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Silk & Sin: scifi romance WIP
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July 7, 2010, Author: Scath, 9 Comments

Don’t Call Me a Loser Because I Self-publish

Categories: Crankiness
Tags:: , , , , ,

I read three different blog posts by traditional publishing employee types last night, and in each, those who self-publish were called ‘losers’.

You know, because EVERYBODY who chooses to self-publish has been rejected by traditional publishers hundreds or thousands of times because their work ‘just wasn’t ready’, or plain sucked and should never try to crawl out of the slush pile.

WRONG!

There are self-publishers who’ve never submitted to traditional publishers, and that aren’t hoping to ‘win’ a traditional publishing contract after ‘proving themselves’. There are self-publishers who’ve never felt the need for ‘validation from the Gate Keepers’.

I’m one of them.

I was 36, nearing 37 when I self-published my first ebook. Which, I might add, was a 10k novelette, not a full-length novel.

How anyone expected me to try and shop around a single freakin’ novelette, wait for years and years, hoping and praying to be one of those 3 in 10,000 who might get published at this or that Big Name House, when I had the opportunity to step right into it, and put my work out in front of the people who matter (those are readers, in case you’re wondering) is seriously beyond me.

Why the hell would I wait? Why would I settle for an advance that wouldn’t pay two months’ worth of living expenses, not see my title in print for a year or two, while losing my rights to it and having perfect strangers changing my stories?

And then have to suffer all that time, wondering if it would sell enough to earn back that small advance and then some, so that I might be rewarded with another contract for another book, and have to go through all of that again?

Are you fucking kidding me?

You know, if you want to be traditionally published, that’s your deal, and more power to you. I sincerely hope you get what you want, and that it’s successful for you.

But it’s not what I want, and I don’t think I should be called a loser because I don’t have the same goals you do.

I don’t want to win awards, or be on some best seller list in a newspaper.

I just want to write my stories, and sell them to people who enjoy reading them. Yeah, it’d be awesome if I earned a living doing that as the cherry on top, but just the fact there are complete strangers who do spend their money to buy my ebooks is pretty damn awesome.

In short, if you think all self-publishers are ‘couldn’t get traditionally published, slush pile losers’, then you can kiss my dog’s butt.

And his brother’s butt too.

Those who do read my stories and say something to me about them have overwhelmingly liked them. Here’s some ‘validation’ when I need it – from READERS:

  • Hmmm….the good witch of the east? Or was that west? Not sure. I trust you though, Gayla, as you have demonstrated very well how good you are with your characters and storytelling.
  • Such a different side of the concept, one I have not really read or seen elsewhere. Well done!
  • This was really engaging, interesting too as I’ve always wondered what it would be like…Glad I finally got around to reading your stuff.
  • Gayla, you have such an interesting and wonderful way of writing!!!
  • Captivating.
  • :fans herself from all the excitement: Way to pack a punch in just one scene…whew!
  • I don’t know how you do it….and don’t care…LOL…just keep ‘em coming!
  • Gotta love that Dinky. Oh…and rough draft my ass
  • Oh yes, I like where you took this. Immediately you give the reader the conflict and the sympathy necessary to really care about Rage and his brothers and what happens to them.
  • Ooooo fantastic! Immediate grin, had to contain the laughter though as I’m in a library. Pity! Lol
  • Awwwww, sweet anticipation… Dammit, what happens next!?
  • Scarily realistic. What would inspire such a piece… I wonder…
  • Fantastic blend of horrific and sensual. Disturbingly easy to imagine, as well.
  • Oh, yeah………that was a scary one! I felt like I was in the basement with her, had to look for my inhaler. Very well done.
  • I can tell these people are alive and taking the story where only they know it will go. Your voice does not waver or intrude and the consistency of your style is perfectly crafted.
  • I don’t know what to say, Gayla, other than I am overwhelmed by the intensity of the story and the fact that you make this look so easy – but of course it isn’t, I know better.
  • This was a fabulous read. I have to tell you that I wish it was MORE.
  • A superb read – all of them. Great characters, plot and dialogue. It is all so readable and interesting. What a fab journey.
  • The dialogue is a joy.
  • Seriously, Gayla, your write is SO tight…….not an unnecessary word anywhere and loads of info in every sentence.
  • Well-crafted piece, the mood is strong and the prose flows nicely, well done!
  • Sounds, sights, and action in the first sentence— personification of water in the second. Very nice work. ‘world of liquid light’ is a delicious metaphor! Your antagonist is ambiguous, yet intriguing. I enjoyed the way you played on childhood fears we probably all had— I know I did. The set up for the twist really got me. I was expecting blood and gore— which is often the flavor of Twisted Tales and you cornered me with humor instead! Great! Well-crafted. Hope I read you more!
  • : has to pick herself up off the floor before pronouncing: Whoa. This is stunning, Gayla.
  • Man, you sure are good at coming up with these “went the poo hits the fan” scenarios!
  • A lovely woven spell of writing!
  • Delicious!!! So romantic, in an otherworldly occult kinda way.
  • You are VERY good at writing strong women characters without making them, well, too strong. And I like how the men have more depth to them without taking away any masculinity.
  • Extremely suspenseful. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to live after such a revelation. 
  • http://headbees.com Pet

    Would like to add, some of us who self-publish *were* accepted by traditional publishers and turned down their bizarre and constricting conglomerate contracts. Some people want to write the same book 3, 10, or 50 times. Good for them. Take the deal. I couldn’t do it. I’d feel like a hack.

    I equate the industry belief that all self-publishers are losers who can’t get in rather than won’t with the people in the academic art industry who won’t accept self-taught artists, though in all fairness they may not have enjoyed anything independently published that’s been professionally edited as yours has because they refuse to taste it.

  • http://feralintensity.com GLDrummond

    My SO keeps telling me that if I ever was offered a contract for publishing my Shadow Connor series (which he likes, though paranormal/preternatural fantasy isn’t his cup of tea), I would jump at it.

    I told him he was full of shit. :)

    And your point about being accepted and choosing otherwise is well-taken – at least by me.

  • http://www.kerry-allen.com Kerry

    My go-to response for the unpublished-and-NY-or-bust who make erroneous assumptions about my self-publishing choices is: “X-thousand readers have read my stories. How many readers do YOU have?” Even if they got the deal of their dreams tomorrow, it would be two more long years before they were read, during which time, I’ll have been building all along.

    I haven’t given up anything. I chose to quit waiting for someone to pick me from amongst the million other beggars to pull out of the gutter. It’s called initiative, and it’s a characteristic of… oh, what are they called… that’s right, WINNERS.

  • http://firebird-fiction.com/ Becka

    There almost seems to be a concerted attack on indie authors at the moment. Meilin Miranda made a similar post about it on her blog a few days ago. Here’s a link…

    http://www.meilinmiranda.com/node/2257

  • http://feralintensity.com GLDrummond

    Right on, Kerry! :)

    Yeah, I read that entry of hers, Becka, and you’re/she’s right. There does seem to be some concentrated fury going on.

    It’s really a shame.

    I’m a ‘live and let live’ type of gal, but people who don’t even know me, never read my work, calling me a ‘loser’ just because of how I get it out in front of the eyeballs of readers?

    Pfffft. They can bite me. Heh. :)

  • http://thebibliobrat.net J.C.

    Well said. Here is an article that speaks a bit to what you are talking about.

    And don’t pay much attention to the title. When you read the post, you’ll see why I say this.

    http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/03/7-reasons-not-to-self-publish-is-this-you/

  • http://feralintensity.com GLDrummond

    That was a great article, Jo! Thanks for sharing it. :)

  • Anonymous

    I agree with what you say here. However, I would point out that all of these arguments naturally do not apply to all self-published authors. I’ve read slush piles and I’ve read self-published books, and the quality of both varies widely. That being said, I find that the percentage of self-pubbed books that fall short of being good is higher than the percentage of ones that make it through the slush pile. It’s a filter. Just my two cents.

  • http://feralintensity.com GLDrummond

    Of course they don’t. :)

    And yes, the traditional publishing process is a filter…an imperfect one. Just as much as any writer’s opinion of their own work is biased and therefore not to be taken without a grain of salt – even when they tell you they think it sucks. ;)