Comments on: The first hero on my list and the newest addition

By: Emma

Emma — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:34:56 +0000

Hi Darcy, and welcome! It really rocks my world to think I actually made you see something in a new light. Yay! And thank you for taking the time to let me know, I really appreciate that.

It is an accent to die for, isn’t it? Do grab a copy, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and summer is the perfect time to read it – as you’ll find out

By: Darcy

Darcy — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:31:32 +0000

I love this idea that self-publishing authors’ work is just as valid as that of artists who sell outside the gallery system, and yet (smacks forehead) I’ve never thought of it that way before. I’m definitely someone who had absorbed the cultural bias against self-publishing (and I’m also someone who never even tried to get any of my own poems published outside of school magazines because I didn’t want to play that whole game), and I am so grateful to you for opening my eyes to the complete uselessness of that bias and how it runs contrary to so many other things I believe.

I was just explaining to someone how I don’t care for museums because why is this one set of people’s art supposedly so much better than everyone else’s? I like to see art out in the world, in real life, in a cafe or a home or a library or whatever public or private space, not walled off and separate in some cold institution. Maybe I’m just going to the wrong museums, but it never occurred to me to think about writing the same way I think about other kinds of art. Sincere and enthusiastic thanks for stretching my mind in a new direction today.

And I also adore that guy’s accent, and his book does sound really good. I might just have to snag a copy Looking forward to reading more of your writing, too

By: Emma

Emma — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:11:45 +0000

Thanks ) I really do think it’s the end of publishers as gatekeepers era. I’m giving the traditional approach one last shot and then I’ll be following in this hero’s footsteps, so I clearly agree with you!

By: Paisley

Paisley — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:41:12 +0000

Why should really good writers depend only on the opinions of a few to determine whether or not the larger public would enjoy their work? Just think of how many excellent writers never get read because of this system. How you get published is not important, it's whether or not the public want to read your work. Great post Emma. Paisley’s last blog post..Doodling My Way To Creativity

By: Emma

Emma — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:21:25 +0000

Hi Paul, welcome! Yes, there are examples, it’s true, one of which is the wonderful Julia Cameron who independently (I prefer that too!) published The Artist’s Way when no-one believed in it. Now it has sold over a million copies.

I’m not going into this with that as my goal. But it is still nice to hear about those stories – if only as evidence that publishers get it wrong.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:32:42 +0000

There are many historical examples of authors who self-published before going on to become literary legends too. I prefer the term independently published myself, as in independent music and independent film (literature always seems to be decades behind the other arts). It captures the spirit of the endeavour, I think. Thankyou for your lovely comment on my bloggedy blog and I can assure you my experience with independent publishing has been positive in everyway. Paul’s last blog post..The Architecture Of Water

By: Emma

Emma — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:21:12 +0000

This *is* interesting – I was intrigued by Authonomy when it was launched and have watched from afar.

There are a few cases of self-published authors being picked up, some very high profile that I might post about another time, but you’re right, it’s only once they have proved their ‘viability’. I wonder if that is going to happen more and more – with publishing houses being unable to take risks with new authors. This self-publishing explosion could be used by them as a way to see not only which books might have legs, but also (and in my opinion perhaps the more important to them these days) which authors are willing to work that damn hard to get read.

By: Graham Storrs

Graham Storrs — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:59:29 +0000

Emma, I don't know if you've been following the row on Authonomy about their POD experiment but they came out today and tried to calm their writers' ruffled feathers. Interestingly for you, their apology included the sentence, "And as a publisher we certainly don’t have a problem with authors who have self-published: we’ve acquired a number of authors who took this route initially." So there it is, straight from the mouth of Harper-Collins; self-publishing does not becessarily exclude you from a later, mainstream career. However, I suspect they have only picked up contracts on successful self-publishers. Graham Storrs’s last blog post..The Earth Ship - published today