Why I Opted For Self-Publishing

tenacity [tuh-nas-i-tee]-  noun
The quality or property of being tenacious.
Origin: 1520–30; < Latin tenācitās equivalent to tenāc- (stem of tenāx) holding fast, derivative of tenēre to hold + -itās -ity2
Synonyms- perseverance. -Dictionary.com-

I Believe. I believe in the process of being published. I believe in the position a literary agent holds between an author and a publisher. I believe that not all good books are published because they can't reach the right person. I also believe in the power of tenacity.

I have always been a do-it-yourself type of girl. I don't tend to stand around hoping for a miracle if there is any way that I can figure out how to do it myself.

So, when it came to getting published I researched the heck out of all of my options. I discovered that the absolute best way to publish a book is to get an agent. That was great... until I had to take my fantastical new novel, with a new world and mind boggling twists and turns, and condense it down to a paragraph or two... and then ask an agent to fall in love with it. It's actually harder than it sounds.

After a few... dozen very polite rejections, I was feeling a little discouraged. I didn't know what else to do.

Then one morning, my friend called me up and frantically told me to turn on the tv! A new author from Oregon was on Good Day Oregon telling the world (ie: Portland metro area) her story of self-publishing her YA fantasy books. She had gone through the same process as me in trying to find an agent.

Now, I was still a little leery of the whole 'self-publishing stigma', and so I dug in and did some more research. It turns out that several agents actually keep an eye on the top sellers list on kindle, nook, and ibooks. They collect new clients by seeing who has tenaciously pushed through the process of self-publishing and made it to the top on their own.

I was truly intrigued. I know how to work hard. I know that I have a great new book with a fresh perspective. I know that I have tenacity! So, why not?

Well, as it turns out, it is a lot of work!.. but all of the work has been well worth it.


* The picture is of me using a backhoe during our remodel... since I didn't want to miss out on all of the fun. :D