Comments on: Is There A Price For Self-Publishing? http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/ America's Mad Professor of Fiction Writing Mon, 21 May 2012 04:11:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Judy Croome http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16888 Judy Croome Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:39:00 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16888 Thanks for your answer to Andrew's question! I've just made the decision to leap into self-publishing and am excited and nervous about it. If my book is good, it'll sell. If it's awful, it won't. That's a lot simpler to understand than the range of rejections I've had from traditional publishers which have ranged from "it's a genius piece of work, but I don't know here to sell it" to "burn this, it should never see the light of day!". By self-publishing the market will decide the true worth of my book and that's a risk I'm willing to take. <a href="http://judycroome.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Judy (South Africa)</a> Thanks for your answer to Andrew’s question! I’ve just made the decision to leap into self-publishing and am excited and nervous about it. If my book is good, it’ll sell. If it’s awful, it won’t. That’s a lot simpler to understand than the range of rejections I’ve had from traditional publishers which have ranged from “it’s a genius piece of work, but I don’t know here to sell it” to “burn this, it should never see the light of day!”. By self-publishing the market will decide the true worth of my book and that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Judy (South Africa)

]]> By: Gene Lempp http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16890 Gene Lempp Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:28:11 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16890 If you are interested in platform, Kristen Lamb has an excellent blog (and book) that explain and educate on the process. Also, Bob Mayer of Who Dares Wins publishing has a vast array of articles that deal with the changes in the publishing industry, especially self-publishing and indie publishing. I found both of these excellent writers through Randy and the great site he runs here! Networking is the key. Carpe Diem. If you are interested in platform, Kristen Lamb has an excellent blog (and book) that explain and educate on the process. Also, Bob Mayer of Who Dares Wins publishing has a vast array of articles that deal with the changes in the publishing industry, especially self-publishing and indie publishing. I found both of these excellent writers through Randy and the great site he runs here! Networking is the key. Carpe Diem.

]]> By: Donald James Parker http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16898 Donald James Parker Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:26:22 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16898 Spot on, Randy! As our culture is approaching a simulation of life in A Brave New World, the world of publishing has already arrived at brand new world status. Spot on, Randy! As our culture is approaching a simulation of life in A Brave New World, the world of publishing has already arrived at brand new world status.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16916 Andrew Wed, 16 Feb 2011 23:14:03 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16916 Thanks for the excellent answer, Randy. After following this site I can see that self-publishing online looks to be prosperous. We're very fortunate to live in a time where there are no "elite" gatekeepers choosing what they think is best, but instead an audience of readers who will choose what they want. I'm glad that this question led to an answer that might inspire others like Judy to dive in and start self-publishing. The sooner you get your name out there, the better. Of course when you self-publish online, you'll have to become the marketer and network to get people interested in book(s). Thanks for the excellent answer, Randy.

After following this site I can see that self-publishing online looks to be prosperous. We’re very fortunate to live in a time where there are no “elite” gatekeepers choosing what they think is best, but instead an audience of readers who will choose what they want.

I’m glad that this question led to an answer that might inspire others like Judy to dive in and start self-publishing. The sooner you get your name out there, the better.

Of course when you self-publish online, you’ll have to become the marketer and network to get people interested in book(s).

]]> By: Christophe Desmecht http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16930 Christophe Desmecht Thu, 17 Feb 2011 06:19:13 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-16930 Don't forget. Thanks to platforms such as the Amazon Kindle or the iPad, reading e-books is no longer a cumbersome thing you have to do sitting at your computer. You can now carry your e-books around with you wherever you go. An enormous amount of people now find them even more practical than regular books, because they can fit several (up to hundreds) of books on one single portable device. These platforms, I think, have done wonders for e-book business... Don’t forget. Thanks to platforms such as the Amazon Kindle or the iPad, reading e-books is no longer a cumbersome thing you have to do sitting at your computer. You can now carry your e-books around with you wherever you go. An enormous amount of people now find them even more practical than regular books, because they can fit several (up to hundreds) of books on one single portable device.

These platforms, I think, have done wonders for e-book business…

]]> By: ML Eqatin http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17005 ML Eqatin Sat, 19 Feb 2011 06:12:59 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17005 There's an awful lot of competition out there for the reader's time, let alone their $$. One of the biggest problems with self-publishing is other self-published works. When I self-published 4 years ago. very few readers looked at it prejudicially (although the industry did.) Now it's the readers who raise an eyebrow, because they've read ten or more self-published works, or had to read the one by Aunt Grace, that were purely awful. And as the tide of awful rises, the credibility gets harder. It's going to get tougher and tougher to rise above the stigma in the eye of the jaundiced reader. There’s an awful lot of competition out there for the reader’s time, let alone their $$. One of the biggest problems with self-publishing is other self-published works. When I self-published 4 years ago. very few readers looked at it prejudicially (although the industry did.) Now it’s the readers who raise an eyebrow, because they’ve read ten or more self-published works, or had to read the one by Aunt Grace, that were purely awful. And as the tide of awful rises, the credibility gets harder.

It’s going to get tougher and tougher to rise above the stigma in the eye of the jaundiced reader.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17019 Andrew Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:20:52 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17019 ML Eqatin, That's an excellent point. It does seem like the "tide of crap will be rising." However I am optimistic, because I expect that the writers who have made writing a lifelong dedication and truly believe they have something original to say, will eventually rise above the tide. As the tide rises, so does the dedicated writer become more internet-savvy and well-read across genres of fiction and in areas like online marketing, etc. On the way there will be lots of connections to make, and by reading and supporting the material of other writers, we can grow knowledgeable and strong in our attempts to market and improve our work. And if after all THAT we don't make more than a small handful of sales, at least we tried. I'd be very surprised, though, if all that work did not produce some monetary benefit. Money isn't the issue anyway, though. The real satisfaction I (and I expect many others) get from writing, is feeling of having communicated something very special. The very act of writing something down and clarifying it is cathartic; it sheds a new light on past struggles and past events. In the end, for me, it's mostly about the attempt to give a unique opinion on life to the world. If other people like it too, that's just a plus. ML Eqatin,

That’s an excellent point. It does seem like the “tide of crap will be rising.”

However I am optimistic, because I expect that the writers who have made writing a lifelong dedication and truly believe they have something original to say, will eventually rise above the tide.

As the tide rises, so does the dedicated writer become more internet-savvy and well-read across genres of fiction and in areas like online marketing, etc. On the way there will be lots of connections to make, and by reading and supporting the material of other writers, we can grow knowledgeable and strong in our attempts to market and improve our work.

And if after all THAT we don’t make more than a small handful of sales, at least we tried.

I’d be very surprised, though, if all that work did not produce some monetary benefit. Money isn’t the issue anyway, though. The real satisfaction I (and I expect many others) get from writing, is feeling of having communicated something very special. The very act of writing something down and clarifying it is cathartic; it sheds a new light on past struggles and past events.

In the end, for me, it’s mostly about the attempt to give a unique opinion on life to the world. If other people like it too, that’s just a plus.

]]> By: Jamie http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17023 Jamie Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:50:48 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17023 A nice discussion here. I love that more and more people are taking the risk of self-publishing, but it is not for the feint of heart. It still requires that we do a lot to make it happen. I self-published my first book in 1987--almost before computers, but I was doing a lot of front of the room speaking and sold them all that way. Now I'm trying to increase my platform and having a lot of fun with it. All about connecting ideas to people. A nice discussion here. I love that more and more people are taking the risk of self-publishing, but it is not for the feint of heart. It still requires that we do a lot to make it happen. I self-published my first book in 1987–almost before computers, but I was doing a lot of front of the room speaking and sold them all that way. Now I’m trying to increase my platform and having a lot of fun with it. All about connecting ideas to people.

]]> By: Geoff Breitling http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17083 Geoff Breitling Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:00:17 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17083 In my opinion, the bottom line is packaging a quality product. How you package your work to the old guard or the self-publishing world is key. Having a platform helps, but as Randy mentioned the quality of the work determines staying power. The opportunity is there, but you are well served to be a savvy marketer of a quality product. Best, Geoff In my opinion, the bottom line is packaging a quality product. How you package your work to the old guard or the self-publishing world is key. Having a platform helps, but as Randy mentioned the quality of the work determines staying power. The opportunity is there, but you are well served to be a savvy marketer of a quality product.

Best,

Geoff

]]> By: Sheila Deeth http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17153 Sheila Deeth Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:24:36 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/02/15/is-there-a-price-for-self-publishing/#comment-17153 I can't help wondering if it's still all based on who you know. Yes, some people have done incredibly well self-publishing. But lots and lots of people haven't. Amazon's a pretty huge haystack, and even the best of self-published books can still be a very small, very invisible needle. I can’t help wondering if it’s still all based on who you know. Yes, some people have done incredibly well self-publishing. But lots and lots of people haven’t. Amazon’s a pretty huge haystack, and even the best of self-published books can still be a very small, very invisible needle.

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