When I offered a coupon code for Cass Gets Her Kicks on a local website used most often by military spouses, one person downloaded the book--and one person sent me an email that said no publisher was going to take me seriously now that I've self-published. I didn't respond privately to the email because I didn't see the point (I won't change her mind, regardless of the evidence) but it did make me think. I'm willing to bet that there are writers out there who want to self-publish but are unsure. I bet they think the same thing: that by self-publishing, traditional publishers won't take them seriously. They probably think that self-publishing means you've achieved less and they aren't sure they're willing to settle for less.
I don't think self-publishing is career suicide. I don't think it's right for everyone, but I don't think it's the worst idea, even if you haven't submitted manuscripts to a traditional publisher.
Self-publishing has been around since the invention of the printing press. Apparently, most publications in the early days were self-published. When most people hear "self-published" they assume that it means "vanity press." Sometimes, this is true; vanity presses still operate and you have to watch it if you go that route. The self-publishing I'm talking about is a growing industry. It's digital. It's print-on-demand. It's cheap. It's easy.
I think that self-publishing gets a bad rap for those last two things.
You can self-publish with no start-up cost even if you have no talent and no skill. I plan to do a post or a series of posts on this in the future, so I'll give you a brief overview. You don't have to pay for word processing software because there's a great free one. You don't have to pay for a website because you can use Blogger or WordPress or any other desktop publishing site. You don't have to pay for a cover photo because you can use free royalty-free stock photos. You don't have to pay for the photo editing software because there's a decent free alternative to PhotoShop, or you can use a free online book cover designer. You don't have to pay for an editor--a copyeditor or a content editor--because there's no real vetting process. The next person to read your work is the consumer, not a gatekeeper.
Because all of this is possible, work that would make it to the slush pile makes it out into the world. Writers who don't spell-check or edit make us all look bad. Recently, I've read a number of posts--on Twitter, in blogs, and on message boards--by people claiming they'll never try another self-published book again because they've been burned. I can't blame them. It makes me sad, but I honestly do not blame them. It doesn't matter if they only lost $0.99. That was their hard-earned money and they were hoping for some decent entertainment. Probably they even wanted to support the independent arts. And what did they get? Something that was less readable than a message board post. It isn't fair to the consumer and it isn't fair to other self-published authors.
So I understand that people are wary of self-publishing. There's a lot that can go very, very wrong. But it doesn't have to go wrong.
Back in March, I bought Amanda Hocking's Hollowland. I had no idea it was self-published. I only learned that when I did some Google searching on her to find out what else she had written (I was looking for more zombie books). Suddenly, the book seemed that much more impressive to me. Her cover design, her summary, her whole book was so professional. Sure, there were some minor errors, but so what? I've read traditionally-published books that had more errors. I did a little more research on her and read about her success. Copies sold. Revenue earned. Her deal with a traditional publisher.
Yep. Amanda Hocking got a deal with a traditional publisher. Self-publishing didn't kill her career.
She isn't the only one. John Locke did the same thing. Understand that these two authors represent the extreme success the rest of us only dream of. They were wildly successful on their own, and traditional publishers sat up and took notice.
Successful self-published authors develop a fan base. They sell. This is attractive to publishers. Self-publishing is a lot of work, but it's only slightly more work than traditional publishing.
You still have to write your very best work. It doesn't matter if you send your manuscript off to an agent, a publisher, or your grandmother. If you have any respect for yourself as a writer or your audience, you'll do your best. Writing is hard (I believe I've discussed this before) and writing well is even harder. Then, even if you get that book deal, you still have changes to make. (Or not, I guess.) And if you think your publisher will do all of your book promotion, you are mistaken.
What appealed to me the most about self-publishing was the complete control. I, as the writer, have total control over my work. I decide what to write. I decide how to edit it. I decide what the book cover looks like. I decide when it gets released. I succeed or fail by my own hand. I'm not at the mercy of anyone but the consumer. That was something I could live with. That is something I can live with.
Authors like Amanda Hocking and John Locke have proven that it is possible to succeed at self-publishing and land traditional publishing deals in the process. Even if you aren't as wildly successful as either of them, it's still possible to make a living as a self-published ebook author.
Just don't slack.
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