Seven months ago, I never would have believed that all this was possible, but it is! Who do I have to thank? You! My friends, readers, and those who enjoy my stories and support me.
I am constantly asked why I self-publish instead of going through a well-known publisher. Well, to simply put it, the genre that my stories fall into is not highly popular with most publishers in Canada. The ones that accept my genre are flooded daily with queries and submissions.
So…when and if they have the time to read my query, they then have to judge the whole story by a short blurb. If my hook isn’t sharper than the hook they read before, my query and chances of submitting a synopsis and manuscript would be filed into the garbage with the other dull queries.
Sure…I’ve been rejected, accepted and offered a small deal. But in truth, I have not sent out more than five queries. Out of those five, two were shot down right away. It was far from personal; it was addressed to Dear Writer (lol). One offered me a contract, but they were on the writer beware list; one stated their limitations and suggested that they would be able to publish my books in five years and, the other, I never heard back from them.
So why self-publish? Well, to put it simple. Why not?
Who does it harm? And if I’m living my dream, isn’t that what matters most? Sure…the option is out there to continue to submit to large publishing agencies, but why do that? Those who enjoy the world I’ve created know where to find me, they share my stories with their friends and family, they comment, review and blog about the stories. So…in short (long) I love what I’m doing, I love my friends and readers I’ve been blessed to have in my life, and being a self-published author gives me the ability to have control over how my books are spread throughout the world.
I do interact with other authors; I support them and send kudos to those whose work I enjoy. I may not be the most popular writer out there, but I am me and I can proudly share my work without the pressure of having to answer to anyone other than my readers that I’m proud to call friends.
Wishing you all the best adventures in reading, writing and in life!
Sass:)
NEWS UPDATE!
Sass, when you said, "...without the pressure of having to answer to anyone other than my readers...", I sat here nodding agreement. Ultimately, all the publishing hoopla comes down to one real objective of writing, happy readers.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy for traditionally published authors to get caught up in jumping through business-hoops for agents, editors, marketing plans, bookstores, radio hosts, distribution companies--you get the picture--everybody gets attention from them, while readers haven't even been mentioned on the list yet. To me, readers should be FIRST on the list. And, "fans" (those wonderful folks who buy a second book from us) should be the very first people that writers serve first, both with our writing and with our time.
Self-publishing provides a rich closeness between fans and writers. In fairness, some big name authors work to achieve direct contact with their fan base, but some, if nto many, vanish behind the ivy-covered, stone walls of the publishing "industry." They become out of reach, and, yes, out of touch with their fans--the very people who made success possible.
I am presently waiting word from my literary agent about my novel, Jihad, The Breath of God. She submitted it this week for consideration by the scary big-dogs of publishing. If it gets picked up, I solemny promise to be the most reachable author possible. Just last night, I responded to a fan-email from a young man asking questions about my self-published novel, Space Chronicles: The Last Human War. He replied that he was shocked to receive a personal reply. He said he's an avid reader and the vast majority of his fan messages never get a personal note. That's a shame!
So, kudos to you, Sass, for your respectful attitude toward readers. I wish you all the success in the world.
Thank you D. S. Sault, I really appreciate your feedback, and I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure!
ReplyDeleteSass:)