I think we will look back on 2011 as the year when writers decided to take ownership of their manuscripts. More and more writers on my blog roll are now announcing their plans to self-publish, and good luck to them.So I thought I would just test the water by asking a couple of questions:
1) Has your position on self-publishing as a valid route to publication changed?
2) Do you see yourself self-publishing at some point in the future?
I would be interested to see what fellow writers think.
12 comments:
To be honest, I've always had a rather neutral view of self-publishing. I know there are some who really sneer at it, and, in a number of cases, it's because of the (lack of) quality control. The way I figure, if you can do it, and do it well, more power to you.
As for me, I'm planning on going the traditional route. I think that will be better for me.
I'm still considering it. But I don't think I'll do it until I've had the experience of querying and being rejected.
Yes ... and yes. After reading some truly AWFUL self-published books, I had a very negative opinion of the process, and considered it nothing but a self-indulgent act based on vanity and delusion. But in the past couple years, as more and more talented writers have chosen to go that route, and have succeeded in producing high-quality books, my opinion has definitely changed. Bottom line, the more the world of traditional publishing changes, the more my opinion changes about self-publishing as a viable option.
If you asked me in 2009 would I self-publish at some point, I would've said no. Now, I would say yes. There are good and bad books in both, but if you treat it as a business and put the best product out, then it can be great. I do see myself self-publishing at some point too. I'm not sure about my novels yet, but I have short story collections, novelettes, and novellas in mind.
No and no! LOL!! But yay for those who go the self published route - I could never do it cos I'm too ill disciplined, unfocused, not very talented and just plain lazy! LOL! Take care
x
Though I did get published through a small press, and they've been great, at my age I don't want to wait several more years to publish again. So I went the self-route, partly because I wanted to see if I could really do the formatting and get my novella-length "memoir" up. And I did it today! On Smashwords and Kindle, though I'll wait until it goes live on Kindle to announce it--probably in a few days. With the way publishing has changed drastically in the past year, and with bookstores closing, it seems that self-pubbing has become a valid route. I for one think so, and I was very excited to try it as so many of my Blogger friends have. I have purchased quite a few Blogger books recently, they look very well put together, and I'm anxious to get them read! Not enough time in a day, it seems!!
Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror, A Memoir of Shattered Secrets
I say go for it if that's what excites you but after seeing the work that has gone into my producing my books, I just don't want all that responsibility on my shoulders. If so, I believe some of the joy of the writing would go out of it and I'd feel too much pressure to be everything. I like being just the writer.
I feel I do not know nearly enough about it even now. I am not a technically minded sort of cat. I need a human to sort out those sort of cat hairs! :-)
I just did it, and I won't kid you, it is a lot of work, but if you can read formatting directions and understand what they're talking about, it's not that bad.
I've heard from some big e-authors that agents are now looking at e-authors works and ranks as the querying process now. New York isn't what it used to be.
As more and more people are buying Kindles, and e-readers, book stores are failing, and more people are making money e-publishing. I mean, why not, what have you got to lose. Why wait through countless rejections and years of anxiety for the "call" to come. It's not worth it anymore.
I'm not sure.
As a fairly new writer I am aiming for traditional publishing. It's been my dream for many years though I only started seriously writing last year and just because there are now good alternatives, doesn't mean I will go there straight away.
Ask me this in another few years and you may get a different answer.
Yes. I'm publishing my first novel, Eve Eden vs. the Zombie Horde, as an eBook. The only way I'd ever sign with a publisher now is if they offered to only publish my paper books, leaving me all editing, cover and eBook publishing rights. Oh and a cool million dollar advance. Also, literary agents are pointless to a writer such as myself.
I know this is an older post, but I thought I'd chime in. A year ago, I still wasn't considering self-publishing. This summer, however, I self-published one of my books, so yes, my thoughts on it definitely changed. ;)
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