“If you can count, count on yourself.”

–Polish proverb

I haven’t given up on finding a traditional publisher for Captives, but anyone who is paying attention knows that’s a difficult path these days. It’s impossible to be a writer these days and not at least think about self-publishing.

The main question for me is whether I have the time and patience to learn everything I need to in order to make it work. I’m reasonably technically competent, but I’m not sure I have the patience for all the accounting and administrative work involved in setting up for taxes and working with different platforms. Although there are hybrid publishers out there who will take care of a lot of it for you, most of the authors I’ve met warn that it’s easy to be overcharged for things you can do yourself.

I’ve already worked with an editor on this project, and I feel confident in going through the next steps with them. But how easy will it be to find quality design support for the book layout, cover, etc.? I found my wonderful website designer on Reedsy, which acts as a clearinghouse for editors, publicists, cover designers, and others essential to the self-publishing process, and am hoping to turn to them when the time comes.

There’s also the money angle. Most writers, self-published or otherwise, make relatively little, and a few make a lot. How does a writer put themselves into that top bracket?  The answer seems to be in both great content and great marketing. The first one is easy to focus on, but self-promotion comes a lot less naturally to me.

The big question is whether having complete control is an exciting prospect or an intimidating one. I’m not sure I can answer that just yet, so watch this space.