I’ve been reading the third edition of David Gaughran’s excellent “Let’s Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should” (Kindle version available HERE). It’s packed with lots of essential information (some of it standard information for anyone in the game, and lots of it comprising little gems of new information). But a particularly enticing section is the range of testimonials from self-published authors (many of them also “traditionally” published) who have been there and done it themselves. These authors comprise not only the high-flyers selling thousands of books a week but also those, like me, who have derived immense satisfaction from far more modest achievements and experiences.
What is particularly impressive – as a theme underlying most of the testimonials – is the mutual support and encouragement of the self-publishing community. If there is some jealousy and rivalry and envy out there in the world of publishing, giving rise to anonymous trolls on social media, it is not apparent among the critical responses thus far to Gaughran’s book and to these author testimonials. On the contrary, the common refrain reflects a refreshing level of support and affirmation. For these authors and their readers, writing is the thing, and there is a lot of support and encouragement to help more writers get their stories out to more readers.
The testimonials are honest and heartfelt, as the authors talk about their experiences, their frustrations, and their tenacity as they have experimented, created, and explored new approaches to their craft, and struggled to find an audience. Their trials and errors, their frustrations and eventual successes, are in many cases inspirational. Above all, their stories are of crucial importance in understanding the rapidly-changing world of self-publishing.
I’ve been impressed by the willingness of those authors to describe their own journeys, so in that spirit I will share here on this site a few of my own experiences, in the hope that this might prove to be helpful to anyone starting out in the world of self-publishing.
Thanks, both. I would never break a lance for self-publishing being “better” than traditional publishing, or vice versa: they are merely different ways of getting stories to readers, and authors have many different reasons for going the self-publishing route, as Gaughran’s book demonstrates. In my own case I was thrilled when a prominent “traditional” publisher gave me an extraordinarily effusive and warm reaction to the manuscript of my first book, and took it on board. Then followed a year of waiting, discussions with a possible partner-publisher (“to help with international market-place costs”) etc. I eventually decided to upload the same manuscript to Amazon. I was amazed at the results and never looked back.
I agree with Bruce entirely. I’m reading good quality self-published stuff after a number of really bad “traditionally” published books. I loved your “Plain Dealing” by the way.
Thank you for this. Gaughran’s book is excellent, and I agree with what you say. The number of rubbish texts I read from traditional publishers is sometimes breath-taking – with typos and spelling and grammar problems. I find self-published authors are more careful because they take personal responsibility. There are always exceptions, of course. I’ve just bought your quartet and look forward to getting into it.