With the hassle in going through the conventional publishing process with the hassle of sending queries, synopses, outlines, and cover letters to agents and waiting weeks to months for even notices of rejection, I have to consider the merits of using a "self" publishing site like BookSurge or Lulu, and making it available through amazon.

The big issue is, in using a such site, you're acting as agent editer, marketer and author all in one for your work. The production value has to be as any conventionally published work, a daunting task.

But first time authors can expect to see an initial contract averaging $5-6,000, plus royalties around %5 to %10, and yearly sales numbering in the single thousands. (Less than 2% of books published last year sold over 5,000 copies).

Then, envisioning a realistic best-case scenario, getting that contract and getting your work into major retailers. Then you're lost on a genre shelf at Borders, selling for $8-$15 amidst dozens of other books. Is that really better than being mired in internet oblivion?

Meanwhile, online you can set your own price and take in 80% of the sales (through Lulu after paying a small fee to publish, obtain an ISBN, etc.). So you can make your work available cheaper and still make more per sale.

Now granted, the hurdles of achieving a high production quality and marketing effectively are huge ones, but with the growth of the internet, and devices such as the kindle, it doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

its going to be hard no matter what route you take. i started writing a book once. then my computer fried.

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Kids, give up on all your hopes dreams and aspirations

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When I was a boy I spoke as a boy, I understood as a boy, and I thought as a boy; when I became a man I took that boy outside and shot him.

Hell naw, self publishing is easy, it's being a success that's hard

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual