Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Self-Publishing: What I've Learned So Far

I have blogged before about the work that goes into writing. It's a lot. I could dedicate this entire blog to the work that goes into writing, and I would never run out of things to say. Ever. While I'm sure this won't be the last time I mention it, that isn't the point of the blog or the post. It's just a point I want to reiterate.

A lot of work goes into traditional publishing, too. I have a copy of last year's Writer's Market--an invaluable resource, to be sure--and what I took from it is that traditional publishing is like getting good grades and getting good performance reviews at work: it's not about you as much as it is about how you meet the expectations and desires of those in power.

It pays off. Once you cut a deal with a traditional publisher, it seems to get to focus on writing. That is why self-published success Amanda Hocking took the traditional book deal. Any author who blogs or tweets will tell you that a traditional deal doesn't mean the end of work, but it does seem to mean an easier workload. I am not professing any firsthand knowledge. I'm merely making observations based on the research I've done on publishing and self-publishing.

Self-publishing means that the author does it all. I know I am. I blog. I created a website. I got email addresses. I created professional Facebook and MySpace profiles. I got a tumblr. I tweet. I talked to a professional artist and graphic designer about a book cover. Through her, I got information on professional web design. I made the decision that, for the first book, my money is better spent on advertising (for which I plan to use Fiverr), so instead, I used Intuit's Web Builder and I searched "free royalty-free images" on Google and mocked up my own book cover. My website doesn't look awful and my book cover is legible, so I'm going with those.

In addition to all of that, I've been writing. I'm done with my action-draft, and I've started writing.

"Why am I doing this?"

Two reasons. The first: It's my dream. I've wanted to be a published author for seventeen years now. I want it. I want it so bad I can taste it. I love words, I love telling stories, and I really, really want to be able to do what I love while I work from home. The second: I have a daughter. One day, she's going to have dreams of her own, and I don't want her to give up on them. If I don't do this, if I don't follow my dreams, I won't have a leg to stand on when I tell her she can't give up on hers. I have to maintain my parental authority.

I'm lucky. I already know I'm readable; I've spent the last nine years in a few fandoms, and I'm a reasonably well-liked author. I also have the unwavering support of my family and friends. I believe in myself. My loved ones believe in me. And strangers on the Internet believe in me enough to award me for my writing (beyond merely reading and reviewing me--I've actually won peer-voted awards).

So, despite the fact that I feel like I have three full-time jobs between being a stay-at-home spouse and parent, networking and marketing, and writing, I'm going to keep doing this.

I'm going to make my dream come true.

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