Eric Luper's Random Musings

Whether it's by email or at a regional SCBWI meeting or at a cocktail party, people often ask me whether I think it's a good idea if they self-publish. I'm not sure WHY they seem to think I'm a good person to ask about this since I've never ever never self-published anything in my life. Nevertheless, people ask me.

I must be a self-publishing question magnet.

Truth be told, I've blogged about this very issue in the past, but I am far too lazy to go searching through my archives. Plus, my use of keywords, well... let's just say it's inconsistent/nonexistent.

However, PimpMyNovel has blogged about it very nicely today so I thought I would offer you a link to his wisdom.

Enjoy.

Question: Should I self-publish my book?

Quick Answer: I have no idea.

Not So Quick Answer: There is no universally right answer to this question. Everyone needs to answer this one for him or herself. However, I'll do my best to help you navigate this tough (or not-so-tough) choice.

First of all, for the sake of this discussion let's lump print-on-demand, self-publishing, subsidized book publishing, vanity publishing and all those other permutations together. These companies are getting pretty savvy at convincing consumers that they are NOT self-publishers, but rest assured if you are expected to do the editing yourself, are not paid an advance and/or have to cover any out-of-pocket expenses, chances are you are involved with some type of self-publishing company.

Most people who write me a question of this sort start off by saying something like "I have been submitting m ywork for x years" or "My brilliant manuscript has been rejected y times." Then the letter goes on to ask my opinion of going with a self-publishing company. The argument usually includes something like "I've heard that most traditional publishers do little to promote a book anyway, especially for a first-time novelist" or "I've done the math and I'll only have to sell z books to make more than most first-time novelists!"

If this is your rationale, my suggestion is to keep revising and submitting. Keep honing your craft and keep plugging away. Stay the traditional route. Most successful novelists have a grueling story of perseverence before their first book sale. It takes a lot of reading, a lot of writing, and a ton of revising to get good at this. I'm still learning the craft myself, as I hope every other novelist out there is, and hopefully each book that I write will get a little better (you can be the judge of that one).

Even though most first-time novelists do not get full-page ads in Publisher's Weekly or get sent on book tours, publishing with a traditional house offers certain advantages:

1) being promoted at industry conferences, such as ALA, BEA, etc.
2) getting promoted in my publisher's catalog alongside all the noteworthies
3) getting reviewed by the journals, such as Kirkus, SLJ, Horn Book, etc.
4) a certain degree of base-level "props" for being with a recognized publisher
5) being on the actual shelves of bookstores and libraries (which is getting less and less common among traditionally published books too, but not going to happen at all if you self-publish no matter what your self-publishing company tells you).

Now that you think I hate all things self-publishing, I'll share the instances where I think self-publishing might be advantageous:

1) You have an industry-specific book that you plan on hand-selling at conferences. Let's say you are motivational speaker who goes from city to city and you want to sell your book at events or include it in the entrance fee. Let's say you cook chili and go to lots of chili cook-offs and want to sell your book at your chili booth. In cases such as this, there is a narrow market for your book and a very specific target market. You might consider self-publishing.

2) You have a terminal illness or are extremely old and want to see your book before you pass away. Don't laugh. I know people in this position. Sure writing is a business and sure writers want to make a living doing what they love. However, some people don't have the time to wait. The lead time from book acceptance to book release is around 2 years (sometimes longer). If you absolutely cannot wait that long, consider self-publishing.

3) You know Oprah personally and she has sworn in blood that she will feature your book. If you self-publish, expect to hand-sell every single copy. You will be going to craft fairs, health fairs, Renaissance fairs and any other fair that will have you to deplete the stockpile of books in your garage. There are few exceptions and let's get this out of the way: Eragon was an anomaly. So, if you have a VERY good "industry in" you might consider self-publishing.

Before I start sounding like Jeff Foxworthy, I'll shut up. From my experience, most people who consider self-publishing are simply tired of being rejected. Hone your craft. Target your editors better. But even if you've done those things, before you pull that self-publishing ripcord consider writing something new. Start fresh. Take what you've learned from what most authors call their "practice novel" and work on a new book. For me, it was the toughest thing to do but I found it liberating once I started my second and third and subsequent pieces. Each time, I improved a little and it eventually led to a contract with Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Have any other questions? Feel free to email me via my website!