A survival guide for writers tired of side-eyes
Self-publishing used to have the reputation something like that weird guy your aunt shacked up with for a few years; you know, the one she used to bring to Christmas dinner. Everyone tolerated him, but you hoped you didn’t have to sit next to him. Thankfully, that era is dead and buried. Or maybe it’s at the dog track with someone else’s aunt these days.
Today, self-publishing is an actual career path. A legitimate one. One you can say out loud at family gatherings without someone asking gently, “But when will you get a real job?”
Still, the myths persist. Loudly. And, frankly, hilariously. So let’s take a stroll through the forest of misinformation and gently (or not so gently) set eight of the worst myths on fire.
1. Self-Published Books Are Low Quality
This one’s a myth so stale it should come with mold warnings. Once upon a time, this was occasionally true. Back when “self-publishing” meant a Word document, a clip-art cover, and a font choice that violated decency laws.
But that era has left the building. Today’s self-published authors have access to professional book cover designers, editors who wield Track Changes like a lightsaber, proofreaders with eyes bionic enough to spot a typo from space, and interior layout designers who make your book look like it actually belongs on a shelf.
And the biggest plot twist is this. Plenty of traditionally published authors are now choosing to self-publish because the royalties are better, the timelines are faster, and the creative control is almost as intoxicating as sniffing new marker pens.
The bottom line is this. Self-published books aren’t low quality. Badly produced books are low quality. And those exist on every side of the industry.
2. Self-Publishing Is for Authors Who Couldn’t Get a Book Deal
There’s a special place in my heart for this myth. The place where I store all my most dramatic eye rolls.
Traditional publishing and self-publishing are just two different business models. Neither is morally superior, though trad publishing does occasionally act like it invented literacy.
Authors choose self-publishing for lots of smart reasons. Some want to publish faster. They don’t want to wait 14 to 36 months to see their book printed because a publishing board needed three meetings and a séance to make a decision. Some authors want to keep higher royalties. For others, their genre sells better independently. Some authors have entrepreneurial instincts and enjoy the business side.
And yes, some authors who can’t get a deal self-publish. And some authors who did get deals leave those deals to self-publish. It’s not desperation. It’s strategy
3. Real Readers Don’t Take Self-Published Books Seriously
Who exactly are these ‘real’ readers? And why are they so judgy? Real readers want, a good story, characters who feel alive, and writing that slaps them emotionally across the face
What they don’t do is turn to the publishing information at the front of the book and whisper, “Hmm … but is this book distributed through Penguin Random House? Because if not, I simply cannot become emotionally invested.
Readers aren’t checking your publishing credentials. They’re checking whether your book is boring. If your story delivers, they don’t care if you printed it yourself or summoned it from the voices beyond.
4. Self-Published Books Don’t Sell
Guess what? Neither do a lot of traditionally published books.
Here’s a fun industry fact: most books (trad or indie) don’t sell well. The bestseller lists are the shiny tip of a very large, very uneven iceberg.
But do self-published books sell? Yes. Thousands of them. Millions of copies. Some authors make mortgage-paying, life-changing, quit-your-job money. Only a few, but some.
Here’s the catch. Your book must actually be good.
A well-written story with strong editing and a compelling cover? Readers will buy it. A story that looks like it was edited by a howling lunatic who’s lost his hold on the English language and speaks only garbled Klingon? Not so much.
Copyeditors exist for a reason. They’ll hurt your feelings, but they’ll save your book.
5. Traditional Publishers Handle All the Marketing
Traditional publishing marketing budgets look like this:
· Big names = actual marketing
· Midlist authors = polite gestures
· Debut unknowns = crumbs someone dropped on the floor and forgot about.
Unless you’re already famous, no traditional publisher will magically elevate you to bestseller status. They’ll send you a politely optimistic email and a list of things you need to do.
Here’s the truth no one wants to hear. All authors, traditional or indie, have to market their books. Even the ones who claimed, “I’ll never stoop to social media” often end up on TikTok anyway.
6. You Can’t Get a Self-Published Book Into Bookstores
You can. It’s just not guaranteed. Bookstores are not allergic to self-published books. They’re allergic to books that don’t sell. If you want your book on shelves, the magical phrase is: IngramSpark.
Make your book returnable, price it competitively, and prove there’s demand. Bookstores are businesses. They stock what makes money.
Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Absolutely.
Bookstore placement is kind of like online dating. You can get in, but you need to impress them first.
7. Self-Publishing Limits Your Career
The membrane between self-published and trad is not much more than wet tissue paper now. It may once have been a concern. But these days authors hop between indie and trad publishing like they’re sampling hors d’oeuvres at a wedding.
Examples of authors who’ve hopped the great divide include:
· Andy Weir (The Martian)
· E.L. James (The Fifty Shade series)
· Hugh Howey (The Silo series)
Some authors start indie and get trad deals because their books explode. Some start trad and switch to indie because they prefer royalties that don’t require smelling salts. Self-publishing expands your career because it gives you options.
8. You Can’t Make a Living Self-Publishing
Ah … yes, you can. Not every author will, of course. But many do.
Full-time indie authors exist all over the world. Some are quietly (and others very very loudly – I’m looking at you, Russell Blake) earning six or seven figures a year. How? A combination of writing consistently, publishing strategically, understanding their genre, and treating writing as both art and business
Self-publishing isn’t a lottery. It’s a career. And like any career, it rewards the people who learn it, commit to it, and keep going when it’s hard.
There’s No Wrong Way to Share Your Story
Traditional publishing isn’t “better.” Self-publishing isn’t “easier.” They’re simply different paths with different strengths.
What matters is the work. The writing. The story only you can tell.
If you want control, speed, and higher royalties, self-publish. If you want validation, distribution, and industry support, go traditional. If you’re chaotic and like having options, do both
Just don’t let myths keep you from putting your book into the world.
The world needs stories. Maybe especially yours.
This essay is one of a collection of pieces documenting the bedlam involved in writing and self-publishing my ongoing genre fiction series: The Misjudgements of Andy MacKay, available on Amazon.