My Top Reasons for Choosing Indie Publishing
“But…why?” is what I’m often asked when sharing my plans to pursue independent publishing. The question is usually dressed with a furrowed brow or a confused expression.
In the eyes of many, self-publishing lacks the prestige that comes with being signed by one of the Big Five publishing houses. There are no gatekeepers in the independent world to determine what is worthy of being considered “sellable art”. Until recently, I held many common assumptions associated with self-publishing: self-published authors are less talented than traditionally published authors; they don’t make money; without the support of a major publishing house their books never find an audience. None of this is true.
When I first let myself dream of being an author, I thought I understood traditional publishing and assumed it to be the only legitimate route: I write the book, I find an agent. Query, query, QUERY, query, “query”, oh, and query! Face rejection after rejection after rejection after rejection, until someone finally decides to take a chance on my book. Then, poof! I’m JK Rowling (but not as problematic, of course).
This past Spring, after listening to a podcast interview with Theodora Taylor, an independently published, seven-figure earning author who outlined the reasons she dropped her traditional book deal contract to pursue independent publishing, I began doing my own research on the topic. I was blown away by the tools, resources, and community I discovered. I listened to podcasts on self-publishing any time I was in the car, and I quickly unraveled many of the assumptions I held about the independent track to publication.
Though there are many reasons I’ve decided to be an indie writer, I thought I’d outline my top three, to begin answering the question of “But…why?”
That “query, query, query; rejection, rejection, rejection” process? Yeah, I’m not up for that. When I thought the traditional route was the way I needed to go, I was less creative with my work. My writing continually stalled because I was trying to write the book I thought would sell, rather than the actual story I wanted to tell. When I opened my mind to the possibility of independent publishing, stopped writing for an arbitrary gatekeeper, and began trusting my intuition, I found my voice. Though I know I’m strong enough to handle the rejection that comes with the querying process, I really don’t want to put my artist self through the experience. She’s just building her confidence. My ultimate goal is to get my books into the hands of as many children and adults as possible, so if there’s a path to make that happen that doesn’t involve doors slammed in my face, I’m in!
I want to maintain rights and control over my work. One thing I’ve come to see about myself over the past year is that when it comes to the projects I take on, I’m a bit of a control freak. I want things done my way, and though I actively seek the input, wisdom, and guidance of those who have more experience, I want the final say in my finished product. The thought of handing my work over to an editor who could potentially change the soul of my story (or even the carefully thought-through details of my characters who became my buddies as I wrote them into existence) makes my insides turn. I want to work with an editor who will have agency, but ultimately, I want creative control. And, if I learned anything this summer from Kate Bush and the massive success of a song she wrote over three decades ago (you know the one… about the hill, and running up it, in that TV show about teenagers dealing with strange things), it’s maintain the rights to your work!
I am fully capable of doing it on my own. I spent many years unable to see how the skills I developed in my Kindergarten classroom could transfer to a different field. I laugh at my former self now for being so short-sighted. The years I spent managing classes of 25+ five-year-olds instilled in me the ability to hustle and multitask like a beast. My mind struggles with stillness, and I’m happiest when I’m learning and creating. So the idea of building a business, promoting myself, engaging on social media, learning analytics, and thinking about how to make myself a success, is invigorating and rewarding. I previously assumed that when an author signs with a publishing house, they are also assigned a publicist whose sole purpose is to ensure the book gets into the hands of the masses. Though this is somewhat true, the average length of time a publicist works on the promotion of a book is only about a month before they move on to the next new project. Much of a book’s success still depends on the author’s willingness to publicize themselves, work social media, and hustle. I dream of the day when I can build a team to support the business I’ve grown, but for now, I feel excited and ready for the grind.
It’s taken me a long time to reach a place where I can confidently share that I want to self-publish, which, upon reflection, is so silly. I want to be taken seriously as a writer, but I’ve come to see that success doesn’t have to mean gaining the approval of corporate publishers who deem my work worthy of an audience. I believe in my work, so I’m going to continue forging my own path. And even if that path isn’t, Poof! I’m JK Rowling, because it never is (and Bleh! Why would I want to be!), if I can get my books into some hands, and my stories burrow deep into a few magical hearts, I will be proud of the accomplishment.