Why I Choose To Self-Publish

Before I tell you why I choose to self-publish my books, let me first give some back story….

I’ve been writing since the late 1990s. Back in those primitive times, when the internet was new, publishing wasn’t what it is now. Back then, if you wanted to get a book published, you had to buy a massive print book called Writer’s Market. This annual tome is still published every year (for about $21, and the Kindle version is only a couple dollars cheaper), and last November had its 100th edition printed. It advertises on Amazon with the following quote:

Want to get published and paid for your writing? Let Writer’s Market, 100th edition guide you through the process. It’s the ultimate reference with thousands of publishing opportunities for writers, listings for book publishers, consumer and trade magazines, contests and awards, and literary agents — as well as new playwriting and screenwriting sections, along with contact and submission information.

Did you catch that first sentence? Read it again. They literally still say that you can’t get published or paid for your writing unless you buy that “bible” of writing and go through the “process” of getting published. (never mind that almost anything in that book is also free online these days, but I digress).