As an author, I’ve chosen to forgo the traditional publishing route, instead, embracing the murky, mysterious genre of direct publishing. Pretty bold, right?
The decision to step away from traditional publishing was not an easy one to make, but after an enormous amount of research and weighing the pros and cons ad nauseam, I decided that it was the right decision for me.
Although I’ve had numerous articles published in both print and online magazines, and even had my own newspaper column—to-date, I’ve never had a book deal—just a lovely stack of polite rejection letters to show for the various book manuscripts I’ve submitted to publishing houses over the years. What I ultimately realized in today’s changing landscape is that I no longer have to accept rejection as the final say so. Telling me “no” has now become an impetus for action.
What I’ve come to realize—and appreciate— is the beauty of print-on-demand publishing means that I can do it myself and I can do it today.
Just Do It!
Forming my own publishing company seemed like the natural next step, especially since I’ve already helped several authors self-publish their own books over the past several years, which I found to be both gratifying and fun. Enter Artisan Bookworks. Of course, I could have handed my manuscripts over to an established smaller press, but honestly, at this point, I feel pretty darn excited to just do it myself!
Who knows, maybe down the road I’ll be one of those authors who builds a successful publishing career on my own and then agents will seek me out. In fact, these days, all sorts of opportunities are possible that weren’t available before. All I know is that I don’t have to wait anymore. Through Artisan Bookworks, I’ve published my first children’s picture book with three more on the way, along with several full-length books in the works. And, I have four books by other authors in the publishing pipeline that I’m very excited about. Now, not only can I infuse my love of the written word with my desire to serve and promote fellow creatives, I can do it in a way that is deeply satisfying both personally and professionally—straight from my heart.
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