I first considered it seriously after interviewing author Norma Beishir. Norma has been published traditionally as well as independently, and she's a huge advocate of self publishing because of the freedom it allows.
My cousin Dehbi, a voracious reader, has been encouraging me to self publish ever since she got a Kindle about a year ago. "This is the new trend, you should do it!" That's what she's been telling me, and the articles she's sent have helped me in my decision. More articles here.
Some authors have had extreme financial success in self publishing, such as Amanda Hocking and John Locke. Although exceptions to the rule, they certainly are an inspiration!
Many writers in my local RWA chapter are pursuing independent publishing, including Carey Corp. I think Carey's recent articles about going indie finally helped me to stop straddling the fence and do it for real. Thanks Carey!
When seeking agents, some ask for your publicity plan. When seeking epublishers, some require that you provide your own cover art. Hmm...if I have to do my own publicity and artwork, maybe I should just do everything myself.
I love pretty covers, but I worried that I wouldn't be able to create anything that didn't look crappy or child like in design. However, cover model Jimmy Thomas offers a great selection of romance images for a reasonable fee. And Gimp software, similar to Photoshop, can be downloaded for free to jazz up those images! BTW, I'm very nontechnical, so if I can make a cover with PowerPoint and doctor it up with Gimp, anybody can!
There are lots of other writers out there that write better than I do, and they're getting rejected, too! Do I want my work to sit on a flash drive and continually get rejected, or do I want to take a chance and put it out there myself? As the character Cal Hockley said in the movie Titanic, "A wise man makes his own luck." Hockley was the jerk Rose didn't marry, but regardless, I love that line!
If my stories can provide entertainment and earn income, as well, I'll be thrilled!
Have you considered going indie?
