SELF-PUBLISHING IS?
- By Paul Goat Allen -
G'day guys,
Today I feature some more wonderful work by Paul Goat Allen, a book reviewer for more than twenty years.
How do traditionally published authors complete the sentence: “Self publishing is?" Their answers might surprise you.
How do traditionally published authors complete the sentence: “Self publishing is?" Their answers might surprise you.
“I thought it would be interesting to ask a bunch of established authors — writers who have found some semblance of commercial and/or critical success through traditional publishing — to finish this simple open-ended statement “Self publishing is…” to see if there were any prevailing responses or attitudes.
Would
these writers respond with disdain, ridicule, or pity, or would there be some
level of acceptance?
Although
the responses were varied, collectively they offered profound insight and
enlightenment into the future of self publishing.
Several
authors pointed out the obvious difficulties and hardships involved in self
publishing:
Nicole Peeler: “Self-publishing is a lot of work.”
Adam Connell: “Self-publishing
is writing your book, editing it alone, formatting it by yourself for outlets
such as Nook and Kindle and Smashwords—whose guidelines all vary—and then
acquiring quality cover art. After this comes the marketing and promoting of
your novel by exploiting social media with half of your spare time, spending
the other half in the mostly fruitless endeavor of scrabbling for review
attention. All the while competing with 60,000 or so other authors who are
using the same tools with the same enthusiasm. This is what self-publishing
is.”
Jennifer Pelland: “Self-publishing
is very difficult to do well.”
Richard Kadrey: “Self-publishing
is the literary equivalent of riding a Conestoga wagon into the West in the
1840s. You’re heading into largely uncharted territory where you might find a
place to settle down. Or you might strike it rich. Or you might disappear
without a trace, only to be stumbled upon years later, bones by the side of the
road. Like those early travelers West, I admire self-publishers’ gumption and
fortitude. They’re carving out a road for others to follow. Frankly, I don’t
know if I could do it. There are so many obstacles in the way. So many dead
ends. I wish them well and I hope they find the mother lode.”
David Nickle: “I think that people who self-publish
take a great risk with their careers. For years, I thought they did so
recklessly. But I’ve watched too many good, business-savvy writers do very well
for themselves—and their books—by hiring editors, publicists, and cutting a
deal with Amazon to dismiss self-publishing as a viable option. With all that
said: nothing beats working with a good, nurturing publisher who handles
everything from copy editing to cover art to publicity. But it is, like the
song says, nice work if you can get it. And there are a lot of good books that
don’t quite fit the needs of the publishing houses that still have an audience
out there.”
Other
authors — like Rhiannon Frater, who has found success through both
traditionally published and self-published works — see self-publishing as an
increasingly advantageous option:
Rhiannon Frater: “Self-publishing
is liberating.
“For
a very long time writers were dependent on publishing houses to deliver their
stories into the hands of readers. I’ve had editors tell me that perfectly good
stories are rejected because they just won’t sell in large enough numbers.
They’re too niche. Oftentimes, those manuscripts eventually were tucked away in
trunks, drawers, or closets never to be seen again. Now those perfectly good
stories can reach their audience through self-publishing. One of my manuscripts
was rejected because it was too similar in theme to another book my publisher
was releasing. I self-published the novel to rave reviews, accolades, and brisk
sales. In another age, it would have been dumped into a drawer and forgotten.
“Self-publishing
is freedom.”
Adam
Pepper: “Self-publishing,
when coupled with digital technology and the power of the Internet, is the
great democratizer of our literary culture. For better or worse, it’s become
very easy to publish a book and have access to a mass audience. This has been a
boon to writers trying to maximize their earning potential. It also presents
great opportunities for creative minds working outside the corporate culture.
Although most of the success stories thus far have been accessible fiction
(thrillers, romance and mysteries), it’s only a matter of time for something
really brilliant to come through.”
Jessica Meigs: “I think
self-publishing is definitely becoming a viable career path for many writers. I
am glad to see that, in many instances, it is beginning to lose its stigma and
become more accepted as an alternative or an in-addition-to for traditional
publication.”
Samantha Mary Beiko: “Self-publishing
is the next inevitable step in the book publishing industry as we know it. A
lot of traditionalists tend to scoff at it, but when the economy forces big
houses to limit their acquisitions around Big Selling Authors, and technology
continues to give independent authors the means to penetrate the market on
their own, what did you think would happen?”
Carrie Clevenger: “Self-publishing
is a viable option, provided it receives the same amount of care, polish, and
editing as a traditional route. It is also a great way to release
previously-published works or short story collections.”
Two
particularly revealing responses came from two very well known paranormal
fantasy novelists, Jaye Wells, author of the bestselling saga featuring half
vampire/half mage heroine Sabina Kane (published by Orbit); and Marcus
Pelegrimas, whose Skinners saga (published by HarperCollins) brilliantly blends
horror with urban fantasy. Both are part of a growing category known as “hybrid
authors,” writers whose portfolios include both traditionally and
self-published works.
Jaye Wells: “Self-publishing
is a great opportunity for authors to diversify and experiment. On June 6, I’ll
be publishing a novella called Meridian Six, which will hopefully be the first
in a series of novellas set in this new dystopian world. I decided to self-publish
it because I wanted the freedom to work on these stories outside my traditional
deadlines. I’ve also recently published two light paranormal romances under the
name Kate Eden for the same reason. I enjoy the structure and support
traditional publishing offers, but it’s nice to have the ability to experiment
and control scheduling with indie, as well.
“I guess this makes me one of those hybrid
authors we keep hearing about. My experience so far has been positive, but it’s
definitely by no means easy. Being an author, regardless of the medium or
format in which you share your stories, is not a get-rich-quick scheme and it’s
not for anyone who’s afraid of hard work.”
Marcus Pelegrimas: “Self-
publishing is something that used to be a sore spot with professional writers —
kind of a shortcut taken by those who hadn’t paid their dues by submitting,
being rejected (more than a few times) and sticking at it for years if necessary
until something happens. That whole process I mentioned earlier wasn’t just
some kind of hazing. It helped forge writers into better writers and skipping
to the end avoided that. Kind of like a garage band with a home-mixed demo tape
expecting to get a Grammy at their first show. That’s not to say every self-published
person was perceived this way. I’d say it’s the fault of some very loud people
who insisted on sitting next to the pros at signings while chatting themselves
up with their friends. Once again, the annoying few ruins it for the rest.
“But
that’s changed recently and never more so than it has in the last couple of
years! Not only has self-publishing changed, but the big-time publishing has as
well. Due to a struggling economy, the big publishers (like most other big
businesses) have to be much more careful. That means the non-NYT bestsellers
are having a much tougher time of it. Publishing houses want to find new
talent, but also want a guaranteed profit margin. That amounts to a lot of stuff
getting passed over that would have been published years ago. What this means
for self-publishing is simple.""
Clancy's comment: Thanks, Paul. I have been an advocate and activist for self-published authors for years; probably to my detriment. However, many self-published books I've read and reviewed have been magnificently prepared and written. Sadly, the attitudes towards self-published authors has denied libraries, the general public, teachers, kids, parents and grandparents the opportunity to avail themselves of the entire list of books available.
Again, I repeat. Being an author is the toughest gig I've ever been involved in, but it can be an extraordinary journey. I guess things will change in time, but better sooner, rather than later ...
I'm ...
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