by Sue Coletta
When I wrote my first novel, I had visions of landing a Big-Name Publisher who’d send a limo to wine ‘n dine me to celebrate this amazing accomplishment. Well, of course, that never happened. After writing four more novels, I landed a publisher. Two, actually. One wanted to sign me immediately. Kensington wanted two weeks to think about it. And, of course, I felt I’d waited long enough.
Words of Wisdom: Small choices can have career-long consequences.
I regretted that decision for years, but eventually got comfortable with it. My new publisher treated me well and I learned a lot about the biz.
During those early years, I couldn’t understand the discord between indies and trad-pubbed authors. It seemed both sides had authors who looked down on the other. Indies weren’t good enough for traditional houses (their words, not mine) and trad-pubbed authors were stuck-up (also their words). I never bought into either argument. Most of my friends were indies, and I’d read their un-put-downable books. I also read several Edgar Award winners, and most were a slow slog till the end. A definite discord emerged in some circles, though. One time, I got kicked off a podcast when the host discovered I had a publisher.
Words of Wisdom: Someone else’s shoes aren’t meant to fit you.
The other thing that confused me was the phrase, “indie author.” I researched the term and discovered it meant self-published authors and small press authors. Didn’t that make me an indie author? I also couldn’t figure out why indie authors didn’t like the term “self-publishing.” Sure, there was a stigma attached to that phrase back then, but wasn’t that what they were? Hold your outrage, please. I’ll circle back.
There I stayed for over a decade, straddling these two worlds. In 2015, I dipped my toe into self-publishing waters with a 60 Ways to Murder guide and a few story collections. I created the covers on Canva and formatted the best I could, but I had no idea what I was doing. And I thought, Why would anyone choose this path?
Words of Wisdom: Don’t let misconceptions skew your view or blind you to opportunities.
As the years rolled by, I settled in, convinced that I’d chosen the right publishing path for me. I believed my publisher when they told me trade paperbacks were costly to produce, hence why they needed proof of sales to warrant dishing out dough to put my books into print, even though I’d sold 700 copies of my debut in the first few weeks of preorders.
Didn’t matter. It took a solid year before I held my first book baby, MARRED (Grafton County Series #1).
Words of Wisdom: If you sign away your rights, the publisher has final say. Your opinion is irrelevant.
Fast-forward to 2022 — nine years after I signed my first contract. Cracks in the foundation on which I stood grew wider and more unstable. When I submitted HALOED, the final book in my Grafton County Series, my editor didn’t send back the usual Word.doc with track changes. Instead, she offered copyedits via one short paragraph in an email. All these years we had the same system. Why change it?
After I went through the manuscript for the final time, she told me to run it through — get this — Grammarly. What? No line edits? Around the same time, my publisher hired a new proofreader, who demanded I change where the killer lived.
Mind you, she had no editing experience. None. I flat-out refused that request. The change would’ve destroyed my meticulously plotted storyline and the series as a whole. My publisher claimed to listen my side but asked me to consider the change because the proofreader acted as an “average reader.” I told them I would die on this hill. In the end, I won the argument, but things had changed between us, and not for the better.
That book released over a year ago. Not one reader mentioned any confusion in reviews. Not one! So, who are these “average readers” that she allegedly represents?
Words of Wisdom: The publisher hires editors and proofreaders. They work for them, not you.
A few months later, I submitted Unnatural Mayhem (Mayhem Series #5). Did you ever pen a novel that you felt destined to write, like something bigger than you was driving the writing train? Unnatural Mayhem was that book for me. It’s a pivotal book in the Mayhem Series, where the series morphs from pure psychological thrillers to eco-adventure thrillers/Native American metaphysical thrillers, and the change spoke to my soul, to the core of my being.
For years, I’d longed to write something deeply meaningful while still delivering a fast-paced, suspenseful narrative. Plus, I killed a slew of poachers and trophy hunters, brought awareness to the Natural World, and protected wildlife. Win-win-win!
My goal was to donate profits to the people on the ground who fight poaching and animal trafficking, to help the only way I knew how — power of the pen. It’s still my goal, but that’s beside the point. I tell you this to show how important Unnatural Mayhem was to me.
Words of Wisdom: If you take a stand, know your legal rights and be ready to follow through.
When my publisher put the book on preorder, they sent me ARCs. As usual, I cracked open the book to read the story one last time, and I noticed whole paragraphs were missing. By the halfway mark, it dawned on me that I was reading my unedited manuscript. Since my editor was again absent from the editing process, I pored over the manuscript and rewrote/added 10K words. It had to be perfect to ease my existing audience into a new genre.
Whether the editor read the final manuscript is still up for debate. What she sent the publisher was my initial submission — weeks of work gone — and they forward the unedited version to the so-called proofreader. I panicked. Freaked out. My entire street team got those ARCs! I fired off a frantic email to my publisher. Did they believe me? Nope. The editor said she sent the final, so that’s the final.
Words of Wisdom: Choose and prioritize your battles.
Rather than argue about it and waste more time, I jumped on Draft2Digital and created new ARCs for my street team. Nothing was more important than my readers. The book wouldn’t release for weeks. Plenty of time to sort out the mess.
When my editor finally admitted her mistake, along with her resignation, the damage was already done. My publisher now thought of me — me! — as the troublemaker. The ten years I’d given them meant nothing. Months rolled by and Unnatural Mayhem still wasn’t in print. Whenever I broached the subject, they sidestepped with excuses about time-constraints.
None of my indie friends had these problems. Indie publishing looked better and better.
Words of Wisdom: Fluidity and perseverance are key to a successful author career. If you’re unhappy, pivot in a new direction.
So, I wrote one last email that read, “Why don’t I do us both a favor and move on.” I had no intention of buying back the series. I just wanted the right to publish future Mayhem books. No can do, they said, we have the right of first refusal. After hiring a lawyer and fighting over the contract for Restless Mayhem, which I had to submit per the ROFR, I’d had enough.
My saint of a husband told me to exercise my buyout clause. And so, I did. True-to-form, the publisher threw a few more digs like “Grafton County sells 4.5 times better than Mayhem” insinuating they didn’t care. If that were true, why put me through this? They also postdated the ROR. Funny, my payment wasn’t postdated. None of that mattered.
I’d broken free! Almost. I’ll deal with Grafton County later.
Indie Publishing Here I Come
After enduring months of pettiness and BS, I finally had full control over the series that mattered most, the series I planned to write for the rest of my career, the series that allowed me to make a difference — one book at a time — to help save animals.
One problem. I knew nothing about indie publishing. The indie community rallied around me. Seriously, the outpouring of love and support brought me to tears.
My first step was to assemble a team. I contacted my cover designer, who used to work for my publisher and went out on her own. She’s done all but two of my covers, and I just adore her. Shout out to Elle J. Rossi of Evernight Designs! Once Elle said yes, I reached out to an editor/author friend, who I’d known ten years.
Second problem: After buying back my rights, I didn’t have much money left. Not only did she lower her fee, but she also dropped everything to work on Restless Mayhem. Unbelievable. And she’s an outstanding editor with more credentials than many of my former editors at three different publishers. The stars aligned again, and one of my ARC readers turned into an eagle-eyed proofreader, who I pay with free signed paperbacks.
Words of Wisdom: Cherish the writing (and reading!) community. We are your People, your tribe, not your competition.
With my team assembled, I republished the first five books of the series and put Unnatural Mayhem into print. Remember the bit about trade paperbacks being costly? Not true in today’s landscape. Even Ingram Spark axed their setup fees. All it costs to turn ebooks into paperbacks is elbow grease, time, and ISBNs.
Even with the steep learning curve, I loved every second of the process. Still do! Never have I felt freer. Let’s face it. Even the best publishers won’t care as much as the author. As a result, Indie authors take the time to add tiny tweaks to improve the reading experience.
Words of Wisdom: Buy your own ISBNs from Bowker.com
This helps with continuity and name recognition wherever the book is sold. Otherwise, one book might have multiple ISBNs, which confuses indie bookstores and libraries.
Learning how to format was a little tricky. I still need to invest in formatting software. Many of my friends rave about Vellum. Atticus looks good, too, and it’s $100 cheaper. Because I had five books to republish, I formatted through Kindle Create and went wide through Draft2Digital. As soon as Ingram Spark dropped their setup fees, I began the process of publishing there as well.
On April 26th of this year, I released Restless Mayhem, my 1st full indie title. It’d only been a month since I republished the first five books. The launch for Restless Mayhem turned into one of my best. It was the right book at the right time with the right indie team. I missed the #1 tag by millimeters. Restless Mayhem sat at #3 in all three categories for weeks. Close enough for me.
What I never expected was to re-evaluate my career goals. Before going indie, I thought I knew what I was shooting for, but the process changed my mindset. The moment I had my rights back, I slid into warrior-mode, studying everything I could get my hands on to learn the ropes of indie publishing. It also forced me to learn new ways to market my books. Have I mastered it all yet? Absolutely not. I am on the right track, though. And I’ve never been happier.
Words of Wisdom: Small successes pave the road to big dreams.
Remember the comment about Mayhem books not selling? Also, not true. I sold more books in that first month than I had in a full quarter with my publisher. For the first time ever, I’m able to see results in real-time, which is enormously helpful for gauging where to put marketing dollars. With lower stress levels, I’m also writing a lot faster. Two weeks ago, Tracking Mayhem went on preorder. And I’m planning to release book 8 in the fall.
Want to hear some super exciting news? A few weeks ago, I received a call from the story editor for A Time to Kill, the show I flew to Georgia for that I mentioned in my last guest post here. The media company wanted to know if they could include one of my books under my name as a thank you. So now, when my three episodes air on Investigation Discovery, it’ll say Sue Coletta, Author of Restless Mayhem. Free marketing to a worldwide audience! All the angels in heaven sang that day. 😉
Words of Wisdom: When one door shuts, jump out the window.
I’ll leave you with this. Remember the questions I pondered early in my career? This journey taught me why self-published authors prefer indie publishing — because there is no “self” in publishing. Cover designers, editors, proofreaders, beta and/or ARC readers are all crucial parts of the puzzle. I also forgave that podcaster. All he was trying to do was bring awareness to his indie community. Small press authors can say they understand, but they don’t. Not really. They can’t unless or until they venture down the same road.
Since buying back my rights last March, I’ve received two out-of-the-blue offers from traditional publishers who want my Mayhem Series. Turned them both down. 😉 I’m happy right where I am, thank you very much.
by Sue Coletta (@SueColetta1) June 18, 2023
What about you, scriveners? Have you ever left a traditional publisher? Do you have any horror stories like Sue’s to share? Have you tried indie publishing? Which type of publishing works best for you and your genre? Has an editor ever asked you for changes you feel would ruin your book?
Sue Coletta
Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of MWA, Sisters in Crime, and ITW. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs on the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”) and Writers Helping Writers.
Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and writes two psychological thriller series, and narrative nonfiction/true crime
Sue teaches a virtual course about serial killers for EdAdvance in CT and a condensed version for Sisters In Crime. She’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion. In October, she’s filming three episodes of Homicide: Hours to Kill for Cineflix. Learn more about Sue and her books at https://suecoletta.com
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Thanks for hosting me today, Anne! I lowered the preorder to 99c for a promo site, so it’ll stay at that price for a few days. 😉
Congrats, Sue!
Thanks, J.R.! It’s been quite a journey. Wish I did it years ago. Now if I can only figure out Amazon ads… *sigh*
Hey Sue! Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this blog with your name on come up in my Feedspot! I was so excited. Wonderful story. So glad you’re free of that publisher. My journey with that publisher was also fraught with angst. The cost of print copies was also something I was told. And you’re right. It was all BS. I am also so much happier as an indie author. I can let you have the name of someone who does Amazon ads very reasonably if you would like?
Welcome to the dark side, my friend. We’ve been expecting you.
Sue—Thanks for a super post! My experience with trad publishers (S&S, Random House, St. Martin’s) had the usual good stuff and bad stuff. Best story of all was the time I got a form rejection (from Dell) WHILE the book (HUSBANDS AND LOVERS) was on the NYT bestseller list. Crazy business, for sure. 🙂
Yikes. What a nightmare. Brava to the tenacity & resourcefulness you applied to fixing the problem.l
Garry — Hahahaha! Happy to be here. *curtsy*
Ruth — OMG, that’s hilarious! And form rejection to boot. They really did their homework first. LOL
CS — Thank you! I was in total panic-mode but we can go with “tenacity” and “resourcefulness.” 😉
Thank you Anne for introducing me to Sue. Such a fun style, Sue, in your blog post travels through the world of publishing yesterday and today. It made me want to read more of your works…and will. thanks. judy
Judy — Thank you! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend. 😀
Sue, thank you for sharing the inside story of your decision! Now and then, when I think about my own journey to indie publishing and wonder if I should try for a trad deal, I hear something like this and realize how good I have it. Trad publishing is flailing and those of us willing to build our own team are benefiting.
What a trying journey! You’ve convinced me I made the right choice, going Indie.
Wow – what a long road you’ve been on, Sue! And you’ve learned a ton. I’m happy that you’ve finally found your “place” and are doing so well publishing your books. I’m impressed by your tenacity for sure.
Carmen — You’re so right. Indie publishing isn’t an easy road by any means, but it’s such a worthwhile endeavor for those of willing to put in the time and do the work. I couldn’t believe how wide of a net I could cast on my own. My books are available at more retailers now than ever before, with multiple streams of income outside Amazon.
Moving onto more retailers is my next big move as well. Amazon is great, but there are more ‘bookshops’ out there.
Jacqui — It was absolutely brutal. Trad-pubbed authors are at the mercy of the publisher. A feeling of helplessness can get downright suffocating after a while.
Patricia — Thank you! I love finding new places to publish outside of Amazon. The wider the net, the better. 😀 And I’m really looking forward to publishing in hardcover. Never could before!
I’ve enjoyed your blog for years. You formerly included a hot link but now you have a cut, paste, and pray link. Any chance of going back to the hot link.
Correction. I have obese fingers
Congratulations on your literary independence, Sue! I had a bad experience with a traditional small press for my debut novel. It was so stressful, as soon as I had another book in the works, I decided to indie publish. As you say, there has been a very steep learning curve, lots of missteps, and a mountain of hard work, but I know I made the right decision for the rest of my writing career. I think the publishing industry is transitioning to a second major paradigm shift (after ebooks and self-publishing). However, I think what that paradigm will be is still unknown at this point. Like higher education, publishing hasn’t yet figured out where it wants to land.
Your story like so many others I’ve read has me torn. For years, I’ve believed traditional was the right path for me but I’m not making any headway there. I have a lot to learn if I do take the Indie journey. But more and more, it’s looking like I’ll head that way. Thanks for your story, Sue. Best of luck with your own journey!
Liz — Thank you! I made lots of missteps, too. All part of the learning process. Mountains of work, as you say, but it’s rewarding. The publishing industry does seem to be transitioning, I agree. Authors don’t have to settle anymore. Freedom — it’s everything!
Jay — Thank you for reading and commenting!
Traci — Thank you! Any worthwhile endeavor has a steep learning curve. For a long time I let that stop me from taking the plunge. Just take one step at a time. There’s no reason to rush the process. Enjoy the journey! If you get stuck, ask the indie community. Everyone is so supportive and kind.
This was a super interesting read. I’m a newer writer. I’m actively pursuing the craft, but still have a ways to go to being publishable. For so long I wanted only traditional publishing. I’ve become more open to indie publishing. It leaves me torn between the two. I really appreciate and admire those with more experience and can guide me. That draws me to trad publishing. I imagine it’s a great opportunity to learn on a deeper level, but I see your point about editors working for publishers, not me. Indie publishing and finding who to work with myself if a bit intimidating because I see a lot of editors online, I don’t know their quality. Nor how to know when my writing is at a publishable place.
I decided to abandon my search for an agent after learning that traditional publishers today offer little to no marketing support or editing and that debut writers are often dropped if their books don’t sell in large enough numbers during the first six weeks after publication.
This was bad enough but why exactly would I sign over the lion’s share of royalties to a publisher when I would be doing the lion’s share of the work? Or sign over all the rights to my work for the entire life of copyright?
Fortunately, I came across some amazing indie publishing podcasts and websites just as I’d reached my nadir. I began to understand that I didn’t need to be validated by external gatekeepers; I needed to find an audience. Having a long and creative writing career was completely possible with indie publishing. Yes, there are a lot of new skills to master but there’s a lot of information and support out there. Giving up on traditional publishing is without a doubt the best thing I could have done for my mental health, too.
Tonya — Early in my career I hired a writing coach. Best move I ever made. But like you said, it’s tough to know who to trust. So many authors go into editing to earn extra money. Unless an editor has actual editing credentials and/or degrees, I wouldn’t hire them. Authors aren’t automatically editors because we know how to self-edit.
Great information and words of wisdom, Sue! The writing community is the best.
Linda — Exactly. With all but one of my publishers, I had to do all the marketing. After a while, it made me wonder why I was giving away the lion’s share of my royalties.
Kay — Yes, it is! Thank you. Learned most of these things the hard way. 😉
Yay for you Sue! You aren’t the only Indie with a story coming from the trad side I know. And the 3 I know all have similar hair-tearing stories. Also, you are correct, there is no ‘self’ in self-pub, if we want to put out quality work by hiring our cover artists and editors. I’m sorry for your crap you had to go through, but welcome to the freedom side of writing. 🙂 <3
Debby — Thanks, my friend! Thrilled to be on the sweet side of publishing! <3
Welcome to freedom, Sue! With your can-do, make-it-happen mindset, you’re in the right place. You are no longer at the mercy of external factors beyond your control, like clueless proofreaders, editors who “forget”, quit or get fired, and the unpredictable whims of publishers owned by conglomerates that don’t even know how to spell “book.”
Six months after publishing the first book in my series, my trad publisher ceased operations. Fortunately they reverted my rights, no problem. I received several offers from small presses with poor terms. Thanks but no thanks.
Have been indie ever since and very glad I chose that path. In 2020, when Covid shut down publishing, my trad friends had their books stuck in the pipeline. Delays cost them canceled tours, promotions, releases up to 1 1/2 years late. In that year, I self-pubbed four books, which would have been impossible in the trad system.
Marketing horsepower used to be a major reason to go trad but now most of that burden falls on the author anyway.
As long as you have the responsibility, you might as well enjoy the control!
Oh my! Where did you hear about the marketing and editing?
Thank you, Debbie! You’re 100% right about 2020. My true crime publisher slowed to a crawl, and my New England-wide book tour got cancelled. Pretty Evil New England did release on time, but during the editing process, they shuffled me from one editor to another.
Agree about marketing, too. With little-to-no help from publishers, the reasons to go the traditional route dwindle more and more.
I’m loving my freedom!
Tonya — Marketing is a whole other beast. I learned (and continue to learn) through trial and error. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake; it’s how we grow. Editing I learned through working with multiple editors. That said, no writer can be objective when it comes to their work. Thus, hiring a real editor makes all the difference. A good editor helps shape you into a better writer.
Sorry I don’t have a more clear and concise answer for you. Marketing and editing are two big topics. You can start by reading blogs like this one, Writers Helping Writers, the Kill Zone, and Writer Unboxed, along with many others dedicated to the craft of writing.
Hey, Elaine! I would love the name of someone who does Amazon ads. Email me, please: sue@suecoletta.com
I’ve taken AMZ courses and still can’t get the targeting right, so it might be time to hand it off to someone else. I’m working on hardcovers today. Yay! Can’t wait!
Elaine — I left you another comment, but it didn’t land right (scroll below). Yes, absolutely. There’s no reason to be dependent on Amazon. My books are available in over 80 different retailers. Gone are days of obsessing over my rank on Amazon. Now, I rarely check it. As long as I have consistent sales, whether that be Amazon or at other retailers, I’m happy. 😀
What a story! And welcome to the fold, Sue.
I am still a hybrid author, with indie published fiction, and trad published non fiction. I’m currently experiencing am incredibly frustrating and disappointing time with the publisher of my latest book – in short, 3 changes of editor, with the most recent contradicting stuff the second told me to do, and an art department that can’t get diagrams right more than 50% of the time. Oh, and discovering my book was up for pre-order only because a reader informed me they’d ordered a copy, with a publication date that is never going to happen because of all the backtracking and mistakes at the publisher’s end.
I can’t wait to get back to being an indie! I reckon this will be my last trad book, I really find myself disliking not only the process, but the lack of freedom.
Good for you for taking the plunge.
LOL. I check mine every day – even have a spread sheet. But totally get that if your books are spread that wide you’d spend all your time recording stuff when you should be writing!
Thanks for sharing your story! Just downloaded the first audiobook in the series!
Deborah — I feel your pain! I’m hybrid, too. One series is still with a publisher, but since I ended the series last year, it’s easier and a lot less stressful to let the contracts run out. My true crime is with a different publisher but they have an active marketing department. In February of this year, they scored a feature deal for Pretty Evil New England. How did I find out? BookBub sent their daily email — and there was my book! Too bad all publishers don’t work that way.
Yes, I agree. Having no control over our book babies is super stressful and often leads to helplessness. That last year scarred me to the point of never wanting to write another book for a traditional publisher… unless the advance had at least five figures. 😉 Even then, this whole process has made me leery.
LG — Thank you! Enjoy!
Elaine — Exactly! After Amazon changed their category policy, my rank nosedived because they stuck my books into the enormous category of “books.” Genre and keywords erased, just “books.” Ugh. Didn’t discover this little wrinkle till late last week. Now I’m playing catch-up.
A spreadsheet is a good idea. I haven’t implemented a good monthly sales record yet. I’ve been too busy writing. 😀
Elaine — Way too many retailers to rely solely on Amazon. D2D distributes to many, but their paperback pricing is ridiculous. I only used them for ebooks. Ingram Spark offers an even wider reach. You can use the same cover, but the print wrap needs to be tweaked. My cover designer does that for me. 😉
I’ve found ALLi: The Alliance of Independent Authors (www.allianceindependentauthors.org), very helpful. They have a great podcast, blog and free newsletter as well as paid guides. It’s de-mystified the journey and made it a lot less scary for me.
That’s so weird. They weren’t supposed to touch existing books, except for maybe choosing the best 3 categories of all the categories you’d originally chosen if you had more than 3. I was under the impression that the new rule was for new books.
<3 <3
Linda — I agree. Thank you for mentioning ALLi. They’re an excellent resource.
Elaine — Evidently not. They even changed my ebook categories, and I’d sent 10 categories per format to add before the change. Maybe it’s because I published while changes were underway? No idea. All I know is I had to manually change ALL the categories for my books except Tracking Mayhem, which went on preorder after the new policy.
Heavens! Glad you were able to sort it out.
Hi Sue, I posted a reply to you regarding V.M. Sang’s comment about blogging vs. newsletter and I saw my response posted and now both are gone. Did you take them down for a specific reason I should know about? I didn’t think there was anything offensive going on. Can you please explain so I know for future comments?
Paula–Sue has nothing to do with the admin on this blog. That’s up to me. And I’m not seeing any comments about blogging vs. newsletters. I prefer blogging myself, since a blog is available to the general public and a newsletter only goes to people who are already fans.
We have been dealing with some weird stuff from over-enthusiastic spam blocker elves. But I haven’t heard of them posting something then retracting it before. A total mystery to me. I heard from another reader who wasn’t able to subscribe yesterday, but that was a problem with MailChimp, not WordPress. I apologize for the rude behavior of the WordPress elves, and I hope you’ll repost your comment. I’ll be interested in seeing both your opinion and VM’s.
Anne, I just realized my post didn’t send. I think my fault. Sorry. Will try again.
Sorry, Paula! Just saw your comment and Anne’s response. I agree that blogging gives you a wider reach. When you’re ready, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have between the two. Strangely, I can’t find VM’s original comment. WP gremlins wreaking havoc again. LOL
Sue–I can’t find a comment on blogging from VM Sang either. It’s all very mysterious.
Anne and Sue, this was my mess-up entirely. I had two blogs sites open and they had similar colors and platforms. I think I posted on the wrong blog. My apologies. I did want to say that Sue’s experience sounds like a nightmare but what a great wake up to success. I self pubbed my Kindle novels but obtained a small indie publisher for my print editions and it was a wonderful experience. The CEO died suddenly and all operations stopped abruptly. It took me a year to get my copyright back. Getting a legal reversion letter from a shocked and grieving widow wasn’t easy. Now I just signed a contract with another indie publisher for my new novel to be published in 2024. The reason I wanted to go indie again is because of the community of readership and authors the publisher has and can provide in my genre. Going it alone as self-pubbed has great advantages of independence and autonomy but can be daunting to build the readership and keep it going. Sue, you sound like you are a winner in accomplishing that! I love to see authors beating the odds. Keep it up, please. You are an inspiration to all of us.
This is from Sue. The WordPress elves are making commenting tough today. Paula — Thank you so much! The kind words mean a lot. <3
Congratulations on your upcoming release! Traditional publishing does have its advantages if you're with a decent house. I was happy for a many years. It's also okay to change our mind later. 😉
I have always preferred “trad publishing” but perhaps because I have been in the publishing business for more years than I care to remember I have forgotten to be incisive. I do self-publish and often, but I save my best works for my publisher.
I do understand and empathize, but I suppose that I am to set in my ways.
Lol tis’ difficult to teach an old dog new tricks.
I am so glad it worked out for you.
It seems you’re doing just fine on your own, Miss television personality, lol. Congrats on all you’ve achieved. You’re an inspiration to us all {{hugs}}
When I discovered the crummy economics of traditional publishing and that publishers expected the author to do all the marketing, I started thinking of going indie.
My decision was cemented when other writers were thrilled to announce that they finally had secured agents…it had only taken about ten years of querying. I don’t know if I have ten years to wait.
That’s why I’ve switched to trodding down the indie path.