Thinking about taking off sale one or the other of the two versions of Out in the Garage. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, but I feel like I should stand behind one or the other as the official version, as having two versions is probably somewhat confusing for potential buyers, and probably makes me look indecisive.
While I have not sold a lot of the first edition, I have sold some, and it has generated more interest since they both have been on sale. It is also closer to the original idea, and I tend to lean towards it as my favorite version.
The second edition is more focused and cohesive, or, rather, more obviously cohesive, and is more directed towards a young adult market, which, in theory, should help increase my sales, since young adult lit is a popular genre right now.
I made the second edition as a response to criticism about the first edition, but I feel like it was an impulsive, hastily made decision that might have hurt my credibility, or at least the credibility of that first edition, which is bound to not be liked by every one who reads it. That is just the nature of any product in the creative industry. Not to mention, I am not really coming from a perspective influenced by popular contemporary fiction.
However, since I have taken the time to make the second edition, shouldn't I stand behind it, since I haven't really done so, I just released it for sale, quietly, and have not done anything really to promote it. It's not like I have given it a chance to be successful, or have really taken the time to build an audience with it. It is definitely more focused than the first edition, and I have addressed the criticism about the narrative voice of the first person being too unrealistic by changing it to a third person narrative, which was no easy task, mind you.
Technically I don't have to make a decision, but realistically I do, as I feel I will be more successful in marketing and promoting one or the other, but if both are fore sale, one will be a distraction for whichever one I decide to stand behind. The goal here is to learn and grow from what I learn, and I want to be able to take what I have discovered and will discover from this project into future projects.
One thing is for sure, I am not going to have this same issue with my next novel. I am not going to spend ten years figuring it out, and I am not going to re-release it once I have released it the first time, which means that I need to get it right the first time, and I won't be able to do that unless I figure out what is right now, and I can't do that if I don't actively try to promote one or the other version of this novel.
What I think I will do is read the second edition, as I have not read it just to read it, and then make a decision. Perhaps it is time to leave the first edition behind, which is what I am leaning towards doing, as it seems like the logical thing to do. Unfortunately, sometimes, particularly with creative projects, the logical thing to do isn't always the right thing to do.
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