Is Self-Publishing "Legit"? We Have Thoughts.
When an agent recently claimed on social media that indie authors aren't "real" authors, hosts Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid had a lot to say about it — and the numbers back them up.
The Business Case for Going Indie
The royalty gap between traditional and self-published authors can reach $5 per book. Successful indie midlisters are earning around $50,000 a year, releasing new books every four to six months rather than waiting the two-year traditional publishing timeline. They're also building direct reader relationships through email lists that most publishers can't replicate.
Add in full creative control — no losing your champion editor to another house, no committee decisions on your cover — and it's clear the old "vanity press" stigma simply doesn't reflect the reality of modern self-publishing.
Craft Corner: The Ravenspur Mystery
The hosts reviewed the opening pages of this middle-grade mystery, loving its old-school Nancy Drew energy. The hook is strong and the protagonist's voice is sharp and wry. Their main notes: filter description through the character's perspective rather than letting it read like neutral stage directions, and establish the protagonist's internal want early so readers are emotionally invested from page one.
Up Next
Award-winning author Amy Trueblood joins next episode to talk querying.
Author
Beth McMullen is the author of the Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls series , the Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter series, and The Secret of the Storm series (Aladdin/S&S).
She is also the author of the Spy Mom series (Hyperion).
Beth lives in Northern California with her husband, kids, and very grumpy cats. She's obsessed with podcasts and might give up writing in order to have more time to listen. Could happen.
