So this morning, I read yet another post in Salon written by mid-list author bitching and moaning that self-publishing is hard. Is this part of a series?
Had the post itself been funny or otherwise entertaining, it might have worked as an attention getting strategy for the book, but instead it was long, boring, and full of self-pity, thus prompting a response on my part, which you could either search for in the comments, or read below:
I probably should consider my words here, but….
Me, me, me. Would you like some cheese with that whine?. Did someone twist your arm and force you to self-publish your novel? Did you do any actual research before you took the plunge? Work with your agent on coming up with a publicity strategy? What on earth made you think that doors would simply be open to you? Also, your friends are your friends. It would be nice if they would support you or help you out, but it’s not their job, and it gets awkward, especially when these are well-connected friends and it feels like they are being used. (Which isn’t to say that you can’t give a reading somewhere and make it sound like the best party EVER and invite people you know and love.)
Self-publishing is tough. It’s especially tough for people trying to pedal mid-list type, non-genre novels, mostly because readers who read those kinds of books like the idea of gatekeepers and are unlikely to find your book without reading a review in one of the places that doesn’t as a rule review self-published books, Continue reading Dept of FFS — Somebody Whining in Salon about Self-Publishing