And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically interviews with or articles written by self-publishing authors and experts!
Every now and again, an interview comes along which we just can’t ignore, and this July 9 article on Rolling Out by Yvette Caslin is one of those. Its opening tells you a lot of what the interview has in store:
“I love being able to call my own shots with my writing and publishing. The creative freedom is something you can only find when you are an entrepreneur,” offers Carlos Harleaux when asked why he wants to be an entrepreneur.
And a spirit of entrepreneurship, independence, and creative freedom is at the heart of what Harleaux is all about. His latest book, No Cream in the Middle, is a follow-up novel to the popular self-published book, Fortune Cookie. He answers questions about the more difficult aspects of publishing, about how he came to be an author, and how new authors can break into a packed market. You can find the full text of the interview at the link!
Author John Marrs pulls no punches in this piece for the UK’s Express. He was, like many authors who eventually pursue self-publication, under the impression that working with a traditional publishing house to find his book a home would be a relatively straightforward process. Says Marrs, “I assumed that with more than 20 years as a journalist behind me, writing for national magazines and newspapers, I might have had a slight advantage over other new writers on the hunt for an agent. How naive I was,” he concludes.
The path was not an easy one. He queried 80 publishing houses––and the results were less than enthusiastic. “The first few rejection letters trickled through the letterbox within seven days,” says Marrs. “More came within a fortnight and by the end of the month, my hope of becoming the next publishing success story deflated like the slow puncture of a tyre. Over the next four months, the rest of the rebuffs appeared in dribs and drabs.”
We’ve all been there. But what’s great about Marrs’ story is that he didn’t stay there. He found a different way forward. And he’s not alone: according to Marrs and a study put out by by Author Earnings, “42 per cent of all books now downloaded are by indie writers, many of whom, like me, have been rejected by agents.” Marrs has ideas on why this isn’t, in the end, such a bad thing––and much, much more to chew on. You can find the rest of his article here.
Can they? Can they really?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking there’s only one right way to do ‘publishing.’ After all, traditional publishing houses and the agents who work with them have a vested interest in perpetuating the myth of blockbuster success. And self-publishing companies, too––let’s be honest, here––drum up a little business by touting self-publishing as the one feasible, one easy alternative.
So who do we believe?
Here’s a thought: Let’s believe the authors. And authors like Savi Sharma have plenty of ideas about the future of publishing, and possible routes through the swamp of options. Sharma, whose breakout hit Everyone Has a Story debuted in 2015, may be young but she has, now, plenty of publishing experience. She says, “In the past years, people used to say self-publishing is a bad choice, as you can’t sell more books through it. But today, it’s a great opportunity. You can sell books if you know how to go through the entire process. But yes, you need to learn many things like how to connect with the audience, etc. If you do it effectively, you can be successful.” For the full interview, visit Financial Express online.
You can find all of these authors’ excellent books for sale online.
Self Publishing Advisor 