The Right Choice at the Right Time?

by Peter Hassebroek
(Ajax, Ontario, Canada)

While writing Upbound, I never thought about the issue of publishing, let alone considered self-publishing (independent publishing) as an option-ah, those were blissfully ignorant days-but around the time I was ready to send the manuscript out, I discovered iUniverse. It seemed a good alternative for me in many ways yet I agonized over the decision for some time. Now that I've done it, I still second-guess my choice but I do not regret it.

Perhaps the most consistent factor for me at the time was that I did not want to spend the next two years on this particular novel. I had paid for an independent edit and would do another through iUniverse (a very good value with excellent results), both of which made me comfortable to publish as is, without industry approval. The structure of my novel was important to me as well and I feared an editor's tinkering. Also, my expectations for this novel, in terms of sales, were not high and, with another novel in the works, I saw Upbound more as a stepping-stone to bigger and better things.

So, after my what-the-hell moment, I forked over the money and, once I did, the process was mostly enjoyable. The certainty that it would come out as I wanted, and when I expected (iUniverse usually beat their estimated times for the various steps along the way) was thrilling, an early reward for my decision. As did the terrific job they did on my cover and the overall production. The sense of things moving, and that all decisions were mine, motivated me to work very hard at perfecting the end-product, particularly the proofreading--the most telling sign of a self-published work. I did a decent job, I think, but not a perfect one.

Publicity, fully my responsibility, has been the weak link in all this, which is why it hasn't sold beyond my circle of people. Of course, that could have happened with a traditionally published book too. And I have sold enough of my own copies and online--brick and mortar presence was never critical for me--to receive a royalty cheque, another milestone. Best of all, now that it's out there, it's out there indefinitely and I can still rectify that. I can also still sell as I have retained all rights.

Whether independent publishing was the right choice for Upbound in the interim can never be determined but the experience did teach me a lot about publishing and, more importantly, about finishing a book. I have finished another novel, which I intend to shop patiently around to agents first, and then to publishers. My queries for the new book won't mention Upbound though, as I can't ignore the stigma of self-publishing. I can only hope no one holds it against me.

Visit Peter's site and Upbound.