It’s more than the last resort when traditional publishing doesn’t work out
“Oh well, if this doesn’t work out, I’ll just self-publish my book.”
I’ve heard this from many frustrated, defeated, despairing authors seeking an agent, a gatekeeper, a traditional publication after they get another rejection.
And I wonder what they think self-publishing is — or what it will be for them.
Their words — casual dismissal, a flick of the wrist — pisses me off. And makes me laugh at the same time.
Laugh because: do they really think self-publishing is easy?
Anger because: why do they think self-publishing is the loser prize you settle for?
The child you tolerate when your golden dove leaves home?
The begrudging alternative when you’ve failed?
Not equal. An option.
Self-publishing is much more than that, yet traditional publishing is still considered the epitome.
But, ask almost any self-published author, and they’ll tell you that you learn far more about yourself when you publish on your own.
Deliver right to your audience. Be fully accountable for their enjoyment. Take responsibility when you’ve failed.
Admit your wrongs right to your readers’ faces. Always.
You become this immensely skilled, strong, and resilient person.
Now, I’m not knocking traditional authors. I know waiting years, absorbing hundreds of rejections, and continuing on is a wild and admirable strength, but for me, self-publishing is the prize.
There’s no other way I would’ve chosen to offer my book to the world.
And here’s three reasons why.
There’s only everything
“Freedom, in any case, is only possible by constantly struggling for it.” — Albert Einstein
This is the biggest diamond for me: The freedom to write the story I want to tell. Just the way my soul wants me to write it.
Whether it’s the oddest story the world didn’t know it needed — or a dystopian sci-fi romance with a leading Black couple— self-publishing gives you the freedom to create your mold. Or no mold.
I can put in the harsh truths as I experience them; I can put in the gorgeous truths as I perceive them.
No one can tell me there’s too many Black people. Or how they need to talk. Or dress. Or be. Or what their themes, emotions, and truth must be. Must look like.
Freedom comes with so much work, but I will always want the freedom to string my own drum.
Beat it with plastic canoe paddles.
Traditional publishing can’t offer that; you don’t have enough control.
Traditional publishers are looking to slip your novel into the tiny spaces left behind by other books. They want you to weave a story that’s a mashup of one author and another.
Dune x The Handmaid’s Tale x Peppa Pig.
But, where does that leave your truth?
Where does that leave your soul?
Whose story are you spending years telling?
Self-publishing is different. Not better, but different.
On this journey, we control everything: the book cover, the marketing, the story, the heart, the editing, the failures, the website, the audience.
And that’s the next beautiful thing about self-publishing.
There’s mind-breaking misery
Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together. —Napoleon Hill
Ha, ha. Aka the responsibility.
Everything… everything is up to you.
You’re behind the camera, in front of the camera, and you are the camera. Nothing happens without you.
You’re the director, the cast, the finances, the designer. All of it.
And when you’re in all of it, you find a new appreciation for yourself. For what you’re capable of.
All of that responsibility can be overwhelming, true, but when you push on and complete anything, the feeling is like no other.
All the years of obsessing over the small details to put out a professional product are worth it.
And over those years, you’ve become an entrepreneur. You have skills you can transfer to many domains.
And it’s almost indescribable, except I could say it’s like
Planting, growing, and harvesting many tiny, voracious brains.
It’s a wondrous, exhausting reality.
There’s tons of stairs to trip up
“To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” — Invajy
Self-publishing forces you — in the best possible way — to level up. All of the time. In many areas only related by the theme of “publishing a book.”
You fail and fail some more. Burned, stinking kernels.
Then, you pop like ten bags of popcorn and level up. A new, better version of yourself.
Since the final product is your sole responsibility, you must learn new skills. Meet new people. Make mistakes.
Your book is more than just a baby; it’s twenty babies.
So, before you dismiss self-publishing with a frustration-fueled roll of your eyes, remember what self-publishing offers: freedom, responsibility, and tripping.
We’re on a different journey than you, and it is equal to yours.
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