Three Things That Are Wrong With Self-Publishing

Don’t let the title fool you.

I embrace self-publishing and indie-publishing. I’ve long been an advocate for digital publishing opportunities which have continued to grow for authors particularly in the past ten years.

And I was early in my adoption of self-publishing itself. I got into the arena back in 2004. Yes, a decade before all the cool kids were doing it, I ventured into the self-publishing game, even against the advice of all the writers I admired and respected.

And, having spent between 2011 and 2017 running Kobo’s self-publishing platform, Kobo Writing Life, I certainly saw the incredible work that thousands of talented writers were doing, proving they could compete with the world’s largest publishers.

But I was also witness to the issues that came about within the self-publishing or indie author space. And I’m identifying them because I truly care about self-publishing and want to identify issues so that authors can be aware of them for exploring ways to navigate around them.

ISSUE ONE: Power VS Responsibility

Digital publishing has removed the gatekeepers from traditional publishing. That’s a great thing, offering authors more choice than ever before in the history of publishing.

But it can also be a not-so great thing.

We, as an industry, have given writers the ability to push the buttons, to publish direct; it is an absolutely amazing power.

But we haven’t given them all the support, all the information, all the elements that they need to help them make intelligent and informed decisions.

And, without that knowledge, without that information, they can, and regularly, do make mistakes.

Mistakes that can have a negative impact upon their writer careers.

It has become the responsibility of authors to find and learn the strategies, the techniques, the businesses that they are now actively involved in. It has also become the responsibility of authors themselves to help one another.

If you are an author and you see someone doing something that might harm their own long-term best interest, it never hurts to reach out and give that other author a hand.

After all, we’re all in this together.

ISSUE TWO: The “Mainstream” of Indie Publishing

It’s interesting that the self-publishing or indie-publishing movement can be seen as a rebellion of the traditional publishing model.

And yet, it is interesting to watch how this realm of “indie” spirit can actually be just as limiting in scope as the traditional publishing realm that it seems to reject.

Self-Publishing can often seem similar to watching a group of 5-year-olds play soccer. They’re all just chasing after the ball. The ball goes left, the entire mob follows it left. The ball goes up-field, the entire mob scrambles to chase it.

Too many folks in what I like to call “mainstream indie publishing” are doing just that. So many people are blindly chasing after the people who have the ball in the hopes they might get their foot on it. Following in the way that they initially mocked “traditionally published” writers from doing the same thing in that other type of publishing.

Don’t forget that, though there are movers and shakers who are making big waves, that there is truly no one single path for everyone. What is right for you, for your readers, for your writer journey, is truly unique and can’t be fully replicated.

Embrace the things that are important for you and for those who get value from your writing. And, regardless of where the ball is traveling down the field, ignore the mob, and continue to work at the things that you are most passionate about.

If there’s one thing I know about this industry, having been a part of it since 1992, is that things change, priorities shift, sales trends migrate and adapt and re-adapt. Don’t chase trends. Create the things you create best. The market will sometimes favor you, sometimes it won’t.

ISSUE THREE: If You’re Exclusive to Amazon You’re Not An Indie Author

So much of what is possible in self-publishing today is possibly because of the launch of Amazon’s Kindle and specifically the amazing free tools that Amazon created in Kindle Direct Publishing.

It’s ironic, then that Amazon is the company that continually forces self-published authors into one of the largest ongoing debates within the indie author community — known as “GOING WIDE OR BEING EXCLUSIVE.”

I’m happy for authors making an honest and marvelous income from being exclusive to Amazon. But if you are exclusive, can you truly and with a straight face, lie and call yourself an independent author?

I’d argue that you’re a corporate author.

You work for Amazon. You believe you are independent, but all your eggs are in their basket. All the work you do is serving them, even though, right now, there is money lining your own nest.

Just don’t call yourself an independent author if you choose that particular path.

These, of course, are a few interesting things to contemplate. Which I regularly do. Because I care about the long term and want authors to understand the pros and cons of the writing paths they regularly decide about.

This article is based upon an episode of my Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Podcast, a weekly podcast in which I interview folks and reflect on the things that I am continuing to learn about the business of writing and publishing.