They used to call this self-publishing thing ‘Vanity Press Publishing’. They should still.
I used to think that I could self-publish, without spending more than a few dollars; now I understand that it’s indeed possible, if you understand that ‘few’, in practice, means ‘few thousands’.
I did it all for my first book — proofreading (well there I had some help from some friends, for free); interior layout; formatting; cover; and marketing. And I published. All was well with the world.
It’s been awhile now, since The Obeahman’s Dagger was released on Amazon and Ebay. (Cue giggles, growing louder and more intense and finally bursting out into loud raucous laughter)
Okay, stop it. Right now. It’s time to perform a critical assessment of the situation.
The Obeahman’s Dagger needs the attention of a professional editor and that means a rewrite, probably. As will the planned sequel, and prequel. (Yes, they exist, in draft form).
Up to now, my efforts have been addressing my vanity — I was happy to have written and published a book. Sales didn’t matter, nor did readership. That’s not enough anymore.
It’s time to get serious about writing and publishing. I need an editor.
Any recommendations, readers?