Sometimes I Have to Wonder ...
I like to follow what people are saying online about self or indie publishing. It's great to keep tabs on the publishing industry, especially the success (and not-so-successful) stories. But I just came across a question on some random website, followed by an answer that irked me. The asker is curious about self and indie publishing. Here's where you can find the original. The question is as follows:
Barring having a professional editor, I saw that my book is nearing completion. That being said, I was wondering what peoples thoughts on self-publishing vs. indie publishing (as in going through an indie publisher) were?
I don't know what to do with this book yet. I'm just hoping to make some money off of it to have made the time invested into it worth it! So for those of you with a few titles under your belt, or if you happen to have done a lot of research - what did you choose? Which ended up better for you? Why?
First, I'm really glad he's doing his research and asking others what their experiences have been. This is huge when it comes to deciding which road to take, and I applaud him.
Second, self-publishing and indie publishing are the same thing. Luckily, the number of people out there who still think "indie" publishing means having a publisher behind the author are dwindling. The word "independent" means just that: independent. :-) And I'm glad he added that parenthetical thought regarding indie publishers. It makes a difference. Most people will argue it's still self-publishing, though. You're heavily involved in the process and still carry quite a bit of the marketing and promoting weight.
Third, publishing "to make money off of it to have made the time invested into it worth it" . . . sounds like this guy isn't a "true" writer. I don't want to offend anyone who has written just one book and never plans to write another and is trying to get money from that one book. But according to most authors I've ever met, true writers write because they have to. Because they need to get stories off their chests. Because they love their characters. Many of them won't look at it like a waste of time if they don't make money. It's their passion, their hobby. And as we know, a person is incredibly lucky if they can make money on a passion or hobby. For me, I wanted to share the stories and characters I'd been so obsessed with for so many years - for free, if necessary. But I was going to continue writing either way. I'm sure many of you feel the same. (Even after the discouraging times, we're still drawn to picking up that pen, figuratively speaking.)
I could look at it from this angle, though: most of us have had that deep, dark secret that we hold dear to our hearts: the dream of becoming a hugely, successfully published author. I didn't tell anyone I was a writer until after I'd finished my first book in 2008. Aside from my younger brother, a friend, and one co-worker. Maybe this guy is just more upfront with that dream than the rest of us. :-) I still stand by what I said earlier, though: I, like most others, will keep writing, even if the money stops coming in.
Okay, here's the comment/response that annoyed me:
I have no experience but I'm very tempted to try for the indie publishing or even publishing in general because I love the idea of a physically published book. It seems too easy to self-publish and anyone can do it. But to seek out publishers and actually get accepted seems like way more of a challenge, and I would feel like more of a writer if I get through it :p
Call me blunt, but this person is very uneducated when it comes to the publishing world.
First off, self-publishing doesn't mean there won't be a physical book. I've got physical books and they've been sold in bookstores and I'm self-published.
Second, anyone who is truly self-published will comment first on how difficult it is. The weight of everything is on your shoulders. Who she's referring to are people who write a book, upload it, and don't put another thought into it - don't have editors, cover designers, or don't put in any work to promote. As anyone who's actually tried self-publishing will know, it requires hard, hard work, and yes, even some money.
And feeling like more of a writer just because her book got accepted by a company? Sad, sad, day. Sigh. Writers write. If you write, you're a writer. I read that comment to my husband and he said, "It's the whole acceptance thing again. People need this mythical publishing world to make them feel like they made some imaginary cut. Most published books fail and lose money. And many worth-while books are rejected multiple times before actually finding a publisher, if they ever do."
That's all for today.
While perusing the internet, I came across a great article on the difference between indie publishing and traditional publishing. Check it out here. Kris is a traditionally-published-veteran-turned indie author. Her posts are long but insightful and she makes some really good points about how much time it actually takes to get traditionally published.
Okay, back to work now. I'm spending a lot of my time on Dmitri: A Kilenya Romance. I'm LOVING how it's going so far!
And this is what I'm listening to while writing (if you've never seen it, you actually need to watch the video. The filming/cinematography is beautiful and amazing!):
Barring having a professional editor, I saw that my book is nearing completion. That being said, I was wondering what peoples thoughts on self-publishing vs. indie publishing (as in going through an indie publisher) were?
I don't know what to do with this book yet. I'm just hoping to make some money off of it to have made the time invested into it worth it! So for those of you with a few titles under your belt, or if you happen to have done a lot of research - what did you choose? Which ended up better for you? Why?
First, I'm really glad he's doing his research and asking others what their experiences have been. This is huge when it comes to deciding which road to take, and I applaud him.
Second, self-publishing and indie publishing are the same thing. Luckily, the number of people out there who still think "indie" publishing means having a publisher behind the author are dwindling. The word "independent" means just that: independent. :-) And I'm glad he added that parenthetical thought regarding indie publishers. It makes a difference. Most people will argue it's still self-publishing, though. You're heavily involved in the process and still carry quite a bit of the marketing and promoting weight.
Third, publishing "to make money off of it to have made the time invested into it worth it" . . . sounds like this guy isn't a "true" writer. I don't want to offend anyone who has written just one book and never plans to write another and is trying to get money from that one book. But according to most authors I've ever met, true writers write because they have to. Because they need to get stories off their chests. Because they love their characters. Many of them won't look at it like a waste of time if they don't make money. It's their passion, their hobby. And as we know, a person is incredibly lucky if they can make money on a passion or hobby. For me, I wanted to share the stories and characters I'd been so obsessed with for so many years - for free, if necessary. But I was going to continue writing either way. I'm sure many of you feel the same. (Even after the discouraging times, we're still drawn to picking up that pen, figuratively speaking.)
I could look at it from this angle, though: most of us have had that deep, dark secret that we hold dear to our hearts: the dream of becoming a hugely, successfully published author. I didn't tell anyone I was a writer until after I'd finished my first book in 2008. Aside from my younger brother, a friend, and one co-worker. Maybe this guy is just more upfront with that dream than the rest of us. :-) I still stand by what I said earlier, though: I, like most others, will keep writing, even if the money stops coming in.
Okay, here's the comment/response that annoyed me:
I have no experience but I'm very tempted to try for the indie publishing or even publishing in general because I love the idea of a physically published book. It seems too easy to self-publish and anyone can do it. But to seek out publishers and actually get accepted seems like way more of a challenge, and I would feel like more of a writer if I get through it :p
Call me blunt, but this person is very uneducated when it comes to the publishing world.
First off, self-publishing doesn't mean there won't be a physical book. I've got physical books and they've been sold in bookstores and I'm self-published.
Second, anyone who is truly self-published will comment first on how difficult it is. The weight of everything is on your shoulders. Who she's referring to are people who write a book, upload it, and don't put another thought into it - don't have editors, cover designers, or don't put in any work to promote. As anyone who's actually tried self-publishing will know, it requires hard, hard work, and yes, even some money.
And feeling like more of a writer just because her book got accepted by a company? Sad, sad, day. Sigh. Writers write. If you write, you're a writer. I read that comment to my husband and he said, "It's the whole acceptance thing again. People need this mythical publishing world to make them feel like they made some imaginary cut. Most published books fail and lose money. And many worth-while books are rejected multiple times before actually finding a publisher, if they ever do."
That's all for today.
While perusing the internet, I came across a great article on the difference between indie publishing and traditional publishing. Check it out here. Kris is a traditionally-published-veteran-turned indie author. Her posts are long but insightful and she makes some really good points about how much time it actually takes to get traditionally published.
Okay, back to work now. I'm spending a lot of my time on Dmitri: A Kilenya Romance. I'm LOVING how it's going so far!
And this is what I'm listening to while writing (if you've never seen it, you actually need to watch the video. The filming/cinematography is beautiful and amazing!):
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