You know I genuinely try to be happy for other authors and artists that “make it” in some way or gain attention for their art.  There is plenty of room out there for many artists to “make it”.  You can never have too many books, pictures, or music tracks IMO.  However, I do have a hard time watching others succeed, especially if they seem to snub me just because I chose to self-publish or because the type of art I like making happens to use a computer.  I won’t lie to you.  It makes me angry.  I do not look down on authors that decide to go the traditionally published route even though you already know I think it is insane.  If you find a great publishing company and that is what you want then I certainly will not stand and preach at you about self-publishing.  Unless of course you suddenly think you are better than me because you got a deal.  Just because I didn’t try to get a deal doesn’t mean that I couldn’t.  In fact, I have had agents and other book types contact me about working with me.  Yet, I really hate unsolicited mail, so I just chucked the letters.  Maybe I should have paid attention…or maybe not.  I do not regret my choices and what’s done is done.  I like being in control.  It’s hard work, but I take pride in my products.

Unfortunately, even though I am perfectly happy, not everyone seems to be thrilled with my choices.  I experienced that snubbing feeling I mentioned earlier firsthand the other day when I was casually talking to another author.  I was discussing with them quite politely their book and of course I wanted to know if they self-published or had a publisher.  It is like asking about the weather for me.  Small talk and nothing more.  The author told me they had a great publisher that did a whole lot of things for them.  I told them that sounded wonderful because most publishing houses do not seem to actually help authors from what I had seen.  I simply said that I thought publishing was a dying breed the way we have always known it.  I went on to mention that I was self-published before it was a trend so I just continued with it and I could not be happier.  I enjoy having control over all the aspects of my works.  Then all of a sudden, somebody (not the author) piped up about how if you are self-published you can never get into this store or that store.   They in fact mentioned a store I had never heard of and acted as if it was the end all be all of all bookstores.  I will not name it here, but it apparently is a chain retailer I was not familiar with.  I did not get to finish the conversation with the interrupting person and the author soon turned their attention elsewhere, but I did go later that evening and Google this supposedly wonderful store that would not associate with the likes of me and my plague of a self-published book.  Hum, that’s funny, they have my books in stock on their website.  Guess I’m not so much of a loser after all.

I’m not a complete idiot here folks.  I did a lot of research when I got back into the paper book game.  I paid some extra pennies here and there to get my books into the expanded distributions that actually worked.  I busted my ass to make sure my books were formatted to the regulations to even be accepted into those types of distributions.  This isn’t my first rodeo.  I’m not a spring chicken.  I’m also not a hack job.  So, before you get all judgmental  and but into someone’s conversation, why not stop to learn a little more about the business process of self-publishing these days or at least inquire about why I did what I did before you condemn me to the void.  In addition, it might not hurt to Google my books before you tell me where I can and cannot be found.  Makes you look somewhat stupid when I find myself listed in every store you just named.

Be sure to stop by The N’Loron Universe and check out more about my books.  Keep your eyes peeled.  Cursed Bloods is coming!  I have attached the YouTube link as well 🙂