It seems like everyone has written a book these days. Becoming an author used to be an exclusive club only a lucky few could enter if they were deemed worthy by a highly picky and difficult to reach agent, who then had to convince an even pickier, loftier publisher. But once inside the hallowed walls of a publishing house, signed contract in hand, the dream life of being an author could begin for the lucky 1% who ran the gauntlet. I wish I could say that was all gone now, barriers smashed with the advent and ease of self-publishing, but in many ways, nothing has changed. While it is easy to get your book published, it is much harder to get someone to read it. Every day on social media, an author begs me to read their latest book, to follow them, to friend them, to just NOTICE them.

There are always those lucky few lottery winners who walk away with commercial success, indy authors like Amanda Hocking or E.L. James, but for most independently published authors, it is a long, slow climb up a crowded slope. And without a national book deal, it is still very hard to get your book noticed. Barnes and Noble will rarely make a significant buy. Finding shelf space in indy bookstores, or getting into venues like airports or department stores, is next to impossible. Even with hundreds of book bloggers flogging title after title, making yours stand out in the crowd is a challenge. The second your book is released, another hundred come out and push yours down the line, like an Instagram post in a popular feed.

Having been a non-traditionally published author for several years, I am frequently asked by fellow authors if they should go ahead and self-publish their book. My answer most often is a flat-out no. Given the number of books I’ve written and the moderate success I’ve had with them, this usually generates a surprised reaction. So why do I advise them not to forge ahead? Here’s a few of the reasons:

  • Many new authors finish their first manuscript and they are so impatient to have the world read it, convinced that it is the next “big thing” that they overlook the many steps of revising and editing that have to be completed before their book is ready to be seen. They rush to self-publish hoping lightning will strike and will often then spend months or years trying to figure out what went wrong as the copies they printed languish in their garage.
  • If you want your book to be read by a lot of people, traditional publishing is still the best way to go. Having your book handled by a team of well-trained savvy individuals whose job is to bring your book to market can leave the author to focus on the next book. Although publishing is changing a lot, and there are more marketing duties left to the author today, your book has a much higher chance of being sold in major stores through a traditional publishing house.
  • True self-publishing where a person literally publishes under their own name almost always guarantees there will be little to no audience for your book. You are solely responsible for marketing, book design, cover design, finding an editor, printing copies, storing them, and getting your book up on Amazon in the hopes it will be discovered for the gem it is. While of course it can happen, it is time-consuming, requires a personal time-commitment toward marketing and building your brand, and with a crowded market, your chances of success are fairly low.
  • Hybrid publishing where the author works with an independent publisher who has a marketing and sales team that can get your book into major stores is a route much more likely to garner success, but is likely to be more expensive. The author is expected to cover the publishing fees which can be several thousand dollars, the printing costs of the books, and book marketing fees such as paid reviews and giveaways. The upside is the author has a lot of control over their work-product while having a professional team in place to help market the book. The downside is it is still difficult to have your book placed where readers will find it and the indy market continues to be flooded with new books coming out.

So what can an up and coming author do?

  • It’s always about the writing. Take yours to a higher level. Enroll in classes, have your manuscript critiqued by solid editors, and never stop working on craft. There is no replacement for good storytelling.
  • Understand the genre you’re writing in and whether it is more friendly to independent authors. Certain adult genres like horror and romance have voracious readers who consumer a large number of books each month, making it friendly to e-books which are much easier to market and avoid printing costs. Many independent authors find success and a strong following this way.
  • Be patient. Don’t rush into publishing your book before you’ve really tested the waters of traditional publishing. If your manuscript is being rejected, consider why that is and if there is more work to be done. If nothing it else, it will ensure that your self-published book is the best it can be.
  • Create unique characters that stand out. I recently DNF’d a very popular YA book after reading a few chapters because I felt like the main character was a rehash of other strong female characters. The echo was so loud, I went online to see if others felt the same way, and sadly, there were many. It’s a good reminder that even successfully published books have their flaws.
  • Find something new to add to the genre you write in. Every popular genre has a long list of books that vie to be noticed. There are only so many dystopian worlds that can be rehashed before the reader grows weary of teenagers fighting oppressive battles against totalitarian regimes. If you write in a popular genre, make your book stand out by turning the genre on its head. Give your characters unique problems, or find a different perspective to tell the story from. I like how in The Maze Runner, the author set the story in a very unique dystopian world that the reader doesn’t really discover much about until the end.

Most importantly, whatever path you choose, remember it is your path so embrace it and enjoy the ride. There is no greater feeling than having someone read your book and tell you they loved it, regardless of who published it.