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The Self-Publishing Debate - Opinions?
Hi, She-Writers! I'm new here, and was wondering if you could help me.
I'm the editor of Trashionista, a chick-lit 'blogazine'. Recently I posted about about self-publishing, as a BBC programme here in the UK talked about the benefits (and disadvantages) of sites such as Blurb and Lulu. I had some mixed comments - some favour the traditional route to publication (myself included), whereas others wouldn't mind self-publishing.
I'm looking to write a follow-up post, with opinions of others - as kind of a debate. I'm wondering if any of you could offer your opinions on this. Would you self-publish, or stick to the traditional route to getting your book published? Is anyone here a self-published author and if so, what made you decide to self-publish?
I would link to your sites on the post along with your comments. Would anyone be up for sharing their opinions? :D
I'm the editor of Trashionista, a chick-lit 'blogazine'. Recently I posted about about self-publishing, as a BBC programme here in the UK talked about the benefits (and disadvantages) of sites such as Blurb and Lulu. I had some mixed comments - some favour the traditional route to publication (myself included), whereas others wouldn't mind self-publishing.
I'm looking to write a follow-up post, with opinions of others - as kind of a debate. I'm wondering if any of you could offer your opinions on this. Would you self-publish, or stick to the traditional route to getting your book published? Is anyone here a self-published author and if so, what made you decide to self-publish?
I would link to your sites on the post along with your comments. Would anyone be up for sharing their opinions? :D
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by C.D. Holmes-Miller on -
Hope you will call in! Blessings, CD Holmes-Miller
"U-Pub How To Write & e-Publish Your e-Book!" Teleseminar~Handing Out FREE Copies! Call In Monday Nite: "Publish The Book In You!"712-432-1690~Access Code 1002272#9:00-10:00 P.M. EST Monday, October 18thThis conference WILL NOT BE RECORDED! Come prepared to take notes & listen up!Invite friends to call in & listen to
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Permalink Reply by Korani Connolly on -
I self-published my first book in the UK in 2009 and was fortunate to find a wonderful book press nearby to do all the technical work for me. But I edited myself, sourced the cover art, purchased the ISBN etc. and really, it wasn't very difficult! My book was non-fiction and targeted at a specific audience so I've been selling it through my own network. I loved the freedom to make it look, feel and sound exactly as I wanted and the book printing press who produced it were top notch at following up on all my suggestions. I looked at Lulu but decided I wanted a real person to talk to and show photos too rather than trusting to luck on the net.
Of my next books (currently working on two) one is a novel and I'm aiming to have that published rather than going the self-publishing route though for the second, a further non-fiction work, I'll certainly self-publish again.
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Permalink Reply by Deborah Batterman on -
I'm relatively new here . . . and very intrigued by a discussion that seems to have begun almost a year ago -- clearly a reflection on the fact that the self-publishing debate is an ongoing one. In a piece I wrote for C.M. Mayo's terrific blog -- Self-Publish or Perish(?): The New Digital Imperative, I noted that, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, literary reading is down, yet creative writing is up, the suggestion being that more people are writing than reading. And yet, whatever it is that drives the impulse to write, there's an assumption that writing (unless in a personal journal, for the writer's eyes only), demands readership. I myself just published a new, Kindle edition of my short story collection, SHOES HAIR NAILS, published in paperback a few years ago by a small independent press no longer in existence. It seemed good marketing sense, the point being that there are many good reasons for writers to take charge of the means of publication and distribution of their work via self-publishing channels. At the same time, writers also benefit greatly from the critical eye of good editors who are the heart and soul of traditional publishing.
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Permalink Reply by Rachel Ney on -
Hello everyone!
This is topic that I am very interested in. In fact, I am working on a research project for my masters level class at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that will revolve around the self-publishing debate. I am looking to did a little deeper into what motivates writers to self-publish? How do they compare it with traditional publishing methods? When are you an author?
These are just some of the questions I hope to answer. If you are a willing author who would like to chime in and answer some questions for my research project, I would greatly appreciate any help you have to offer. If you are willing to either answer some questions via email or if you live in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area and would be willing to get together for a short interview, send me a message and we can work something out around your schedule.
Thank you so much everyone!
Keep writing!
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Permalink Reply by Michael N. Marcus on -
To Rachel:
If you'll send email to books (at) ablecomm.com, I'll be glad to answer questions about my decision to self-pubish and experiences in publishing.
Michael N. Marcus
-- http://www.BookMakingBlog.blogspot.com
-- http://www.Self-Pub.info
-- Create Better Books, with the Silver Sands Publishing Series: http://www.silversandsbooks.com/booksaboutpublishing.html
-- "Stories I'd Tell My Children (but maybe not until they're adults)," http://www.amazon.com/dp/0981661750
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Permalink Reply by Amira Nowaira on -
There are different reasons why an author decides to go digital. My memoir Growing Up Feminist in a Muslim Land has just been published as an ebook both on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle. The memoir deals, in a humorous, sometimes cynical, manner with my experience growing up in Alexandria, Egypt, in the 1960s during the reign of Nasser. The small number of publishers I contacted did not see a big market for it probably because in many ways it challenged some stereotyped notions of what life in a Muslim country meant, or means, for a woman. The memoir has no oppressed women and no violence against women, and not enough references to FGM. Because I wasn’t willing to change the character of my book for whatever consideration, I had to go the self-publishing route. So I did everything, including formatting and cover (with the help of my daughter) myself. It’s still early days yet to speak of sales, but when an extract was published in the Guardian under the title “When Egypt battled over bare knees" the response was quite positive. So I'm waiting to see what happens.
For Rachel Ney, I will be happy to answer your questions. Email me at: amira.nowaira@gmail.com
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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Haley on -
I, too, am happy to answer your questions.
E-mail me at dcmahaley [at] gmail.com
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Permalink Reply by SueAnn Jackson Land on -
I wrote a memoir titled, "The Truth About Whales" and published on Lulu. Honestly, I haven't really tried the query letters and the agent search -- not seriously. I have my book proposal completed and found myself completely overwhelmed searching the different publishing houses for which one would be right for TTAW.
It took me twenty years to tell the story contained in the book and -- quite frankly -- I wasn't excited about an editor or a publishing house changing the title, or the chapter structure. Maybe I'll subject myself to that for the second book.
I also got on Authonomy and realized very quickly how many manuscripts of every style there are sitting in slush piles and figured it would be another 20 years before the damn thing got published. :) So -- it's not perfect. I self-edited because I'm not really in a financial position to pay someone to do that. There are mistakes, I know there are. However, I've held my book in my hands. I've signed copies for the people I love. I've sent one copy to Wally Lamb -- who had a lot to do with why it was written at all. I've sent a copy to Oprah and then found out I wasn't the originator of that idea . My next door neighbor got her copy the other day and came walking in my front door saying, "I know an author."
You asked that question... I think I became an author the day I held my book in my hands and could say to myself that I finally accomplished a dream. It may never be a commercial success -- this is true... but it is a balm to my heart and I'm grateful for that much.
Thank you, so much, for this site and for the opportunity to be in the middle of a whole new world for me...
SueAnn
P.S. And you can reach me at sueann.land@gmail.com if there is anything else I can help or answer... I'd be happy to give back!
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Permalink Reply by Susan G. Bell on -
Hi Rachel,
An interesting project!
I'm happy to answer your questions about my decision to self-publish and how it's been going for me. You can email me at susangbell@me.com.
Susan Bell
http://www.WhentheGettingWasGood.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCg8hI5ehkM
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Permalink Reply by Rachel Ney on
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Thank you so much for you offers of help! I will contact each of you via email in the beginning of the week next week, and I look forward to reading your responses.
Thanks again!
Rachel
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Permalink Reply by Deborah Batterman on
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Hi, Rachel --
I'm sure you'll get lots of good material for this project. It's a terrific, timely topic, and I'd be happy to participate. It just so happens I guest-blogged for another writer on the subject: Self-Publish(?) or Perish: The New Digital Imperative, and there might be some points of interest for you. Good luck with the project . . . .I look forward to hearing more.
Best,
Deborah
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Permalink Reply by Candy Fite on -
Non-published writer seeks advice: Or do a few published articles make me a "published author?"
I'm currently working on a non-fiction book about rose rustling. For those of you who don't know what a "rose rustler" is, we are old garden rose enthusiasts set to locating and perserving antique roses. We don't "wrestle" roses! I'm a member of a wide-spread group in Texas called the Texas Rose Rustlers. Despite a nasty article written about us in the Wall Street Journal a few years back, which made us out to be rose "robbers,' we're all about preservation.
I've been given the advice by a couple of already published authors in the rose gardening world to try and self-publish the book when it's finished. Their reasoning is because it targets a niche market, and due to the fact that I surround myself with many of these people all across the US, I'll have a huge advantage of getting the book into people's hands.
My fear with self-publishing is I've heard so much negative feedback about it. I'd spend all the exhausting efforts only to have my books sit in a dusty box in the garage, even with me trying to market it. I'm willing to market my rear off, but will it work?
Anyone with self-publishing experience with books for a niche market, I'd love to hear from you! I've enjoyed reading this thread. Thanks for starting it!
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