The feeling I got when I first saw my book on Amazon.com was euphoric. I was thrilled to see what I had created on a worldwide website. And the knowledge that it was available for readers to buy.
That feeling is still there with each subsequent story published, but not nearly as strong as that first one. I have learned, over time, that self-publishing has it's ups and downs. It is such a simple thing. You write a story, get cover art if you can, and with a few clicks, it's there for all to see and purchase. It is instant gratification. Certainly an American trait.
But that satisfaction soon wains when sales are not what you thought they would be, or you have only the one avenue for buyers to link to. You learn, as you work hard to establish yourself as an author, that self-publishing might be easy, but isn't as satisfying as you first thought.
There are distinct advantages to going through a publisher. One is a much wider array of avenues for readers to access. I have learned this the hard way, by lower sales, and surprisingly comments from future readers. To read a comment that suggests my books were hard to find is difficult.
As an author, I want my books to be easy to find and available. Self-publishing doesn't allow that.
So, my new goal is to make my books as available as possible in many different venues. I take the ones already published and add them to different websites, and will now be submitting my many WIP's to publishers with the hope that they are acceptable and will soon be all over the place for readers to enjoy.
That feeling is still there with each subsequent story published, but not nearly as strong as that first one. I have learned, over time, that self-publishing has it's ups and downs. It is such a simple thing. You write a story, get cover art if you can, and with a few clicks, it's there for all to see and purchase. It is instant gratification. Certainly an American trait.
But that satisfaction soon wains when sales are not what you thought they would be, or you have only the one avenue for buyers to link to. You learn, as you work hard to establish yourself as an author, that self-publishing might be easy, but isn't as satisfying as you first thought.
There are distinct advantages to going through a publisher. One is a much wider array of avenues for readers to access. I have learned this the hard way, by lower sales, and surprisingly comments from future readers. To read a comment that suggests my books were hard to find is difficult.
As an author, I want my books to be easy to find and available. Self-publishing doesn't allow that.
So, my new goal is to make my books as available as possible in many different venues. I take the ones already published and add them to different websites, and will now be submitting my many WIP's to publishers with the hope that they are acceptable and will soon be all over the place for readers to enjoy.
