One of the joy's of self-publishing is that you're free to do what you want with your work. No one might read it, but at least the decisions are yours and no one can insist on a different cover or cutting out your favourite scene. All the responsibility and the rewards are yours–as well as all the chores.
    It's easy to see publicity and marketing as 'housework'–jobs that need to be done, that take up far too much time when you could be actually producing something, and whose benefits can be hard to see. That isn't really fair. Yes, updating websites, trawling through Tweets and finding people to review your work can all feel like trudging through treacle, but there's an upside too. Some writers would rather have all their teeth pulled out than be interviewed or stand in front of a group of people and give a talk; they enjoy the isolation, but it's neither healthy nor productive to be on your own with your pen or computer all the while. Meeting people, exchanging views, finding out what they're working on, helps keep you anchored in the real world and get new perspectives, even if that contact is only via an online forum.
    Once in a while–more often as you get better at marketing and discover what works–you get feedback. Any feedback is useful, but positive feedback is like the sun coming out. Someone likes your work enough to take the time to tell you so, and you feel like dancing. The great thing is, if you self-publish you can reward the people who are loyal fans and promote your work at the same time whenever you think appropriate. That's why I've decided that reducing the price of the ebook versions of Discord's Child and Discord's Apprentice in Smashwords' Winter-Summer sale on its own isn't fair. What about all the readers who prefer paperbacks? They should have a chance to benefit too, so I've discounted both novels on CreateSpace until 31st July as well. You'll find Discord's Child at http://www.createspace.com/6858054 and Discord's Apprentice at http://www.createspace.com/6877092.
    Happy reading!