Okay.
I finally made up my mind.
I'm going to self publish.
Now, I don't want to go into that whole indie/traditional debate. There are upsides and downsides to both. But the main reason I decided to go indie is because of time.
I'm only going to be fifteen for a few more months, and I'm sure my 16th year will fly by just as fast. I want to be a young, published author. And the younger the better.
But I'm afraid if I spend my time trying to find a company that wants what I write, then (if they actually decide to accept me) make changes their editor wants, then wait who knows how long for it to be released...
Well, let me just say I'm very impatient.
I've been working on From the Ashes for two years now. I'm done waiting!
And that, my friends, is why I'm going indie.
The decision was very hard to make, I can assure you. For a long time, I wanted to self pub and then I wanted to go traditional! My choice has really been back and forth for quite a while, but it's about time I decide.
So, what do you guys think about indie publishing? Would you rather go traditional? Tell me your thoughts!
--Jess
I finally made up my mind.
I'm going to self publish.
Now, I don't want to go into that whole indie/traditional debate. There are upsides and downsides to both. But the main reason I decided to go indie is because of time.
I'm only going to be fifteen for a few more months, and I'm sure my 16th year will fly by just as fast. I want to be a young, published author. And the younger the better.
But I'm afraid if I spend my time trying to find a company that wants what I write, then (if they actually decide to accept me) make changes their editor wants, then wait who knows how long for it to be released...
Well, let me just say I'm very impatient.
I've been working on From the Ashes for two years now. I'm done waiting!
And that, my friends, is why I'm going indie.
The decision was very hard to make, I can assure you. For a long time, I wanted to self pub and then I wanted to go traditional! My choice has really been back and forth for quite a while, but it's about time I decide.
So, what do you guys think about indie publishing? Would you rather go traditional? Tell me your thoughts!
--Jess
14 comments:
It's a very tough decision to make, but it sounds like you are on the right path. I've always been an advocate for self publishing.
I can't wait to read your novel. I'll have to get a copy signed to my son, too.
I'm going to self-publish too. For me, it's because I want to retain control of my own work. I want to have final say on the title, the cover art, and the release date. I also want to own all the rights to future works, or even *gasp* movies! lol ;)
I've been wondering about how to go about getting published for a while. On the one hand, I imagine a traditional publishing house would add a sense of legitimacy, as well as take care of some of the other particulars (marketing and such). On the other hand, the full creative control and/or profit offered by other venues is pretty tantalizing...
I suppose I could go either way, so long as I get something out there. But my thoughts aside, it's nice to see that you've decided. Go all out -- I'll be rooting for you.
Coolo!! Go get um!!
I've really enjoyed self-publishing some of my shorter works. I have greater creative control over them and can produce them at my pace over a publisher's.
So best wishes with your novel!
Good luck. I am also self-publishing :)
I've bounced between considering self-publishing and not (I mean, I've had one novel sitting here for fifteen years just waiting to be published.) Maybe I'm too patient.
But I'm not certain if I want to go that route just yet. For me, for that one story, it would seem like the last ditch effort. That no one in the 'biz' had any faith in it (despite the good things I hear from those who've read it).
As long as you know for certain that that's what you want to do and how you want to do it, then go for it!
I'm very proud of you for making a decision, Jessica! You already know the thought process I went through regarding traditional vs. self-publishing. The key, for me, was that if you sell more than 5,000 copies as a self-publisher, editors and agents come to you – like bears to a honeycomb. No time wasted trying to convince someone else to believe in your work. You already KNOW it's a good book. So, go for it, young Jedi. May the force be with you! Love, Grandma
I'm a huge advocate of doing this yourself, as long as you do it properly. Get the ms critiqued to death; then get it edited; then employ a cover designer and triple check your formatting.
I published in May and haven't looked back. Taking ownership is awesome!
All I can say is do it! I always wanted to be a young author, but but my other path took over and it took me a while to start writing again :)
The main thing is that either way your ready to publish, get excited!
Cool! Tell us when it's coming out. I'll definitely buy a copy.
-Matt
I don't see anything wrong with indie/self publishing, though I'm aiming to go traditional, or at least try. I've been working on my manuscript for 3 years now, but I'm able to see that it isn't up to scratch for publishing, since those three years have improved my story-telling skills. If you think you are done with writing for yourself, might you consider getting a professional editor to look at it, or even just a proofreader? This way it can be up to the best standard it can be before you self-pub. But whatever you decide, the best of luck to you :)
Congratulations on making the decision to go indie! I'm at the point where I feel I'm very close to making that decision for myself. I put my dream of becoming a published writer on the back burner for an obscene amount of years, and since I began querying again last spring, I realized a lot of things in the industry had changed since I was younger, things I don't necessarily agree with, like extreme reluctance by most agents to take on books over a certain length, and less YA that's quieter and more character-driven. I also love being able to have complete creative control instead of being pressured to rewrite a book in a way that's not true to my vision. I love editing, rewriting, and polishing my books, but I could never get behind taking out important characters or subplots, or significantly rewriting the entire story arc, if that weren't something I felt were right.
Hi Jess,
Congratulations on your decision to self-publish! YAY! That is very exciting.
I am emailing about this because I also self-published last year and I am soooooooo glad I did. My friend interviewed me for Chicago Parent Magazine online about my self-publishing experience, so I am putting the link here so you can read more info on it if you like. My main recommendation is to use "Create Space" (they are the publisher owned by Amazon, which means you get to sell your book on Amazon). Here, read about my decision, I hope this helps you:
http://www.chicagoparent.com/community/failing-with-gusto/2012/february/book-author
Good luck!!!
best,
MOV
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