(This question is part of a larger subseries called Perpetual WIPs: Self-Published Authors. For the remaining questions, see here.)
What have been the best parts of self-publishing?
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The freedom! I and I alone decide what I’m going to write, when I’m going to write it, how I’m going to market myself, what my covers will look like, what the arc of my career will be. I’m not working (or writing) by committee. To quote William Ernest Henley, I am the master of my fate.
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Control, definitely. The pride I feel over my cover and my formatting is completely unmatched by anything else. When people hold my book and don’t know that I self-published, it’s an amazing experience, knowing that I did a good job and that it resonates with others. There are also no expectations beyond what I’ve given myself. I have no one to report to, and no one reporting to me, which takes away a lot of stress.
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I do love having control over what the book looks like, how it’s edited, and where it’s published. I love being able to see real-time sales numbers, and to adjust settings and key words as necessary. Once my book has been out longer, I’m looking forward to playing with pricing and sales.
Honestly, the best part is having the book out and available for readers. There’s nothing better.
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Definitely the tweets and emails. Every other day or so I get a tweet from someone saying they’re enjoying my book. During release week, it was at least three or four per day. There’s nothing like having your work read and enjoyed.
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I’m a control freak, so that part is great. Getting to set what I think is a fair price, getting to choose my cover, my blurb, and getting to change all of that if something isn’t working. I also love being able to work on whatever I want, even if the voice feels a bit different, and not having length or genre restrictions.
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The freedom and the community and the amazingness of seeing something I love actually putting money in the bank.
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I loved the control. I liked the lack of deadlines, other than the self-imposed ones. I liked picking my own cover and having a huge say in my editorial process. I really enjoyed the experience.
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The best part of self-publishing has been being my own boss, setting my own deadlines, and meeting my own expectations. Knowing that any success I have had has come directly from me has been great.
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Far and away the best part of self-publishing is the control I have over what goes out. As a designer by trade, I’m very picky about cover images, so that was a big selling point for me.
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Feeling in control of my own career. When I was in that bad place, when I’d left my agent and no one else wanted the book, I felt completely at a loss. There was nothing I could do to get my book into the hands of people who might actually enjoy it.
Now, I never have to feel that way again. I make the decisions about what I’m going to publish and when, how much I want to spend…everything.
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Getting my work out and into the hands of readers as soon as it’s ready, when they want it. I also love the fast pace of self publishing – I’m a fast writer, and I love being able to publish a book every three to four months.
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Having complete control over everything.
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I can do whatever I want. I can write whatever I want, make only the edits I’m one hundred percent behind, make any promotional decisions I want. I know that everything I write that I want to publish will be published. I’m a working writer. – it’s truly amazing.
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The Daily Dahlia 