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OK, the self-publishing discussion has come up on here and a few other places (goddammit instagram) so here's my general OPINION in a thread because I am cranky and over this nonsense.
First off, a lot of the people who shit on self-publishing tend to like other self-published media. For instance:
- Fanfiction? That's self-published IP.
- Web comics? Many don't have an editorial process.
- Almost ALL OF YOUTUBE. Vloggers, skits, lets plays. Not studio made.
- Fanfiction? That's self-published IP.
- Web comics? Many don't have an editorial process.
- Almost ALL OF YOUTUBE. Vloggers, skits, lets plays. Not studio made.
- Blogs? Unless they are for a company its largely self-published material.
- Almost all of the social media you follow which is self-published content that entertains or informs you.
- DIY music that you're falling into on spotify and youtube.
You get my drift.
- Almost all of the social media you follow which is self-published content that entertains or informs you.
- DIY music that you're falling into on spotify and youtube.
You get my drift.
So why the disdain for self-published or indie books?
The most often place I see this kind of... disgust... let's say, is among other writers or aspiring writers. And, hur hur, I'm going to go ahead and talk about my own previous biases here and say it comes from 2 places:
The most often place I see this kind of... disgust... let's say, is among other writers or aspiring writers. And, hur hur, I'm going to go ahead and talk about my own previous biases here and say it comes from 2 places:
1. A desire for prestige that leads to a commitment to the process of publication.
2. A desire to take back market share.
2. A desire to take back market share.
You know how a lot of the people dislike the estate tax, not because it affects them but because they are under the impression that they too will be millionaires some day and then it *will* effect them.
Despite the fact that that chance is statistically smaller.
Despite the fact that that chance is statistically smaller.
A lot of writers, me included, would love to write the next best seller. Hell, the next best sellers or series. Something that gets picked up for a movie treatment even.
But the possibility of being picked up by an agent, sold to a BIG 5, earning out, becoming an NYT besteller,
But the possibility of being picked up by an agent, sold to a BIG 5, earning out, becoming an NYT besteller,
and doing that MULTIPLE TIMES is very very low.
But the desire for that prestigious life is still alluring. And because getting published is a grueling process involving a ton of query letters, often disappointing advances or no advances and middling to null sales.
But the desire for that prestigious life is still alluring. And because getting published is a grueling process involving a ton of query letters, often disappointing advances or no advances and middling to null sales.
In order to justify it then, you have to come up for a reason you are going through all this shit. Therefore
"Traditional publishing is better because it's hard."
Once you're in it, you become dedicated to the process because you have to be.
"Traditional publishing is better because it's hard."
Once you're in it, you become dedicated to the process because you have to be.
"But look at all these small presses and punk writers! They're skipping the line!" Therefor their work is inferior because the steps they take undermines the steps you wanted to take. Traditional publishing has that prestige because it has *to* in order to maintain its system.
2. Likewise, if you've gone through the process of traditional publishing, you may be annoyed at the cheaper or more easily accessible self-pub or indiepub competition depending.
This animosity has gone up a notch as self-pub & indie pub have found ways to replicate the look of
This animosity has gone up a notch as self-pub & indie pub have found ways to replicate the look of
Big 5 houses. There are many times you cannot tell the difference. Most readers also aren't spending their time googling the history of a book or hunting down publisher logos like Where's Waldo. Tie that with the plethora of editing, formatting, and cover services available
to self-pub and you can see where a traditionally published person might have an issue.
"That's not a *real* book"
"That's not a *real* book"
But writers, let me tell you who your real enemy is.
Come closer.
Yup.
OK
It's
CANDY CRUSH
Come closer.
Yup.
OK
It's
CANDY CRUSH
Actually, its any other media that people are choosing to do rather than sit down to a book. People aren't reading your book not because a self-published author put a free promo for their book in your genre. They aren't reading because they are watching a Friends rerun.
Thems the breaks kid.
That isn't to say that traditional publishing is bad makes or better quality books (albeit in a world where James Patterson continues to be a thing I would say "quality" is not intrinsic to trad pub alone). People have different paths or reasons.
That isn't to say that traditional publishing is bad makes or better quality books (albeit in a world where James Patterson continues to be a thing I would say "quality" is not intrinsic to trad pub alone). People have different paths or reasons.
I self-published because I didn't feel like spending my time writing query letters.
Really. I never queried.
I'm a writer because I cannot stop writing. It's a compulsion, and I am under no delusion that this thing I do will bring me financial success.
Really. I never queried.
I'm a writer because I cannot stop writing. It's a compulsion, and I am under no delusion that this thing I do will bring me financial success.
Would it be nice? Yes. But I would write even if it had nowhere to go. So I put it out there and a lot of other stuff before that.
I only got picked up because my buddy (Hey Rich!) recommended me to his publisher. It's all who you know sometimes.
I only got picked up because my buddy (Hey Rich!) recommended me to his publisher. It's all who you know sometimes.
I dunno where this thread went. It got away from me.
But in sum: Don't be a dick. Cut your elitism fellow writers because like it or not, we are in this together.
But in sum: Don't be a dick. Cut your elitism fellow writers because like it or not, we are in this together.
