Self-Publishing: On Being Professional

Lately, I've been spending time reading self-publishing forums. I am profoundly disturbed by the lack of professionalism there. Even if it is an authors/publishers forum, there's no reason for some of the behavior I've seen. We're artists but that doesn't mean we're not in a business, trying to network and make connections, and trying to build a reputation.

Don't whine.
Your book isn't selling. None of your books are selling. Reviewers have left you one- and two-star reviews. People have criticized your cover, your summary, or the fact that 50% of your ebook is devoted to promoting your other work. Don't whine about these things in writing on a public forum. It makes you look unprofessional and it makes me, as a reader, want to steer clear of your work.

Don't complain.
Your royalties check hasn't arrived. Your sales aren't showing on your reports. There's a glitch in the software that won't let you upload your book in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Don't complain about these things, especially if you haven't tried to do anything about them. These are problems. You should be finding a solution, not complaining. Once you've exhausted your options, sure, it's possible that the answer may be on a public forum. But you can ask for help finding a solution without complaining.

Remember that you're a person.
You're not a brand and you're not a robot. Salesmanship is important, but you are not only a salesman. I don't mind being marketed to, but not every single post in every single thread (or every single tweet or every single blog post or every single comment). Before you start sharing links and talking about your books, ask yourself: is it relevant?

Don't be a dick.
Sometimes a hardline approach to business is appropriate. Other times it isn't. I recently unfollowed a fellow author on Twitter and put his books on my "do not buy" list because he spent an entire evening berating his followers for not buying his books and reviewing his work. As a consumer, I have choices. As a professional, I don't want to be associated with other "professionals" who abuse their potential fanbase. I'm not saying don't have opinions, don't stand up for yourself, or don't express yourself. I'm saying don't be an ass about it.

Drop the entitled attitude.
No one has to read your books. Not even your spouse, parents, kids, or best friends. Sure, it would be nice, but reading is a very personal thing and sometimes those interpersonal relationships can be delicate. They don't have to buy your books just because you wrote them, they don't have to read them, and they don't have to like them.