Subject: Self publication

Let me give to you straight: the only advantage of self publication, as far as I am concerned, resides there-in that one derives a measure of pleasure in the execution of the deed, a kind of therapeutic effect. What it most definitely does not do is to imbue said writ with any measure of stature!

In fact, the only pre-requisite for publishing yourself is: can you (financially) afford it? Talent does not enter into the equation at all, and following this route is nothing but an acknowledgement that no publisher of repute was willing to touch your writ with a barge pole, implying that as a writer you simply do not make the grade.

Why not rather spend your hard earned money to determine whether or not you at least possess a measure of ability, and if so attend a practical course for writers? This way your talent can be cultivated to the extent that sooner than later you will produce a writ which will be accepted by a reputable publisher, if recognition is all that important to you.

Fact being that he majority of writers-to-be simply do not put their noses to the grinding stone, or if they do, they go about it in the wrong way. Let us take, as an example, the once popular Arthur Hailey: regarding some of his novels, he has spent up to a year on research per book, and often forced himself to produce a mere 600 words per day, whether or not he felt like it.. And, some paragraphs he has rewritten up to 20 times! (this writ is now approximately 250 words in length). Others, like Stephen King are more prolific, and once rewrote one of his books 5 times, utilizing pen and paper!

John Irving is an excellent example of someone with talent who has attended a practical writers’ course early on, and readily admits that such was only to his advantage. Which indicates that one mostly must be prepared to learn from those in the know, those who can. And by this means one might attain the recognition that you crave. Of course it will set you back a few bob, but at the least it is a much sounder investment than wasting money on publishing yourself.

I will readily admit to lacking knowledge regarding correspondence courses, and thus recommend a practical writers’s course. Oh, and a capable ‘editor’ is worth his weight in gold in order to ready your manuscript for that final presentation.

Ultimately then I propose that self publication is crap, a waste of money, a waste of time, and a waste of possible talent. What say you?

Re: Self publication

I can but judge the validity of self-publishing (vanity publishing) but not explain why it is so reviled. There will always be elitist pricks, looking for ways to sneer at other’s accomplishments AND disabilities.

In my opinion (as far as I have read up from a variety of sources), any prospective writer basically has two options:
1) To sell the book to a publisher
2) To publish and sell the book self

Those writers that sell their books to a publisher, merely writes the book, and once the manuscript is delivered, the publishing house takes full control. The publisher will edit, proofread, typeset, design and arrange for printing. Then they will market the book by advertising, submitting copies to critics for review, arrange sales and promote the book. Now, while this might save the writer plenty of effort and production costs, this also means that they now ‘owns’ the work, and can edit and re-edit your creative work, until only your plot remains. The end result might not be what you intended at all. Plus, they own the proceeds from the book, and you will only get royalties on the sales. These royalties are usually around 10%, but this percentage can be negotiated. A well-known author can get a much higher percentage, while a novice can easily get much less.

Royalty percentages are paid on the amount received by the publisher per book, which is significantly less than the cover price. Usually, authors are paid an 'advance' once the book has been accepted. This is only an advance, and all royalties will be deducted from the advance, until such time as the complete advance has been earned. Additional royalties can only be earned once the advance has been ‘paid off’. On the other side of the coin, if your book fails to earn back the advance, you will not be required to pay the advance back.

A great deterrent for a first time author to selling a book to a publisher, is the fear of rejection.

One simply has to look at John Kennedy Toole, to realise the adverse effect rejection can have on a writer. Toole sent the manuscript of his novel, a Confederacy of Dunces, to a well-known publisher and, despite initial excitement about the work, it was rejected. Toole's health rapidly deteriorated as he lost hope of seeing his comic masterpiece in print. He stopped teaching, quit his doctoral classes and began to drink heavily. Eventually, Toole gassed himself in his car, the end of a ‘worthless life’…

Or was it?

Some years after his suicide, his mother found the manuscript, and submitted it for publishing… again. A year later, Dunces won the Pulitzer Prize, the second most prized literary honour, for fiction. Today, it is known as one of the most revered comic works in the modern world.

The above making out an excellent case for self-publishing, where the writer has remained faithful to his convictions, and by persistently soldiering through the mine field of self-publishing, would have undoubtedly been successful.


The other option is self-publishing. The writer will fulfil the role of the publisher self, or alternatively outsource the design, editing, proofreading and marketing functions. Then the book needs to be printed. This can ultimately run the costs of the book into thousands, and if not done professionally, one risks the masterpiece which you have spent endless time, energy and money on, to be no more than a still-born. The agony and heartache that goes along with this, can be demoralising.

Sometimes a couple of writers will decide to self-publish a combined effort, especially with a volume comprising of poetry or short stories. The risk that this might pose to the individual, is that his/her name can be eternally linked to that of the other contributors. If you are more talented than the others, you will have to contend with being associated with them for almost forever. Yes, it can be detrimental to one’s reputation to have your name linked to the literary equivalent of road-kill. On the flip-side of the coin, if the others are more competent than you, you will stick out like an embarrassing sore thumb. Ultimately, when you do decide on this option, it is imperative to ensure that all are in the same league.

However, self-publishing has a number of major advantages:
-The author is in complete control over the ambience and intent of the book.
-While a publisher is working on and concentrating on marketing hundreds of books, you can focus all your energy and resources at your ONE book.
-You will receive profits, ALL the profits from the proceeds of the book, and not mere royalties.


Before deciding whether to self-publish or not, you need to think long and hard about your motives. Never self-publish just to be able to call yourself a published author. It is this kind of assholes that gives self-publishing a bad name. Don’t delude yourself. The title ‘Published Author’ remains a meaningless title if one bestows it upon oneself.

Self-publishing can be quite effective and lucrative, when it is done for the right reasons, in the right conditions, and handled properly, in conjunction with realistic attitudes and expectations.

Take all the advantages and disadvantages into consideration. For me, the mere fact that no-one will be able to bastardise my effort, sways the balance in favour of self-publishing. The sheer satisfaction from creating a unique piece of work and then seeing the result the way that I intended, outweighs the disadvantages by far.

But this is not about me. Before you decide on the option most suitable to you, think about why, rather than how. The rivalry between vanity and pride.

Jane Austen had the answer with Pride & Prejudice : “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.... Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”

Re: Self publication

If you post a poem on poetry.com, the bitch will keep nagging you to pay a small fee, for whose sum you can be published in their next 'compendium' of poems, establishing yourself as a 'published poet'.

Currency is a cheap notion. Ron Paul wants to make it based on gold, but that is probably because he is secretly a freemason and an alchemist. I mean, they are making diamonds these days, after all. Who is to say gold won't be next -- then where will your gold-based economy go? And don't tell me that gold is an 'element', Watson.

Translating these concepts, the gaslight world of 'writing publishers' also just operates on a type of currency. You make an investment by spending time and effort to research 'How to get published'. Once enough cache is gathered, you start to spend and see what the outcome may be.

For bottom feeders, yes, there is a fear of being published. It is like any other economy. You will find these pasty, weaseling little scroungers, holding their purses or wallets ever so tightly, fearfully dropping one coin (poem or writ) into the Publisher hat, and ... cringing. Hoping that this will 'be the one'. Even though it is the first.

Big boys and girls, however, know the nature of the game from the start. Mark Twain understood it due to some time spent arranging letters on a press at a local newspaper, as a child. So for these prescients, the publishing world becomes kind of game just like the stock market.

Honestly, there are so many of them. If you try enough publishers, and are persistent, you WILL find one that will publish you. Then you can be a 'published writer', and feel proud of yourself. Jade brings up a good point about what a publisher actually is. It's just some person, or group, who decide to mass distribute the works of authors. Once established, the graph shows that a publisher will attain some sort of ... 'character'. "We are a publisher of Naughty Sciences". "We are a publisher of Desserts." "Over here, we only publish Infinity." But that character is simply an attribute used by said publisher to attain cache in the market.

I realize that I am being hard on the merit of the printing press. I am treating it as though it is absolutely nothing, like some common floozy. Please understand that this is absolutely not what I think. This kind of wonder did not exist a few hundred years ago. Those days you had to rely on the hands of scribes -- most of whom were probably morons, based on what I have read. I mean, come on -- are you really going to trust the product of some guy whose job it is to religiously transfer lettering from one medium to another? Surely this person has a life ... and what aspects of that life, I wonder, seeped into his religious writing? Nun porn, maybe. Porn with nuns in it.

So, as society slowly transforms, in its way, that bastion of hope -- the printing press, also changes. You used to have to order food and get a physical person deliver it to you. These days, my food arrives through my teleportation device. Yes, like the microwave, various fears will clog the arteries. "You'll get cancer by doing that." But I like being able to press the button and get my salmon and cream cheese bagel instantaneously.

I think the slow people are ones who should change. They need to realign their perceptions to handle the constant novelty of the general human condition(s). The real question, I think, Oscar, is about credibility. These days, it seems that the basis of credibility is that if I go to Barnes & Nobles, my book exists in their annals. If it is not physically present, it can be ordered, but it definitely does exist in their records. This is what credibility was twenty years ago, when I was young, what it was five years ago, when I noticed I was getting tired, and what it is now, in my twilight. But it *is* waning. I mean, if I was an authentic, published writer, it would be so weird to go into a book store, and come to realize that "This is what it means, to be made."

So fucking self publish. The market and history will decide your fate. But never pay poetry.com.

Re: Self publication

Here are the rates, should you need professional assistance with your writs:
Personal training: R550 p/u
Appraisals (min 50 bladsye) – does not include editing: R75 per page.
Ghost Writing: R750 p/u
Writing articles: R450 p/u
Editing, no appraisal! : R85 per page
Proof reading: R45 per page.

However, as far as Jade’s writ in favour of self-publication is concerned, I have never, in my life encountered such vagueness, generalizations, and outright misrepresentations! It is preposterous to suggest that if one has a publisher, all you do is “write” the novel! Of course you write the bloody novel! And if you have any abilities in this regard, you rewrite and rewrite until you have it in some sort of semblance. And of course the publisher will render all those services, professional services which the amateur writer can hardly afford!

True, plots are a dime a dozen, and it is the manner of writing that sells! So, why the heck will any publisher want to change a specific writer’s manner of writing? Beats me! All the publisher does is to enhance it.

Furthermore, it may be true that a writer’s first “publisher’s” book mostly does not earn him that much, but if his manner of writing finds favour, then he gets a better and better deal, with probable film rights. Also: the publisher has an agreement with the distributors, and in SA, for example, your book will be on immediate display in hundreds of book shops, book-signings, interviews on radio, with newspapers, maybe tv, and what not.
Now, publishing self mostly means selling to friends, on flea markets, and out of your car’s boot. It also means that you will spend days and days and weeks of your time to flog your creation, and after the initial 10 000 rands (1 200 us dollars) to have it printed, your time, the use of your vehicle, etc, etc, etc, it is probable that you will end up with a significant loss.

Why not spend half of what your creation costs to print on attending a good writer’s school? That way, even if you still may never be published, you can still earn a sizeable income by harnessing what you have learned in assisting other writers. For, let us face it: not all of us are writers, but some of us can possibly earn a good living by teaching, or editing.

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