May 29, 2009
Okay, the self-publishing controversy is driving me batty.
It seems that everyone has an opinion driven by their own motivations. Agents and writing publications warn against self-publication as a taboo that will make you undesirable to “real” publishers, while other frustrated writers hail it as a life-line for the undiscovered members of the never ending slush pile.
So which is it? Will self-publishing really hurt my chances of ever becoming the author I want to be? Or is it just that this industry – like so many others – is simply resistant to change? Could it be that the growth of self-publication is just a logical next step that corporate publishers don’t want to acknowledge?
What do I think? I have to admit that self-publishing looks enticing. Not only because of how hard it is to find that traditional agent and publisher but because of the creative control that you maintain as an artist – and as a control freak, that sounds great. The idea of handing over my fledgling manuscript to strangers who aren’t nearly as invested in each word and detail is frightening to me.
So I’m wondering…how many of you out there have ridden the self-publication wave? And for those of you who haven’t, what stops you?