Marquita Valentine

There have been so many shifts in publishing in the last few years. In fact, take a week off of social media and when you return you’ll find that you’ve missed the latest “big publishing news.”

As an aspiring author, at first I was disconcerted by all of the news, the doomsday predictions. Publishing has always been a tough business. The rapid changes and negative outlooks quickly made it feel like getting published was an impossible dream. But then something awesome happened. Self-publishing combined with the accessibility of digital media created an opportunity for authors that hadn’t been there before. Many authors capitalized on that opportunity, bypassing the powers that be in publishing and presented their fiction directly to readers.

For several authors going indie was pure genius; they netted higher royalties than they could’ve expected in traditional publishing. An elite few–like John Locke, Amanda Hocking, and J.A. Konrath–became the darlings of the indie publishing movement. There are many who will quickly remind us that the majority of self-published authors make a mere pittance, and that indie superstars are the exception, not the rule. Still, a growing number of authors are quietly making a living–and a good one–from the earnings of their independently-published fiction.

Author Marie Force took a survey of indie authors and shared the results. No, not every author is making a killing from self-publishing, but a surprising number are making impressive sales which support them–and their families–quite well. Recently, my local Romance Writers of America chapter hosted a self-publishing panel featuring Sarra Cannon, Catherine Gayle, Ava Stone, and Marquita Valentine–authors who’ve found success in self-publishing. Sarra gives a complete breakdown of how she made it to 100,000 sales here. So what can we conclude about the feasibility of indie publishing? Forbes contributor, Suw Charman-Anderson, came to the following conclusion:

The interesting stuff really happens at the base of the long tail, at the rat’s arse, where a large-ish group of authors are earning enough to live on, but not enough to warrant a mention in a press release. If what you want is to earn a living from self-publishing, the rat’s arse is your target destination. Luck may take you up to the head of the curve, but you can be a happy storyteller earning a decent wage without having to climb up that steep slope to the top. (Forbes)

The latest news in self-publishing? Major self-pubbed darlings, like Amanda Hocking, have parlayed their indie success into lucrative contracts with traditional publishers, while traditionally-published authors, like Jackie Collins, are opting to self-publish their backlists or new works.

So what does all of this mean for aspiring and current authors? Though the majority of authors still aspire to a lucrative traditional publishing deal, not landing one can offer some sweet rewards to writers with the talent and determination to forge their own path as indie authors. It’s an exciting time in publishing. There are more opportunities for authors, not less.

What is your take on the indie publishing movement? Do you read independently-published novels? Authors: Would you ever consider self-publishing? Why or why not?

Photo courtesy of CollegeDegrees360.