Indie-Pendence Week Giveaway (US/Int): When is self-publishing right for you?

Let’s give a warm welcome to author Rachel Firasek!

Why self publish?

Hmmm…I’ve often asked myself this question—and I’ll admit, I’m by no means an expert.

I went into this writing gig knowing that I would have to work my patooty off in order to get where I wanted to be. I dreamed of signing with an agent and seeing my name and titles plastered across all of the lists.

You did too, right? Come on, it’s okay to admit it.  J

So said dream is in place. I know what I have to do. Query letters went out to all the big dogs. I smoozed them up at conferences—and that is a big deal because I generally shy away from people. When I didn’t get my dream agent—or even a lesser loved one—I began querying the small presses.

I did a few online pitches, and after about a year of jacking around with submitting my book, it was picked up. Woo-hoo! J Then I realized, I would have my book published and no help in marketing. Yowza—another new job to learn.

But…I’d just figured out the first one—writing.

So, I learned something new. Blogging…grrr…I’m not the best blogger, please don’t judge this. But, I did it. I blog. Err…kind of.

Then, social media outlets became important. Whoa.

Okay, so I have a little trouble focusing on things, and Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads totally fed my inability to sit still. My husband likes to shout out, “Hey, a butterfly,” when I become a rabbit on crack. The minute I realized that the more friends I had on Twitter the more my rabid rabbit was fed, was my undoing.

I’m off track.

Okay, back. Whew. Now, we have social marketing down. I have a website, fan page, blog, etc… I’m set to spread the love of my books. Well, I only had one out. So, I doted on that first novel. It did okay. Got great reviews, but nobody really knows me yet. Sooo….back to work.

Time to write the next book. I promise, I’m coming to a point.

Here it is: I know how to write the book, how to edit the book, how to market the book—to some extent—and I know how to sell me. My next logical step in the world is to self-publish. Right?

Rachel, how’d you come to that conclusion?

Well, in self-pubbing, I don’t have to wait months for a release. I don’t have to wait for someone to tell me what I can or can’t do with my art. I don’t have to ask permission to share my book with a reader. If I want to have a “free” day on Amazon, woot, I can damn well do it.

Also, once I have it written, revised, and edited, I can format it, buy a great cover, and send it to my growing fan base. The more books in front of my readers, the more I have the chance of reaching others. It’s a numbers game in this world.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love most of my publishers. I’ve learned some great things from the authors and editors I’ve worked with. I still want to work with them on occasion, but I also want to write books that may or may not sit well with a press. That’s okay, I get it. Art is a unique thing in that some will love it while others hate it. I love that. I want that. The world is a better place because of our personal tastes.

Small presses have taught me so much, and I’ll never stop working with them. Even—dare I say it—if I eventually find that dream agent and get on those lists. But until then, I’ll traditionally publish a few, and still self-pub on the side. If I ever have the luxury of quitting the day job and writing full time, my publishers won’t be able to keep up. Doing it on my own now, gives me time to find my niche, figure out the kinks, and make way for a fun and exciting career as an author—Indie or other.

welcometxt

“If you walk in a crowded room, I’m the one hiding in the corner. If you ever need someone to hold your hand to go to the bathroom, I’m not that gal. But, if you need a friend, someone to listen in good times and bad, I’ll be there. I’m a paranormal romance author by night, and by day, I’m everything else…and if you want to know more about my books, come check them out. www.rachelfirasek.com” ~ Rachel Firasek

Check out Rachel’s indie novella, Creating Fate! (click below)

Giveaway (US/Int)

This is our giveaway for the entire event week.  You’ll have a chance to enter on each day’s post, so be sure to visit often!  We’re giving away the following prizes: a $10 Amazon Gift Card and 4 swag packs filled with as much Indie loot as we can find (and maybe stuffed with a few extra goodies).  All prizes are open to US and International readers! All you need to do to enter to win, is follow the instructions on each daily post. You guys know the drill.  =)

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