You’ve got a story all written and edited? Is it just sitting there next to your computer all printed out? Or is it safe on a usb with copies save in numerous internet storage locations? Thought that because you love your stories so much that publishing houses will feel the same. Did you want to off yourself when you were lucky enough to get a response rejection letter/email etc? Or maybe you were in the group that simply didn’t get a reply at all?
Imagine what you can do with all that time you have spare after you have stopped:
- Chasing after agents that run a mile from you,
- Waiting for that inevitable rejection for that wordy baby of yours. (cause believe me you ain’t getting shit),
- Envisioning publishing houses will like you and your book (they’re a business, not a friend and they’d ditch you at the drop of a hat or worse sell your book to another company and you can’t do shit),
- And have finally pulled your head from the sand and realised that you are not the only writer out there, you are competing against all others for mass market publication (most money from one thing) and knowing that no matter how hard you work, someone else better or OMG worse than you will be published instead. Shit happens and it’ll happen to you.
Then have no fear you can ditch those bloody shits and self publish! God forbid, it’s not like publishing houses know a good quality book when they see it. Vintage Books I’m talking about you!
The other day I came across an article that asks the question ‘Are Self-published Authors Really Authors or Even Published?‘ I must admit I spent more time reading the comments as people had diverse and fascinating such opinions on it. While people talk about the difference between traditional and self publishing routes, one comment by Peter_Kenneth_C_Bicknell stood out: readers determine if we are legitimate authors or legitimately published. This reminds me that it is readers not publishing houses that control how books are viewed. It doesn’t matter where it is published all that matters is how the reader who holds in their hand views it. If they think this book is poorly written then it is most likely poorly written.
It is pretty much established that in the world of self-publishing there is a lot of crap out there, but it is the same with traditional books. Or as Eric Cartman stated (think of books as friends) ‘This is the way the world works, if you want to find some quality friends you have to wade through all the dicks fist.’ Sometimes you have to wade for quiet a while.
I have to admit about a year ago I submitted some first chapters to a few Australian publishing houses, knowing that I wouldn’t get picked but hoping nonetheless, only to receive nothing. And after going to Melbourne Uni I began to realise how unbelievably difficult the publishing industry is to break into. In terms of employment and publication. I kind of wished that I never submitted because then I wouldn’t be just another rejected book. But now that I know what I’m up against then I’ll just bypass it all together and self-publish as I see it as a more attainable for me to become an author.
For people that go the self publishing route please put effort into your books. Better quality does sell because readers leave reviews commenting on how good it is. Both in the editing and story structure. And if you think you are ready to hit upload on a self-publishing website, then I’d advise you to do another edit.
And for the love of God don’t begin your story by misspelling to word ‘prologue‘ as ‘prolog‘, readers will start your story, if they do, with a low opinion.
Stephanie Haggarty 
I think Stephen King’s comment fits nicely in here-
“If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn’t bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented.”
Which you could arguably translate as saying one can be considered as both published and an author if said person received payment from others for their work that they published through whatever means. Though I would also argue this says nothing regarding how talented you are as a writer. This latter sentiment could be argued a variety of ways. Popular trash that makes one wealthy can be deemed a success with respect to being talented at making money in the industry. If your goal is to make money and you identify what people want and write for them successfully, then you are talented in this more narrow definition. However if you set out to author the next classic in literature that will become a timeless study of erudition and prose, then talent here would be measured differently.