Before I chose to self publish, I asked some other writers that I know about it. And they gave me a great deal of really good information and things to think about and consider. Support being one of the things to consider. Another was contacts, and advertising.
My first published work was in the Dark Oak Press, a small press, and it was a short in an anthology. It was a very good place to start! Great support, and I was thrilled with the experience.
The problem with my Forged series was it didn't fit the usual categories. Self publishing seemed to be the answer. And so far it seems to be an interesting work in progress. I self promote my work, and have been blessed with friends who re-post my plugs.
What I had not considered was the rewards of self publishing. First, there's the money, not something to be taken lightly. While sales are slow, and small, there are sales... and I've gotten royalties. That's right, ROYALTIES! Each time a book is sold, it generates a report, and money! Amazing!
While it's not huge amounts, it is something that I am contributing to our household. I can't begin to express how important that is to me. Yes, yes, I know, as the primary caregiver to my hubby I contribute... without me he'd be lost... I take care of his needs. I feed him, I make sure he gets to the doctors, I see to his well being and take care of the household. These are all important. But they are not quite as satisfying as being able to know that I put money into the accounts.
Back when our kids were referred to as 'The Smalls' by us I did daycare here in our home. For eleven years, I contributed to the household funds and helped keep things on an even keel when Hubby was out of work a couple of times. I was an equal partner! Then things changed, and daycare wasn't an option any longer. And I was needed to shift roles and help with Hubby's aging Aunt who had raised him. Being an at home mom was my choice, and it gave me the freedom to be a caregiver. Now all these years later, I'm still the CAREGIVER. But while it's an important role, it didn't make me feel like I was... equal, no, that's not the right word... I didn't feel like my contribution was on a par or adequate. And that's my feeling, not hubby's!
Hubby is first to praise and extol my role in our family. He's more than happy to give me the credit for keeping the books, and keeping appointments and seeing to it, that the household is held intact. ( He says it's good that I know how to take care of things... just in case...) He says he was lucky to have married a thrifty Scot. But it's not the same as when I was being paid, when I was adding to the household funds.
With my first royalty payment I had the most amazing feeling of having achieved something akin to having scaled a mountain. I know the mountain is of my own making. But the reward of being able to put even a few bucks into our household... mean to me that I am contributing again. The reward is more than just the money... it's my own feeling of self worth, my own pride and my own sense of being. I am a writer. I am published. I am living my dream~ and it's a beautiful thing.