Self-Publishing · 18 June 2022
Unless you are Hugh Howey, you probably will not be taken seriously as a self-published author.
There are many authors out there who are self-publishing these days. And why not? After all, it is a no-lose proposition. You can put your books out there on Amazon or whatever your favorite self-publishing platform is, and voilà! You are a self-published author. No muss, no fuss. You can even put your book out there as a print-on-demand book. It takes a little more time than just digital publishing, but it is possible. (And it is something that I still need to do.)
There is a problem though. When you are a self-published author, people do not necessarily take you as seriously as they would if you are published by a publisher with a pedigree. Which makes sense. People do not consider you an author unless you have books at the brick and mortar book stores. Or at least unless you have more than digital books.
I am writing about this topic because self-publishing is near and dear to my heart. It is how I have published all of my books so far. Oh sure, I would be happy to sign a book deal with a publisher. Most likely. The thing is, I do not write books because I need everybody to read them. If I did, I would be sorely disappointed. No. I write because writing is like breathing. (I know. I have said this too many times in my blog posts. But it is true.) I write because I need to write. Indeed, to not write, would be a sin for me.
But back to publishing.
Some people self-publish because they are tired of getting rejection notices from potential publishers and literary agents. Others self-publish because they think their stuff is actually good enough to get noticed by people, even if potential publishers passed. Others self-publish because they think they have something to say. Or maybe those are just my reasons.
I started self-publishing because I was tired of spending my time writing inquiry letters to publishers and agents. It became a waste of time. (I used to keep some of those rejection letters. When I actually got them.) I also think my writing is good enough for people to enjoy. And I think that the things that I write are worthy of people reading. At least some of the time.
So why am I writing about self-publishing? Part of the reason is because I got another rejection. Which is not a big deal. I was rejected from being a guest on a podcast because the hosts like to focus on authors who have traditional publishers behind them. I get that. Why talk to some author who nobody knows and who nobody is likely to ever know? It is not a way to keep your listeners happy. Unless of course, you are trying to get people to think differently. Or unless you are trying to expose people to new people and new ideas. Which is not their main purpose. I really do get it.
Well, I am no Hugh Howey, but perhaps someday more than a couple people will eventually read my books. And maybe one day I might even get a contract with a real publisher. But for now, I am happy self-publishing my books on Amazon. I am happy to just do my writing in obscurity. After all, writing and publishing is like breathing. I just need to do it. Which is why I am happy with my current publishing paradigm. Even if I am never taken as seriously as Hugh Howey.
© 2022 Michael T. Miyoshi
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