This week we have some very good information about self-publishing and two stories that are posted here simply for inspirational reasons. We all need that. I love these inspirational stories. Sometimes it’s the only thing I need to get back on the horse and dig the spurs in.
1. Alan Finder over at the New York Times writes a very informed and insightful article entitled “Ins and Outs of Publishing Your Book via the Web“. He runs down the current trends in e-publishing and has some very good warnings to share about the industry.
2. Kobo offers yet another way to publish to ePub and receive 80% profit without any cost to you. The self-publishing game just seems to get easier and easier to do.
3. Jeremy Greenfield over at Forbes busts a myth about the high prices of e-books being a damper on sales. Sell that book for $10, he says.
4. I read about some back-and-forth discussion about Author Solutions, a self-publishing company bought out by Penguin Group, a major publishing house. Diana Dillworth writes about the pros of publishing through this company, but Smashwords founder Mark Coker has a different view. It is worth looking at both sides of this before making up our minds about Author Solutions.
5. My first inspirational story is about 80 year old Perry Posey. When you read this story, realize that it’s never too late to tell a great story.
6. Jennifer Bullock writes about Susan DiPromio, a writer and artist in Philadelphia whose inspirational story about writing will give you a boost today. Writing is truly therapeutic.
Writing Is Hard Work 
I self-published my first novel at the age of 18 and I have to admit, I was walking into a forest without a map. However, I learned much from my year long voyage as a self-published greenhorn. I learned that research, constructive criticism, and an open mind can take you way farther than any predisposed ideas. I enjoy reading your posts because you understand the lessons I learned and you express them well on your blog. I am most likely going to write a post about my experiences as a self-published author. I am currently rewriting that novel I wrote as a teenager so that I can get more exposure and more of an audience. Thank you for your insights.
Reblogged this on Kicking the Pants and commented:
Good information and inspiration from Roger Colby.