I think I'm a pretty good writer. The few people who have read my work say they honestly enjoy it. Key phrase here is 'few people'. It seems a self published author must also know how to be his own pitchman, market strategist, and advertiser.

I used to naively think that as long as I wrote a good story, it would eventually be discovered because it deserved to. That belief has gone out the window. The self publishing world is a place for countless hacks, geniuses, and everyone in between. It's an ocean of words and book covers that readers must pick and choose through. The chances of your work being found without pushing it is pretty much zero.

I've been on Wattpad lately, trying to get some interest in my work. I'm still learning how the site works, but so far it seems to be a place for authors to gather who say "You read my stuff and I'll read yours." Honestly, I write way to much to read other people's work.

Of course getting an agent would alleviate me of all this, but as long as I remain a self-publisher, the struggle continues.