of print.
On literary snobbery in the UK publishing environment
How that attitude has affected me personally, and I ask Polly how she broke through the snobbery and self-published back when it wasn't acceptable. Basically she didn't tell people it was self-published and people just assumed it traditionally published. Now it's seen as a pro-active choice so it's great to shout about it. Back then, she felt strongly that they was a market for the book and confidently pursued her dream.
The importance of confidence. Is it fake it til you make it. But also involve a lot of people along the way. Writing doesn't have to be isolating, you can involve others. People and collaboration are the key.

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