What is a self-publisher?

(I admit I wrote this 5 years ago, but it is no longer available from the original blog site and I was asked about it this week.)

Why would any self-publisher go around saying they are a self-publisher unless he or she has no intention to ever do more than publish one book and disappear? (And there is nothing inherently wrong with that!)

"Small publisher" includes everything from one book upwards. Surely that single book is just the first book, and if you've found out how to do it and done it successfully, is it not likely that you may then do the same for an even more struggling author?

I'm not even sure I like the term "small publisher" except that it does distinguish us from the big boys in New York who try to rule the world of books and do it so badly. In that sense small publishers include firms employing hundreds of people, firms I'm proud to be numbered among, firms like the publisher Lonely Planet built in this same city by two people who wrote, edited, laid out and hawked their first travel guide and which is now a world-wide employer.

I did it differently -- my business was me alone, working from home, but giving employment to others via contract work, and I was proud to be among other home workers such as the magazine publisher couple I know who turn over more than a million dollars a year from four titles. When I sold my publishing business I had eight current book titles and five authors.

Step one in publishing is to divorce you the author from you the publisher. I don't mean hiding that you are both, but, with all that effort which has to be put into publishing a first book, some of that effort should be put into building a publishing name that can be used in future.

I have sympathy for the reviewers who won't handle "self-published" books. Even if the quality is reasonable, it still says "I don't really know what I'm doing". There is a big difference between self-published and the first book published by a new publisher owned by the author.

My "small publishing" business is still successful. I sold it to one of my authors, Geoffrey Heard, and became one of his. It's web site is still at www.worsleypress.com

Comments

[James Young]

Hi Gordon,

Do you see self publishing as a route to be followed when you've received your share of rejection letters....or would you pursue it for a first novel from the outset? And if the latter, how do
you get your copies onto shelves?

I've had an idea kicking around in my head for years but i suppose what's put me off is the knowledge that i might not sell one copy!

James.

Free advice on photocopier contracts: http://copiershark.blogspot.com

[Gordon Woolf]

A route when you've had too many rejection letters or a first novel? I'd say either or both. But for a first novel I'd tend to suggest risking the rejection letters first. Novels are difficult to sell other than by the traditional route, unless you have a captive audience. If the novel featured a breeder of dogs, then there's a likely market to dog enthusiasts. If the plot is based on some technical knowledge, then others interested in that trade, craft or whatever could be enthusiastic readers (and critics!) with a few free copies to experts in the non-fiction field being potentially good sources of promotion.

And there are cases of novels based on geographic areas doing well in those areas where again it is easy to reach a substantial part of the market.

You can get your first novel on to Amazon but then you still need to sell it, and, from experience with non-fiction books I can tell you that the combination of Amazon Associate discounts and other promotional costs makes it profitable only if you look at the sales that way as being at the run-on cost of printing those extra copies.

It's also worth noting that a self-published book can go on selling in small numbers for years. One of my non-fiction books has sold well over 20,000 copies but it took 20 years. The total would please a major publisher, but not the time it took. For a small publisher that can provide a good background income.

I'd also warn that all those people who tell you that if you had your book published they'd buy a copy will not do so. But they can be given them as cheap (to you) birthday and special occasion presents!

Whichever way you think you'll go, write your book. Selling will be harder than writing, but you will sell some. And it's good to say you are a published author.

Final comment: if you publish it yourself, James, describe yourself as a small publisher or independent publisher, or just as a publisher. Don't describe yourself as a small-publisher.