There are just a lot of creative choices that I refuse to hand over, and I also, like you, did not want to have to query an endless amount of agents, publishers, and such.
I am also weary of handing over publishing rights to corporations and companies...
And the kicker that REALLY cemented it for me was when I found out that they take a GIANT cut while I would still have to be the one to do most of the marketing...
And at that point, I just felt like I'd rather give it a go myself... 😅
Me too! I’m way too picky to hand over a lot of creative choices too and the querying process is just way too time-consuming. And yeah I really hate that they take so much of a cut and yet you still have to do a majority of the marketing and promotional work. One of my friends’ cousins has been querying since 2015/2016 and managed to get a literary agent in 2018 but he’s been on submission since then and still hasn’t secured a book deal yet. He’s even had to shelve a lot of his books, even books he really wanted to publish, because his agent struggled to sell them to publishers. I find that so sad because he could’ve self-published those books during that time instead of waiting around to get picked by these publishers, only to get rejected over and over again. So yeah for me, there are just way more pros than cons when it comes to self-publishing.
Join us on the fun side of self publishing! We have snacks!
I'm also a "write whatever the hell I want" kind of author, and there is something really freeing in just making a thing, throwing it on kickstarter, and seeing who responds. It's helped me to be more in control of my audience by giving things directly to them and getting feedback right away.
I love that so much. I love how freeing indie publishing can be for writers and artists, and yeah Kickstarter has helped so many people get their work out there without the constraints and gatekeeping of traditional publishing. Thank you so much for reading, Melissa! I always appreciate it!
The feeling of waiting to be chosen and asking permission is a big thing for me. Kevin Smith, a person I really admire, once said 'don't wait to be chosen, nobody is going to save you, save yourself.' And that really stuck with me.
Oh I love that quote! Yeah I feel the exact same way. The one thing that has always bothered me about traditional publishing is having to wait around for permission from gatekeepers. The magic of indie publishing is that you have full creative freedom and control over your work and you can choose what to do with it. Plus I’m super picky when it comes to design and stuff like that. Thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment!
I can't believe I found you this morning. My jaw dropped when I saw both the title of this article, and your publication (because I, too, am a redhead JUST NOW embarking on the journey of self-publishing my GRAPHIC NOVEL!). Honored to be on this journey with you from across the pond, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your wisdom as you go. 💌
I share your ideas on why to choose self-publishing. They are very similar to why I did for my debut novel! Great read, especially because you added in information about book design and marketing. Awesome stuff
Yeah after spending so many years in the querying trenches, I realized that indie publishing was the right path for me. I wished I had figured this out sooner but whatever. Plus I’m way too impatient and picky for traditional publishing haha. Thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment!
Hey Laura-Louise! I really admire your stance about not bending to publishers and whatever's trendy.
I'm very much of the opinion - write what makes you happy and then say what are the odds you're the only person in the world who would like this as much as you?
The hard part is getting out there and finding them! But that feels like the right way round to do this.
Or else you risk selling your soul for something you don't believe in and still not finding the right people to read it..... Best of luck with everything ☺️
Hi Johnson! Thank you so much for reading. Yeah after years of querying, I’ve decided that traditional publishing just isn’t for me and the type of stories I want to write. Yes! Write what makes you happy! That’s so much more important I think than securing a book deal with a big publisher who doesn’t have the same vision for my work as I do. Yeah I totally agree! I’ve always hated the idea of having to ask permission to get my work published and I’m just so sick of the gatekeeping in traditional publishing too not to mention the whole ‘bending the knee to publishers’ thing too. I feel traditional publishing nowadays is all about chasing trends. The big publishers are more interested in selling books because of trends instead of good storytelling/writing. Thank you so much for the comment!
I chose self-publishing for similar reason!
There are just a lot of creative choices that I refuse to hand over, and I also, like you, did not want to have to query an endless amount of agents, publishers, and such.
I am also weary of handing over publishing rights to corporations and companies...
And the kicker that REALLY cemented it for me was when I found out that they take a GIANT cut while I would still have to be the one to do most of the marketing...
And at that point, I just felt like I'd rather give it a go myself... 😅
Me too! I’m way too picky to hand over a lot of creative choices too and the querying process is just way too time-consuming. And yeah I really hate that they take so much of a cut and yet you still have to do a majority of the marketing and promotional work. One of my friends’ cousins has been querying since 2015/2016 and managed to get a literary agent in 2018 but he’s been on submission since then and still hasn’t secured a book deal yet. He’s even had to shelve a lot of his books, even books he really wanted to publish, because his agent struggled to sell them to publishers. I find that so sad because he could’ve self-published those books during that time instead of waiting around to get picked by these publishers, only to get rejected over and over again. So yeah for me, there are just way more pros than cons when it comes to self-publishing.
Oh, wow - sorry to hear about your friend's cousin!
Maybe you can convince him to go into self-publishing too! 😉
Join us on the fun side of self publishing! We have snacks!
I'm also a "write whatever the hell I want" kind of author, and there is something really freeing in just making a thing, throwing it on kickstarter, and seeing who responds. It's helped me to be more in control of my audience by giving things directly to them and getting feedback right away.
I love that so much. I love how freeing indie publishing can be for writers and artists, and yeah Kickstarter has helped so many people get their work out there without the constraints and gatekeeping of traditional publishing. Thank you so much for reading, Melissa! I always appreciate it!
The feeling of waiting to be chosen and asking permission is a big thing for me. Kevin Smith, a person I really admire, once said 'don't wait to be chosen, nobody is going to save you, save yourself.' And that really stuck with me.
Oh I love that quote! Yeah I feel the exact same way. The one thing that has always bothered me about traditional publishing is having to wait around for permission from gatekeepers. The magic of indie publishing is that you have full creative freedom and control over your work and you can choose what to do with it. Plus I’m super picky when it comes to design and stuff like that. Thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment!
I can't believe I found you this morning. My jaw dropped when I saw both the title of this article, and your publication (because I, too, am a redhead JUST NOW embarking on the journey of self-publishing my GRAPHIC NOVEL!). Honored to be on this journey with you from across the pond, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your wisdom as you go. 💌
Hi Sam! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and for subscribing! Yessssss! Redhead artists unite!
Happy to support an Irish author! ☘️🇮🇪
Let's gooo
Hi André! Thank you so much for your support!
I share your ideas on why to choose self-publishing. They are very similar to why I did for my debut novel! Great read, especially because you added in information about book design and marketing. Awesome stuff
Yeah after spending so many years in the querying trenches, I realized that indie publishing was the right path for me. I wished I had figured this out sooner but whatever. Plus I’m way too impatient and picky for traditional publishing haha. Thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment!
Excellent!
Hey Laura-Louise! I really admire your stance about not bending to publishers and whatever's trendy.
I'm very much of the opinion - write what makes you happy and then say what are the odds you're the only person in the world who would like this as much as you?
The hard part is getting out there and finding them! But that feels like the right way round to do this.
Or else you risk selling your soul for something you don't believe in and still not finding the right people to read it..... Best of luck with everything ☺️
Hi Johnson! Thank you so much for reading. Yeah after years of querying, I’ve decided that traditional publishing just isn’t for me and the type of stories I want to write. Yes! Write what makes you happy! That’s so much more important I think than securing a book deal with a big publisher who doesn’t have the same vision for my work as I do. Yeah I totally agree! I’ve always hated the idea of having to ask permission to get my work published and I’m just so sick of the gatekeeping in traditional publishing too not to mention the whole ‘bending the knee to publishers’ thing too. I feel traditional publishing nowadays is all about chasing trends. The big publishers are more interested in selling books because of trends instead of good storytelling/writing. Thank you so much for the comment!