Because that's what one very well known, traditionally published author hinted at in a recent post on TikTok. And I'll admit, I didn't see the actual post because I don't do TikTok, I just saw all the subsequent posts on X talking about what had been said. But, from what I can gather, she was telling authors not to self-publish because traditional publishing rewards those who don't choose "the easy way out."
OK. So, let's talk about this. And, firstly, can I just say that, as someone who started out self-publishing, then had a couple of years with a traditonal publisher, and am now back self-publishing, that trad publishing absolutely does not reward authors like me in any way. If anything, I found the pressure rose after I was signed. Pressure to market, pressure to garner reviews, pressure to organise my own interviews and blog tours because, believe me, unless you are a mega-selling author with that publishing house then you are still very much out on your own as far as marketing is concerned. The rewards were few and far between. It didn't catapult me into the realms of success, not even close, because you still have to put the work in. The same work I was doing as a self-published author, but with less control. There's even a part of me that regrets signing with a trad publisher, because I've lost control of books that I love. One in particular, a previously self-pubbed book, that I absolutely adore. They took it, changed the cover to something I grew to hate, and even changed the story, making certain parts of it something that actually became a problem for some readers, but I couldn't do anything about that. It was a book that was actually doing pretty well as a self-pubbed book but I had a dream about signing a contract with a traditional publisher and at the time I would've done anything to realise that dream. Would love to have that book back under my control, though. It really is a huge regret of mine.
Anyway, back to the question. Are self-published authors really taking the easy way out? Well, once I'd stopped laughing at the sheer absurdity of that statement, I got angry. No. Self-published authors are NOT taking the easy way out, far from it! Firstly, all I ever wanted was for my stories to be read, and I know that, for a lot of other authors, that's also the case. Waiting for a trad publisher to sit up and take notice of your work, well, that could take forever. It can also be soul destroying, knock your confidence, and make you want to give up, because your stories just aren't good enough. Right? Wrong! there are some incredible books out there by indie authors, people who are writing different, interesting stories that no agent or trad publisher would look twice at, because they aren't commercial enough. Aren't what they think readers want.
Self-publishing is the hardest, bravest thing an author can do. Doing everything yourself, or finding someone out there to help you achieve your end game - getting your book out there - that takes a lot of guts, a lot of patience, a lot of money, time and effort. I'm lucky that my husband helps me with all the technical stuff, without him I don't think I could've done this. But if I didn't have him, I'd have to find someone who could do all that for me, and that isn't easy. Or cheap.
Doing all your own marketing, again, especially if, like me, money is very much an issue, that's also exhausting. I've never been good at blowing my own trumpet, so to speak. I think I write damn good stories, but when it comes to telling the world that? I find it excrutiatingly difficult. Which is why self-publishing is brave. We're putting our work out there for people to read and judge and tell us what they think, without the backing of a publisher. We're already on the back foot, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
What this well known author should understand is, at her level, yes, she is being rewarded. But I don't think she fully understands the world: the mindset of the indie author. What we have to do in order for our work to be seen. And there were people who said she was mistaking vanity publishing for self-publishing when they are two completely different things, so maybe she needs to go back and think again about what she said. Self-publishing is not the easy way out. It's the opposite. And if anybody wishes to argue the toss with me on that, please feel free. But I've seen it from both sides, and I chose to stick with self-publishing. Chose to continue to take the hard route, because this is where I'm confortable. I don't want to be "rewarded", because it just doesn't happen for the majority of trad published authors. I want to write what I want, when I want, and create the stories I think people might just want to read, and yes, finding those readers is a hard, hard slog but in the end, when I look at all the books I've written; all the stories I've created, when I read back some of the reviews I've received over the years for the books I put out there myself, I'm proud to be an indie author. And every other indie author out there should be proud, too. Snobbery in publishing is something I detest, so let's just stamp it out. Write books because that's what we love to do. And don't believe that trad publishing is the bee all and end all, it's just as hard for the majority of authors, with very little reward. But, again, it's a personal choice. It wasn't for me because I couldn't be that author they needed: the one with a huge social media presence, an army of fans and friends and family to help spread the word, that just wasn't and never is going to be me. My books could be the best stories they'd ever read, but if I can't help that publisher sell them, I'm not really what they want. And I don't think it was personal, that's just the way it works. How it is. So be prepared, neither route is easy, not at my level. Just write because you love it, and the stories will come. Put your books out there because you want them to be read. And I hope that, for all my fellow indie authors, some lucky readers find their stories, because they all deserve to be read.
Have a great writing day!
Michelle x
