There’s More Than One Way to Play A C Chord: Why I Chose Self-Publishing, PART TWO
Self-Publishing: what, why, how?
Self-publishing is a pretty broad term, but it means that, rather than using the traditional route of agent-publisher-bookstores, you become the whole journey in and of yourself, taking on (or hiring out for) all of the tasks associated with this people yourself.
Perhaps it is easier to begin by talking about what self-publishing does not mean, and then we can dive a bit deeper into what it actually is and why I chose it specifically for my novella, The Number Room, and my short story collection (at the time of this writing, unreleased), Lies Beyond: A Deadly Anthology.
WHAt self-publishing does not mean
Time to come clean and embarrass myself a bit: when I first learned about self-publishing, I thought that it was merely a secondary measure in the journey to publishing your book, a way to rise above the ashes of query-trenches defeat and to defiantly proclaim your self-worth in the face of its perceived denial. And perhaps it is this for some* - the traditional publishing world can be tough to get into, even with a fantastic story and perfect prose, as agents receive hundreds or thousands of queries every month, and good stuff is bound to get lost in the mix - but it is most certainly not the only way to look at it. In fact, I would say this is the minority view among those who take this route.
But again, that was my perception until I met a few folks in the wonderful world of Threads that had not been traditionally published, had never tried to be traditionally published, and who simply have no desire to be traditionally published. For them, self-publishing wasn’t a second option - it wasn’t mere defiance of defeat - it was the road, the path they wanted to take to getting their books in front of readers, for reasons I’ll discuss shortly.
But for now, suffice it to say, self-publishing is not a “because-I-have-to” or “it’s-my-only-option” or “I’m-not-good-enough-for-traditional” option. It is a valid and beautiful first option available to everyone.
So then, does it mean to self-publish?
what self-publishing does mean
Self-publishing is a choice made by an author to retain full creative control over every aspect of their book. From editing to cover design to marketing to where the book is sold, you are in charge. Rather than just having a say, you have active control over who you hire for editing, for designing and creating your cover, for coming up with marketing campaigns and ads for your book** and can make clear what you DO and DO NOT want for your baby, your precious creation.
Now, I’m not advising getting power hungry, here. If you do find a talented editor to hire, or artist to design the cover, or someone to make you some ads, don’t throw their suggestions out just because you’re the big boss and you can. Listen to and learn from the community of independent (indie) authors that have gone before you; once again, there are sooooo many people on Threads who are more than happy to give you free advice and recommendations on everything in the world of self-publishing.
As wonderful as I’m sure it is to have the kind of resources traditionally published authors have, I can say from experience it is also fun and powerful (and yes, at times, very difficult) to make or find the resources on your own.
There are also other alternatives to traditional publishing: there are independent presses, small publishing houses that are not part of “The Big Five” publishers that put out all the books you see on the NYT Bestseller list, and a myriad of other options, if you’re willing to look around.
My story with self-publishing
To get a little personal for a moment, I sent queries for my debut novel, Sic ‘Em, to 178 agents. I received 174 rejections, one full request which ended up being yet another rejection, and three non-responses which at this point, are safe to call rejections as well. It reaaaaalllllyyyy bummed me out, to say the least. At the time, traditional publishing was the only way to go in my mind, and this felt like the end for me as an author.
Of course, one rejected novel does not a failed author make, regardless of how you choose to publish, but amidst serious imposter syndrome, doubts about my own ability to ever write anything else, let alone another novel, and a plethora of other concerns, it felt like the end of a career that hadn’t even gotten a chance to start (a bit dramatic, maybe, but don’t you have to be at least a little dramatic to be a writer? No? Just me?)
Then, I met some people who chose self-publishing as a first choice, and it opened my world.
From its conception, I always intended for my newest collection, Lies Beyond, to be independently published.
Why?
I knew exactly who I wanted to use for a cover artist (and MAN did she knock it way outta the park - knocked it outta the game to put it lightly). I knew exactly how I wanted to market it. I got exactly the perfect person to edit it. And I’m getting to live all that within my own timelines and in my own ways.
It’s been a ton of work, but it’s brought me closer to other authors and has made me dig deeper into my own writing, making me consider if it’s really worth all the hard work I’m putting into trying to get it out there.
Will I sell as many copies as a traditionally published book? Probably not. But do I have every reason to be incredibly proud of every aspect of any success this book achieves? Absolutely.
CONCLUSION
Please don’t misunderstand me, my heart behind these articles, or my position on traditional publishing. I would still love to be a traditionally published author some day. But I never want to be only a traditionally published author. I appreciate writers like Clay McCleod Chapman, who doesn’t just stick to one publisher and one format, but who branches out in so many cool and creative ways to tell his incredible stories, including small, independent presses and the like, and I want to live and work in that stream as well, being as well rounded in my method of getting stories into the world as I am in my storytelling.
But do hear me when I say that independently publishing your art is not a response to failure; it is a valid path to finding your people. It is a way to retain full creative control over your darlings.
There’s more than one way to play a C chord: it’s your song, and you have the freedom to add 9s and 13s and suspensions and all manner of fun stuff, just as the story you wrote is your story, and there’s more than one way to get it out to the right audience.
I’m proud to be part of the self-publishing movement, and I can’t wait to watch it continue to grow.
Josiah Furcinitti
*I should note, I don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with using self-publishing in this way. If your dream is to be trad-pubbed, but it’s simply not happening for whatever reason, there’s nothing wrong with using self-publishing as a stepping stool and establishing yourself before trying again, as long as you realize that’s not the only reason self-publishing exists and don’t make this assumption of others.
**For the love of GOD, do this part RIGHT and hire real people or do it yourself. There are SO many helpful people out there who will work for fair rates and plenty of free programs that aren’t using the slop that is AI that will help you to get things in your book where you want them.
