Self-Publisher Interview with Zach Ellenberger
1. What can you tell me about your experience as a writer?
I decided long ago that one of my bucket list items was to write a book before I die. I always enjoyed the art of storytelling and was among the many futures I wanted as a kid. I was originally a musician which is where writing began with me. In my 20s I became possessed by a story idea to the point where I decided to make a serious attempt at writing it out. That story became my first novel.
2. What made you decide to write a book?
I was introduced to writing through music. I was born to musicians so it came with the territory that I’d be one. If you told me as a teenager I wouldn’t end up becoming a musician, I would’ve told you you had the wrong person. But aside from music, I enjoyed reading about history and had been inspired by the fact that a family ancestor had fought for the Union during the Civil War. Given his Irish background, I looked to the Irish influence in the American Civil War, which is quite vast. When it comes to writing historical fiction, I want the story to stick as close to the facts as possible so the only element that remains fictional is the MC with the hope that people might learn something.
3. What circumstances brought you to the decision to self-publish your book?
I chose to self-publish after I had submitted my script to several agents and publishers. Not having any background or familiarity with writing, my perception of being a writer was terribly skewed and therefore had no idea what the appropriate steps to getting published were. Receiving repeated rejections, I simply assumed I wasn’t any good at writing and never considered that I had no prior experience or online presence as a writer.
4. What has your experience as a self-publisher been like?
It’s not for the faint of heart. For myself, I chose to handle every aspect of publishing a book: cover art, formatting, designing, etc., with the only others involved being the ones who were kind enough to read my manuscripts and offer edits and revisions. With that being said, I don’t believe there’s anything more rewarding to have done all the work and be able to hold the final product in your hand knowing it was all of your making.
5. How do you respond to the negative stigma attached to self-publishing and self-published books?
I can understand the frustration as I, too, was reluctant to do it, especially after no other publisher or agent was willing to accept it. But I think part of that is the need to earn the peer acknowledgement and validation from others recognizing your abilities. How can we really measure value in someone’s work if anyone is able to publish any story regardless of its message or content and call themselves a writer? Now, anyone’s a writer with just a click of the mouse button. At the same time, it provides access to writers who might otherwise be filtered/censured by large publishers who remain selective in form and genre. It’s a double-edged sword over which I remain conflicted. It’s hard enough calling myself a writer.
6. What is one very important lesson you have learned as a self-publisher so far?
Abandon your comfort zone. Completely. The elephant in the room that few like to address is promoting and marketing yourself. That is an aspect that relies totally on yourself. I personally struggle to talk about myself in any capacity, so self-promotion is inherently terrifying. But it’s part of the gig… (shoulder shrug)
7. What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you knew at the beginning?
I’m not so sure there’s much I do know now that would’ve benefited me starting out as things are rapidly changing in terms of taste and design. But best practice is being up to date with other writers, what they’re doing, what appeals to you, but also what appeals to the audience targeting.
8. A lot of authors of self-published books have reservations about promoting and marketing their book. Some even feel that it is a form of vanity or self-importance. What is your opinion about this?
I certainly have reservations about promoting myself and even calling myself a writer. But I think it’s the hard reality of self-publishing and even being a writer in general. I think it’s one of the necessary “evils” that comes with the territory, even to the degree that you’re just trying to appeal to publishers. You need to sell yourself. Unfortunately, with self-publishing, there’s a higher demand for it to succeed because you don’t have the same resources to back you that a publisher would normally have. There’s no team behind you providing insight, suggestions, or decisions to help bring your vision to life. Like I said, the truth is, I hate talking about myself too. It feels disingenuous and boastful even with every attempt to avoid being so, and part of that comes from my own neurodivergent struggles. But it’s a concession I’m willing to make to write stories.
9. How do you promote your books and what form of book promotion has worked the best for you?
I’m sure a lot of other writers have said the same, I’m downright awful at promoting my work. Obviously, social media has been the big avenue for exposure and networking with others. But with that, I also enjoy making videos and so I’ll produce short video promos for my books and myself as an author. Seeing as though I have a hard time taking myself seriously, I opt to make funny videos to catch people’s attention off the bat. That seems to have been the biggest impact on promoting, making it more approachable. Lately, I’ve been focusing on promoting in the physical space, around my town, at bookstores and what not.
10. What are some other important things you have learned as a self-publisher?
There are thousands of people out there who are trying to become writers and utilizing self-publishing. I don’t say that to disillusion people who want to become writers or start self-publishing. I say that to encourage people to use it for their own benefit. I’ve learned to seek out other writers similar to me, network and build/find myself a community. I wouldn’t be anywhere as a writer if it weren’t for the community of fellow writers I’ve come to know over the last few years. It’s certainly not easy to do so in this day and age, but well worth it.
11. Do you feel that self-publishing is a viable choice for other authors?
Yes. To me, it’s the counterculture of our age compared to the traditional form which brings with it all the usual stigma that can be misleading. It’s also fluid and transforming. I think especially lately, as a result of current events, the negative views toward corporate elites like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and others have soured people’s attitude toward self-publishing because Amazon has essentially monopolized the self-publishing industry with its KDP platform. But that only drives the need for alternatives in self-publishing and I think in just a few years, self-publishing will be vastly different with more options available.
12. How do you feel that self-publishing their books has helped many unknown authors finally get the recognition their books deserve?
I think it’s given publishing access to people who wouldn’t normally have it available to them, opening up a whole new market of writers and creative minds to storytelling. I think a lot of opportunities and good talent get missed when considering the arduous nature of traditional publishing. But self-publishing gives people the opportunity to understand the process be part of it but also take charge of it, leaving you in full control of the final product.
ABOUT ZACH:
Zach Ellenberger is a writer based in Chicago where he lives with his wife and kids. Originally a Pittsburgh native, Zach attended Ohio University for communications while moonlighting as a musician. After a decade of performing live music, Zach’s artistic focus shifted towards creative writing where he published his first novel in 2020, following it up with several other short stories in various genres including historical fiction and horror. His second novel is slated to release next year. When Zach is not writing, he enjoys playing music, gaming, and hiking.