Most writers have heard the amazing stories of authors who were turned down by publisher after publisher before finally deciding to self publish their books. In these modern day fairy tales, the author is rewarded not only for her creative writing skills, but also for her initiative, by selling a zillion copies. Then the big publishers start to take notice. They get into a bidding war, and the book writer is again rewarded, this time with a fat contract and a book that hits the best seller list.
So, do these things really happen, or is it all a myth? The answer is a little bit of both. Yes, there have been some authors that have risen to fame after deciding to self publish. Some examples include:
1) Rich Dad Poor Dad was self published by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter. A decade later, the book has been featured on the Oprah show and has spent more than three years on various best seller lists.
2) The Celestine Prophecy was self published by James Redfield in 1993. Eventually he sold it to Warner books for $800,000.
3) The One-Minute Manager was self published by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson to go along with their seminars. After selling 20,000 copies on their own, a publisher purchased the book and it became a best seller.
4) Eragon was written by 15 year old Christopher Paolini who enjoyed writing fiction. He decided to self publish his fantasy book and sell it on his own. Two years later, Paolini received a contract and was signed to write two sequels.
5) What Color is Your Parachute was written and self published by Richard Nelson Bolles more than three decades ago. It spent 288 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is still incredibly popular.
On the other hand, the majority of writers who self publish do not become rich or famous. There are several reasons that a book writer might choose to self publish, and getting noticed by big time publishers is only one. Other reasons include wanting to publish the book specifically for family and friends, planning to make a little extra money selling them on the side, or just wanting to see the final product in print. (There's a reason self publishing companies are called "vanity presses.") Some writers feel that having a copy of the book that can be sold is what it takes to make them a professional writer, and if that's a dream of theirs, self publishing can be one way to fulfill it.
Self publishing is easier today than it ever has been before. The process used to involve printing hundreds of copies of a book, all at the author's expense. He or she would keep the books on hand (often in the trunks of their cars, apparently) to sell at seminars, workshops, or even swap meets! With print-on-demand publishing, it is now possible for a novel writer to simply direct buyers to self publishing websites where they can order one copy at a time. This may or may not cost the author a fee up front, depending on the service.
One final advantage to self publishing is that it frees writers up to do more jobs writing. Rather than focus so much time and energy on creating book proposals, reviewing writer guidelines, working with editors, and keeping track of manuscript submissions, writers can spend their time doing what they love the most-writing. While it's not the right choice for everyone, there are some writers who really can benefit from making the choice to self publish in today's market.
