Fantasy and Vampire Book Club discussion

Do you think it's a great way to get your work out there? Or is it making it too hard for talented writers to stand out from the crowd?

I think you can't have one without the other. To be fair, if it's great for you to get your work out there, you have to also accept that you're not the only one who takes advantage of it.

All that to say that I find Kindle self publishing to be a great thing. Of course, my work as well as the work of so many others are lost in a sea of books but without this opportunity, many great pieces would never be published.

Personally, I don't think I'd have had the guts to send hundreds of inquiries to publishers. Don't take me wrong. I do believe my novel is worth every penny, but unlike many other authors, I lack the confidence in my own work. This way, at least, it's out there for people to enjoy if they wish it.

Apart from anything else, I'm just too impatient to wait through the proper publishing sequence. I write something, I like to get it out there, share it with my millions of adoring fans...

I'm an indie girl who sold out. Self publishing was difficult. It's hard enough to stand out even when you have a publishers mane behind you. On my own, I spent too much time promoting and stressing about things like editing/cover art and lost track of what was truly important - my love of writing.

That being said. The success stories we hear about, I think some of them were previously published and had a large following. Who knows! I do enjoy indie books and go out of my way to help support them by buying and recommending the ones I like.

I read on an agent's blog one time that publishing is like playing the lottery. Sometimes, you hit the jackpot. Usually, you don't. I think it's the same with self publishing, only a lot more people play and a lot less hit the jackpot.

For example, there were lots of vampire books when Twilight came out. It's not the most well-written book out there, but no one cared. It hit the popularity jackpot through some magical combination we'll never understand. The planets aligned at that exact moment for it to catch on and grow wildly popular. Fifty Shades is the same way. There are loads of erotica titles out there. That one caught on for whatever reasons. James won the self-pub lotto.

I think self publishing is fine. I have done it. I recommend it to people. But I don't think anyone should expect to get rich off it. But for those who do, bravo!

You are absolutely right Lena! Magically lottery :-) I like that.

From an economic point of view I love self publishing. Sometimes I think writers have a story to tell that only a few people (like 10,000) may appreciate. Not sure a publishing house will go for such a small niche group - especially in fiction - because I am not sure there is much profit for them.

From a reader point of view I think the 'bad' writing in self publishing and the reviewer bashing (at least here on GR) is devaluing the trade. One would think reviews would help but quite often I cannot tell if they are honest reviews or if they are sock puppet ones. I will also say I had a run in with an author who disagreed with my review and sent me an email about it. Between my personal experience combined with other's here on GR I no longer rate or review indie books and I think people like me are becoming the norm which adds to the problem.

I do think it is a hard road regardless of which route you take. Sure with a publishing house you get some support but you still need an agent and I also understand you sometimes have to do your own marketing. Likewise in self publishing you take all that plus editing and creating covers and formatting and on and on.

Anyway I think both sides need to change a bit. I wish publishing companies would change their pricing strategy then I think some indie authors would have a better shot at publishing. Likewise I wish Amazon would do something to weed out crappy writing.

So for those trying to get their book out (published or self published) there I would highly suggest social media marketing. I am not really a twitter person but I follow reviews on blogs and some bloggers on twitter where I have discovered some rather amazing authors.

Have just joined the group so am wee bit late in on this. I only published late last year but had a few books under my belt at the time - reason I went the way of an indie - I've got REALLY bad OCD - I would never be able to meet face to face with agents/publishers etc not at this time anyway. I barely make it to the supermarket nowadays - everything has to be planned to within an inch and if something deviates that's it - done - so meetings, talking on phones lots of things I find really difficult. I do have a guy that has done my covers from the start and I work with a great editor now too so spelling, grammar, formatting etc is taken care of properly. I'm only just beginning and I have to say it's a rush - I love it and that some other folks love what I do too - that is truly priceless.

I've got a trilogy that I'd really like to take through the traditional publishing route, although I know that is a really difficult path to take. I have a secondary story, and I'm not sure where I'm going with it right now because it's in the first draft stages, that I'm happy to share for free just because it's a fun project. When I'm done I think I'd go for the self publishing route on amazon. I do have an account all set up on there, so it would be easy to complete the process.

For what it's worth, good agents & publicists know how to sell... You see it by the fact the best known publishers keep sometimes mediocre books in the charts. For indie authors, these books will die a death unless they are aggressive marketers.

I think the fact we can publish books ourselves if fantastic - I have certainly had a LOT of fun!

Have I made mistakes? Of course.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Can a traditional publisher help? Definitely... Unless they are small, in which case I am better off sticking it out alone.

The only thing I will say is ... Have patience! You need a bucket load :)

I love it, I like the freedom it brings - no deadlines, I get to write what I want to write not what a publisher says I should and I don't have to share the royalties.

Yes there are challenges and a lot to learn and it is very scary but even these things don't put me off. I'd agree though patience is needed by the bucket load.

As a reader I think it is great, there are some crap books but that is true of trad pubbed work as well. I have found some good reads and great authors who otherwise might not be published. I've found them more daring too.

Yep, it's a mixed bag, but with indie books you don't get the impression they are written for the "one fits all" market! They are more spontaneous...

As an author I think its great! It gives me complete control over my work which is what I prefer really.

I've just published Reap it and Weep on amazon, right now it's doing the five days for free thing which I thought might help kick off some interest and bump it up the charts. As this was something I considered more of a 'side' project, I thought it would be a good place to start as an experiment into indie publishing.

I'm fascinated by indie publishing, so much so that I started a podcast interviewing authors, called Indie Book Rebels.

Yesterday I interviewed two authors, http://bit.ly/ibr-paranormal-1 Jolie Du Pre (Benton Zombies YA Dystopian) and Marilyn Vix (Never Marry a Vampire series, PNR) and today at 1:00 http://bit.ly/1lOEsh0 I'm interviewing Lola StVil (Guardians series YA w/Angels) & V.M. Black (The Alpha's Captive: Pursuit: BBW Shifter Werewolf Romance series, and a Vampire Series also)

I'd love to do a show with just readers and no authors if anyone's interested - only requirement is that the focus is on INDIE authors vs TRAD PUBLISHED

Self-publishing is an absolute must for any writer who can't get a foot in the door of mainstream publishing. But the marketing is a huge hurdle to overcome and in spite of all the advice on the internet marketing is a specialist profession. (That's why the marketing industry exists.)

Mainstream publishing also has the advantage of having access to mainstream media; few if any unknown indie authors would be taken seriously by a reviewer for the NY Times or the BBC, but a mainstream publisher can put a debut author in these spots.

Self-publishing is a long game and authors have to be patient and keep writing.