There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reasons to go the self-publishing route. Maybe you have a great idea that is tied into a specific time/place/event and you want to get it out into the world IMMEDIATELY. You are head-over-heels in love with your novel but the agents (or publishers) just aren’t biting. You want to retain all artistic and editorial control. You don’t like the financial offer that is being made by a publishing house. The list goes on and on.
In today’s publishing climate, self-publishing no longer has the stigma it once did. In fact, big names are jumping ship from traditional publishers and doing a lot of the work on their own (just ask Jackie Collins). It’s also becoming easier to gain attention for your self-published work thanks to social networking, the internet, the tremendous growth of e-books and even support from brick and mortar stores who are becoming much more receptive to carrying self-published titles.
Self-publishing still has its downfalls. The rush to put out a book before proper editing, strong cover design and an overall weak story remains evident in a number of titles. But a strong point made in a recent IndieReader piece by Terry Giuliano illustrates that “The difference is, when a traditional title garners negative reviews, only that book gets panned. No one cites examples of poorly written traditionally published books to support any conclusion about all traditional titles.” Why are all self-published titles forever linked? Why does one bad egg ruin the bunch?
The self-publishing market is growing and gaining strength. If you can put the proper resources behind your self-published book (including editing, cover design, a strong and relevant publicity campaign) and it is work that you are proud and excited to share with the reading public, then by all means, take that giant leap forward. Do it for your SELF! Keep in mind that you can’t avoid criticism. You can’t force people to read (or like) your book. You will be overlooked at times just because you are “self-published,” but if your writing is strong, if your story is engaging and if you remain optimistic, you will succeed. And in the meantime, keep writing!