Self-Published Authors are Real Authors

Over the weekend, I read an article.��I’m not going to mention names or titles, but if you’re an independent author, you probably know which one I’m talking about. ��In his article, the author lists many reasons why self-publishers should not be considered real authors. ��Believe it or not, the article didn’t make me angry. ��It did irk me enough to write this post (twice – I had just finished when I accidentally clicked a different tab – deleted everything), but to be honest, it really just made me roll my eyes. ��It was written with such ignorance. ��Clearly, this guy knows nothing about independent authors.

There’s a stereotype out there that independent authors are the ones who aren’t good enough to be published by a big traditional publishing house. ��We’re the second-stringers who are so desperate for notoriety and publicity, and perhaps even fame and fortune, that we publish our own work ourselves because no one else will touch it. ��Let me tell you right now, if writing books and going through all the work is just for fame and fortune, I can think of like, a hundred different ways to try to go about that, all of which would be significantly easier and less of a hassle than publishing your own book.

Don’t get me wrong. ��Writing and publishing is a joy, one of the greatest joys in the world. ��But it’s also a lot of work, work that I wouldn’t be willing to put into anything that I didn’t want to do with all my heart and soul. ��Independent authors don’t have the luxury, the resources, the funds, or the man-power of a traditional publishing house. ��True, I have editors and a cover designer whom I appreciate all the way to the moon and back, but everything else, I’ve done on my own. ��But I don’t regret it for a moment. ��By choosing the independent route, I retain all rights to my work. ��I never have to worry about contracts or bottom lines. ��There’s a great deal of freedom in the indie world. ��There is also a great deal of love. ��Independent publishing is a labor of love. ��And it always will be.

In related news, I spent yesterday reading��Snow Globe by my friend and fellow author, Jeanne Skarsiaris yesterday.

It’s a great book about a teenaged psychic, thrilling and the perfect read for a cold, dreary day. ��Also, I’m quoted on the back! ��How cool is that?

You can read the rest of my review and the reviews of others here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24847594-snow-globe?ac=1

Finally, my dear friend and editor, Hannah Alvarez, is in the process of getting her new business up and going. ��She’s designed a line of mix-and-match stuffed animals called Snapdragons and they are simply adorable. ��Her campaign will be coming to Kickstarter in April.