'Self-Publishers Should Not Be Called Authors'
Mind the language, but I feel like this is an elitist piece of bull shit.
I am self-published and I introduce myself as an author. So I suppose, yes, in some format, I am taking this personally. But how can you expect me not to when the intensive amount of work I have put into for my book(s) is suddenly written off because of the medium I used to publish it?
And this is going off a rather subjective definition of "professional." Professional doesn't determine x-amount of dollars you make in that profession. First, just as a "professional lawyer" may have a low number of clientele, a professional artist can make a meager income. And second, MY income and MY sales are none of your damn business.
.When you're looking for a photographer, you don't look for the number of clients they've had. You look at their work, specifically, you look at the QUALITY of their work. A photographer isn't going to have spreadsheets of the number of their customers and most of the time, they don't even have price lists. What do you see instead? Pages upon pages of their work, links to portfolios and the like.
Similarly, when regarding "professional authorship", you first look at the cover, perhaps read the back summary, maybe even thumb through a few pages (or use the "see more" option on websites).
And then? They'll look up reviews.
If you self-publish with a decent cover, a decent short synopsis, and have managed to nab at least a handful or so of good reviews, then you're good. Because (potential) readers will do that, whether your self-published or traditionally published. (Circumventing the stigma that self-published books = bad quality).
Because, honestly, that's my opinion. Real "authorship" is relative to the quality, if you even want to put benchmarks to it at all. Yes, I've self-published, but I've done a lot of work. Writing the actual book was only a fraction of the process.
I spent months editing, designing the cover, formatting both the ebook and paperback until I felt it was complete.
I am self-published and I introduce myself as an author. So I suppose, yes, in some format, I am taking this personally. But how can you expect me not to when the intensive amount of work I have put into for my book(s) is suddenly written off because of the medium I used to publish it?
And this is going off a rather subjective definition of "professional." Professional doesn't determine x-amount of dollars you make in that profession. First, just as a "professional lawyer" may have a low number of clientele, a professional artist can make a meager income. And second, MY income and MY sales are none of your damn business.
.When you're looking for a photographer, you don't look for the number of clients they've had. You look at their work, specifically, you look at the QUALITY of their work. A photographer isn't going to have spreadsheets of the number of their customers and most of the time, they don't even have price lists. What do you see instead? Pages upon pages of their work, links to portfolios and the like.
Similarly, when regarding "professional authorship", you first look at the cover, perhaps read the back summary, maybe even thumb through a few pages (or use the "see more" option on websites).
And then? They'll look up reviews.
If you self-publish with a decent cover, a decent short synopsis, and have managed to nab at least a handful or so of good reviews, then you're good. Because (potential) readers will do that, whether your self-published or traditionally published. (Circumventing the stigma that self-published books = bad quality).
Because, honestly, that's my opinion. Real "authorship" is relative to the quality, if you even want to put benchmarks to it at all. Yes, I've self-published, but I've done a lot of work. Writing the actual book was only a fraction of the process.
I spent months editing, designing the cover, formatting both the ebook and paperback until I felt it was complete.
I did my own photography, bought the costume for my model.
I hired the collaborators.
I formatted the fonts and drop-cases, the margins, front matter and back matter.
I researched the necessary free public use font-faces.
I purchased my own ISBN's.
I bought my own proof copies.
I read the legal exclusivity rights of retailers. All of them. Every piece of fine print.
I catered my sales and uploaded/made my book available to retailers at the appropriate times.
I contacted book reviewers.
I represented myself in conducting email interviews.
I got myself and my book featured in the local newspaper.
I built my own website.
I established my own online presence and platform.
I adjusted the prices of my books to fit my needs.
I conducted my own free ebook promotion.
I have researched various narrators/producers for my audiobook.
I am conducting the process to have my audiobook produced.
And I will be the one to pay/hire my narrator.
And I am writing my second book to start this process all over again.
And I filed my own taxes as a sole proprietor for my business.
So do not even THINK to tell me that I am not professional or an author, particularly with the amount of work I've invested, over something as insignificant as "publisher name" listed with your book. Because I don't have some fancy building in New York or Chicago.
Because guess what?
Not only am I an AUTHOR, but I'm a PUBLISHER. And I've done a hell of a lot more work than your traditionally published, "professional author."
The difference? I do EVERYTHING that the "professional author" and the "professional publisher" do ON MY OWN. Because I am smart enough. Because I am capable. Because I have the determination to be an AUTHOR.
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