Comments on: Is there an artistic double standard?

By: Diane Whiddon-Brown

Diane Whiddon-Brown — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:53:29 +0000

I agree that one of the main problems with self-publishing is credibility, and the fact that, as Corrine said, you don’t know how bad a self-published book is until you pay for it and either download it or take it home and begin reading it. That fact has made self-publishing the red-headed stepchild of the publishing industry, but that reputation isn’t always earned.

We all know that some really bad books get published, and some really good books slip through the cracks. And self-publishing, particularly by way of the Kindle, has been a way for at least one serious, professional author to build an audience and get a traditional publishing deal for one of his very well-written books. If you’re interested, his name is Boyd Morrison and you can find his stories on Amazon.

I know about Boyd because I designed his very extensive and expensive website, but the key thing here is that Boyd took his job as a writer very seriously. He wanted to show publishers that he was serious about his career, that he considered himself a professional, and that he could take marketing into his own hands. Oh, and not the least of it, he wrote amazingly well-crafted, suspenseful, sell-able novels.

I just thought you might like an example of an author who used self-publishing to his advantage and used it to build a readership and catch a major publisher’s attention.

By: terry

terry — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:00:25 +0000

A great little debate, how did I find it? I came across from another blog from an author I respect grahamstorrs.cantalibre.com – and I find another great blogger in Emma. Referential self-publishing?

I have not been in favour of self-publishing but this discussion has caused me to reconsider; I may still not self-publish but there is a joy in having your ideas challenged. Thank you, Emma, for kicking the ball along.
terry

By: Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:03:45 +0000

When it dies down? We’re writers, we can keep wittering away forever!

By: Twitted by joannayoung

Twitted by joannayoung — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:57:34 +0000

[...] This post was Twitted by joannayoung [...]

By: Emma

Emma — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:55:15 +0000

I like to keep back and see where the conversation goes before I chip in – never thought it would be this interesting! Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to debate here, it’s great! When it dies down, I’ll add my tuppence.

By: Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:20:23 +0000

Yes, that was the part of PG’s post I was querying. I don’t doubt the rest is possible – at a price, of course.

It can of course be argued that getting into the big stores is less important in the amazon age, and getting a book into them is of limited value if there’s no marketing spend and half a dozen sale-or-return copies languish on a back shelf somewhere. But it is nonetheless one of the key differences between the two routes.

By: Dom Camus

Dom Camus — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:58:18 +0000

@Ben – That’s essentially impossible for a self-published writer.

But then this is where things get complicated. As a writer you have to ask yourself whether your goal is to be published or to be able to make a living from your writing. Many years ago these goals were well aligned. Now rather less so, since self-publication doesn’t often generate significant revenue.

This makes sense, because a publisher is in some ways just like a venture capital firm. They invest money in promoting your book, hoping they’re betting on a winner. When you self-publish you’re not able to invest huge sums in marketing in that way, so your audience is typically much smaller. The advantage is that you don’t risk making a financial loss. The disadvantage is that it likely won’t pay the bills.

By: Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:39:20 +0000

What about getting into the large bookstores?

By: @PublishingGuru

@PublishingGuru — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:12:43 +0000

It is possible to self-publish with a team of experts to support you. There isn’t anything a traditional publisher can do that the self-publisher doesn’t now have access to with the right connections.

By: jane matthews

jane matthews — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:59:41 +0000

I’ve seen it from both sides. Firstly, as a newspaper editor, putting to one side anything sent for review that was self published.
Then, after my own experiences with publishing houses, deciding I’d do it myself.
My reasons were practical: the first book my new company published was too small to deliver a decent margin if too many people had to take a cut from it.
But it was also about having my eyes opened about what you get from a publisher. In my experience, and that of other published friends, not a lot. So they take half the profit in return for getting you listed on Nielsen and taking the financial risk.
So that’s where writing may also differ from visual art. The physical costs of publishing, even electronically, act as a barrier for so many who have something worthwhile to say.