HOW SELF-PUBLISHING CAN BE A GREAT MOTIVATOR

You’ve just received another rejection.  It’s one of those generic rejections that you have memorized word for word, because it’s always the same one they use.  They were pleased to read your work, but unfortunately they won’t be able to use your story blah blah blah blah blah.  Of course, as a writer you’ve gotten used to rejections, but for whatever reason that one hits you personally.  You feel like a fraud.  Like you’re not good enough.  That you have no business calling yourself a “writer.”

But, to calm yourself down you pull out a copy of your very own book.  It was self-published, but it looks like any ordinary book.  The simple act of seeing your name on the cover immediately puts you in a better place. You flip through the pages and seeing your words in printing that’s in an actual book, rather than just printed out pages from Microsoft Word, reminds you that you are a writer.

I self-published a book of short stories, Falling Apart, with iUniverse.  I knew I wasn’t going to make a lot of money from it.  I knew that most of the people who would be buying it would be friends and relatives, but I didn’t care.  I did it for me.  I wanted to see something of mine as a real book.  It was a little pricey, but doing that was far more worth it than spending the money on meaningless movies or CDs.  Anytime I feel discouraged, or anytime I feel that sting of doubt, I take out a copy of my book and stare at it.

You’d be surprised what a motivational boost it is, to see your own book.  It was self-published.  So what?  The book’s on Amazon.  You can go to the Barnes and Nobel website and order it.  It’s a book.  A real book.  Something you can hold in your hands and be proud of.

I’m not saying that self-publishing should always be the first way to go.  Unless you’re a marketing genius with a lot of connections, chances are you’re not going to make a whole lot of money.  If you want something published because you really want to see your name in print, and you want your book to be available even if there’s a chance you’re not going to make the money back from what it ended up costing, then I’d say it’s a nice investment.

As with anything else in life, it’s just another option.  Another route to take.  Always try to find a home for your work, but it’s nice to know that there’s always another way to go about it when need be.