|
If you have confidence in your talents and have something to communicate to others, then consider self publication. Such well-known authors as Edgar Allan Poe, T. S. Eliott, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron, Stephen Crane, Rudyard Kipling, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Hardy, Walt Whitman, James Redfield (The Celestine Prophecy), and Rod McKuen believed in themselves enough to publish their own books. If they had not self-published, perhaps we would not know their names today.
Without an established reputation, it is almost impossible to find a publishing house willing to invest in your talent by financing your first book. If one does, the terms are often so bad for the author or photographer that profits are never realized. Some publishers sell a book at retail until costs are recouped and then remainder the rest at deep discounts. The author often never gets any remuneration. It is a risky situation for both the publisher and the author. Once an author or photographer is established, the risks are lower and the gains higher.
But, how do you reach that point? If you believe in yourself, if you believe that you are a good photographer or writer, if you believe you can produce a book or calendar that will sell, you should publish your own. Once published, your book can be used to establish yourself as an accomplished expert in your field. It can open doors. It can help garner prestige. It can spread your message or talent to countless other people. It can pave the way to future publication.
|
