I read another great post on Jane Friedman's blog,
There Are No Rules. The tile of the post is "
My Big Rant on Self-Publishing."
Self-published books have always gotten a bad rap because they don't have the stamp of approval of being published by a traditional publisher. If a literary agent did not represent the book or a mainstream publisher passed on it, people tend to think that it wasn't any good. However, the nature of today's publishing industry as well as experience have shown that this is definitely not always the case. Jane addresses some of the myths and highlights some of the realities of the business. The publishing landscape is changing whether the gatekeepers, agents, usual players (bookstores, booksellers, publicists, reps, printers), authors, etc., like it or not. As a writer, you have to be open to different scenarios if you want to get your work out there.
The most important questions for a self-published author are the following for me:
Do you think your work deserves print publication?
If so, did you thoroughly do your homework about the different possibilities and platforms available to get your work directly into readers' hands?
Now that you have educated yourself and chosen the best route for you, did you take all the necessary steps to ensure that you are bringing the best possible product to market? (How many drafts have you written of your work? Has it been critiqued and edited by a professional? Is the cover design polished and fitting, able to enhance your book and draw readers to it?)
Once all of this has been done, are you ready to get down in the trenches and promote the hell out of your book? Are you ready to think out of the box and do the necessary legwork to create visibility and generate a large enough readership your book deserves?
Like the name of Jane's blog, there are no rules. Lack of agent representation or acquisition by a mainstream publisher should not prevent any writer from writing much less publishing his/her work. Just do it with knowledge, with a great product, and with drive. At the end of the day, whether you are traditionally published or self-published, the product will speak for itself if people are reading it, buying it, and recommending it to others!
