If you’ve been following my blog this month, you’ll know that I’ve been participating in Self-Published Fantasy Month. What you might not know, is this is the first month I’ve taken the time to explore self-published novels. I came into this month with the usual skepticism: what if the books aren’t good? I mean, it seems logical that if authors can’t get publishers to pick up their work they’ll turn to self-publishing; but I’ve found this to be far from the truth. Before I wrap-up my September blogging, I’ve decided to share 5 reasons I will continue to read self-published novels.
Why Read Self-Published?
1. The Books Are Good!
While I may not have been sure at first, I have read several great self-published books that vanquished my doubts. My favorite from this month was The Black Veins. I just loved how authentic and witty the characters were.
2. It’s Cheap
If you’re like me, spending $10+ on every book you read just isn’t realistic. And let’s be honest, while the library is a great resource, it’s not always timely. Plus, you have to consider the titles you’re library doesn’t provide. Luckily, there’s a way you can fix this problem: by reading self-published! I found so many books that were under $5 or on kindle unlimited, and I am so excited to read them all.
3. They’re Unique
One of the best things about the self-published side of books, it that it’s where you’ll find all the stories that regular publishers won’t pick up. It’s where you’ll find stories from diverse authors and within obscure subgenres you’d never find in traditional publishing.
Just this month I read a pirate fantasy from Antoine Bandele and a YA fantasy that almost exclusively featured QPOC. If you haven’t found a story that fits you in traditional publishing, there’s a good chance there’s something for you in self-publishing.
4. You’re Reading the Book Exactly How the Author Envisioned It
With traditional publishing, authors are not the only ones putting ideas into their books. They have editors. Their editors have editors. Their editors editors have editors. OK, that’s probably not true. But my point is that in traditional publishing authors usually don’t have the final say on their work. They have to worry about what their publisher wants, and what the publisher wants is to sell the book to a large audience so they can make money.
Self-published authors are the sole creators of their book. They might have editors, but they have the final say on what to change. They might have cover artists, but they get to pick what ends up on their cover. Self-published authors are responsible for every piece of their book, and that means it is unique to them. There’s something special about picking up a book with the knowledge that the author hand-picked every aspect of that book.
5. The Author Gets Paid More
Now, self-published authors tend to sell fewer books than traditionally published authors, but they make more per book in self-publishing. Traditional publishers take a percentage of the revenue made from books, but this is not the case for self-published authors, because… they are the publisher of their book.
Doesn’t it seem better to support your favorite authors directly?
Going Forward with Self-Published Fantasy
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading self-published books this month. I will definitely continue to read and review them! Hopefully, by the end of the year, I’ll have read enough to make a solid list of self-published authors to follow…
September Wrap-Up
This month was crazy for me. It went by so fast! My online college classes started, and I was working 5-6 days a week. Just with everything going on, I’ve felt very behind and overwhelmed. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with blogging, but looking back I’m happy with what I got done.
I finished 4 books, 1 novella, and 1 short story this month:
Books:
- By Sea and Sky by Antoine Bandele ⭐⭐⭐
- To Astera, With Love by Amanda Ross ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Black Veins by Ashia Monet⭐⭐⭐⭐
Novella:
- The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids by Michael McClung ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Short Story:
- The Mermaid’s Garden by Andrew W. McCollough ⭐⭐⭐
For blogging I published 4 book reviews:
- By Sea and Sky by Antoine Bandele
- To Astera, With Love by Amanda Ross
- The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids by Michael McClung
- The Black Veins by Ashia Monet
What are my October plans?
October is an exciting month for Word Wilderness! I will be participating Spooktastic Reads, a Wyrd and Wonder event hosted by Imryll, Lisa, and Jorie. The event starts on October 19th and ends at midnight on Halloween.
And, just because it’s October I will be spending most (if not all) of the month reviewing Spooky books.
I also want to announce that it’s currently Latinx Heritage Month! September 15th through October 15th is dedicated to celebrating all things Latinx. I will be posting reviews for books by Latinx authors to celebrate, but if you’re looking for more Latinx content this month be sure to check out The Quiet Pond for interviews with Latinx authors. You can also check out Sofia’s post at Aelin’s Kingdom with over 265 Latinx book recommendations.
Whew. This was definitely one of my longer posts. Thank you for reading, and have a fantastic October.
May your days be full of magic and dragons,
Peyton
Isabel
Peyton