Self-publishing is still changing the rules for authors. Self-publishing allows unknown or little-known authors to play on the same field as the well-known authors, and also breathe that rarified celebrity air.

I have written previously that I have walked down the self-publishing avenue.

I liked it. It was a hard task because I had to take care of everything except distribution. I went to BookBaby for distribution and print-on-demand (POD).

I also write under a pseudonym. I write as Mike E. Darlink. You are probably wondering why I chose that name, but for me it was a simple choice. I was going to use my middle name as my last name as some authors have done. But then I thought, I need a name that will be remembered. Don’t get me wrong, I am fine using my Ukrainian last name. I use it here, and my pen name is kind of based on my Ukrainian heritage.

When I was very young, my aunt, who also was my godmother, spoke in a Ukrainian accent. And she would always say, “Mikey Darling come here let me hug you.” But what I heard was a hard “k” at the end in stead of a “g” sound. So it came out as “darlink” instead of “darling.” And she was the only person who was allowed to call me Mikey. When I was in school I went by Mike, but then in 11th grade I switched to Michael because I liked it better than Mike. Yes, some people call me Mike, but it’s because they have known me a long time. I prefer Michael. So when it came time to think of a name, I chose Mike E. Darlink. In my opinion it’s a clever play on words. My middle name starts with the letter L.

I know celebrities use different names on occasion. But I also got the idea from reading the liner notes of Supertramp albums. It’s the band with songs “The Logical Song,” “Breakfast In America,” “Goodbye Stranger,” “Bloody Well Right,” “School,” “Dreamer,” “Give A Little Bit,” “Take the Long Way Home,” “It’s Raining Again.” Supertramp’s most noted release is “Breakfast In America” from 1979. My point is that Supertramp drummer Bob Siebenberg is credited on releases as Bob C. Benberg.

With self-publishing, the author is basically representing himself. There are self-publishing companies that will offer help. These are also known as print on demand companies, POD, and some will ask for money and some will not. In any event, this avenue is becoming more popular because authors have gone through the writing process and polished their work enough for publishing, but can’t find representation to get published the traditional way. Some of the PODs will take care of the copyright, and ISBN an author needs to sell books in a store.

I chose BookBaby because the company provided an ISBN and had distribution in several retailers. I did not choose a soft or hard cover edition, but rather an ebook. I wanted to be strictly digital, and I wanted to keep the cost down.

Some other self-publishing companies include Smashwords, Kindle Direct, iUniverse, and Archway Publishing. Research is key here, and you need to find which company is best for you.

My book is entitled “The Followers: Mind Freeze” and it’s available for download at iBooks, Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and I just recently learned it was available at Walmart.

It’s only $2.99. I found a graphic designer who made my book cover, and I asked trusted colleagues and friends to take my manuscript and mark it up and tell me their likes and dislikes as well any copyediting tasks.

My book is about the protagonist Maxwell Barrett and his friends. If you visit my website mikeedarlink.com, you can read the synopsis and get links to download a copy. I also have a sample from the book posted as well. Currently I am working on two other books. One is completed, and I am looking for a copyeditor. The second is about half complete, but it is coming together.

I had a very fun time writing “The Followers: Mind Freeze” and if you choose to purchase it for download, I hope you have fun reading it.

Remember that with self-publishing, you can get your work distributed within one week of submitting your manuscript.

It’s that easy.

It’s that hard.