KELLY MARTIN BOOKS | Live your Dreams. Write your Nightmares.
  • Home
  • Contact
  • About
  • Books
    • THE HOUSE THAT FEAR BUILT
    • WHAT RACHEL DID
    • Series >
      • THE RED MIRROR MG SERIES >
        • FAKE NORA
        • THE BAD ONES
      • NEVER KISS THE DEAD >
        • Never Trust a Demon
        • Never Wake a Nightmare
        • Never Love an Angel
      • Dark and Deadly Things >
        • Dark and Deadly Things (book 1)
        • Dark and Devious Things (book 2)
        • Dark and Dreadful Things (book 3)
        • Dark and Desperate Things (book 4)
        • Dark and Dangerous Things (book 5)
      • HEARTLESS Series >
        • Heartless (book 1)
        • Soulless (book 2)
        • Breathless (book 3)
        • Hart (Hart's Journal)
        • Reckless (book 4)
    • Crossing The Deep
    • TRINITY ROW
    • Between the Dreaming and the Dead
    • The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe
    • BIG is Beautiful
    • The Deception of Devin Miller
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • FAQ

Kelly Martin Books

Updates and News

Becoming a "Real" Boy-- The Self-Publishing Stigma

12/30/2016

9 Comments

 

There is an article spreading through the indie publishing world today like a wild fire. I debated on leaving the link here because I don't want to give it any more press, but ultimately I'll leave it up to you and your discretion if you want to read it.SELF-PUBLISHING: AN INSULT TO THE WRITTEN WORD from HuffingtonPost.com.

As an indie author (and someone who has books through small presses) I felt like I needed to say something about this. I never say anything about anything, so here's a treat for you ;)

About two years ago, a friend asked me about my publishing career. She said she was super proud of me for writing and publishing so many books and maybe, someday, I'd be a real author. My first thought was Pinocchio. "You mean I'll be a REAL BOY!" (yes, she's still my friend. Just because I roll my eyes really hard doesn't mean we can't move on.)

A REAL author!
Golly gee!

A real author sounds amazing! Something I've wanted to be forever. I imagine a real author has to:
*write all the words (wait, I do that)
*have professional editor for all the words (ummm... wait.)
*have a professional cover designer for all the words (I mean, mine had a book with the cover she designed hit #1 on NYT. Does that count???)
*do marketing (I know I do that)
*have books in paperback (are those the things I'm selling at the store?)

Sooooooooooooooo... what exactly am I missing?

An agent? Well, okay. I'd admit that I do want one of those-- someday. 

Do I want wide distribution? Heck yeah. I'd love to go into BAM, see my book, point to it, and tell an employ, "Yeah, that's right... that's me." ;)

However,
Writing isn't like brain surgery. No one will die if you don't use the perfect verb.
Writing is creative and it is emotional, all things you can do if you are indie or trade published. 

Writing SHOULD be something you grow at-- but that goes for people who have debuted their first indie book to people who have hit New  York Times 17 times and have trade deals. We learn. We grow. We move on.

Do I look down at traditionally published authors?
Heck no! I think they are super cool and awesome! I love their books, follow them on twitter, and basically fangirl the heck out.

Do I look down at indie published authors?
Heck no! I think they are super cool and awesome! I love their books, follow them on twitter, and basically fangirl the heck out.

Just like everything else, there are bad indie books, and there are good indie books. There are good traditional books, and there are some that make you wonder how they got published.

But that's the beauty of books!
That's the beauty of getting to choose what you want to read!

Side note: Some authors are hybrid, meaning they self-publish and publish through a publisher. Does that mean they are only half-'real' authors? Hmmmmmmmmmmm..... #pointstoponder.

The take away is this...
If you don't want to read a book because it is indie, that is your right. However, saying all indie books are bad, worthless, and horrible isn't okay. It is, in fact, a lie. 

There is a book called THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING that is WONDERFUL! I highly recommend it even if you aren't a writer. If you are on the fence about "real" vs. "indie" books, this is a great read. Some traditional authors actually CHOOSE to go indie because they can make more money. #IKNOW! Imagine... someone choosing to self-publish and NOT because they aren't real authors or can't get a book out any other way... #crazyworld ;)

My dream publishing route would be hybrid... just saying. 

Cause it's the.. wait for it... Best of both worlds!

I'll let myself out.

Indie authors, here is a BIG HUG.
Traditional authors, here is a BIG HUG.
Writers on your first book, here is a BIG HUG.

Writing isn't easy. 
Publishing isn't easy.
Indie or trade...
Your fingers hurt, your back hurts, you cry, you doubt, you smile, you create.
YOU are an author.

Now... go write all the words.

MUCH LOVE AND HAPPY READING,
Kelly
9 Comments
Brenda Baker link
12/31/2016 12:17:59 am

Great post, Kelly! You're right. People shouldn't generalize and say all indie books are bad, because there are some great ones. Are some of them bad? Sure.But so are some traditionally published books.I loved the comparison to Pinocchio. Anyone who has written as many books as you have is a REAL author, no question!

Reply
best essay service link
1/26/2017 04:55:52 am

It's true that discrimination and a situation like this still happens. Being an indie author, they should realize that we write and deliver same as the mainstream authors, well in some cases, we deliver much better than them. People should be reoriented with this reality and that they should never consider us any less of a writer. We deserve respect and acknowledgment also.

Reply
online class mentor link
3/3/2017 08:01:45 am

Well, that was quite unusual. I would like to get more overviews on that. It should be nice.

Reply
http://smartessayrewriter.com/blog/useful-tips-on-writing-an-essay-overnight link
3/17/2017 05:34:33 am

That is so wanderful to have such cartoons and that would be great to watch it.

Reply
http://resume-writer.net/blog/10-things-its-better-to-remove-from-resume link
3/27/2017 10:05:19 am

I like reading very much and that is so much love in your message. That is really cool to read such things like that.

Reply
resume professional writers reviews resumewriter-s.com resume witer s link
4/20/2017 12:27:12 pm

This is a very nice book and I really liked it. I spend many hours reading it.

Reply
Beth M. Honeycutt link
7/6/2017 03:11:20 am

I'm really glad I didn't read the original article. You have a great take on it and I totally agree with what you said. I've only published one novel so far (written lots more) and it's hard work. Period. However you do it--Indie, Traditional, Small press, Hybrid...It's just hard. They all have their challenges. Instead of tearing each other down, we should encourage one another. I mean, how many people say they want to write a book but never do? Just getting the words all down on the page is a major accomplishment!

I also think it's ironic that so many people forget how many well-loved stories and authors started out self-published: John Grisham, The Shack, Richard Paul Evans, Ode on a Grecian Urn, even Beatrice Potter, if memory serves, not to mention JANE AUSTEN. I don't think anyone could claim she wasn't a "real" author (not even Huffington Post, LOL). Just sayin'. ;)

Reply
192.168 l l link
6/26/2019 10:38:50 pm

Daytime hedgehog is very interesting post you share. I am very impress from your discussion which you share in this post. All the other posts are also very well. Keep sharing.

Reply
download instagram stories link
6/30/2019 10:26:55 pm

first time I visit your website. I open some posts and find quality of work, I also like your website layout. I have bookmark your website and again I will visit your website soon

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    FOLLOW ON BOOKBUB
    NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP
    JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP
    CONTACT KELLY

    Follow Kelly...

    Picture

    About Kelly Martin

    Kelly Martin is an Amazon bestseller and award-winning author. She loves abandoned house photography, ghost stories, and trying to figure out what goes bump in the night.

    She lives in the heart of Middle Tennessee, where all the cool ghost stories happen.

    Kelly loves supernatural TV shows, watching horror gamers on youtube, and driving around taking pictures of abandoned houses. 

    She has been married for over ten years, has three little girls, and a cat named Sam. 
    ​
     kelly@kellymartinbooks.com 

    New Series Progress
    60%
    Books by Kelly Martin

    Paranormal

    The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe
    The Heartless Series (complete):
    Heartless
    Soulless
    Breathless
    Hart
    Reckless
    DDT Series (complete):
    Dark and Deadly Things
    Dark and Devious Things
    Dark and Dreadful Things
    Dark and Desperate Things
    ​Dark and Dangerous Things 


    Fairy Tale Series (complete):

    Betraying Ever After
    The Beast of Ravenston
    The Glass Coffin


    Contemporary
    The Deception of Devin Miller
    B.I.G. is Beautiful: A Love Story

    YA Inspirational
    Crossing the Deep

    Love in the 80s
    Once Bitten, Twice Shy

    Current YOUTUBE videos

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    June 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Contact
  • About
  • Books
    • THE HOUSE THAT FEAR BUILT
    • WHAT RACHEL DID
    • Series >
      • THE RED MIRROR MG SERIES >
        • FAKE NORA
        • THE BAD ONES
      • NEVER KISS THE DEAD >
        • Never Trust a Demon
        • Never Wake a Nightmare
        • Never Love an Angel
      • Dark and Deadly Things >
        • Dark and Deadly Things (book 1)
        • Dark and Devious Things (book 2)
        • Dark and Dreadful Things (book 3)
        • Dark and Desperate Things (book 4)
        • Dark and Dangerous Things (book 5)
      • HEARTLESS Series >
        • Heartless (book 1)
        • Soulless (book 2)
        • Breathless (book 3)
        • Hart (Hart's Journal)
        • Reckless (book 4)
    • Crossing The Deep
    • TRINITY ROW
    • Between the Dreaming and the Dead
    • The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe
    • BIG is Beautiful
    • The Deception of Devin Miller
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • FAQ