The Stigma of Self-Publishing

[image error]When my husband and I go to parties, people always ask the same getting-to-know you question: "What do you do for a living?" I cringe and let my husband, who has a "normal" job, answer first. Then I hope they don't ask me what I do. I hope they just think I'm a housewife. Why? Because I am a self-published author, and I would rather tell someone I conduct audits on struggling mom-and-pop businesses than have to tell them the truth. If you're self-published, you know what I mean. Even if someone doesn't turn their nose up at you and walk away, you still feel the need to justify your work. Every time I tell someone what I do, I want to pull out all of John Locke's stats. I want to quote one of J.A. Konrath's blogs about how self-publishing is here to stay. I find myself swearing to people that it is a legitimate job. No one seems to believe me, and I am sick of seeing friends' placating smiles.

It's not their fault really, that's how we have all been raised, and it all started with vanity presses. As Joy Uyeno brought up in her post Self-Publishing vs. Author Subsidized Publishing,the word "vanity" itself sabotages all credibility. Like we just do it for the glory. It's like saying men just become firefighters so they can be in a calendar. We work hard, and in some ways we have to work harder than writers who are traditionally published. People always say, "If you were any good you would have a publishing deal." Harry Potter was turned down twelve times. It was finally only published because a CEO's twelve-year-old daughter begged him to publish it. (Remind me to send her my next manuscript.) What if Rowling had given up on the eleventh try? Would that have made it a bad book? By the way, she is now self-publishing the entire Potter series. (I am pausing to stick my tongue out at all the naysayers.)

The other thing I hear a lot is that there are so many bad self-published authors out there. They're right, there are a lot of books and untalented authors. However, when someone says that to me, I challenge them to show me a profession where there are no bad apples. We have all seen bad doctors, lawyers, waiters, teachers — heck I was almost killed in a taxi the other week! That doesn't make their profession as a whole any less legitimate.

I guess this is a good time to make a confession: a family friend of mine has been self-publishing for years. When I heard about it, I, too, talked behind her back about how silly I thought it was. (Remind me to send her a bouquet on flowers.) I also rolled my eyes at my husband years later when he recommended I become a self-published author. It wasn't until I started reading articles about people actually making a living at it that I realized the self-publishing industry had a lot to offer, and that it's something I wanted to do.

I'm an open-minded person and if you're reading this then you probably are too. You see that self-publishing is here to stay. We have gotten into this industry right before it hits big. The good news is that you got in early; we all wish we bought Google stock at $85  a share. The bad news is that few people understand what you're doing yet. Can you imagine living next to Steve Jobs? You would have looked in his garage and thought he was crazy. Home computer, who needs it?

In ten years, you will look back and say, "I was one of the first." All the naysayers will now say they saw the industry boom coming. You will sit back and smile. Until then you have to be brave and just keep on trucking. So here goes, "Hello, my name is Elle LaPraim. I am a self-published author and proud!"

Now it's your turn.