An author can write what’s desired and control the whole process. That’s a huge change from the traditional publishing world. Takes a lot of work and new skills, but there’s tremendous latitude to go wherever you want.
Talking in terms of the emotions of each stage, Kristine Kathryn Rusch walks through The Stages of An Indie Writer.
The journey into the new publishing world is difficult. It requires learning new skills.
But the freedom to do what you want and have control over your product is delightful.
That is the reason I only considered self-publishing my books. I knew that no publisher would ever let me go the direction I wanted.
The dollars aren’t there, but that is a reflection on my allocation of negligible time to marketing. The results? I’m thrilled.
Check out Ms. Rusch’s article for a great description of the journey into self-publishing, which she calls the indie world.