Self-Publish or Perish?

March 23, 2011 at 7:30 pm (Uncategorized)

Jeff Cohen, a fellow writer, who is not a top bestselling author but, in a fair world, would be (in a fair world, so would I!), posted on Facebook: “I’ve turned down a $500,000 offer to self-publish in favor of a contract with a traditional publisher.” My first reaction was, “Ah, one of his typical off-the-wall comments written in what someone (Jeff?) refers to as ‘the native language of New Jersey: sarcasm.’”

Then I read that Barry Eisler, who is often (always?) on the bestseller lists, refused a $500,000 contract with a traditional publisher in order to self-publish. My first reactions were, in no particular order, since they were simultaneous:

1. Is he off his gourd?
2. Can he transfer the contract to me?
3. What is he drinking/inhaling/injecting?
4. I hope he lives a long, healthy life. If anything
suspicious happens to him, his agent will be the
prime suspect.
5. Is he off his gourd?

According to the interview, he was discussing with his family what he should ask for in his next contract, and his eleven-year-old daughter said, “Daddy, why don’t you self publish?” He ran the math, and came to the conclusion, “Why not?”

His exact words in the interview were: “I know it’ll seem crazy to a lot of people, but based on what’s happening in the industry, and based on the kind of experience writers like you [J A Kornrath, author, blogger, and interviewer] are having in self-publishing, I think I can do better in the long term on my own.” (You can read the full interview at http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/ebooks-and-self-publishing-dialog.html)

(In the interest of disclosing both sides of the issue, I should note that Amanda Hocking, an author who is a legend among self-published writers for her success, has been wooing traditional publishers, some of whom have reportedly offered her in excess of seven figures.)

As I shop around UNLEAVENED DEAD, and wait for a phone call or email offering me a three-figure contract, or maybe a free trip to a writers’ conference or at least a drink at the hotel bar, I wonder, “Hmm, maybe I should look into self-publishing my work.”

I have already decided that I don’t want to do e-publishing only. I have nothing against e-publishing. Both my published books are also on Kindle, and doing well there. But if I should release a book as an e-book, I would also self-publish it as a hard copy, mainly because my biggest fan base – my parents and their friends – generally don’t have e-readers, don’t want e-readers, and want me to inscribe their copy of my books. (Although my father-in-law, who doesn’t even use a computer, is thinking seriously about buying a Kindle after seeing mine.)

So I began to make a list, not so much of pros and cons, but of “on-the-one-hands” (hereafter known as OT1H) and “on-the-other-hands” (OTOH). Here are my random thoughts:

OT1H, as a self-publisher, I wouldn’t have to share any profits with an agent. OTOH, I don’t have an agent.

OT1H, as the rules are right now, I could not apply to be a full member of the Mystery Writers of America. OTOH, CHANUKAH GUILT was published by a small, independent press (now sadly defunct) that was not approved by the MWA, so I can be only an affilate member anyway.

OT1H, with a traditional publisher, I’d have a PR staff to market the book. OTOH, yeah, right.

OT1H, with a traditional publisher, even a small, independent press, defunct or not, I am able to boast with false pride, “I just got my royalty statement.” OTOH, it might be nice to earn more than a couple of dollars per quarter. (Or is it a couple of quarters per book?)

OT1H, UNLEAVENED DEAD would be published by now. (I know I finished writing it less than three months ago, but I’m the impatient type.) OTOH, I need someone to edit out my overly enthusiastic verbosity. Not to mention find the typos my parents may have missed.

OT1H, I cannot edit myself. OTOH, I hate when someone else edits me. (“You can’t cut that scene! I had too much fun writing it!” Ah, but will the reader have fun reading it? I can’t judge my own work.)

So, bottom line, there is no bottom line. I’ll give the traditional publishers and the mainstream agents a few more months before they reject the manuscript. Then I’ll revisit the issue.