10 Authors Who Tried Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is the publication of one’s book without the aid of any established publishing house or company. While publishing your own books is now an option for most aspiring authors who don’t want subject their work to the standards and arrangements set by traditional publication, for some it was the only recourse for their literary piece to see publication. Regardless of the motives or circumstances for publishing books, these authors chose to carve their names in the literary world with nothing but their precious narratives.

E.L. James (2011)

Erika Leonard James tops our list of independently-published authors mainly
because of the commercial success of erotic novel series, Fifty Shades. What started as an episodical published fan fiction
series evolved into an original piece and later divided into three parts; Fifty
Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed, each with its
own movie adaptation that generated over 1 billion in gross earnings.

James Redfield (1993)

Anyone who has the courage to drive across the country, leave copies of his
books in bookstores along the way, pretty much deserves a spot in our short
list. Redfield first self-published The Celestine Prophecy in
1993. Before being noticed by a major publication house, the book sold 100,000
copies straight from the trunk of Redfield’s Honda Accord. It became a
best-seller for more than two years and has sold more than 20 million copies so
far.

Andy Weir (2011)

We appreciate aspiring authors who put a premium
on accuracy and deep-research. The Martian by Andy Weir was a product of an
intensive research not only about astronomy and manned space flights but also
included orbital mechanics and the aerospace industry as well.  Before the
success of the motion picture starring Matt Damon, the sci-fi piece first
garnered attention after Weir published chapters of the book on his website for
free. After many fan requests, he later decided to publish the novel via Amazon
Kindle for 99 cents and the rest is history.

Walt Whitman

Before becoming one of America’s most revered poets, essayist and journalist
Walt Whitman self-published his classic collection of poems, Leaves of
Grass. The first edition of this timeless piece
printed in late 1855, only contained 12 poems. He personally typed all the
entries as well as designed the book cover. During the span of 40 years, it
went numerous editions, the latest contained over 400 entries. This is proof
that independently publishing books are a stepping stone for building a career and
legacy as well.

Irma S. Rombauer (1931)

First published in 1931, Rombauer’s masterpiece
continues to nourish readers not only with its rich recipes but also with the
comprehensive knowledge of the kitchen world. From cooking techniques, cutting
skills, food handling and preservation, down to the table set up and preparing
on-the-go meals, The Joy of Cooking remains the most
essential cookbook of the 20^th century.

Lisa Genova (2007)

Any literary work that inspires a critically and commercially successful
movie adaptation is definitely worth reading. Still Alice was first published via the Indiana-based independent
publishing company, iUniverse in 2007.  A medical drama about a psychology
professor suffering the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the book was adapted into
a motion picture starring Academy Award-winning actress Julian Moore.

Christopher Paolini (2003)

Self-publication is all about taking matters into your own hands and
Christopher Paolini’s Eragon is all about that. From literally writing the draft
by hand to drawing the book cover as well as the maps inside the book to
handing copies of its first edition to schools, libraries, and bookshops, Paolini stood by
his precious narrative. Eragon was first published by Paolini’s parents who
owned a home-based publishing company called Paolini International.
Today, Eragon has
sold millions of copies, spawned into a series and has since generated a movie
adaptation.

Hugh Howey (2011)

Hugh Howey is one of the most successful self-published authors
since John Locke and E.L. James. Howley began publishing books in
2011 with Wool, a post-apocalyptic
stand-alone short story. Choosing to self-publish rather than be
constrained with traditional publishing, Howley released
four more sequels via Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing.  The sci-fi
series’ rising popularity eventually caught the eye of American publishing
company Simon &Schuster which inked him half a million dollar for a
print-only agreement.

Amanda Hocking

It’s hard not to include the self-published author
who made millions publishing her books online without the help of any marketing
agent or traditional publication company. Amanda Hocking forever
changed the self-publishing landscape. Switched, the first book of her famous Trylle Trilogy,
catapulted Hocking to literary superstardom.  Today, Amanda Hocking
has numerous eBook bestsellers under her belt.

Discussing Amanda Hocking’s success story in self-publishing
books, The
Guardian declares: “When historians come to write about the
digital transformation currently engulfing the book-publishing world, they will
almost certainly refer to Amanda Hocking, writer of paranormal fiction who
in the past 18 months has emerged from obscurity to bestselling status entirely
under her own self-published steam.”

John Locke

Our list wouldn’t be complete without the man who pioneered the short list
of authors who sold a million copies. John Locke is the first self-published
author to sell one million eBooks. He owes his success largely to his thriller
series, Donovan Creed with over 1.5 million eBook sales.
Aside from online success, Locke recently became a New York Times bestselling
author through his work Saving Rachel.

ReadersMagnet chose not to
include some famous names that repeatedly appear in other lists of
self-published authors. Mark Twain was already an established writer when he
self-published his two famous books while Edgar Allan Poe paid Calvin F. S.
Thomas to print and publish Tamerlane in 1827. Poe decided
not to attach his name as its author and the book never gained that much
recognition even to date. Grisham’s and Clancy’s supposedly affair with self-publishing
books never actually happened.

ReadersMagnet Self-Publishing provides quality and top of the line publishing and book marketing services. You can contact ReadersMagnet Self-Publishing at their office number: (619) 354 2643 Toll Free Number: (800) 805 0762 Fax Number: (661) 338 1442 or email them at [email protected] for more details.