Why be scared of self publishing?

I spent many hours wondering about the sense of going alone.  I read extensively spoke to many people – opinion is split fairly evenly.

Don’t under any circumstances self-publish – agents, publishing houses only way to go; security, well oiled machine working for you. 

Do  self publish – keep control of the whole, the book, and the profits.

Would it be stupid to go alone?

Suddenly I realised this is what I do.  All my life.  Want something, do something.

When I wanted to travel in my youth and found all my friends were after careers, mortgages and security, I travelled alone, for twenty years.   I took control of where, what and how I lived. After the first scary months, enjoying almost every minute of it and discovering new friends along the way.

When I came home and still found careers boring I went the craft route and wandered the agriculture and craft shows of the country selling my sculptures and silk clothes.  Controlling my work hours and ethics and my enjoyment of work. After the first scary weeks, I enjoyed almost every minute of it and discovered a whole new world on my doorstep that I knew nothing of.

Then, after saying once too often I wished I had had the opportunity to go to University, I yelled at myself to ‘just do it’.  Menopausal hiccup or whatever, I did.  I was in control of my mind. After the first scary days, I enjoyed almost every minute of it and discovered science and anthropology.

So, coming up to retirement and thinking a little sourly of old age racing towards me, I started wondering about how to try and control the environment and make life a bit safer. Looking around the world of bungalows I decided that, to do what I felt was needed, I had to self-build.  Control as many aspects of building as was legally possible.  Scary yes and I cannot truthfully say I enjoyed any of the process – very stressful!  But living in the new abode? I am enjoying almost every minute of it.

So why should I be scared of self-publishing – okay, it has been, still is, a new learning curve – but surely I can do it.  Keep control of my novel, of its production and distribution.  And I’m hopeful I shall continue to enjoy almost every minute of it.

this is a revised edition of a blog first posted on  20.03.10 on the following blogsite

http://didyoueverkissafrog.typepad.com/  

(where I blog on anything that takes my fancy)

I also blog mainly about books and reading on

http://sefuty.livejournal.com/