There are many myths and misconceptions about self-publishing your book.
As you sit twiddling your thumbs, waiting months for that agent to get back to you—or perhaps papering your office walls with yet another rejection letter—you might start to seriously consider taking the self-publishing route. The idea of actually getting your book into the hands of readers is tempting, but you’re worried about what self-publishing might do to your reputation as a writer.
Nearly every writer I’ve worked with has asked about the “dangers of self-publishing”. I was more than happy to dispel the following lies we’ve been told about marketing and publishing our own work:
- Self-published writers are failed writers because they didn’t sell to a traditional publisher. NOPE!
- If you self-publish, you’ll never work with a traditional publisher again. WRONG!
- Indie-published books carry the stigma of being sub-standard in quality. *BUZZER SOUND*
- Self-publishing is only about e-books. INCORRECT!
- Self-published books don’t make money. TOTAL MYTH!
Savvy writers know these dusty misconceptions date back to the vanity publishing days, when authors would order hundreds of print copies and then hawk them out of their car trunks.
I’m happy to tell you the new millennium version of self-publishing is quite different.