The writing industry is changing. In the past self publishing was viewed as the reserve plan for authors that had been rejected by traditional publishers but nowadays more and more authors are choosing to self publish their own books.
Major authors are ditching their publishers in favor of self publishing their own e-books. With big name authors like Stephen King, J.K. Rowling and Jackie Collins going the D.I.Y. route is it just a matter of time before Publishers are cut out of the process?
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| Jackie Collins |
In a recent interview Jackie Collins had this to say about her decision to self publish her latest e-book “just to be innovative and as a gift for my fans. It’s a total experiment. It might sell two copies or it might sell 200,000. Who knows?” The mega best-selling author doesn't seem to be viewing it as a one off experience though “If it does well, I probably will continue to e-publish, because I have a book of short stories and my publisher says short stories don’t sell.”
I personally choose to self publish because I wanted full control over all aspects of my book. I also wanted to learn as much about the publishing industry as possible and the technical aspects of publishing a book. By self publishing I got hands on experience in all stages of the publishing process and acquired new skills. I didn't even consider looking for a Publisher. From the moment I had the idea for the book I knew I wanted to self publish. Having successfully self published a book, although I'm curious to explore traditional publishing routes (to compare the results), I'm now undecided about whether to or not.
What are your thoughts on self publishing? In the future will more and more authors cut Publishers out and D.I.Y.? What effects do you think this will have on the industry?
Image via Zimbio.com
Jackie Collins
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1 Comments
The one thing that publishers can offer a new writer that self-publishing cannot, is promotion. Marketing and getting the authors name out there is both expensive and time consuming. Something that a struggling author can't afford to do. If you have managed to build a fanbase with a few published novels then sure, self publishing and e-book is not a bad idea. You have full control over price, editing and royalties.
ReplyDeleteHowever, for me, as an author at the beginning of his career, there is still something appealing and enchanting about seeing your book on a shelf in a bookshop, or holding it in your hands and smelling its new, freshly printed pages.
Yes, e-books and self publishing are the wave of the future and rightly so, but I still want a publisher and will go down that route first when my novel is finished.
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