Had the opportunity to attend a very interesting presentation by literary agent April Eberhardt this weekend discussing the pros and cons of self-publishing. One of her most interesting points was those who choose to self publish must raise the bar in all aspects of the endeavor in order for the industry of self publishing to gain credibility.
Eberhardt sounds like a dream agent-worrying about the best interests of the author’s she represents and presenting all options open to them once they have a manuscript worth publishing. She said she does not push her clients in one direction or the other, but she does try to make sure they understand the differences and frustrations inherent in traditional publishing, e-publishing and self publishing. Eberhardt is planning to launch a self-publishing imprint specializing in works by women authors
Expense and formatting appearing to be the two biggest challenges for those who choose to self-publish, although services exist to help the newbie author navigate these obstacles. As with all undertaking, Eberhardt said there is definitely risk without a guarantee of reward in self-publishing; but it is an avenue through which an author can get their book into the hands of readers more quickly and self publishing currently affords the author the most personal control over the design and marketing of their book. The world of self-publishing needs to be infused with high quality products, both in writing and design, so the process begins to be taken seriously and viewed as a viable, respectable option.
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