So, what are the benefits of self publishing?

Discussion in 'Self-Publishing' started by Im just here, May 6, 2016.

  1. Marlon Manalese

    Marlon Manalese Member

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    I agree, it's important to be able to take constructive criticism and be told that aspects of your story may not be good or relevant. However, being told your story is too heavy can mean several meanings. Maybe it may be too dark too soon or doesn't fit with the overall tone, but in my experience, being told your story is too heavy comes from people who are afraid of depth. They want to discourage you from getting vulnerable and emotional with your story because it makes them feel uncomfortable due to their own hang ups.

    If you're to accept the criticism of being too heavy, it would require more delicate care than any other criticism of relevance or simply being good. People write heavy stuff because that's how they feel and they want to convey something powerful that will get readers uncomfortable within good reason. Sometimes it's good to feel a heavy story and feel uncomfortable, it shakes up our sense and sensibility, getting us to reevaluate our values.

    So to be told a passage is too heavy, I think should require some serious reason and evidence of the editor/critique to find ways to channel it better if heaviness is what the story calls for, or to point out if it does clash with the overall tone.
     
  2. hawls

    hawls Active Member

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    Ooo I wanna hear more about that. Was there a specific incident?

    I've not ever had to tell someone they got too heavy. I've had to tell quite a few people their sudden venture into a whimsical writing style does not suit the dark, gritty tone of the story. The opposite of this problem.
     
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  3. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    I don't know about James, but Weir got in on the ground floor of this whole ebook thing. Being one of the first and having a good story to tell, he stood out.

    But we also have no way of knowing if these two (or any others) have inherent marketing abilities (which I did suggest) or if they took a night class in marketing or whatnot.

    You're right. I neglected to mention that.

    And it certainly wasn't my intention to imply that.

    And almost every one that is successful is successful only through flogging those very same marketing strategies as opposed to novels or whatever. And that's not what I was talking about.
     
  4. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    Back to the "EL James didn't self-publish" line.

    She certainly had some non-traditional marketing strategies, but she didn't self-pub. And the serialization was of a different version of the work - I'm not sure if that counts?
     
  5. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    You mean the one that was properly published was edited? :supershock:
     
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  6. Marlon Manalese

    Marlon Manalese Member

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    I won't get too specific, but someone in my group was arguing for a specific philosophical viewpoint through their story, stating that writing a story means making an argument for specific ideals and principles.

    It's kind of like what Ayn Rand said about authors injecting their stories with their philosophy whether they're aware of it or not. Well this writer in my group was very aware of their philosophy that defended a certain minority, and another critique member told them to basically abandon their ideals on the grounds that the story is was "inaccessible," which was ludicrous because earlier within the same session, their writing was deemed as "too Hollywood."

    If Hollywood isn't the definition for accessible, then I don't know what is. Anyway, that was a disheartening experience, to see members squabble over a philosophical disagreement.

    And yeah, the member REALLY said that. "I think you should abandon your ideals and arguments, and write something more accessible." That said a lot about that person's capacity for emotional and intellectual depth.
     
  7. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

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    Hi Bay,

    Actually EL James did self publish. Her fanfic books were intially put out by her on Kindle under the pen name Snowdragons Icequeen.

    Cheers, Greg
     
  8. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    But she didn't get famous until she had a publisher...?
     
  9. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

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    Hi,

    Other way around I think. Not an expert on her and never read the books or seen the movie, but as I understand it she was picked up by the publishers because she had a following.

    Cheers, Greg.
     
  10. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    A free following, though, I assume. She had the following in the fanfic world. Where was the Kindle version of the fanfic distributed? Not on Amazon, I don't expect. I mean, really any fanfic can be read on a kindle--they can read .doc, .pdf, etc.

    It's hard to really judge how much fanfic-fame translates to pro-fic success, but there are certainly a lot of very successful fanfic writers who don't take off like she did when they switch to pro-fic.

    Do you think fanfic is a good route for an author to take in order to become a best-seller?
     
  11. Laurin Kelly

    Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

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    I can say for sure that I've sold a few more books than I would have to my readers who followed my from fanfic to original fic. Nothing close to bestseller numbers though!

    As far as I can tell, though, most of my fanfic readers didn't make the switch to original fiction with me.
     
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  12. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    That was my experience as well.

    And especially if the profic book is just a serial-numbers-filed-off version of the story they've already read, I can't see many people bothering to buy the new version?
     
  13. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

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    Hi Bay,

    Not suggesting that fan fic is a particularly good or bad route to take to success. But certainly self publishing in general can be and can lead to trade publishing deals. Think Wool by Hugh Howey - his Silo series was indie all the way, published on Kindle. There's Michael J Sullivan - the Riyria Revelations. Lisa Genova - Still Alice who self published a tragic tale about Altzheimers - she's a neuroscientist not a marketer. And Amanda Hocking of course who seems to be a standout in YA paranormal romance.

    Cheers, Greg.
     
  14. hawls

    hawls Active Member

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    Yikes @Marlon Manalese.

    I hope they weren't discouraged. You should write what you believe in. It's the only way the story will sound believable and the characters sincere.
     
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  15. Marlon Manalese

    Marlon Manalese Member

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    @hawls

    They were at first, but we both left the group on principle and have never been even more motivated.
     
  16. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    @Witchymama , congratulations and happy to have had a hand in your work! Remember it well. Will download and give you a review. I also went the CS/KD route with my short story "Come, Follow Me, a Novel 0f Pilate and Jesus" (47 pages). Reviews welcome. "The Eagle and the Dragon" is typeset at 550 pages, ready to go except for professional cover, look for it in a few weeks.

    Like you, it is amazing how many typos remain invisible until AFTER you publish, then they glare on the page like beacons. Have submitted three revs so far to Come Follow Me, but the last was just to get rid of a single "be" that didn't belong, but had been sitting there for twenty years unnoticed.
     
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  17. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    I epubbed mine for the kindle a little over a month and half ago. No one will read it, so
    I have no idea why I am even mentioning it. :p
    Though I like the fact that it was simple, and knowing full well nobody would dare touch
    it with a ten foot pole for being so uncommonly written.:p
     
  18. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    You should link to it in your signature. That's kosher under Forum rules, I believe. You can ask @Wreybies.

    Since this subject has been revived . . . A teacher I subbed for in December used to work as a professional editor. She says she's willing to read my ms for me just for the fun of it (yeah, free). I sent it to her night before last, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll have time to do it. And that she finds it fun enough to take on.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2017
  19. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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