The Pros & Cons of Self-Publishing - And Update on GH3
An old friend reached out to me the other day to ask me about my experiences with self-publishing. It's a divisive question among writers - very few authors would turn down a publishing house contract if offered one, but is it really the better deal?
Self-publishing has very definitive pros and cons.
In the Pro Column: You have full control over what you put out, on your own timeline, and it's inexpensive and print on demand. You aren't locked into a contract with a publishing company, and of course, you don't have to wait years to get your foot in the door, if ever you do (which can be hard without knowing people).
I've spoken to a few writers who got roped into some rough contracts, since they were unknown and didn't have an agent. They had to buy their own copies - at virtually no discount - to sell at conventions and spread the word since their house didn't do it for them, and their payscale was a sorry mess. I think people believe that the big companies' marketing & PR department will point all of their firepower toward your book the moment you sign up, but it's simply not true unless you're established (from what I've seen). If I get feedback to the contrary, I'll be happy to share it.
The Cons of Self-Publishing: You are by default bundled in with all of the crap and vanity projects that are constantly put out by self-publishing companies (including CreateSpace). And there is a LOT of it. No one checks your product for quality, no editor weeds through it, it's just bam! Posted! for anyone to purchase and consume.
In order to set yourself apart, not only does the product have to be good, but you have to beat the streets as your own PR and marketing department, which a lot of writers (including myself) find difficult. It's hard to pitch, it's exhausting to put your work out on a table and watch people ignore it. It can be disheartening, but if you want it, you can find an audience... and then, you hope that word of mouth will travel.
I'm about to release my third, and though the first two have sold less than 500 copies, that's still a lot of people who have ended up reading my work and come back for more. After the second's release, I started to see a bigger snowball. Nearly 400 of those copies were only sold after Descending's release, which boosted BTV's sales as well.
I'm hoping it holds true with the third - I think self-publishing is all about: putting out consistently high-quality products (at a consistent clip), and knowing how to hype your work to others (and then getting out there and doing it). To any authors out there thinking of trying it - do it! Now is the golden age of self-publishing; but enlist some editing help. Others' eyes tend to catch more than yours, which are already familiar with the story.
That brings me to Gina Harwood Book 3: Into Dreams.
The final first draft was completed on March 13th, and numbered 516 pages (136,710 words). I've been working nonstop since then on editing, and am on my second runthrough. My alpha editor is 80% through his read, and once I get and evaluate/apply his feedback, it'll be sent to the beta readers for their reads.
I'm expecting to order the proof copy in only a few weeks, and as such, will be opening the Goodreads Into Dreams Giveaway late next week, once I have the cover design completed. As with Descending, there will be two early-release copies up for grabs, so watch for that and get ready to sign up!
Thanks for reading!
Indi
Self-publishing has very definitive pros and cons.
In the Pro Column: You have full control over what you put out, on your own timeline, and it's inexpensive and print on demand. You aren't locked into a contract with a publishing company, and of course, you don't have to wait years to get your foot in the door, if ever you do (which can be hard without knowing people).
I've spoken to a few writers who got roped into some rough contracts, since they were unknown and didn't have an agent. They had to buy their own copies - at virtually no discount - to sell at conventions and spread the word since their house didn't do it for them, and their payscale was a sorry mess. I think people believe that the big companies' marketing & PR department will point all of their firepower toward your book the moment you sign up, but it's simply not true unless you're established (from what I've seen). If I get feedback to the contrary, I'll be happy to share it.
The Cons of Self-Publishing: You are by default bundled in with all of the crap and vanity projects that are constantly put out by self-publishing companies (including CreateSpace). And there is a LOT of it. No one checks your product for quality, no editor weeds through it, it's just bam! Posted! for anyone to purchase and consume.
In order to set yourself apart, not only does the product have to be good, but you have to beat the streets as your own PR and marketing department, which a lot of writers (including myself) find difficult. It's hard to pitch, it's exhausting to put your work out on a table and watch people ignore it. It can be disheartening, but if you want it, you can find an audience... and then, you hope that word of mouth will travel.
I'm about to release my third, and though the first two have sold less than 500 copies, that's still a lot of people who have ended up reading my work and come back for more. After the second's release, I started to see a bigger snowball. Nearly 400 of those copies were only sold after Descending's release, which boosted BTV's sales as well.
I'm hoping it holds true with the third - I think self-publishing is all about: putting out consistently high-quality products (at a consistent clip), and knowing how to hype your work to others (and then getting out there and doing it). To any authors out there thinking of trying it - do it! Now is the golden age of self-publishing; but enlist some editing help. Others' eyes tend to catch more than yours, which are already familiar with the story.
That brings me to Gina Harwood Book 3: Into Dreams.
The final first draft was completed on March 13th, and numbered 516 pages (136,710 words). I've been working nonstop since then on editing, and am on my second runthrough. My alpha editor is 80% through his read, and once I get and evaluate/apply his feedback, it'll be sent to the beta readers for their reads.
I'm expecting to order the proof copy in only a few weeks, and as such, will be opening the Goodreads Into Dreams Giveaway late next week, once I have the cover design completed. As with Descending, there will be two early-release copies up for grabs, so watch for that and get ready to sign up!
Thanks for reading!
Indi
No comments have been added yet.
