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Monday, September 19, 2005Got $25,000?I've got a bold statement to make that nobody in the publishing industry will contradict: Self-published authors are almost universally sneered at. It's not because there aren't some truly talented, hard-working self-published authors out there. It's not because there's no chance for success outside of a traditional publisher (as you will see momentarily). I think there are two main reasons, really, why self-published authors are looked down upon: 1. Vanity presses. By preying on wanna-be authors, they flood the market with low-quality books just for the sake of lining their own pockets. Thus, the entire population of self-published authors has gotten a bad rap. Disclaimer: Not all self-publishing outlets are vanity presses, though the Powers That Be tend to lump them all together under the disparaging "vanity" title. Companies like Booklocker.com have quality control in place and reject more than ninety percent of the manuscripts submitted to them for self-publication via POD. There really are reputable self-publishing and POD companies out there that care about what's being produced and distributed. 2. The arrogant dinosaur that is New York Publishing. "If we don't say it's publishable, then no one else's opinion counts." In short, it's not a "real book" unless a bonafide publisher takes a substantial percentage of its profits. So, there you have it. It's endlessly satifying, then, to come across a self-publishing success story that blows it all out of the water. Well, to be perfectly honest, it's a frustrating mixture of satisfaction and utter dispair. Patrick Carman self-published his bestselling The Dark Hills Divide, which ultimately captured the attention of hot agent Peter Rubie, who sold it in a three-book deal to Scholastic for a nice, six-figure number. You can read the article HERE. Here's the clincher, though. Mr. Carman, whom I greatly admire for his chutzpah and hard work, invested $25,000 in the self-publication of his novel. I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of money lying around to invest in a book. Imagine the freedom, though. The author chooses his own cover artist (hand-picked and only the best), his own printer (best quality he can afford), and owns the ISBN and all rights. Coupled with an aggressive marketing plan, this is definitely a recipe for success, as proven by Mr. Carman. Funny, isn't it, how the Powers That Be jump through hoops as soon as something has created a big enough buzz (read: sales). Does "quality" matter at that point? Does "it is publishable because we say it is" matter? I doubt it. At any rate, Mr. Carman is made in the shade, and those of us who don't have twenty-five grand must play the game according to the antiquated Big Boys' rules. Success can come via either route, but I must say that I truly admire Mr. Carman's. If you feel inclined to send me a check for $25,000, I'll send you my business address. Labels: writing |
About Me
I am: Mother to five stunningly individualistic children... Writer of young adult fantasy... Passionate advocate for Women At Home... Madly in love with my husband... In need of Organic Gourmet Chocolate on a regular basis. I've got a Paypal account if you'd like to contribute to the cause....
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5of my readers are feeling chatty:
Hi Jill, great post. My family and I actually wrote and self-published a children's book about Pittsburgh...thinking there was no way a big publisher would go with it, we did it ourselves...three years later, it's disappearing and reappearing on the shelves of Barnes and Nobles...we don't really care what anyone thinks because we just wanted to do it...not at all the perspective I take with my novels...I fall prey to the "if not a 'real' publisher, not a 'real' book...
If I had 25k extra lying around I just might send it to you if only to get a preview copy of the book. The suspense is killing me. Well, ok. Not killing me but sheesh! Sell one of your kids for us and publish it yourself already!
Ken
You wanna buy one of my kids? Which one? :)
Seriously -- you are so good for my ego. If I ever need another Beta reader, I'll keep you in mind. In the meantime, allow me to pacify you by hinting that there will soon (that is, in a few weeks) be something available online for you to read "in the meantime." It's in the works -- I promise!
And kathie -- that sounds like a wonderful venture with your self-published book. As for the "real book" thing and novels -- I think we all end up falling prey to it because it's jammed into our heads over and over again! Somewhere deep inside we know it's "real" anyway, but we can't say it too loudly.
You can try lulu.com which I just ran across today. They will publish one book, or many, depending on what you need.
Hello cube...
Yes, thank you, I've heard of lulu. Actually, my first book (Lima Beans, see links at right) was published through Booklocker, so I've done the self-publish route via a middleman. If I'd do it again, I'd rather do it the way Mr. Carman did it -- completely on his own!
I'm still waiting for chench to send me the money, though...
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