Why self-publish?
Like anything else worth having, finding an agent and eventually getting published through a traditional publisher is tough work. Writing and editing the book is only half the battle. First you have to write the query letter and convince a literary agent to read your book. If you beat the odds (1 in a 100 is the number I’ve heard) and make that happen, the next step is said agent feeling like they can sell it. And even if they take you on, there’s no guarantee they will find a publisher for your work.
It’s a long, drawn out process that can take several months or even years. And then, if you’re lucky enough to find a publisher, you’ve got up to a year before your book hits the shelves. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m willing to wait for all this, and I have. I’ve gotten an agent to read my work. I’ve gotten the positive feedback only to be told it wasn’t for them. And I still have query letters wandering around in the great abyss (i.e. sitting in a stack of some agent’s slush pile/email inbox).
But as a writer, I simply want people to read my book! Is that too much to ask?
So in steps Kindle Direct Publishing. And by direct, they really mean direct. You write the book, design your cover, and upload your book for all to see. Seems simple enough. And it is. But that’s just the first step. The next challenge is actually getting someone to read it.
And that’s where the self-promotion comes in, the hard job of finding readers, raising your hand and getting noticed in a crowd of people, trying to be the stand out needle in the haystack. The internet is filled with, “Read me! Read me!” billboards everywhere. The competition is tough.
I never wanted to self-publish, because I always felt that, in a way, it was giving up. There’s a stigma about the quality of the self-published book, which in some cases is deserved. But that’s not to say there aren’t the diamonds in the rough, the rare success stories of quality novels making it into the hands of readers. And I’m hoping my novel is one such success story.
So that’s where I am today. On July 5th, I will release AFTER LIFE to the world, and although I am excited to do so, I hope it is not just a tree that falls alone in the forest for no one to hear. Anything worth having is worth working for, and I’ve done the work, I’ve made the sacrifices, and now I just want someone to sit down, perhaps with a nice glass of wine, and enjoy my book. Nothing more, nothing less.
Is that too much to ask?
Until next time,
MC
