If you had asked me a year ago, I would have told you that self-publishing was the road to nowhere. In my research, I had found that self-published authors published only one book on average, and those who had published subsequent books were unlikely to break into traditional publishing or to have substantial sales. Then I went to the 2013 National Conference for the Romance Writer's of America, where I met dozens of writers who were enjoying self-publishing success. Some of the writers who spoke with me were bringing in a hundred dollars a month, while others had netted hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars last year.
After the conference, I began to consider self-publishing my thriller series, Kings of Brighton Beach. My writer friends are mixed on their responses to this decision. Some think I'm jumping in too early, that this new project, which I haven't shopped around at all, is the one that will finally land me an agent and traditional publishing contract. Others tell me I'm being extremely wise: I'll maintain creative control, write on a schedule that suits my needs, and hopefully bring in at least enough money to justify the hours and heart I pour into my writing passion.
