3 Reasons I'm Self-Publishing My Next Book (Some Stolen from Scott Berkun)

Photo from Pixabay.com
Design via canva.com

In January 2014, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas published my first novel, Casting the First Stone. Getting my book from manuscript into print remains one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me. I'd done this before, with books in the education market, but those books were intended for others like me -- school counselors and educators looking for ideas to use at work. Casting the First Stone is a novel -- something I never thought I'd write, let alone get published.

I had no intention of writing any more about these characters, but readers had a different idea. In the next few weeks (I'm aiming for mid-month), Chasing a Second Chance, the continuation of their story, will debut.

This time, I'm doing it myself -- with a little help from my friends.

As I said, getting my book from manuscript into print remains one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me. And, I learned a lot in the process -- enough that I wanted to try my hand at it. Here are a few reasons why.

1. "I expect to write books for a living for the rest of my life. The ore I know about every part of the process, the greater my odds of success." I found that quote in a blog post on Scott Berkun's website, and it resonated with me. He goes on to say, "Even if I never self-publish again, I’ll never look at a book the same way.  I love books. I want to look at them with great understanding of what’s involved in their creation.
         

Yes. What he said.

2. I'm lucky enough to know people willing to help me. The two most common pieces of advice I've read when it comes to self-publishing are to get the book professionally edited and to invest in a professionally designed cover. If I didn't have well-qualified assists in both of those areas, I don't know if I'd have had the nerve to do it. And, an extra added bonus was that both of these wonderful ladies are friends/family, so they've been known to provide some encouragement along the way as well.

pixabay.com

3. I like the idea of being a "hybrid" author. I haven't given up on traditional publishing. In fact, I'm hoping that's exactly where my next novel will land. And, if and when it does, I'll be well-informed, with information from both sides of the table. That said, to borrow from Scott Berkun again, some of what I write might not fit the traditional market. I might not get representation from an agent or a nibble from editor, but I don't necessarily want that to stop me from moving forward. By testing this process with a book that has invested readers already, I'll have a better idea of whether or not that niche book should make it out of the drawer and into public consumption. 

So, if you were wondering why this post was so late...see items 1 through 3 above. :-)