Why do you Self publish?

RightHoJeeves · May 4, 2017

Unimportant said:
There's no single right way. What works for one person would be disaster for another.

There are things I don't want to keep control of, because I don't know sod-all about them, whereas the big publishers have staff who specialise in knowing how typesetting and font choices and book cover design affect reader perceptions and sales. Some things you can hire an expert to do for you (e.g. cover art) but for many self-published authors there is simply no way to buy, bribe, or bully bookstores into stocking your books. Distribution can be key to sales, and sales are key to money. On the other hand, self-publishing out-of-print titles sounds like a really good way to go, and I'd be in for that.

I agree, it's a personal thing.

The bookstore thing is obviously the big one that indies can't do, but I'm not hugely convinced that it's that much of a great opportunity for small time authors no one has heard of (like me!). The trade off, in my eyes, is you pass up the bookstores thing in order to have control and a bigger cut of ebooks, which you can price competitively and still make get more cash at the end of the day.

rwm4768 · May 4, 2017

For me, it's about having complete control over my writing career. At this point in time, that seems like the right thing to do, but I'm open to pursuing trade publishing in the future. It depends on how well I do.

lizmonster · May 5, 2017

SylviaFrost said:
I'm not convinced that a trade publisher could provide enough value to outweigh the cost me doing everything and taking a much larger cut/keeping total control.
**

This is my fear. I've self published and experienced success. (Not six figure success, but enough to live on this year). However, the constant publishing treadmill has me exhausted. I'm also tired of writing in genres I don't love just for the money. I've got my eye on writing YA, and I know that trade publishing still dominates there. So I'm thinking of dipping my toe in the querying waters. However, if no one bites, or I don't get an advance that's equal to what I could make publishing the book in the first year, then I'll probably go back to self publishing. We'll see.

From what you've said it probably sounds overwhelming, but - there's no real reason you can't do both. As I said above, I know a number of trade-published authors who also self-publish. In SFF, at least, there's been a lot of embracing of diversification. I can't imagine it's easy, but it's absolutely something people do, and there's no reason you couldn't keep self-publishing at the same time as you're querying, and even after you find representation.

SylviaFrost · May 5, 2017

lizmonster said:
From what you've said it probably sounds overwhelming, but - there's no real reason you can't do both. As I said above, I know a number of trade-published authors who also self-publish. In SFF, at least, there's been a lot of embracing of diversification. I can't imagine it's easy, but it's absolutely something people do, and there's no reason you couldn't keep self-publishing at the same time as you're querying, and even after you find representation.

I probably will to some degree. However, right now I'm in "level-up" mode for my writing. I'm going to a workshop this summer and so am working on short fiction for the next couple of months. Once I'm done with that I'm going to finish up a co-writing project and a half-written novel.

That said, I think it's hard to imagine doing both indie and traditional. The people I'm seeing have success in Indie-land are putting out at least three novels a year minimum. It'd be hard to do that and find room for a fourth to query. Possible, but hard, while also running a graphic design business.

LOTLOF · May 6, 2017

Because I didn't want anyone to tell me, 'no.'

I had written a lot of fanfiction and some of my stories were very popular and drew a lot of hits and reviews. I liked being able to tell my own stories in my own way and have others enjoy them. When I started writing my first novel I knew I would self-publish it. I had no idea if it would make a dime, but I wanted to put something with my name on it out there that was 100% what I wanted it to be.

I have self-published three novels so far. I have sold several thousand copies and made some money. Not a fortune certainly, but a lot more than a dime. At some point I may submit something to a publisher, but self-publishing has definitely worked for me.

rwm4768 · May 6, 2017

LOTLOF said:
Because I didn't want anyone to tell me, 'no.'

I had written a lot of fanfiction and some of my stories were very popular and drew a lot of hits and reviews. I liked being able to tell my own stories in my own way and have others enjoy them. When I started writing my first novel I knew I would self-publish it. I had no idea if it would make a dime, but I wanted to put something with my name on it out there that was 100% what I wanted it to be.

I have self-published three novels so far. I have sold several thousand copies and made some money. Not a fortune certainly, but a lot more than a dime. At some point I may submit something to a publisher, but self-publishing has definitely worked for me.

Congrats on several thousand copies. If I can sell that many, I'll consider my attempts a success. For the moment, my goal is mostly to make back the money I put in. Anything on top of that is an added bonus.

TaylorSaville · May 13, 2017

I simply haven't tried to publish my work with a publishing company. I'm pretty nervous and very uneducated so far, so I figured while I get my feet wet and figure things out I can have my books available!

rwm4768 · May 13, 2017

In some ways, I think it's the belief (of most authors) that readers will like their books if they get the chance.

I don't think I'm the best author out there. I know I have my weaknesses. But I also know that I tell entertaining stories that people enjoy reading. They may not interest enough readers for publishers to take them on, but if I can help someone have an enjoyable day off, that's enough for me.

(And of course millions of dollars. Isn't that why everyone self-publishes?

)

RightHoJeeves · May 14, 2017

rwm4768 said:
They may not interest enough readers for publishers to take them on, but if I can help someone have an enjoyable day off, that's enough for me.

One of the nifty things about self publishing is that an author can be profitable in a much smaller market. While a pro self published author is usually paying for covers, editing, etc, we're not paying for thousands of employees, or office buildings, or that other stuff. So a self published author just doesn't have to hit "best seller" status to make money.

mrsmig · May 15, 2017

TaylorSaville said:
I simply haven't tried to publish my work with a publishing company. I'm pretty nervous and very uneducated so far, so I figured while I get my feet wet and figure things out I can have my books available!

A caution - it's unlikely you'll be able to interest a trade publisher in your book if you've already self-published it. Yes, there are instances where this has happened in the past, but they're the exception rather than the norm.

Don't use self-publishing as a way to "practice." Educate yourself first. The AW forums are a dandy way to do that. Recommended reading: the Query Letter Hell section and the Bewares, Recommendations and Background Check subforum.

And welcome to AW.

ASeiple · May 15, 2017

mrsmig said:
A caution - it's unlikely you'll be able to interest a trade publisher in your book if you've already self-published it. Yes, there are instances where this has happened in the past, but they're the exception rather than the norm.

Here I'd disagree.

If you know you're going to be writing in the long-term, and will have no problem putting out books from here until doomsday, then it's absolutely a workable strategy to self-publish as practice. Sure, trade publishers probably won't go for the stuff you self-publish, but if you come up with a book that you think will work out for them later on, the good ones won't hold your self-published works against you.

A very wise author on these boards told me that the only thing a good publisher considers is the work in front of them. I believe her. No one who's worth working with will hate you for self-publishing.

And by self-publishing your early stuff, you get it directly in front of readers, and have a chance to learn what readers want out of a book. Ultimately we're all trying to make books that appeal to readers.

Then there's the last consideration... it sounds like you're working on building your confidence. If that's the case, then rejection letters are absolutely no help at all, there. So you do what you feel is best, learn how to write, test your stuff out at your own pace, and build your confidence high.

Who knows? You might find out that trade publishing isn't the way to go for you after all.

Or you could build up more confidence, and have options and leverage to bring to the table when the contracts arrive. It's a win-win situation, really.

folclor · May 15, 2017

I published my full series that had begun as a trade published series (but the publisher went under). I still want to try trade publishing with my next book, though I often worry that the poor performance of the first will overshadow the better product I'm creating now.

Old Hack · May 15, 2017

ASeiple said:
Here I'd disagree.

If you know you're going to be writing in the long-term, and will have no problem putting out books from here until doomsday, then it's absolutely a workable strategy to self-publish as practice. Sure, trade publishers probably won't go for the stuff you self-publish, but if you come up with a book that you think will work out for them later on, the good ones won't hold your self-published works against you.

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. Both you and mrsmig are right. Perhaps you could clarify. Because I don't see how your comment (which is pretty much "self publishing books A, B and C won't put publishers off publishing your books D, E and F") contradicts mrsmig's point that trade publishers tend not to republish books which have already been self published.

andiwrite · May 15, 2017

I was trade published with the first novel I ever wrote. It wasn't a great experience. The publisher ended up having issues with a lot of people and many writers either had their rights reverted or asked for them back. It was a big mess, but even before all that happened, I was already unhappy with the experience. I am a person who likes to be in control. I'd personally rather do 10x the work, design my own covers, get my own formatting, etc. If it means I have full control.

For example, I really didn't like the cover the publisher chose for my book. I also feel it did my book a huge disservice because it had a shirtless dude on the cover, which was NOT really the vibe of the book and I was told by a number of male readers that it turned them off. Maybe I should have argued for a different cover, but it was what they offered me, and being a first-time author, I didn't want to make waves.

There were also a ton of communication issues and I was left waiting/wondering/not knowing WTF was going on for weeks/months sometimes. I could never get clear communication or answers, and it was honestly the most stressful couple of years of my life. I realize a lot of the issues were based on this one particular publisher, but it turned me off so much that I don't even think I could ever try submitting again.

There is other stuff too. Like being told you have to do certain styles or types of promotion, attend certain events, etc. I don't like people telling me what to do. I've been self-employed for over 5 years now and I like to be my own boss, so having a publisher trying to dictate the sort of way I presented myself or the things I said online really bothered me. For example, we were told not to discuss things like god, politics, etc. Well, I like discussing those things, and I don't care if I lose potential readers over it. This is me. I want to be myself and do whatever I want, and I'm okay with developing a fan base that likes me for me. I'm not being fake or stifling my desire to discuss topics that interest me. As an author with the goal of self-publishing, I don't have to worry about offending anyone. If they're offended by my twitter, they'll probably be offended by my books, too.

Oh, and the MAIN REASON: Being trade published didn't help me sell books. They barely promoted me. I got a couple of tweets and a lousy, useless blog tour and that was it. They said it was our job to promote ourselves. OKay, I can live with that, but not when I'm giving up a huge cut of the money. If I have to promote myself anyway, I really see no benefits of doing anything other than self-publishing.

However, if you don't want to do all the work yourself, and you don't mind a loss of some control, I could still see trade being good for some.

Cindyt · May 15, 2017

andiwrite said:
I was trade published with the first novel I ever wrote. It wasn't a great experience. The publisher ended up having issues with a lot of people and many writers either had their rights reverted or asked for them back. It was a big mess, but even before all that happened, I was already unhappy with the experience. I am a person who likes to be in control. I'd personally rather do 10x the work, design my own covers, get my own formatting, etc. If it means I have full control.

For example, I really didn't like the cover the publisher chose for my book. I also feel it did my book a huge disservice because it had a shirtless dude on the cover, which was NOT really the vibe of the book and I was told by a number of male readers that it turned them off. Maybe I should have argued for a different cover, but it was what they offered me, and being a first-time author, I didn't want to make waves.

There were also a ton of communication issues and I was left waiting/wondering/not knowing WTF was going on for weeks/months sometimes. I could never get clear communication or answers, and it was honestly the most stressful couple of years of my life. I realize a lot of the issues were based on this one particular publisher, but it turned me off so much that I don't even think I could ever try submitting again.

There is other stuff too. Like being told you have to do certain styles or types of promotion, attend certain events, etc. I don't like people telling me what to do. I've been self-employed for over 5 years now and I like to be my own boss, so having a publisher trying to dictate the sort of way I presented myself or the things I said online really bothered me. For example, we were told not to discuss things like god, politics, etc. Well, I like discussing those things, and I don't care if I lose potential readers over it. This is me. I want to be myself and do whatever I want, and I'm okay with developing a fan base that likes me for me. I'm not being fake or stifling my desire to discuss topics that interest me. As an author with the goal of self-publishing, I don't have to worry about offending anyone. If they're offended by my twitter, they'll probably be offended by my books, too.

Oh, and the MAIN REASON: Being trade published didn't help me sell books. They barely promoted me. I got a couple of tweets and a lousy, useless blog tour and that was it. They said it was our job to promote ourselves. OKay, I can live with that, but not when I'm giving up a huge cut of the money. If I have to promote myself anyway, I really see no benefits of doing anything other than self-publishing.

However, if you don't want to do all the work yourself, and you don't mind a loss of some control, I could still see trade being good for some.

It's not just the covers. Janelle Taylor, author of the Gray Eagle Dakota Sioux series, wasn't allowed to use her working title. She didn't tell me what it was, but they forced Savage Ecstasy on her. Sex sells. To Zebra's credit it did contain explicit sex, and I guess they wanted that first book to reflect what was inside.

They'd probably tell me to sex my historical up and hang a racy title on it. Dress Her In Chameleon is naughty enough, thank you.

andiwrite · May 15, 2017

Oh yeah! You're right! They actually changed my title too, but I'm always somewhat indecisive and usually have 3-4 working titles I'm tossing around, and they liked one of those. So that was okay. But it really would have stressed me if they hated all my picks or wanted me to change it to something more sexual. The title is so important for capturing the energy of the story. A great title on a book or movie always captures my attention, so that's definitely something I want firm control over.

Old Hack · May 15, 2017

As I've just said in another thread, that's not a typical experience when you're working with a good trade publisher, andiwrite. I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience. I wonder who the publisher was. There is a big difference between working with a good publisher and a bad one.

Maryn · May 16, 2017

I, too, was quite curious about that publisher. Since you're no longer with them, and don't use your real name here, can you share? (I understand if you don't feel you can.)

While I was less than happy with my trade publisher, especially in regard to promotion and cover art, I had a much better experience.

Maryn, who got the rights back on one, other pending

ASeiple · May 16, 2017

Old Hack said:
I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. Both you and mrsmig are right. Perhaps you could clarify. Because I don't see how your comment (which is pretty much "self publishing books A, B and C won't put publishers off publishing your books D, E and F") contradicts mrsmig's point that trade publishers tend not to republish books which have already been self published.

Ah, I see. Looks like I edited out the wrong part of the quote. I was meaning to disagree with mrsmig's statement "Don't use self-publishing as a way to practice."

The rest of my statement makes infinitely more sense if read that way. I'll look at fixing it later, got an appointment to keep first.

Old Hack · May 16, 2017

There's no need to edit your post now you've explained. And if you do, you'll make a nonsense of the following posts. I think you're good now.

WeaselFire · May 16, 2017

HPhatecraft said:
I've heard from many that self publishing is for people who weren't good enough to get book deals...

I'm good enough and have gotten deals for non-fiction proposals quite a few times. But I'm writing a book that has a limited number of publishers in the genre and none accept work from outside, they generate books from a stable of staff writers. There is a market, but not large enough to interest a publisher outside the market, so I'm left with self-pubbing. Several other books have a limited audience and thus little ability to generate the sales which would compete with others in a publisher's line. So self publishing is the route there as well. Provided you have a genuine plan and understand why you're self publishing, nothing wrong with it as a choice.

HPhatecraft said:
My only beef is with the corporate structure that goes into the big six. I am kinda idealistically against art being subject to the profit line. That's it.

Then obviously you're giving your book away free, which alters the publishing routes. Set up your own web site and publish it as a blog or serial, or offer it for free download.

Jeff

EvieDriver · May 16, 2017

Control seems to be the theme, so I will add a different reason (even though that's my primary reason). I love the freedom of creativity. I also love the stress of a new challenge. I work well under pressure. I'm a masochist, I suppose. Give me ten minutes to cook up a recipe for world peace, I'd try my darndest! I love the idea of failure. I get to grow and learn new things.

I've spent too long researching the extended process of getting agented and eventually published. I'm also quite impatient. I want my book out when I say I want it. I'm demanding like that, and other people shouldn't have to deal with it. Lol. Self-publishing shares a great number of pros over Trade/traditional publishing - at least in my opinion. That's only because this is what I've chosen for myself. This route is a very personal choice, and I really find it disheartening when others throw the "other side" so to speak under a proverbial bus. Trade publishing trumps self-publishing in a plethora of ways, but none that really matter to me.

I'm a henious, impatient control freak. Like I said, I am my best boss, because I'm also highly independent. I work well under pressure, and I sure know how to light a fire under my ass when I need to. Self-publishing is also the best route to publishing my book because I get to be at blame if I fail, and I also get all the credit if I succeed. No pointing fingers. Solely me. It's a better fit for who I am. I've considered going trade, but the idea of waiting to snag an agent and wait out for however long for the editing and cover designs makes me itch...impatient, remember?

I hope everyone has a great day!

Dave.C.Robinson · May 16, 2017

I self-publish because I'm doing 50k action-adventure SF stories and there just isn't a market for that length with most commercial publishers.

andiwrite · May 17, 2017

Dave.C.Robinson said:
I self-publish because I'm doing 50k action-adventure SF stories and there just isn't a market for that length with most commercial publishers.

Cool! I'm currently working on an afterlife-based scifi/horror/love story that's around 30K words. I'm LOVING writing shorter stories like this. I had never considered it because I always heard scifi stories had to be long. Self-publishing is so freeing.

Oh and about my former publisher--yes I do understand it was an abnormally bad experience. I'd still be open to a trade deal if it somehow fell in my lap, but overall, I feel self-publishing will be better for me. At the very least I'd like to experiment with a few books and then possibly reevaluate where I'm at from there.

rwm4768 · May 17, 2017

andiwrite said:
Cool! I'm currently working on an afterlife-based scifi/horror/love story that's around 30K words. I'm LOVING writing shorter stories like this. I had never considered it because I always heard scifi stories had to be long. Self-publishing is so freeing.

Oh and about my former publisher--yes I do understand it was an abnormally bad experience. I'd still be open to a trade deal if it somehow fell in my lap, but overall, I feel self-publishing will be better for me. At the very least I'd like to experiment with a few books and then possibly reevaluate where I'm at from there.

In my mind, that's one of the great things about self-publishing. It gives you a chance to experiment. Sure, you might fall flat on your face, but as long as you're able to handle the loss financially, you can move on and try again with another book.

And sometimes your experiment might just be successful.

Why do you Self publish?

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