Self-Publishing: The Light At The End

A published Book from AWordWithYouPress.com


To those  who say that the hardest thing about writing fiction is getting published, I say: think again. The hardest thing about writing fiction is not getting published.

Here is a personal story:

Some years ago, I wrote a novel called, Morag’s Monsters, about the Loch Ness Monster’s interaction with a group of academics in an imaginary Scotland. It attracted the attention of a well known agent, who saw financial possibilities, said some very nice things, but that the pacing was “off”, and sent it to a well known editor.

This editor had written some books of his own – not very successful. You’ve heard about books that you can’t put down? These were the other kind, the kind that you can’t pick up. Possibly, this should have raised red flags, but I paid him a monstrous sum of money and allowed him to destroy my confidence.

You understand that nobody behaved ignobly. They believed that they were giving me a golden opportunity, and cheap at the price. But I paid the wrong editor up front, and wound up holding 100,000 words of self doubt and recrimination.

A lot of perspiring writers have a story like this – it’s almost a write of passage (sorry). Today’s computer technology makes self-publishing available to everyone for about the price of a laptop computer. So why let the established industry wield this kind of power?

As a preliminary to answering this question, let’s consider the reasons people write. The common ones I hear are:

Number 1: I hope to become rich and famous (Uhuh).

If you are really sure that you will be made independently wealthy just as soon as you catch Random House’s eye – by all means, sit back and wait. But realistically, most of us who do publish will be lucky to wring a living from it. Of those who achieve the grail of retiring to write full time, many have alternative revenue streams: for example, a retirement fund, a spouse who pays some of the bills, a consulting gig.

While you’re waiting to get noticed, why not self publish?  - you own the work, and keep more of the profits. Further, you have a shiny bound example of your book, to wow the houses and help you get a contract.

Number 2: “Because I have to”.

This one, which is somewhat pious and hopelessly clichéd, by definition stands alone, irrespective of whether one is published or not, so there is no point addressing it.

Number 3: Because it enhances my life (now we’re getting somewhere).

There’s a certain outdated ethic, still hirpling wearily among us, that if your book is not purchased, cropped and marketed by an industry great, it lacks legitimacy. This notion belongs, with similar misconceptions (the world is large, email is private; by thirty years old you have the face you deserve) in the Second Millenium trash. The world is different, and arbitration no longer the province of a jaded reader with a demographic chart and an eye on the price of print. The internet, great leveler, enables all of us to publish our books, promote them, and let our audience decide whether they’re worth reading or not.

There are many sites that will help you self publish; I will not review them, but here is another great story.

My friend Thornton Sully toiled for years in construction (master carpenter, yet, and single father of three), rising at 5 am to write the wonderful books with which traditional publishing played fast and loose, or cat and mouse, call it what you will. Until one day Thorn was visited by a strange, unearthly light (which was his visual display unit) and he was startled and delighted by the epiphany:  I need not await permission.

In a fearsome display of engineering genius, using only his brain and the internet, Thorn has built a business – AWordWithYouPress.com, which hosts a community of artists and writers. He offers free assessments, editing services, help and advice on self-publishing and, in some cases, the chance to publish under his banner, as well as friendship and moral support.

Thorn’s first (published) book The Boy With A Torn Hat will soon be available for purchase from this site, and my own attempt at Heropic Fiction, Angus MacDream and the Roktopus Rogue, will appear eventually as one of his titles (shameless plug, there, but hey – it’s my blog).

In conclusion: certainly there are people who thrive on conflict, adversity and angst. Keep battering the walls of the crumbling citadel, if that’s what floats your boat, and good luck dodging the boiling oil (yes I know I am mixing metaphors – did I mention that this is my blog?)

Meanwhile, AWordWithYouPress.com is receiving (almost) more hits than it can handle.

THORNTON SULLY, WAY TO GO! PUBLISH AND BE JAMMED!

 Guess what’s magical in his life, right now?