This moment in the Author Journey is about wild publishing stories – indeed the kind of swill that makes a grown man weep and reach for the freelance writing gigs on Upwork. I have no use for suppositional arguments on the subject of writing. The work of storytelling and publishing is enough to tax the constitution of a healthy man. I’m coughing about the apartment with two cats who mock me like the feline equivalent of Statler and Waldorf.
Never mind that now, we shall discuss wild publishing stories. No author journey is complete without the heartbreak of hearing that ‘one author made $2.5M in self-publishing.’ You bleed for any kind of insight on what that author did, versus whatever you’re doing, only to learn that according to the article you both are doing the exact same thing. “By self-publishing them as e-books. That single decision changed everything.”
Actually not. Hocking’s success wasn’t the result of one single decision, but don’t tell that to a website of wild publishing stories. You can’t blame someone for wanting to write a story that sells, but part of that success should contain the humble examination of the facts. Amanda Hocking writes paranormal romance YA fiction and evidently she’s making a great living at it. Good for her. That doesn’t guarantee that every paranormal romance YA fiction author will make a decent living, nor does it guarantee success for any author – even if they don’t write paranormal romance YA fiction.
So what? Even if you believed that Hocking’s success could be used as a template for your own author success journey, you couldn’t guarantee it. In fact, other professionals say too many people are self-publishing. As a self-published author, I can tell you that I still don’t feel I’m a professional writer – imposter syndrome? – but I don’t focus on it. Self-publishing short stories is a great way to get your name out there, building an audience of readers. At the end of the day, Hocking found a way to make that work with her work. That doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone, or anyone, else.
That’s the news for now. Raining all weekend in Eugene and the flooding may impede the progress of American literature. Quick reminder that GSBCW starts next Monday – grab a book and read with us.
