self-publishing

Life as a writer is quite challenging and at times can be frustrating, to say the least. Writing, for one, can be a lonely existence because you spend a lot of your time with only your innermost thoughts trying to assemble them onto paper or an electronic computer screen these days.

But writing can also be a rewarding experience. I have found that the more I write, the more creative I am. It’s a fantastic process that gives back to me in many instances twofold of what I put out into the world in terms of creative energy.

I’ve been working on improving my writing skills since I was twelve years old, and the process of self-improvement has been ongoing. I believe that to become proficient in anything requires a lot of dedication and hard work.

Writing content, getting it published, and, last but not least, selling your work are three distinct things. The first two are not as challenging to accomplish as the last, in my view.

Once an author creates something they believe is of high quality and worthy of public exposure, they must decide whether to publish or not.

That brings me to the main point of this post, which is whether authors should self-publish or traditionally publish their works.

But before we dive into that can of worms, read the following article I came across:

Read More Here!

Now that you’ve read the article above, here’s my two cents on publishing:

My Experiences with Publishing

Dr. John Reizer

Since the release of the Target List movie, I’ve had several writers contact me and ask for advice on writing and publishing fiction and nonfiction.

These authors wanted to know if it’s better to self-publish or traditionally publish their manuscripts.

Throughout my writing career, I have authored over twenty books, including both nonfiction and fiction titles. None of my published books has been traditionally published. However, I was offered a contract to publish my book Waist Away by a traditional publisher in 2007, which I declined because the terms offered didn’t make financial sense to me.

As you will discover in the above-reposted article, most traditionally published novels don’t sell many copies. According to some of the sources I have researched, hundreds rather than thousands of books sold is more the rule than the exception.

I have known for many years that the most challenging part of the book-writing business is not authoring the content; it’s marketing and selling books, which isn’t easy.

When I briefly negotiated with a traditional publisher in 2007, the company inquired about my social contacts, the organizations I belonged to, and my marketing plan for the future publication. They wanted to pay me a paltry percentage and have me do all the work while taking most of the profits. I reasoned that it would be foolish to agree to such a deal and published the manuscript myself.

From that point forward, I’ve been self-publishing everything I have authored.

Three of my novels have sold under 50 copies, others several hundred, and a few have sold a lot more than many traditionally published books, for sure.

Three of my nonfiction chiropractic books have sold thousands of copies over the many years they have been available. But some of those books were purchased in bulk by chiropractic colleges in the US when I was working as an associate professor of clinical sciences and brokered deals with different college bookstores.

My novel The Target List is my most successful story. I self-published that book in 2019. The story gained most of its exposure, however, when I met the screenwriter and molecular biologist, MJ Palo, and we co-wrote the screenplay for the story, convincing Mad Wife Productions to adapt it into a feature film. We estimate that several million people have watched the movie.

In my view, self-publishing is the most suitable option for my situation because it allows me to have my books printed when I want them released and receive higher royalties.

For others, self-publishing their books might not be a great fit. For some, traditionally publishing a book might be a better option. I believe that both avenues can work, but keep in mind that, whether through traditional publishing or self-publishing, earning a living as a writer of books and articles is not an easy road by any stretch of the imagination.

I hope this information is helpful to aspiring writers who are trying to publish their work moving forward.

The best advice I can offer to new writers is to write content, whether fiction or nonfiction, every single day. The more you write, the better you will become at your craft!

The Missing Novella by John Reizer

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“A hair-raising tale, I highly recommend.“

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When a young private investigator named Jessica Harris meets Billy Hayes, a groundskeeper at Evergreen Cemetery who has witnessed mysterious happenings on the property, the two team up and discover a hidden operation; they soon become entangled in a web of lies and danger. Will they expose the truth, or become just another pair of missing souls claimed by a diabolical biomedical corporation’s vision for the future?

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The Missing is a chilling tale of power, technology, and the price of immortality. Secrets lurk in the shadows, and no one is truly safe. Not even the dead!