What is self-publishing?
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Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by its author without the involvement of an established publisher. A self-published physical book is said to have been privately printed. The author is in control of the entire process including, for a book, the design of the cover and interior, formats, price, distribution, marketing, and public relations. The authors can do it all themselves or may outsource some or all the work to companies which offer these services. Therefore, the finished copies, the copyright, all subsidiary rights, and all profits are exclusively theirs. Self-publishing is not limited to physical books. E-books, pamphlets, sales brochures, websites, and other media are commonly self-published”.
Self-publishing is a new area or genre of books that has turned out a number of new best sellers. These self-published books have been adopted by readers and interestingly also by the press and the entertainment industry. Everybody is looking for something new and fresh. An example would be the much discussed books;
Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy By E. L. James. James's books have sold over 125 million books in 52 languages.
Fifty Shades of Grey has been on many best seller lists but was largely promoted by word of mouth. In April 2012, E. L. James was listed as one of
Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World". Her books have sold more copies than the Harry Potter series. The entertainment industry could not wait to buy the rights to E. L. James’s books. Her first book was adapted to film and released in 2015.
Now it is true that all self-published books are not all gems and some could use a little TLC. But there are many that are intriguing and offer the reader topics and ideas that are new and exciting. Self-Published books can also be referred to as Indie (independent).
"Book publishing is evolving, and so radically that we may hardly recognize it when it’s done.” States
Lev Grossman critic at Time magazine.
There is an interesting article about self-publishing from the
Library Journal if you would like some more information on self-publishing.
Self –publishing is now a fast growing category of materials that is gaining attention and interest by readers and the entertainment industry. Many self-published authors have signed with prominent publishing companies which have larger distribution access and therefore revenue. Here are some self-published books and eBooks that are of interest and attention:
Lisa Genova’s book Still Alice went from self-published, to traditional publishing and then debuted on the NYT bestseller list. Still Alice also was adapted to film and released in 2014 starring Julianna Moore.
Feeling at the top of her game when she is suddenly diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease, Harvard psychologist Alice Howland struggles to find meaning and purpose in her life as her concept of self gradually slips away.
Self-published in 2003,
Hilary Thayer Hamann's book touched a nerve among readers, who identified with the sexual and intellectual awakening of its heroine, a young woman on the brink of adulthood.
A moving depiction of the transformative power of first love, Hamann's first novel follows Eveline Auerbach from her high school years in East Hampton, New York, in the 1970s through her early adulthood in the moneyed, high-pressured Manhattan of the 1980s.
YA author
Amanda Hocking is quite interesting she did an interview on NPR and She talks about writing and how she found the path to self-publishing she wrote her book
Switched in 15 days. Listen to the interview she is a bright star and a wonderful story teller. She just made a major book deal with St. Martin’s. She has grossed 2 million through Amazon’s CreateSpace.
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.
With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.
The
Mongoliad began as a social
media experiment, combining serial story-telling with a unique level of
interaction between authors and audience during the creative process. Since its
original iteration, Mongoliad has been restructured, edited, and rewritten
under the supervision of its authors to create a more cohesive reading
experience and will be published as a trilogy of novels. This edition is the
definitive edition and is the authors' preferred text.
The Mongoliad: Book One, is an epic-within-an-epic, taking place in 13th century. In it, a small band of warriors and mystics raise their swords to save Europe from a bloodthirsty Mongol invasion. Inspired by their leader (an elder of an order of warrior monks), they embark on a perilous journey and uncover the history of hidden knowledge and conflict among powerful secret societies that had been shaping world events for millennia.
The saga reaches the modern world via a circuitous route. In the late 19th century, Sir Richard F. Burton, an expert on exotic languages and historical swordsmanship, is approached by a mysterious group of English martial arts aficionados about translating a collection of long-lost manuscripts. Burton dies before his work is finished, and his efforts were thought lost until recently rediscovered by a team of amateur archaeologists in the ruins of a mansion in Trieste, Italy. From this collection of arcane, the incredible tale of The Mongoliad was recreated.
Wool by
Huge Howey is a self-published book that is being adapted to film. Mr. Howey has also been picked up by the publisher Simon and Shuster.
This is the story of mankind clawing its way forward for survival. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.
The series began with
Bared to You, which was originally self-published and then was picked up by a traditional publisher, in this case, Penguin/Berkley. Sylvia Day's reason for self-publishing is a little different than other self-published authors. Sylvia is already a popular author but wanted to try self-publication.
An Excerpt:
"He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily.
Gideon "knew." He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other s most private wounds and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart."
A biography of six women who declared their independence during the Jazz Age. British heiresses Diana Cooper and Nancy Cunard, Russian artist Tamara de Lempicka, African-American entertainer Josephine Baker, actress Tallulah Bankhead and aspiring writer Zelda Fitzgerald were daring women who defied expectations about what a woman's life should be.
And don't forget Vicki Leon's 'Uppity women' series of titles for short bios of fascinating women of their times. There is the Uppity women of the New World, Uppity women of the Renaissance, Uppity women of medieval times , and the Uppity women of ancient times. 
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