It’s never been easier to self-publish – according to Hugh Howey.
Writing on his website, Howey, a self-publishing success, discredits the publishing meme which claims that publishing under your own steam is much harder now than it was six years ago when his first book came out.
Whether your book sells in vast quantities or not, Howey reckons, is little to do with the publishing route you choose. Self-publishing, he says, is incredibly simple now. As an aspiring author in 2009, he received plenty of advice – most of which was “dead wrong and overly confident”. He was told that the best way to get his book in front of readers was through querying and traditional publishing – a route that he had questioned at the time. His doubts were shouted down and he was told that self-publishing would destroy his career and that readers would never give him a chance.
Those telling him not to self-publish often pointed to the publishing successes of the likes of JK Rowling. They weren't talking about the piles of rejected manuscripts or the “vast delays of getting the work to the market”, Howey writes.
Through his work in a book store, Howey says, he met plenty of New York Times best-selling writers who were writing as a hobby or as a second job, Writing wasn't earning them a living. He himself had never wanted to be a Rowling – he just wanted to make enough money to pay the rent or even the power bill. Self-publishing seemed like the best way to do this.
Howey had got a contract and a contract for this second novel. He decided against this route, putting the second contract back in the drawer, buying back the rights for his first novel and then doing something all the experts had told him not to do.
“Back in 2009, we were told our books would be horribly edited, rather than sharing among us the names of our favorite [sic] freelance editors. We were told the cover art would suck… And we were told success along this route only happened once in a lifetime.”
What he’d had, Howey write, was forums full of outdated advice and bullies shouting down anyone who disagreed with their advice. Competition was less in those days, Howey concedes, but by 2016 self-publishing is often the “first and most preferred route” and there are plenty of forums, companies, blogs, resources and more that make the self-publishing route easier than ever.
Read the full article here.
Writing on his website, Howey, a self-publishing success, discredits the publishing meme which claims that publishing under your own steam is much harder now than it was six years ago when his first book came out.
Whether your book sells in vast quantities or not, Howey reckons, is little to do with the publishing route you choose. Self-publishing, he says, is incredibly simple now. As an aspiring author in 2009, he received plenty of advice – most of which was “dead wrong and overly confident”. He was told that the best way to get his book in front of readers was through querying and traditional publishing – a route that he had questioned at the time. His doubts were shouted down and he was told that self-publishing would destroy his career and that readers would never give him a chance.
Those telling him not to self-publish often pointed to the publishing successes of the likes of JK Rowling. They weren't talking about the piles of rejected manuscripts or the “vast delays of getting the work to the market”, Howey writes.
Through his work in a book store, Howey says, he met plenty of New York Times best-selling writers who were writing as a hobby or as a second job, Writing wasn't earning them a living. He himself had never wanted to be a Rowling – he just wanted to make enough money to pay the rent or even the power bill. Self-publishing seemed like the best way to do this.
Howey had got a contract and a contract for this second novel. He decided against this route, putting the second contract back in the drawer, buying back the rights for his first novel and then doing something all the experts had told him not to do.
“Back in 2009, we were told our books would be horribly edited, rather than sharing among us the names of our favorite [sic] freelance editors. We were told the cover art would suck… And we were told success along this route only happened once in a lifetime.”
What he’d had, Howey write, was forums full of outdated advice and bullies shouting down anyone who disagreed with their advice. Competition was less in those days, Howey concedes, but by 2016 self-publishing is often the “first and most preferred route” and there are plenty of forums, companies, blogs, resources and more that make the self-publishing route easier than ever.
Read the full article here.
