These are a few of my favorite things - about self-publishing

As some of you know, my publisher and I recently terminated our contract by mutual agreement. I have since self-published the second editions of all five of my Malone mysteries - with new covers. And, I wrote and self-published Secrets in Storyville, the first novel in a new series.

I had considered self-publishing for quite some time but I was hesitant for several reasons. For one thing, I knew absolutely nothing about the process. Thanks to the encouragement of an author/friend, I finally decided to take the plunge and I'm so glad I did. For me, it's been a freeing experience, allowing me to be more involved in what happens with my books.

Before I say another word, I want to be clear. In no way am I undermining the importance and/or the value of publishers. As a matter-of-fact, I’m grateful that I started my writing career with a small press publisher. For me, it was the right choice at the time. I was new to publishing, had few contacts and was pretty much clueless.

And, for so long, there was a stigma around self-publishing. By securing a publisher, I’ll admit I felt that my writing had been validated. After all, I had a REAL publisher. Fortunately, the outdated belief that self-published books are inferior to those that are traditionally published is disappearing, as many incredibly talented writers chose to self-publish.

So, what are my favorite things about self-publishing?

1. Timing. Publishers have other authors, which means they operate on their own schedules. The writer has little or no control over when their book will be published. It’s often a case of rush, rush, rush to get everything together for the publisher and then wait, wait, wait to see the book in print. When you self-publish, you know when your book is ready to go to press and you put it up to be published. Voila! Within a couple of days, it’s on amazon!

·   Please note that it’s crucial to have other readers, preferably authors, read your manuscript before you submit it – to find errors that your writer’s eye doesn’t spot.

2. Being “in the loop.” Publishers differ in this regard. Some are diligent in sending quarterly statements. Some aren’t. But either way, an author spends huge amounts of time without really knowing how their book is doing. Of course, they can check their author rank on amazon but that doesn’t tell them how many books they’ve sold. When you self-publish, you can check your sales as often as you want.

3. Payment. Again, publishers differ. Some pay on schedule; some don’t. With KDP, after the first month, your royalties will appear in your checking account every month.

4. Pricing. The publisher sets the pricing. With self-publishing, the author sets their own prices. By eliminating the middle man, I'm able to make my books more affordable.

5. Book details. Many changes on amazon need to be made by the publisher. For example, if you want to change the categories or key words, you need to contact your publisher and hope he/she does it in a timely manner. When you self-publish, you can make changes at your own discretion.

You may be thinking - “That all sounds good but doesn’t a publisher take care of all the details, which leaves the writer more time to write?” The answer is "Yes, at first." Like everything else in life, there’s a learning curve.

And, if you're wondering about promotion, keep in mind that, for the most part, small press authors need to promote their books themselves just as self-published authors do.

The people at KDP are always there to help. They were beyond patient (believe me, I tested their patience with my constant barrage of questions) and they guided me through the process every step of the way.