I’ve been writing about change and how important it is to recognize it and accept it when it is inevitable. For that reason, I may reverse my position regarding self-publishing.
Just today, I examined a new site by an author called onthebookshelf.com. It provides everything you need to put your book out there, available to download as an ebook, in Kindle format, or print. The site walks you through, editing, cover design, isbn number – everything you need to get ready to publish.
There are a number of factors driving my change of mind.
One major one is my age. The normal time track, should I be lucky enough to snag an agent, tomorrow, which is highly unlikely, is three years until my book hits the shelves. I’m 68 – can I really afford to wait that long?
A second one is income. I don’t anticipate any significant income from a first book from an unknown author. In that case, why not publish for the satisfaction of it, knowing that purchase on demand will guarantee no issues with returns from the publisher.
The third reason is that so many of my friends have voiced a desire to buy the book. If they like it and it’s reasonably priced and easily available online, they may very well share it with others.
Last but not least, the publishing industry is even more cautious than normal because of current economic conditions, reducing my chances of getting picked up even more.
So, I am definitely considering it.
