Why self publish?

What does it mean for authors to self publish, or become independent publishers? We asked some of our authors what it means to be “indie” and why they chose this path to publish their stories…

Tansy Rayner Roberts

I’ve always been an eclectic author, with so many different books and stories burning through my head! I love self-publishing because it gives me more control over my career, and no one to tell me that running four series at the same time is too many, Tansy. I enjoy the various challenges that come from running a small business with so many different jobs, especially commissioning art and merch, and collaborating with various creative partners. I adore the creative chaos and high adrenaline spike that comes from running a Kickstarter, even when I’m faced with a room full of parcels I have to post. I feel much closer to my readers than when I was traditionally published, especially my fabulous Patreon backers — some of them have been supporting me for a decade, ever since I came up with the idea of rewriting The Three Musketeers as a gender-swapped space opera. It blows my mind that no matter how bizarre or off the wall my new story idea might be, I can immediately find an audience who want to read it. 

Chrissy Garwood

My initial contract with my professional editor included an hour-long consultation regarding the different options for publishing my work. We had previously agreed that I was a ‘genre butterfly’, and my first manuscript fell somewhere between paranormal, speculative, and romantic suspense genres, making it challenging to find a publishing house willing to take a risk on a first-time author. My editor presented the necessary steps involved should I decide to self-publish. As part of this process, I attended the 2019 Tassie Indie Author Book Fair and talked to other attendees about their experiences. The support and guidance I continue to receive from Tassie Indie Authors has been invaluable.

Ruth Amos

I want people to read my stories. I don’t want them to be delayed as I work through rejection after rejection, or for them to be kept in a traditional publisher’s vault for a couple of years before anyone can see them. I do my best to make my books as professional as possible, including paying an editor and a cover designer, and then I get them printed and published and out there for you to read. I love hearing from my readers. It’s the best thing!

Carolyn Winchcombe

Reading and writing have been an integral part of my world since I was a child. Becoming a self-published author this year has been like watching a lifelong dream materialise in front of my eyes.

The journey of self-publication is an exciting road to travel. In addition to offering me creative freedom and flexibility, the challenge of establishing and running my own business has been supremely rewarding. As a full-time teacher, embarking on this endeavour has been one of the best decisions I could have made for my own wellbeing and personal growth. My only regret is that I wish I’d started sooner.

Something that I’ve learnt is that being an independent author doesn’t mean you’re on your own. It has been inspiring to network and connect with other authors in this supportive community and to follow along on their self-publishing journeys.

WR Gingell

I wanted full creative control of the books that I wrote, and I wanted to publish on my own timeline. I also wanted to receive a 70% royalty instead of 9-12% royalty on each book, since I wanted to build a sustainable business. Thankfully, that all worked out for me, and I still revel in my creative freedom every time I write a book with Australian spelling and grammar.

Eliza Renton

After I pitched at a conference and was successful in gaining an offer from a traditional publisher, I read the contract. Too many ifs, ands, and whatnots for me. I decided I would prefer total control over Eliza and her stories, so I said thank you, but no thanks. So far, I haven’t regretted it, although I won’t pretend the road to self-publishing is easy. It’s not, but I love a challenge.

Heather Ewings

I always liked the idea of self-publishing but for a long time I felt like I needed that tick of approval from a traditional publisher to say my books were good enough before I let them out into the world.

Then, in 2018, my story ‘What the Tide Brings’ was selected to be part of The People’s Library. In the year after, I received offers of publication from a couple of small presses. I decided not to go ahead with either of those offers after a contract assessment by the Australian Writers Centre brought up some issues which the publishers were not willing to negotiate on. But those offers, alongside feedback I’d received from those who’d read my People’s Library Version (the final published version went through further edits, and has some changes to the setting (and one character’s name!)) gave me the confidence that my story was good enough to release into the world, and I’ve received enough positive reviews since to be certain I made the right choice. I still would like to have one book traditionally published, purely to fulfill a childhood dream, but if it doesn’t happen, I know that I’m able to publish my stories and share them with the world. Having that control over my writing career is exciting and terrifying all at once!, but it gives me freedoms I may not get with a traditional publisher.

SJ Thiessen

I consider myself an independent author rather than self-published. It may just be semantics but, for me, being independent is a business decision. Writing is something I do for pleasure but being an author is about building an enterprise.

It wasn’t until I completed my first novel, Aether, that I started to consider what would come next. Up until then, I had just enjoyed writing.

I wanted people to enjoy my book but I also realised I had created an asset – and that every subsequent book would build on that asset. As I began researching the options, there were two things clear in my mind, things I valued based on my career in business. Something I had to have, and pair of things that I wouldn’t accept.

The thing I insisted on having, as an author who had spent hours crafting a story, was control. I didn’t need ‘rule the universe’ level control, but I wanted a heck of a lot more than traditional publishing offers. I wanted to decide which characters, themes and plot twists made the cut – and which ones got binned. I wanted to decide when my book would be published, and what the marketing would look like. I wanted to choose what I would write and when to write it.

The pair of things I couldn’t accept were politics and power imbalances. After flirting, briefly, with the world of traditional publishing, I quickly decided that it was a world I didn’t want to play in. It turned a thing of joy – pursuing a lifelong ambition, the wonder of creativity – into something that felt unsavoury. I resented the expectation to meet the pernickety demands of people with more power than the actual creators. I resented the inequity of abiding by each individual agent’s and publisher’s specific requirements – and then waiting for them to respond in their own timeframes, if at all.

It all made me feel like I needed a shower, which made the decision clear.

So, independent I am and independent I’m proud.

Peter Diggins

I write for my own amusement. As a self-published author (and publisher for others’ work), I have the autonomy to oversee every aspect of my book’s journey. I take charge of writing, editing, and designing, ensuring my vision remains intact. This process demands dedication and effort, particularly in marketing and distribution, but it offers unparalleled creative freedom. Platforms like Amazon help me connect directly with readers, bringing my stories to life as I intend them. But the process involves others; I take on feedback from proof and beta readers to ensure the stories make sense! Self-publishing helps share my work with the world, on my terms.

Suzanne King

Throughout my time writing ‘Spirits Over Time and Oceans’, I didn’t focus on the publishing aspect at all.  I loved the writing experience, immersing myself in the creative process, and feeling the relief of pouring the story that was bursting my brain, on to the pages.  After I’d overcome the professional edits, it came time to find a way to get the manuscript published.  Finally I lifted my head above the wondrous world of story-telling, and was immediately filled with dread.  Navigating the world of publishers sounded far too complex; like a never-ending maze of ‘never knowing’.  I had heard that publishers don’t provide the courtesy of getting back to you.  Or, maybe, if you do happen to get lucky, a recognised publisher might accept your manuscript but then hold on to it for years because they deemed your story didn’t ‘fit’ with trends in the market.  I was way too excited to wait for years.  It had already taken seven years to write my book! So I tussled with the idea of publishing myself versus using a small publishing house.  I eventually decided that Echo Books was a good fit for me, as they supported first time writers.  I’m thrilled with the result – a professional looking book, excellent typesetting and a great, eye-catching front-cover.

Simon Grove

I wrote my book with a primarily Tasmanian readership in mind, so it was natural for me to seek to publish it locally, too. I was well aware of the excellent reputation of Forty South Publishing and their ‘assisted self-publishing’ model, so naturally I approached them regarding producing my book. They have been a delight to work with in bringing my vision to fruition, allowing me a lot more autonomy than would have been the case with a mainstream publisher from interstate or overseas, while still insisting on editorial rigour and ensuring an attractive look-and-feel for the book. The mixed publishing model that I agreed with Forty South ‘shares the love’: they retain some rights and responsibility for marketing and distribution to booksellers and for some direct sales; while am I also free to sell my books myself, both directly through my dedicated website and through supplying local booksellers. The assisted self-publishing model also means that I retain rights to the entire works, including the print-ready electronic files, should I choose or be invited to publish a second edition either locally, interstate or overseas.

Georgina Makalani

Essentially, I chose to go indie because I am a control freak! I wanted to be able to share my stories and not have them changed by a publisher to suit what they thought the market was. I have found a trusted team to help with this journey, including an editor who can fix my grammar and keep my voice, and cover designers who understand the market better than I do.

By being indie I maintain all my rights over my work and upload and sell from where I choose. And it is so easy to do this now, across so many platforms.