5 ways self-publishing makes us better writers

When we talk about the benefits of independent publishing, we often focus on the control it gives to authors, and the way it helps to get many more books out there for people to read. But what about the impact it has on writing? Could independent publishing also help to improve our writing? I think it could. Here are some of the reasons why.

It encourages diversity. When we’re not constrained by what we think publishers want from books, we can be more creative, which allows us to find our own niches.
More people are having a go at writing. Before independent publishing started to take off, it’s not too hard to see how some people might have been put off from having a go at getting their work published. Now, many of the barriers to getting work out there have been removed, which is great for encouraging people to have a go – making writing much richer as a result.
There’s a lot of competition out there. With so many books being self-published as well as traditionally published, there is a need to ensure that anything we put out there is as good as it can possibly be. The competition should encourage us all to become better writers.
We can draw on professional talent. Even though independent publishing requires us to do a lot of the work ourselves, that doesn’t stop writers from drawing on other resources to help improve our work. Professional editors and proof-readers can help us to think about our work differently, making our novels better in the process.
We’re entirely responsible for our own success. With independent publishing, you have no one to answer to but yourself. Your writing is what you make of it, and there is often no better incentive to improve than the fact that your success as a writer is entirely down to you.

What do you think? Has independent publishing helped to make you a better writer?