Do you plan to self publish?

[Callirai]

I haven't posted in a while and have mostly been lurking recently. But I have been curious lately and wanted to ask. Do you plan to self publish?

I have seen a lot more lately that self publishing is becoming increasingly easier to do. For a lot while I only thought that I could share my stories on sites like this or watpad or something of that sort. But I never wanted to share it that way. I plan to self publish when my book is done and I am not posting it on these site just out of personal preference.

But I am wondering for those that are posting on these sites or that plan to, do you want to self publish? Is there anything stopping you?

[daeygurbao]

I plan to self-publish my book with lulu if it gains enough traction. I've always dreamed of having my book in my hands, and I want as much control as I can get which ultimately leads to self-publishing. Plus, if I were to traditionally publish then I would have to write to the market rather than just passionate stories. That rubs me the wrong way.

[Bearkorps]

This is actually one of the reasons I chose tapas as my platform (despite my stories probably not being very well suited for the audience). The non-exclusivity lets me to kinda beta-test out my shorts before self-publishing them as a collection.

[Aeneas1]

I hope to find a proper, more mainstream publisher and possibly an agent I can rely on. Jonathan Cape should suffice.

[joannekwan]

I self published my first novel and I plan to do it again with its sequel!
I detailed my process here if you're curious.

Hey everyone, I self-published my first novel Secunda in December and I thought I’d share all the trials and tribulations it went through on its journey! There’s a dearth of info about what exactly to expect, particularly collected into one spot, so if I can help by sharing my own experience, I will try. This isn’t a How To. It’s a How I Did It. While this is not a comprehensive guide, I will give advice where I can. First is a brief overview of the timeline: Development: on and off between …

But self-publishing is great simply because you are in charge of everything, which is also a downside, but ultimately I like working on my own timeline. You don't have to wait for the approval of a publisher and go at their pace.

[Callirai]

Thanks for the info plug! I will give it a read. I plan to self publish myself. When I first came across tapas I planned to do it this way. But now I would prefer to just self publish rather than dealing with posting to a ton of websites. That is just my preference. But it is nice seeing other opinions on it. Seems like most do plan to self publish tho.

[zeitybitey]

I'd love to self publish someday, even without the intention of selling/commercialising my work. I just want a hardcopy in my hands someday!

[Callirai]

Same! When people ask me what the end goal is, honestly, I just write to get the story down. Cause otherwise it is just caged up in my head. It feels good to have it down on paper all organized. It would be cool to make money with. But I am writing it for me, first and foremost.

[authorvicomara]

I hope I'll be able to publish someday - if I ever can save up enough money for that (getting my gay romance novel edited would cost around 5000$). >_<;
I've posted several chapters of my first novel here on Tapas, but it doesn't get much traction, unfortunately.
We'll see.

Good luck to you!

[Shanny8]

I've been self publishing my comics for YEARS- and selling them at conventions. Of course I sell single issues, and I go through POD(print on demand) companies made for smaller indie creators...however, I'm coming to a crossroads where I want to combine parts of arcs into trade volumes and sell them(pros: make more money selling less books...cons: need audience to really buy or else I'm in the red).

[Callirai]

You could try building an audience in tik tok. I'm trying to do that.

[Callirai]

I will take a look at your chapters later! You could always ask some friends to help edit it. Or offer to edit some others if this authors edit yours too!

[nekocoa]

Yes, I would love to get my comic published! I've thought about it ever since I started it. Self publishing definitely seems like the best option especially because I don't know that I would even have enough of a reader base to sell a few copies, let alone the amount a publisher would make. So, I'm mostly going to make it for myself.

[Callirai]

That's how I feel. I write my stories for me. I write to get the story out down on paper. It would be cool to make money from my stories, but I write them for me first and foremost.

[Shady_Kuronachi]

I do plan on self publishing. One of the things that I always hoped to accomplish was making a name for myself, and future generations. Even if I only publish one book and/or comic, someone with the same passion can accomplish their dream. Self publishing gives me the freedom to do what I want with MY stories. I don't have people to tell me that if I boot a character or change the setting that my books will sell faster. I feel like this: If I have to change my story for others to enjoy it, then what is the point of Me writing it. Let them do it. Like @Callirai said,

When people ask me what the end goal is, honestly, I just write to get the story down. Cause otherwise it is just caged up in my head. It feels good to have it down on paper all organized.

But I am writing it for me, first and foremost.

Sorry if I went on a rant, but it felt nice to "vent" if you will.

[Callirai]

I love this response! And I completely agree. Maybe readers won't like it. But I do. And that is what matters most to me. I want an audience that does like my stories and writing style. Even if it is only a small few.

[Shanny8]

That's my uphill battle- selling digitally. I do some, but it pales in comparison to my physical sales...

Tik tok really isnt my bag. I've seen creators do things with it and IG video wise, but I'm not that person. What energy I have I want to use it to do the work on my projects, not spend it making & editing 30 sec videos for some popularity(especially since numbers/popularity don't always equal numbers/monetary).

[Callirai]

I completely agree! I want to spend my time only working on on stuff but I try to be a bit active in socials. I suck at it and never get far with audience growing on them. But I know it is important to grow that audience. At least for me.

[authorvicomara]

Thank you for you kind words 🧡
Yep, I have only two friends who know I write gay romance, and they've already lent me a hand where they could - I'm very grateful for that.
I'm not really comfortable to edit the work of others - mainly because I have quite peculiar tastes, and I don't want to discourage (or anger) another writer when I provide my corrections/opinion/suggestions. Also because I don't have enough expertise to give professional help as this is what's needed to self-publish a good quality book.

I'll share my story online for now, and if I get lucky, maybe I'll manage to self-publish in a couple of years. I've been waiting 6 years already, another few years is nothing.

[system]

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