Successful self-published debut novels?

MagicMarker · 31-12-2012 06:47PM #1

Do they exist?

I suppose "successful" can be an ambiguous term. From my brief googling it would appear fifty shades was self published (but that seems dubious to me). There is no denying that it was a commercial success at least, but would appear to be the exception to the rule.

So, fellow readers, would you be put off by self published work from an unknown? Does it strike you as amateurish?

mcgovern · 31-12-2012 09:03PM

Hugh Howey's Wool series? Film rights and all sold now, with Ridley Scott potentially making the movie of it.

clairefontaine · 01-01-2013 10:07PM

Fifty Shades was self published initially but the reason it is on bookshelves in places like Tesco is because Vintage picked it up.

When I had initially heard the title, I had thought that it was about a menopausal social group that met in the hairdressers. Still not having read it, I drove through the country recently on route to somewhere else, and thought if I were to write about this place, I'd call it Fifty Shades of Grey, grey skies, grey steeples, grey hair everywhere. And enough crucifixes to justify the allusion to the masochistic title. I guess this is part of the product of depending on word of mouth, people can really get the wrong impression.

The Atlantic has a good sense article here about self publishing.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/04/after-fifty-shades-of-grey-whats-next-for-self-publishing/255338/

Successful self-published debut novels?

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