Should I Self-Publish Fiction?

Almost certainly not.

Before I elaborate, let me be clear: In the writing world there is a sharp division between those who believe self-publishing is a good idea and those who don't. I fall into the former category. That is, I am a fan of self-publishing, and even have some very profitable experience with it myself.

That said, I think that for nearly everyone, self-publishing fiction is a bad idea.

I discussed some of the reasons that self-publishing fiction doesn't usually work out in this post on my writing blog: Self-Publishing Fiction

There's also some useful information to be had from Moira Allen in this Self-Publishing FAQ. This piece is from 2001, which is roughly a thousand years in self-publishing technology, so some of the specifics here are outdated. However, the general overview of the pros, cons and pitfalls holds up.

Here are a few of the primary concerns in a nutshell:

-It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be price-competitive with a self-published fiction book

-Distribution channels are much more limited--some of the major bookstore chains simply won't consider carrying books published through some of the most common presses for "self-published" fiction

-Marketing a book is a full-time job

-Most of the effectively strategies for marketing a self-published book involve expertise or making a "name" in a niche area, conducting relevant workshops and presentations, publishing related articles, etc.--and those techniques apply almost exclusively to non-fiction works

Just a few key things to think about; there are definitely more.