For a Twitter Colloquium on Self-Publishing, here are some of author Celu Amberstone's thoughts in this discussion:
I think there are advantages and disadvantages to self-publishing. I am a mixed-race, Indigenous author and for that reason my writing perspective is different than what the established publishing industry is used to. I have been told many times by New York agents and editors, in their refusal letters, “Your writing is great, but I don’t know how to market your books.” But with help from online sites like D2D or Smash words I have been able to offer my books in reputable stores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble nonetheless.
Self-publishing isn’t a shortcut to fame and glory, however. It means you have to do, yourself, much that would have been done in the past by a traditional publisher. So, if you want to have your writing treated seriously, then you have to do the work needed to insure the books you offer are the very best you can make them. This means for me, that I spent 8 to 10 hour days for months, years, perfecting my craft. I read all kinds of books, took classes on writing, and sought professional feedback whenever possible.
I am tired of only reading books written from a Western European perspective. I want to hear the voices of others like me. I want to explore new ways of seeing the world. Every one of us has a unique story to tell.
With the availability of self-published e-books, audiobooks, and print on demand books, writers of today have many more options available as well as traditional print publishing, to share their stories with the world. And this also means that readers of today and in the future have a better opportunity to gain a new perspective and understanding of our troubled world through self-published books.
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