To Self-Publish or Not To Self-Publish...That is the Question

As I make steady progress on a current project, I've been mulling over what I want to do with it in the future. Do I want to submit to agents? Publishers? Do I want to self-publish? It's a difficult decision that I'm looking at from all the angles. Today, I'm looking at the self-publishing aspect and why it seems less and less likely I'll do it. At least, for now.

I have a number of writer friends who have done quite well for themselves in self-publishing. They've covered the bases with hiring cover artists and editors and put out books that could compete with any traditionally published book out there. I'm proud of them and their efforts and heartened to see that good old fashioned hard work can pay off. That self publishing finally has a growing segment of writers who take pride in their work and treat it like the business that it truly is. But is it for me? Is it really something I could pull off?

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not business minded. And while I love the idea of complete creative control, I loathe the idea of coordinating all the other stuff necessary to launch a successful self-published book. I'm not organized enough. Just the idea of it feels overwhelming. Now, I've already had a taste of the work involved as part of a self published anthology. That project had nine people. Nine people to discuss details, make decisions and spread out both the costs and the labor. I am only one.

And money? Yeah, that's another issue. It's damn expensive. I don't have the money necessary to afford a professional editor, cover artist, formatter and advertising. Hell, I can't even afford to adequately advertise my published books. But plenty of others self publish at little to no cost...that's what some of you are thinking, right? Here's the thing. To me, that doesn't fly. I don't care who you are and how good of a writer you are--you need an editor. And that cover you threw together with your basic Photoshop skills? It screams of amateur. No matter what your friends say, it's not good enough. I don't want to settle for good enough.

So many times I see writers discussing their self-published projects and it kills me how many still think it's adequate to just have a couple friends proofread your work before hitting publish. Or even worse, spellcheck. I've also seen advice given about searching the internet to find an image for your cover, and free stock photo sites (hello...image copyright anyone?).  It boggles the mind how often I see writers just settle for one of these options--settling for 'just good enough' because they need to skimp on costs. That may fly for some people, but like I said, I don't want that.

If I'm going to do it, if I'm going to be taking the plunge and sticking my hat in the self-publishing ring, I'll be damn sure it's by paying professional people to do the things I can't. Because no matter how competent of a writer I am, I know I still need an editor. And no matter how good of an artist I am, I don't know jack shit about making book covers. And as much as I'd love to be able to pull a couple thousand dollars out of my rear end to make it all happen, I know that's not realistic. Not right now, anyway.

You may think, after this long winded post, that I've made up my mind. That I've talked myself out of it. The reality is, I haven't. I'm still open to the possibility. Love's Not Viral isn't yet complete, I have no time constraints beyond my own goals to get it finished. For now, I need to work on finishing the manuscript...but there it is, the stuff lurking in the back of my mind while I work.

 

Writing updates and all

Yeah, I know. I don't post much on this blog anymore. I have a new website where I've been hoping to drive attention, so ye old Blogger site has been neglected. So I figured today, why the hell not just put something...right? :D

This is what's on tap for me right now:

Confessions of a Punk Rocker. This is Jack's POV story, beginning before and overlapping Living Dead Girl. It's part insane ghost story, part loss of friendship/realizing one's own mortality, and part boy meets girl...girl hates boy...boy wins girl's heart. Are you still with me? LOL. I struggled at times with this book because I didn't want it to simply be a rehash of Living Dead Girl from Jack's POV. So while there will be a handful of the same scenes that will be familiar to those who have read Living Dead Girl, there is a much broader story going on. You will see all the events that led up to Jack and Jen meeting, and to me it's the perfect example of how one chance meeting can change/impact a person's life as well as their path toward the future. In this story, that chance meeting comes much before Jack meets Jen and it's one continuous chain of events. But I'm rambling. So what can you expect (without me giving too much away)?

*Ethan and PJ will have key roles

*You'll see how Drew first connected with the band

*Unique insight into Jack's mind. This is another close POV novel (1st person)

This book has completed content edits and has been passed to copy edits. I will provide more details about release information, etc, so stay tuned.

Daughter of Fate and Misfortune: This is the actual book three in the series, as of yet un-contracted. I'm going to finish it before presenting to my publisher. I'm currently working on the first draft. As of now, this one will be only in Jen's POV. I haven't yet decided if there will be a portion from Jack's POV, like in Reaper Madness. But I will say this:

*The love triangle will grow deeper and more tangled.

*We will learn about Jen, Jack and Sam's origin (their original incarnations) and how all of this began.

*A couple more huge plot twists will be revealed. One involving their past, and one involving something that will happen in the future.

More information to come!!!


Love's Not Viral: The anthology this story was a part of, Love Least Expected, is now off sale. (We only offered for a limited 6 month window). Part of this is because many of the authors in the anthology have decided to expand their short stories into full length novels. Love's Not Viral is no exception. This is my first attempt at a non-paranormal/fantasy type romance. I'm over 40k words into the actual novel. I'd originally thought to begin my story after the short ended, when James and Aster reunite, but I've instead decided to make that a part of the story. Crazy actor brother will have a recurring role throughout the story after his initial involvement, and his presence will be a source of strain on their relationship. Aster and James will also be contending with how to cope with a whirlwind romance on the long term--that is, one that starts out passionate and moves quickly to something serious. Some big surprises in store for the two of them.

I'm not yet sure what I will do with this story. I have considered self-publishing as an option, but quite frankly, I'm not sure I'm ready for the enormous time and monetary commitment involved with putting that together. I may end up submitting to a publisher. At this point, it is up in the air, but I will keep everyone posted!

Thanks for checking in with me, and until next time, take care everyone!