Is self -publishing smart?

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Re: Is self -publishing smart?

Post by KCWolf »

In today's world, I think there's nothing wrong with Self-publishing/indie authorship. Of course, that means (as others have said) you have to do a lot of the work yourself and have at least one editor. I studied digital art, so I can do my own covers. I have access to inexpensive beta readers and editors.

Also, (and this may sound wishy-washy) I think it depends on the type of book. My books are cross-genre, and more novella length rather than 50K+ words. A publisher like Penguin (for example) might not have a niche for them. But, I still want them to be read and enjoyed by as many people as possible. So, I created my own imprint and published them myself. I also published a magazine under the imprint, but it had a very short run as it was such an expensive endeavor.

Keep this in mind though: Anything is possible. There's more than one way to success.
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MaryWking
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Post by MaryWking »

Thank you
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Sharona Ancheta
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Post by Sharona Ancheta »

It depends to the topic, reason you are publishing yourself.
For instance you are self publishing because you made something interesting and educational, then why not. So then, people who could see you, can ask you advice or lesson but when you are publishing yourself but not for good and just doing it just to get popular, then that isn’t right.
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Post by LyorBoone »

For an Amazon self-published book, what do you think of the cover creation tools. I have a brother who is an artist who works on paper. I’ve toyed the idea of scanning his work as covers to my stories.
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Post by Sleipnir_Drew »

Maybe it's because I am very fond of hardcover books, but I still cannot get this idea into my head. Moreover, I think editing a book is part of the creation process. If you keep skipping these little details, you'll end up with an unfinished product.

Although it is respectable and admirable to achieve a self-publication, combined forces could obtain a better outcome. Wouldn't you agree?
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Post by lucia_kizas »

Sleipnir_Drew wrote: 17 Jul 2019, 14:05 Maybe it's because I am very fond of hardcover books, but I still cannot get this idea into my head. Moreover, I think editing a book is part of the creation process. If you keep skipping these little details, you'll end up with an unfinished product.

Although it is respectable and admirable to achieve a self-publication, combined forces could obtain a better outcome. Wouldn't you agree?
You can get hardcover copies from self-published authors too (take The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci, for example). I know Amazon does not offer hardcover options, but other platforms for self-publishing do. As to editing. Most of the self-published authors do have their books professionally edited. It is an old misconception that they just throw their first drafts out into the world (I know, there still are those types, unfortunately).
Before I self-published my book, I ran it through Grammarly, through Autocrit, read it 3 times (one of those times aloud), then put it through text to voice, and only then sent it to a pro editor. After finishing working on editor's notes, I ran it through text to speech again before actually putting it on Amazon.
Loads of Indie authors polish their works to perfection before hitting publish button, so it would be fair to give them a chance too ;)
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Post by Kansas City Teacher »

It would be great for some people, but not me! :)
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Post by Dan_Wellock »

Self-publishing can be a little risky. Publishing agencies almost ensure some success. It is very difficult to be successful when you self-publish. Even just publishing on Amazon (anyone can) can give you more success than self-publishing.
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Post by gurpreetkaur »

Self Publishing ...! Yes, good idea for new writers but only Publishing can not solve one problem - marketing! Marketing is an essential thing for any new book(and yes for new writer).
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Post by BookPower9 »

Yes. Especially when you have no enough budget. Then use Social media and maximize it.
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Post by CliffordPhillips »

I strongly believe it depends on individual. I am thinking to write and publish it.
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Post by bkallam »

Self publishing definitely seems like the way to go! Editing your own work is much different than using an editor. You can change what you may miss. Also, marketing and upfront fees are essentially the difference. Through a publisher, you may also come across them... or unfortunately all of them... not even wanting to entertain your book.

With your own efforts, you can market it. The internet has come a long way and you can even buy enough stock to go to conventions or shows that allow selling them up front. I feel like self-publishing is overall a much more adventurous experience.
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Post by sevencrows »

cluznar wrote: 20 Feb 2017, 15:46 I agree, most people would never be picked up by an agent or publisher. So self-publish and allow your work to be read by people. J. K. Rowling is a good example of many rejections. So self-publish and see how well your work sells.
J.K. Rowling had a relatively few number of rejections compared to most people in the industry--some people go through hundreds before they land a deal!
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Post by Aliciaroseperry1992 »

I recently published my first novel and was nervous about the self publishing journey- if you do your research it is a fantastic route. I do now realize the importance of having an agency for promotional purposes- I may consider an agency in the future for that exact reason.
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Post by FArmatrong2 »

These comments havr been helpful yet the road to personal success seems like luck and chance. I love to write while at the same time it brings many challenges towards being acceptable to others. Ive self published several books yet it still seems to be more work to then I haven to give while being the only one making all decisions. I dont kniw what else to do so I'm believing that this will be the platform to embetterment as a accomplished writer. Lets start! Franklin Armstrong
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