One Year In (and a bit) as a Self-Pub
I've now been (self-)published for a year and a month. My bibliography boasts ten whole books (including compilations).
Being a self-published author can be a strange experience. By self-publishing, I attached a label to myself. I've found that if I'm not careful a set of opinions and attitudes will be ascribed to me purely because I'm self-published.
I'm not someone who runs around predicting and celebrating the imminent collapse of some hidebound traditional publishing monolith. Most of the books I buy are put out by 'traditional' publishers and (while the industry does have issues) I fully expect it to adapt to the changes and continue to produce books I want to buy. [Hopefully the basic contracts offered to authors will improve, but the industry as a whole isn't a bad thing.]
I'm also not someone looking for a publishing contract. I love the freedom of self-publishing. I love not having to leap through hoops to get my books out there, to not be in the position of, basically, begging for a chance to tell my stories.
Sure there's some un-fun facets of self-publishing. It's always a strange experience to be reading through an enjoyable blog or article and to run up against "If it was worth publishing, it would have been published" attitude. Or "people who self-publish are too impatient to 'pay their dues'". Or "I've never read a self-published book which I thought should have been published". Not to mention the seemingly insurmountable issue of obscurity and reviews. If you pursue reviews, you can find yourself as much a petitioner for reviews as you were for publication.
To many readers I am not a "real" author, or I'm an author with an "approach with caution" tag - one whose books will only be read on direct personal recommendation from trusted fellow readers.
But I've still found an audience.
I've sold over three thousand ebooks (which is a relatively small amount to some, but still seems an enormous number to me). I've received reviews and ratings ranging from one-star to five-star. I've had actual fan mail. I was shortlisted for an award. My sales reached their high point in November and have dropped a fair deal since then, but I am still steadily selling, and every day or two I come across another review which makes me smile (or grind my teeth, or groan).
It has been - and continues to be - a blast.
Being a self-published author can be a strange experience. By self-publishing, I attached a label to myself. I've found that if I'm not careful a set of opinions and attitudes will be ascribed to me purely because I'm self-published.
I'm not someone who runs around predicting and celebrating the imminent collapse of some hidebound traditional publishing monolith. Most of the books I buy are put out by 'traditional' publishers and (while the industry does have issues) I fully expect it to adapt to the changes and continue to produce books I want to buy. [Hopefully the basic contracts offered to authors will improve, but the industry as a whole isn't a bad thing.]
I'm also not someone looking for a publishing contract. I love the freedom of self-publishing. I love not having to leap through hoops to get my books out there, to not be in the position of, basically, begging for a chance to tell my stories.
Sure there's some un-fun facets of self-publishing. It's always a strange experience to be reading through an enjoyable blog or article and to run up against "If it was worth publishing, it would have been published" attitude. Or "people who self-publish are too impatient to 'pay their dues'". Or "I've never read a self-published book which I thought should have been published". Not to mention the seemingly insurmountable issue of obscurity and reviews. If you pursue reviews, you can find yourself as much a petitioner for reviews as you were for publication.
To many readers I am not a "real" author, or I'm an author with an "approach with caution" tag - one whose books will only be read on direct personal recommendation from trusted fellow readers.
But I've still found an audience.
I've sold over three thousand ebooks (which is a relatively small amount to some, but still seems an enormous number to me). I've received reviews and ratings ranging from one-star to five-star. I've had actual fan mail. I was shortlisted for an award. My sales reached their high point in November and have dropped a fair deal since then, but I am still steadily selling, and every day or two I come across another review which makes me smile (or grind my teeth, or groan).
It has been - and continues to be - a blast.
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message 1:
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Joanne
(new)
Jan 09, 2012 09:15PM
Touché ..... I believe a self published author can be a BETTER author than an author who is published in a traditional way....why?, because you don't compromise, your stories are what they are the way YOU intended them to be...I LOVE your stories, and have to admit that, yes...I am a "fan", and I'm proud to be one. You will be big, I can feel it in your stories..it's just a matter of time and the right person discovering them...thanks for writing them and believing in yourself enough to know that others would like them like I do. Keep on writing !!!
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Thanks Joanne! I certainly think self-publishing gives more scope for variety. 'Better' I guess will come down to different preferences, and the talent of individual authors. I look forward to a time when the self-publishing=automatically bad equation has eroded a little.
Totally a fan here, as well...and working on making my roommates fans as well. I'm just nice like that. It's the main reason I spent all that cash on a physical book, knowing that you wouldn't see much of the monies, because they are not as into electronic reading as I am and still feel more comfortable with a something they can hold in their hands. One of my roommates, who I was also turning on to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy actually stopped reading after the first Hunger Games book, which she said was a little intense (!!) and has been reading your Touchstone trilogy ever since...score! She is 60 yrs old and she said it sucked her in and won't let go. Incidentally, I think Touchstone would make a great movie...jes sayin...:P
Touchstone seems to be a story which works very very well indeed for some people (and then moderately well, or not at all for others). I'm glad your room-mate is enjoying it! One of the things I miss about buying most of my books in physical copy is the ease of sharing - though I make sure my ebooks are lendable, it's not quite the same as having the book on the shelf.
