Your Own
How is publishing your own work relevant in today's society?
This is for a writing class that my friend needs help in-- lol not lying.
There's a question in there about publishing your own books or going to agencies.
So how is publishing your own work relevant today?
Self-published writers rarely sell more than 5-10 copies of their books, meaning they won't make back the cost of getting them printed.
A "bestseller" in the self pub world is a title that sells about 100 copies.
A bestseller in the world of commercial publishing sells thousands, and goes to a second and even third printing.
Slef-pub books are rarely, if ever, reviewed in the trade magazines like Publisher's Weekly or Mid-West Book Review or the New York Times.
Self-pubbed books are not available in bookstores.
Most libraries refuse to shelve self-pubs. They just don't have the space to a devote to books that may never have seen a professional editor.
Self-published writers cannot join professional writers organizations like the Mystery Writers of America, the Authors Guild, the Romance Writers of America, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, etc. etc. A self-pub title is not a pro sale!
Self-published writers do not get the same respect as the writer of a commercially published book. The thought is: "If your book is so good, why couldn't you sell it? It must not be good, then."
Self-pub writers, to make sales, have to heavily market their books, which costs them writing time (no new books) and money, which may never be recovered by sales.
So for me--I am a professional writer--self-publishing is only for the impatient, the uninformed, or for a writer with a specific niche market for her works. (Such as a geneologist writing a family history.)
I obey Yog's Law: Money flows to the writer.
Meaning you never pay to get published, pay a fee-charging agent, or pay to enter a writing contest.
There's also the danger of being victimized by scammers.
I will always recommend that new writers hone their craft to the best of their ability and try to get an agent or submit their works to publishers. Just because one has written a book doesn't mean it's commercially viable. You have to keep at it.
So publishing ones own work--especially if you are an unknown--is usually an exercise in futility and a fast way to go broke.
Now--as it happens I self-pubbed a book earlier this year. However, I have sold 23 novels and have a sizable readership. I am relying on them to want to buy a signed, limited edition book based on my best selling series.
That said, in four months I've sold about 300 copies. For a self-pub it's a blockbuster. At least I made back my printing costs!
But my last commercially released novel with St. Martin's Press (a major publishing house) sold 5000 copies in its first month of release.
It is in bookstores, it has been reviewed by the trade magazines and on various websites, it's for sale on Amazon and it IS being bought by libraries, making it considerably more successful!
If one *wants* to be totally irrelevant, then yes, self-publish!
;>)
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