Is self publishing on Amazon worthwhile?

[Luiglin]

Title says it all... except for the mistype... doh!

I've finished one piece and have been selectively sending it agents that seem to fit (one no so far, he gave positive feedback on the writing but it didn't 'click' which is fair).

While I'm going through the process I just wondered whether putting it on Amazon would be worthwhile or a hindrance.

Any thoughts?

Edit - I'm not thinking monetary wise, more from getting name/work out there.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Title says it all... except for the mistype... doh!

I've finished one piece and have been selectively sending it agents that seem to fit (one no so far, he gave positive feedback on the writing but it didn't 'click' which is fair).

While I'm going through the process I just wondered whether putting it on Amazon would be worthwhile or a hindrance.

Any thoughts?

It depends what you want for it?

If you want to end up with an agent for it and a traditional book deal then it will most likely be a hindrance. Self publishers need to sell a lot of copy to make that jump. I used to cite 5,000 copies but I think that's conservative now.

If you want to get a piece of work out that's tricky to home, and a few sales, then it's probably a good thing. (But make sure it's at least copy edited and invest in some cover art - you don't want horrid reviews up because they will stay forever and any future agents and/or publishers will be able to see them.)

Will you make much money? That's an impossible one to call - so don't make it your motivation, in case you can't, but a reward if you do.

 

[Luiglin]

Cheers Jo.

I was going to leave it till I had a raft of rejections before going down the Amazon route.

Just wondered whether it would help with the agent process.

I've edited it to death myself but the person who was going to copy edit it has said they now can't do it.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Cheers Jo.

I was going to leave it till I had a raft of rejections before going down the Amazon route.

Just wondered whether it would help with the agent process.

I've edited it to death myself but the person who was going to copy edit it has said they now can't do it.

If you're stuck, the lovely TheDustyZebra does copyediting.

 

[ratsy]

Luiglin, if you are seeing rejections with a lot of the same themes, that may mean you have to rework something about the book. Have you had it beta read by other authors, or readers?

 

[Luiglin]

Luiglin, if you are seeing rejections with a lot of the same themes, that may mean you have to rework something about the book. Have you had it beta read by other authors, or readers?

Ratsy, I've only had one rejection so far, which despite the no was very positive. I'm waiting on a response from the others. I've not gone overboard and spammed lots of agents but have picked out a small few as a tester.

 

[The Judge]

Title says it all... except for the mistype... doh!

Fixed.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Just wondered whether it would help with the agent process.

No - most agents make a point that they cannot rep self-published books - unless, as Jo points out, that book has made a ton in sales.

 

[Luiglin]

Fixed.

Cheers... bleeding phone keyboard

 

[Luiglin]

No - most agents make a point that they cannot rep self-published books - unless, as Jo points out, that book has made a ton in sales.

Thanks for the confirmation. I'll leave it as a last resort then.

Cheers all

 

[Dennis E. Taylor]

Luiglin: Self-pubbing will neither hurt nor help your chances of getting repped on a subsequent book, unless the comments are really bad. Even in that case, if you can maintain a thick skin and learn from the comments, and improve your writing, you'll still be better off. You can always take the book down before querying your second MS.
My first book got no bites, so I self-pubbed. I learned enough from the process, though (critting, beta readers, etc) so that my second book was just better enough to get picked up. I've gotten generally very positive reviews, so I won't take the book down, but I may give it a rework when the release date for the second is coming up.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I'll tell you next year. I've just set it up today

All the feedback I read everywhere is you want to sub a different book to the one self published, to traditional publishers.

 

[Luiglin]

I'll tell you next year. I've just set it up today

All the feedback I read everywhere is you want to sub a different book to the one self published, to traditional publishers.

Now there's a good idea. I'm about a third of the way through another that is unconnected both in style and tone to the one I'm sending out to agents.