To self-publish or not to self-publish, that is the question — Part 1

It’s been almost two years since I self-published my first novel War Remains, first as an e-Book through Smashwords and Amazon, and then as a paperback and hardcover with Lulu. At first there were some people who persuaded me not to self-publish, because in the words of one former colleague of mine, “the only people who will buy the book will be your family and friends.” Others told me that self-publishing was a death knell if you ever wanted to be taken seriously as a writer.

It wasn’t all bad news. Some of my writer friends told me that it was worth the risks because once people started buying your book word of mouth would generate more sales. And thanks to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and now Pinterest, it would be easy to market your book.

Yes, and no. I’ve found that a lot of people will “like” that you wrote a book but how many of those “likes” actually become sales?

To self-publish or not to self-publish is just part of the equation. What it really comes down to is one word: marketing.