Quote:
Originally Posted by neilmarr
I often wonder, though, if self publishing is truly a matter of an author wishing to retain utter control and independence or if bad luck in securing a publisher's freely offered editorial assistance and being unable to afford the high fees of a sound pro freelance forces them to go solo as a last resort. You see, I regularly spot manuscripts I've declined popping up -- warts-n-all -- as self-published work a month or so later.
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Hi Neil,
Thankyou for your well thought and and considered post. If I might, I would like to offer a perspective on this.
I have formerly been a professional editor by background. It was never my primary career. I've always been an electronic/internet engineer. But I did fall into a side-career in journalism that spanned eight years and for six of them, I was an editor of various descriptions. All of it was quite well paid and for some of it, I lived entirely off the proceeds.
Back then I remember publishers and agents falling all over me for my attention. Now they don't even return my emails. It's funny how that changes. Regardless, I understand the value of editing and don't believe in utter control and independence. I know I'm simply not good enough to produce excellent results on my own ( And earlier I mentioned I'm not capable of editing my own work )
Paying a freelance editor is a big expense, so it's easy to see why it's not a common option, despite good editors being available for work on novels for under $1000. If a writer thinks they will recover the costs, by all means. There are freelance editors that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
So that leaves publishers. As a writer, getting before a publisher is a LOT of hard work and to be honest, I think luck plays more a part than skill. More so if you're a niche genre writer. Even then, I've heard some publishers point out that you pretty much still have to edit your own work at your own cost before they will publish you. So all they can do in the end is put your book to print.
Mark Coker talks a good talk and the WA Department of Culture and Arts brought him to Perth to discuss E-publishing. I listened and what he said resonated with me. You can read a little about it
here. Aside from the stigma of self-publishing ( Some writers believe you become untouchable after that ) and the costs to myself, it really felt like a way forward to me.
If it was easier to find a publisher - if it was easier to follow that process - I would most certainly consider it over self publishing. Like most new writers, I don't even know how to effectively approach this problem. Most of us feel that it's like stumbling through the dark with both feet tied together. You get nowhere fast and you still get hurt in the process.
Some of the best authors I know have had problems so what chance do I have? They were driven to try publisher after publisher whereas I'm not. So for me, at least, self publishing is a real alternative.
So why did I self-publish? Because the barriers to finding a publisher otherwise are too high and because I'm really not very strong at that part of the process.
And maybe a little bit because I'd rather that someone reads my work and enjoys it than it sit hidden until forgotten. After all, I write for the enjoyment.
I like to think I might make money one day, but if not, I will self publish. I do what I can to address my own self-myopia and participate extensively in critting circles at different stages of development. I learn new writing skills and expose these to the same process.
I won't pretend I'm going to be famous because I probably won't be. But in 10 days, I've had 600 e-book downloads. It's hardly a bestseller and no doubt the price plays an important part in that, but hey! I'm stoked, I really am. So that really reinforces the experience for me. ( Does anyone know the typical rate of downloads for e-books? )
Of course, I'm still waiting for reviews like an expectant parent... But they will come and if they are good, I will write more. If they are bad, I will still write more, but either way, I'll pay attention to what I need to work on.
Regards
David