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You! Yeah, you! Quit publishing that [email protected] and start writing like ME!

Don't think so.

The only "self-publishing community" I really know about is the one here. Where, you know, writers talk about how to do better. Uh . . .

 

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Hey, if you want me to write like you, you better fix your hyphens. They're...irregular.

*sob*
That was a JOKE, vrabinec!

 

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See, but again, you're conflating "writing" with "publishing."

I celebrate writers of all levels at their careers or non-careers.

Publishing, though, I think you have to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about readers. And at that point, that means being your own critic, your own gatekeeper. Just my opinion, of course. I respect your point and I'm not out to inhibit anybody's freedom here -- just out to ask that they think about what they're putting out in terms of the work.

Hopefully folks found something to value in the post. This is all, as with everything I write, very much a Your Mileage May Vary situation. But I can already speak to some experience that it's reaching folks in the way I've intended. Got a bunch of emails and seen some conversations on FB from authors who self-published who are saying, "You know, I didn't really take this seriously, maybe I'm not selling as well as I could have."

At the very least, it's stirred some conversation. And at the end of the day if you're (the Royal You, not the Hugh You) are going to criticize traditional publishing for all that it does wrong, it's at least worth considering what self-publishing can do differently and do better in an ongoing conversation.

Good luck, all! Glad the post worked for some folks. Er, for the record, it's not "link-bait." It's me saying stuff that's on my mind and stuff that's on my mind. I don't have advertising on my site outside my own books, and readers at the blog are not immediately and instantaneously readers of my work. Also, Hugh, I don't consider you part of any problem -- though I don't always agree with you (what fun would that be?), you're obviously an example to hold up as a paragon of Doing It Right. *shrug*

-- Chuck

I don't think "self-publishing" is an entity, though. Of course, "traditional publishing" isn't an entity either, but with four or five or whatever-it-is-now major players, it's a lot closer to being something about which one can generalize.

Certainly, most of the writers on this board seem to be trying hard to do things "right," as you say--because we know that if we don't, we will probably not succeed. Of course unedited books are put up with lousy covers and blurbs. But those books are not likely to be bestsellers. I think we all get that.

And lots of us (myself included) have posted on our own blogs about craft things, or "how-tos" on covers and blurbs. So, yes, if "policing" oneself means striving to put out a quality product (because that will increase our sales), we're doing that. If it means sharing our experience with others on their way up, we're doing that, too. But if it means "discouraging others," I don't think most of us want to be in that position.

I mean, how well do the people whose business it is to judge "quality" do it? How many of us who sell moderately-to-big as indies are in this game because we were turned down over--and over--and over by the experts? I'm certainly no expert in what will sell. I wouldn't deign to tell anybody else, unless they asked me, and even then, I'd be hesitant.

But kudos to you for coming on here and responding. It was a thought-provoking post, that's for sure.

 

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I woke up this morning thinking about this and laughing a little at myself. I got asked recently to submit my next series to a traditional publisher (Montlake, and I like what they do for their romance authors), but I realized my biggest doubt was: would it be done well enough? Yes! I know that sounds arrogant, but I'm really good at blurbs, and my covers are, I think, terrific, and branded with my "look." And I'm hesitant that an editor will ask me to do the things the trad publisher who WAS interested before I self-published asked me to do: inject more "heat" at the beginning, amp up the tension (artificially, to me--I like my folks to behave like rational people who care about each other), edit out my "voice," etc. I have a pretty good idea by now why my readers like my books, and how to provide that.

The fact is, nobody at any publishing house, ever, will care as passionately as I do about my books, or will work harder to get it right. Their blurb writer won't work that blurb over and over for a week (and probably won't have 10 years of copywriting experience, either, I might add). Their developmental editor isn't going to be smarter than the District Judge who is one of my beta readers, who tells me in no uncertain terms when more tension IS needed, or the loyal reader who's become another beta reader, who's been reading romance for 40+ years, who has a lifetime of experience and observation and analysis of people's emotions under her belt.

I'm not saying my books are perfect. But I'm saying that I, and many, many folks on here, are keenly aware that readers will only buy a quality product. That the better it is, the better it will sell. And we are in the business of selling OUR books and knowing OUR customers. The simple fact is, people who don't do those things well are unlikely to sell much. Would it be better if some authors took more time and trouble over their books? Yes. Should we all be trying, always, to up our game? Yes. Chuck is sure right about that, and so are the many writers on KBoards who discuss craft and marketing and every aspect of this business we're in, every day, and help all of us do just that.

So, thanks, everybody. Thanks, Chuck, for a thoughtful post that inspired a lot of good discussion here. And welcome.

 

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So Fifty Shades of Grey was hands down one of the best books ever written? It must be because it's sold more than Harry Potter in the UK. So it must therefore, be objectively better than the Harry Potter series. It was also the best selling book of 2012, therefore it must have been the highest quality book released that year. Good to know. I thought there was some debate on that.

Can we please let this particular canard die already? Quality does not equal sales, sales do not equal quality. There's proof right there. Need more? The Twilight series. Dan Brown. And just about every celebrity book ever.

I didn't say that books that sell are better than books that don't sell. (Though I'd argue that they're better at grabbing their audience, at meeting a need.)

I said that a better-produced book will sell better than the same book, less well-produced.

 

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I was told on another forum, where the members are probably agreeing with Chuck's posts, that if publishers weren't accepting my novels, it meant I wasn't good enough. I was told I should "work on my craft" more and be patient. I was told that self-publishing would destroy any chance I had of being a "real author."

It was poison. It was dead-wrong. It's why I won't be quiet when I see people saying that others should think twice before publishing. If you think your work is good enough, if you believe in it, get it out there. Don't let others beat you down or fill you with dread or hesitation. Search your soul and no one else's.

Those people on that forum were dead wrong about my writing. They gave me awful advice. My life changed because I ignored that advice, and I was only able to do so because I had friends and family reading my work and egging me along. Who are we going to listen to? The cheerleaders in our lives? Or the doubters and cynics?

Choose wisely, people.

I'll just say, me too, and beautifully said. Thank you, wonderful friends who read my first book and told me to go for it. Thank you, wonderful husband who told me to quit my job and write.

I self-published because I got a diagnosis that said I didn't have time to wait, and my priorities were suddenly crystal-clear. I did (have time), as it turned out, but that diagnosis turned out to be another one of those blessings in disguise--just like all the agents and publishers who said "no."

This is my one and only life. I'm going to spend it doing what I love, and doing it to the absolute, screaming, very best of my ability.

P.S. Jana, I've never taken a class or read a book on technique. Sorry. But I'm OK! I promise!

 

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Trying to win on the Internet is like trying to win in a marriage.
You think you won ("Ha! I was RIGHT! She bows before my superior logic! Hahahahaha . . whoops."), but you lost. At least so most husbands would tell you.
Why am I still reading? Whyyyyyyyy?
Stopping. Right. Now.

 

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Not to fear, CE, I'm here to save the day. CB Edwards: Thread Killer. Every thread I post in dies quickly. I'm Betsy's secret weapon for extinguishing threads. Betsy calls me her Fireman, but only in PMs, of course. This thread will die in 12 posts or less.

BTW, who is Chuck Wendig, and why should I care what he says?

LOL, that's what *I* said! I figured I just wasn't in the know! Not one of the cool kids!
(All right, all right--I'm not in the know. I am a Geek Kid. Sigh.)

 

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Oh, please...I do NOT want to read about KBoards in my quilting forums... PLEASE.

Betsy

See, I said I wasn't going to read, and I did, and I laughed!
(Don't ask to see my shoulder seams on my knitted sweaters. And I CALL MYSELF A KNITTER. Sheesh. But I don't charge!)

I know. This is a serious discussion. Ahem. Going away again now.

 

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All right . . . The deer and the popcorn . . . I'm laughing again.