When I launched my side self-publishing project, DLP Books last fall, I hadn’t expected to such a positive reaction so quickly. While the royalties earned from the formerly out of print titles and original shorts offered through the site don’t equal what I make through my current publishers, I’m confident of the fact that I am able to offer readers an alternative source of engaging stories. When I decided to seriously pursue writing, I hadn’t intended to self-publish – it’s something that happened partly out of necessity and curiosity, as well as my interest in the growth of digital publishing. I can’t say that I will become a millionaire as a result, but I like that I have the freedom to attempt that goal.

One might ask, since I’ve proven I’m capable of obtaining a contract with a non-subsidy, royalty-paying publisher, why I would tackle the job of peddling books on my own. Well, one can argue that even if you are published traditionally, the onus is still on you to sell. I’ve met romance authors who made the NYT Bestseller list who revealed that all their promotional activity came out of their pockets. The only difference between me and them is that their books are more apt to show up in bookstores by virtue of the houses with which they are signed. If I want to be shelved, I have to work for it.

Now, my primary method of self-publication is digital. Thanks to sites like Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, and All Romance eBooks, I was able to revive out of print titles in five formats for smart phone users, Kindle and Nook owners. Because these titles had been published before, I found that other houses were reluctant to take on “used goods,” and unfortunately I don’t yet have the name power of a Janet Evanovich to generate mass market interest in the old school stuff. I can, however, check sales in the backends of various online stores to see who has discovered me. I estimate now my very first novel, Little Flowers (published under my real name), has sold more since I launched it on Kindle than it ever did in its first run.

So, self-publishing these older works gives readers the opportunity to find something they missed the first time around. Offering original works for sale, too, keeps readers aware of my name while I wait for my other publishers to edit and schedule what I have for them. Some erotic shorts I’ve made available on my own, too, are in genres that haven’t done well at my other houses, or else the word count is too low for them to consider. Rather than needlessly pad a story for the sake of meeting a quota, I release it on my own time, and I keep what I earn from it.

Will I continue to self-publish? Yes. Will I continue to seek other publishers? Of course. I may find one day I’ve written a work more appropriate for a larger audience, and a publisher can give me the marketing boost I can’t accomplish alone. Do I think every author should follow this jagged path? Hard for me to say. If you feel you want full control of your work, be prepared to DO all of the work, and to bear the brunt of criticism if it’s not received well.

Above all else, however you publish, don’t give up your desire to achieve the goal.

About the Author: Leigh Ellwood is an award-winning author of erotic romance and mystery. Please visit her online at www.leighellwood.com and follow her on Twitter @LeighEllwood.

This post was submitted by Leigh Ellwood.

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