Random Thoughts: Self-Publishing
I think the beauty of self-publishing and now especially with the advent of ebooks, is that it allows an author an outlet of last resort to distribute their work, even if every agent and publisher rejects it.
Could the unanimous opinion of agents and editors be a sure sign that their work is not ready for publication? Sure. And once it's self-published, if it's really that bad, no one will buy the book, no matter how cheap.
But despite all this nay-saying, the value of self-publishing is the creative outlet it provides for the author that might never otherwise see their work in print. Maybe no one other than Mom, Dad, and the unfortunate recipients on the author's Christmas list will ever see the book. But I'm guessing that even a failure, once in print, feels better than the failure tucked in a drawer and covered with a mountain of rejection letters.
For those of you who have self-published or contemplated self-publishing, I would welcome your feedback.
Could the unanimous opinion of agents and editors be a sure sign that their work is not ready for publication? Sure. And once it's self-published, if it's really that bad, no one will buy the book, no matter how cheap.
But despite all this nay-saying, the value of self-publishing is the creative outlet it provides for the author that might never otherwise see their work in print. Maybe no one other than Mom, Dad, and the unfortunate recipients on the author's Christmas list will ever see the book. But I'm guessing that even a failure, once in print, feels better than the failure tucked in a drawer and covered with a mountain of rejection letters.
For those of you who have self-published or contemplated self-publishing, I would welcome your feedback.
Comments
These were both regional titles about cooking, family, and small town life. I didn't want to try to sell a publisher on what I knew would work.
In retrospect, as I've become a stronger writer, I can see that the books should have been edited far more than they were. Still. I don't regret going the self publishing route.
I think it's probably a more viable option for non fiction titles. That's just my two cents.
And, yes, you get to see your work in print. :0