Why I chose to self-publish
A year or so ago, I decided to self-publish. I had been sending out manuscripts for many years without success and, frustrated, I was ready to give up. I embarked on a self-reflection about WHY I wanted to publish my work. What I discovered in my deep reflection was that I want to create beautiful books, and more importantly, finish them; to have an artefact I am proud of and will be a part of my life’s legacy. I can’t NOT write, stories fill up my life, but I don’t have to follow the traditional publishing dream to do so.
I noticed many successful children’s authors had multiple copies of their work on secondhand and library withdrawal piles and I don’t want that. I want to create books that will be treasured by the reader. I want to create books that won’t be thrown out or rehomed but will become a part of someone’s personal library. And in self-publishing on-demand, I can do that. I don’t need to order a garage full of books to store, I just order what I need, when I need it. I don’t need to be the next J.K. Rowling to feel success as an author, and neither do I need a publishing contract.
“I want to create beautiful books, and more importantly, finish them; to have an artefact I am proud of and will be a part of my life’s legacy.”
My first book was Vanity Published in 2009, long before I knew what I was doing. I ordered 100 copies and gave away most to friends. I have a couple of copies left. At the time, the illustrations didn’t match my expectations and I didn’t express so during the process. For traditional publishers, I also don’t fit neatly into a marketing niche - I love writing many genres, styles, for different age groups, I am fiercely independent and I work well in small teams, but as I am an introvert, working in large teams I find anxiety-inducing. I watch many of my peers in high-energy school visits and know that while I am a competent presenter and storyteller, I’m not that.
Publishing houses require contracts, make an investment in both the author and the title, and some are expected to pump out a book (or two) a year in the same style. And that’s awesome if you are a writer with a niche, and are happy to work in that environment. But it’s not me. I have far too many ideas and projects to focus on one (however fairy tale research is at the top). Having a niche is a marketing strategy, it makes it easy to categorise us - that’s how human brains work. I understand the theory of marketing. I spent years beating myself up for thinking my writing was not good enough, but now I think my writing is not MARKETABLE enough.
Publishers are a business, they exist to create money. They also create beautiful books - this is not a publisher-bashing exercise! But if I’ve taken a story, washed it multiple times through my critique groups with positive feedback, hired a professional editor (or two) and it’s still not good enough for a publisher, that’s not a reflection of my manuscript. The manuscript is still of value and even if it’s only 100 readers that gain value from it, then that’s my intention. My intention is high-value customers rather than high-volume sales (obviously if I could have high value, high sales, then terrific, but I am conscious of the environmental impacts of book printing!).
Since being confident in my WHY and my intentions I’ve been studying, researching, and trialling what works for me. Self-publishing is the best choice for many reasons:
Autonomy - I get to choose which projects I can work on, the professionals I work with (illustrators, editors), the timing of the book release, and marketing. I make all the decisions about the book and being a variety-driven person, this is ideal for me.
Creativity - I’m not bound by a contract or expectations placed on me by other people. A creative project is a reflection of me and my values and I particularly love working with the illustrators in bringing my projects to life. Then the project becomes a creative collaboration - again, small teams!
Education - I can learn so much about the whole process, from layout, ISBNs, editing, finances, formatting, and marketing, to making book trailers and product photography. I enjoy learning. It’s one of my highest values.
Working from home/working from anywhere - I can pick up my notebook and laptop and work from anywhere. There are many steps in the self-publishing process (I’ll do that in another blog) and lots of fiddly bits that often take up my mornings.
The finished product is, and remains, my responsibility. If I make errors or fail in any way, the responsibility lies with me. Unlike my first book where I have many regrets, I get to decide what I regret, or not. (If you do happen to see any errors, please send me an email to let me know - trolling is not nice)
My personality and values suit being a self-publisher. I thoroughly enjoy the whole process from idea to publication and marketing. If you would like to see any of my products you can find them on Amazon or at my website.
