Nearly 10 years marks the date, where, I, Pamela DeMenthe, the boatswain of my own destiny, ventured into the murky waters of self-publishing, armed with nothing but my wits, some steel girders and many many erotically charged narratives. As you know, I like a metaphor, so this journey was much like heading out to sea! Fraught with both triumphs and tribulations and I am eager to share with my fellow authors, especially those daring enough to step aboard the SS Great erotic fiction ship.
Heading out on the high seas
Self-publishing is akin to navigating the high seas, with your own hand firmly at the tiller. You’re the captain, charting a course through uncharted waters, sometimes there are storms and sometimes there are pirates…and this is much like the business of self-publishing. The storms are the struggles we face selling books and the pirates are everyone else’s books.
The Pirates
Yes the digital shelves of the self-publishing world are crowded, teeming with titles (pirates) vying for the reader’s attention. As a solitary sailor in this vast ocean, the task of hoisting your book above the fray can be daunting. My journey involved a lot of support from my crew (Husband and two dogs) and making sure I never dropped anchor or abandoned ship. From the guerrilla marketing antics such as storming Waterstones book shop with an uninvited book signing, to sailing the seas of social media’s vast, interconnected world wide web I was determined, steering my galleon in the right course leaving the pirates floundering in my tailstream.
You are the harbourmaster of your book– But don’t sweat the small stuff
In the realm of self-publishing, many people think the onus is on quality. But Nay, I disagree, I believe output is much more important. Don’t fixate on every typo, layout glitch, or fundamental plot failure. It doesn’t matter! This realisation is both empowering and enormously freeing.
The Financial Gamble – Scurvy and Rickets
There is of course a financial gamble that comes with self-publishing. Without the backing of a traditional publisher, every investment comes from your own slush fund. Can you afford it? Proabably not. So you need to find benefactors/investors: Befriending elderly people who have money to leave, squeezing as much as possible from family and friends, local business sponsorship wishing to support you in your endeavors. It’s a high-stakes game of risk (Scurvy) and hardship (Rickets) So remember, the investment you have to put in, is not just monetary but also financial. Make sure you can find that big trunk of treasure!
Land Ahoy!
So you have a book to self-publish. Congratulations. Did you find the money? Well done to you. But what next? Well, to my fellow authors embarking on this journey, I say: give up, abandon ship, capsize, turn around and go back to shore. It’s not going to happen for you. This ship is not big enough for the both of us!
Do feel free to look at my books section to see what you can purchase.
