Should I Self-Publish? (Reader Questions)
With the publishing industry ailing, a number of people have written me asking whether they should consider self-publishing and if there were companies I would recommend. Proponents of self-publishing claim that this is now a more respectable option because 1) print-on-demand (POD) books can be superior to books published in the past by vanity presses and 2) more authors are having to self-publish as the mainstream publishers are less able to take chances on first-time literary fiction novelists. So editors supposedly look differently upon self-published books than in the past.
But I still wasn't sure whether or not I would recommend it to people seeking a serious literary career, especially not over the many excellent small presses that exist. Somewhat to my disappointment, a recent article in Writer Beware confirmed my reservations. The article collects stats on sales from POD and self-published books. Sales continue to be very small (500 books would be a bestseller in the POD universe), and you still have a better chance of getting an editor's attention going through traditional routes. She also reviews several services, in terms of quality and sales, and cautions readers against many of them.
But what experiences have you had with self-publishing, vanity presses, or POD? The motivations for publishing a book are myriad: sales aren't everything. If you've self-published and were happy with the results, please let us know.
Thanks for this great article. Considering the state of the publishing industry, I’ve recently considered publishing several of my children’s books through Lulu.
However having read your article has given me pause. All things considered it may be best to wait it out and find an agent.
MY FEELINGS ARE MIXED. FIRST, LIKE MANY OTHERS I HAVE NOT SOLD MORE THAN 200 BOOKS IN SEVERAL YEARS. HOWEVER, MY BOOK IS OUTRAGEOUS. I MY EXPERTISE IS IN LINGUIST HISTORY OR CIPHERS. MY RESEARCH IS PROVABLE AND OF COURSE NOT FICTION. AND AS ANYONE KNOWS IF YOU WANT TO SELL THEN YOU’RE BETTER OF DOING FICTION. THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ALSO. FIRST,YOU ACTUALLY DO IN FACT PUBLISH A BOOK. AND YOU CAN BUY IT YOURSELF AND SELL IT OR GIVE IT TO FRIENDS. THERE IS ALSO SOME ACADEMIC VALUE TOO BECAUASE YOU CAN USE IT IN YOUR PAPERS OR TOWARDS SOME ELEMENT TOWARDS A DEGREE. IF YOU PUBLISH YOU CAN REGISTER YOUR COPYRIGHT AND NOTHING REALLY PREVENTS YOU FROM TAKING IT TO A TRADITIONAL PUBLISHER. YOU CAN ALWAYS REVISE AND CHANGE THE TITLE.
I’m a self published author. Last year I released my first fiction fantasy/sci-fi novel with much reservation having heard that going down this track was a very risky thing to do. However, I sold my first 500 copies within six months and have now printed a second edition and released book two which once again is going very well. My personal opinion is that you can succeed at self-publishing if you’re willing to put in the hours to self promote, which I do each weekend. I’m out book signing at major book retailers in and around Brisbane all the time. It works but it’s hard going and you have to be diciplined. If your not for get it. Jo. Mitchell
My first book Daddy’s Little Spy – Isabella Rose’s amazing surival againt witchcraft during WW2 was based partly on personal experience and caused controversy. Some people won’t buy a child abuse book and don’t believe there were witches in WW2. But Churchill consulted a witch. And they all simultaneously cursed Hitler. Written as fiction I’ve been told to rewrite as fact.
Its stocked in libraries as local social history because newspapers during the war mentioned the satanic offerings and witches. However I find that this book frightened literary agents and publishers alike. Although all the characters were disguised and long since dead. There can’t be many witches daughters left alive who were offered to the Warlock as a virgin sacrifice aged six.
My second book was sponsored by the Arts Council England To Catch a Thief is light relief an intriguing mystery romance.
Both are stocked in several bookshops including local W H Smith. And I’ve worked hard on internet promoting but still want a literay agent/publisher to take over marketing. If you want a laugh look up http://www.youtube.com/izabellarose.
I’m doing a book signing on April 18th in Stamford.
Thanks for the comments, everyone: it helps so much to have a range of perspectives. Ultimately, it does depend on your goals as a writer, and what you’re willing to put into it. Having these various experiences here will help others make up their minds.
I am self published but I made the mistake of going through Publish America. If you decide to self publish then take a couple of percuations, make sure to obtain a copyright, and make sure you use a publisher who allows you to keep as many rights as possible first and foremost the ability to remove your book from market at any time.
Too many writers are eager just to see their books in print. Going from writer to author is very difficult. You have to put the same determination into promoting yourself and the manuscript as you did in writing the book. Self-Publishing starts to look very attractive after a few months of rejection letters, but if you believe in what you wrote I would recommend you continue to knock on the doors of small, independent publishers. The young lady previously makes a very good point- you have to be willing to put in the time to promote your book, and that includes weekly mailings (mostly email queries) to publishers. I suggest a web site also to promote the book, it was my best marketing tool to publishers.
Indy publishers are popping up all over and most are very willing to take a chance on a first time writer. It took me two years to write my first book (Along Came A Fifer) and almost a year to find a publisher. My book is ready for release in June through a small Indy press and, though it has been almost 4 years since I first put pen to paper, it’s been well worth the wait. I have a years worth of rejection letters, which I fully intend to wallpaper my bathroom with, but I also have the acceptance letter from my publisher informing me I’ve become an author. That one I framed.
Do the research and put in the effort to find a small publisher. It’s the more difficult road, but the reward is worth every step.
Hello everyone! I too am a recent self-published author. I published my YA fantasy novel through lulu.com, and like most authors I hope my book takes off, but if it doesn’t, at least this way I’ll hopefully get some constructive feedback from those who do read my book. I’ll keep trying for an agent, and I have other projects in line, so I haven’t completely given up. If anyone is interested, they can view info about the book at http://www.oescienne.com. Best of luck to all writers, self-published or not
If you’ve self-published and want to write more about your experiences, we’ve just launched a new tool that will facilitate that (and allow you to post an image of the book cover along with your author photo):
http://fictionwriting.about.com/u/sty/thebusinessofwriting/selfpublishing/form.htm
Might be helpful to other readers who are considering self-publishing. Thanks!