The Case for Self-Publishing, and Why It’s Easier Now Than Ever Before
By Katie Kormanik
When I first started writing my memoir, Adventures of a Chess Girl: Into the Depths of the Chess World and Back Again, I dreamed of getting an agent and being published with a traditional publisher. This was my first serious book, and the journey of publishing it would be a grandiose project outside my area of expertise. I felt that if I could land a large publishing company, that would be the best way to learn the most about the publishing industry and give my book the best chances of success.
Having recently completed the process of self-publishing, I now believe I actually learned a great deal more going this route than I would have with a traditional publisher. I learned about the many intricate pieces that go into it, and I feel like I have much more control over my book’s journey than if I had remained clueless and relied on a publisher to tell me what to do. So, I wanted to share this knowledge with anyone who may be thinking about self-publishing their book.
But let’s back up: why did I ultimately choose to self-publish rather than pursue a traditional publisher like I had aspired to? To be honest, I couldn’t find a good agent, and doors felt closed in all directions. I had an agent for a year, but she didn’t do diddly squat. (I share more about this in my article, “The Journey of Writing and Publishing a Memoir.”) So I took matters into my own hands.
ChatGPT couldn’t have come at a better time for me in my book-publishing journey. I heavily relied on AI to help me determine my steps to self-publish. I first asked it to put together a publishing, launch, and marketing plan. ChatGPT did this with gusto, dividing the plan into foundational, pre-launch, launch, and post-launch tasks. “Foundational” tasks included registering copyright, purchasing ISBNs and assigning one to each format (ebook, paperback, hardcover), and completing the interior design. Pre-launch tasks included recruiting ARC readers and having them post reviews on Goodreads, setting up preorders, creating my book’s website, and getting shout-outs and blurbs from influencers. And then post-launch is all about marketing: applying for book awards, continued efforts to get shout-outs, and fun stuff like book signings at local bookstores.
After hundreds of prompts back and forth, I put together a checklist of all the things I had to do and by when. And for others embarking on this journey, I scrubbed out any information specific to my own book and made it available here: Self-Publishing Checklist.
Self-publishing has been an enlightening and exhilarating experience, and I’m so grateful that publishing platforms like KDP make it possible for indie authors to publish their works without needing the support of gatekeepers like agents and editors. With this red tape removed, and now with the remarkable capabilities of AI, any author can take matters into their own hands to make their book a success. I’m hoping my checklist makes the logistical part more straightforward for other indie authors, but where it falls short is the creative marketing strategies that each author will need for their unique audience. Marketing is the tough part, but AI can give a lot of great ideas.
I look forward to seeing an increasing proportion of independently published books amongst top sellers in the years to come.
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Katie Kormanik was one of the top 50 girls under age thirteen, and later one of the top 100 women chess players in the United States. Chess became her first great passion after learning from her dad at the age of four. Other than an introductory statistics textbook that she wrote fueled by mimosas on Saturdays in New York in her mid-twenties, this is her first book.
Her career has focused on corporate learning and development: designing training programs and strategies to upskill employees. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and Golden Retriever, creating online courses such as her chess course for beginners, and attempting to teach her three-year-old chess.
Find out more about Katie on her website https://www.katiekormanik.com/
The world within the black and white squares can be confounding and exhilarating. As a young girl, that’s the world in which Katie found refuge from her parents’ constant fighting and mean kids at school.
By her early twenties, Katie had largely left chess behind. When she was asked to compete on her college chess team at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championships, she thought it would be her final tournament.
But chess drew her back in. She soon found herself immersed in the world that revolved around the board. The brilliance. The drinking. The glamor. She was hooked.
As she rose to become one of the top 100 women chess players in the nation, she became more and more integrated into the chess world. But staying there came at a cost—which, despite her love of the game, she wasn’t sure she could pay.
Katie’s deeply personal memoir provides a rare window into the insular world of elite chess as seen through a woman’s eyes, while sharing the intimate details of her coming-of-age journey on and off the board.
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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing
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