Comments on: Has the public perception of self-publishing finally changed? http://www.teleread.com/publishing/changing-attitudes-of-self-publishing/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Fri, 24 May 2013 05:34:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Jim Wills http://www.teleread.com/publishing/changing-attitudes-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-1240901 Jim Wills Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:29:11 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78671#comment-1240901 I've been a developmental trade book editor for a long time. Over the years, I've had several trade books published by traditional houses, so I do have connections in the trade industry. Making the jump from trade to fiction is extraordinarily difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Finding a fiction agent with a heart and a brain is like gnawing off a foot--very slowly. Out of frustration, I went the indie route with four interconnected novels and one trade title (ebooks and paperbacks). They are neither junk nor slush. But, and it's a big one, my experience told me that hiring a freelance fiction editor was mandatory, so I did. Same reason the covers were professionally designed. Marketing and reviews are the author's responsibility. It's been difficult, but I'm winning. It is still true, however, that the open-season nature and ease of indie publishing still mean there's an avalanche of questionable stuff out there that has never been edited, ever, by anybody. Until this changes, the perception that indie authors are failed writers will persist. J I’ve been a developmental trade book editor for a long time. Over the years, I’ve had several trade books published by traditional houses, so I do have connections in the trade industry. Making the jump from trade to fiction is extraordinarily difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Finding a fiction agent with a heart and a brain is like gnawing off a foot–very slowly. Out of frustration, I went the indie route with four interconnected novels and one trade title (ebooks and paperbacks). They are neither junk nor slush. But, and it’s a big one, my experience told me that hiring a freelance fiction editor was mandatory, so I did. Same reason the covers were professionally designed. Marketing and reviews are the author’s responsibility. It’s been difficult, but I’m winning.

It is still true, however, that the open-season nature and ease of indie publishing still mean there’s an avalanche of questionable stuff out there that has never been edited, ever, by anybody. Until this changes, the perception that indie authors are failed writers will persist.

J

]]> By: Sandy Maroney http://www.teleread.com/publishing/changing-attitudes-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-1239816 Sandy Maroney Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:44:26 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78671#comment-1239816 “Put out a good product, then do a lot of pretty obvious stuff to promote it.” Well said and I agreed. Totally. “Put out a good product, then do a lot of pretty obvious stuff to promote it.”

Well said and I agreed. Totally.

]]> By: Felix http://www.teleread.com/publishing/changing-attitudes-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-1239650 Felix Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:53:28 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78671#comment-1239650 I second that. Readers don't care. Maybe they never did. It's editors who care the most, because you're bypassing them after centuries in which they got used to being indispensable. Other writers, too, will be jealous because they went to the trouble of going through a publisher -- putting themselves at the publisher's mercy -- while you did just fine without. And both categories have their share of snobs. I second that. Readers don’t care. Maybe they never did. It’s editors who care the most, because you’re bypassing them after centuries in which they got used to being indispensable. Other writers, too, will be jealous because they went to the trouble of going through a publisher — putting themselves at the publisher’s mercy — while you did just fine without. And both categories have their share of snobs.

]]> By: P.A. Wilson http://www.teleread.com/publishing/changing-attitudes-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-1239560 P.A. Wilson Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:09:25 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78671#comment-1239560 Eek! I guess that bad apostrophes and missing hyphens also = advertising. Eek! I guess that bad apostrophes and missing hyphens also = advertising.

]]> By: P.A. Wilson http://www.teleread.com/publishing/changing-attitudes-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-1239489 P.A. Wilson Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:27:44 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78671#comment-1239489 Nice balanced article. For readers, if you don't advertise yourself as a self published author, they don't care. Few people buy a book based on it's imprint. Advertising yourself as a self published author = bad cover and bad marketing copy. Nice balanced article. For readers, if you don’t advertise yourself as a self published author, they don’t care. Few people buy a book based on it’s imprint.

Advertising yourself as a self published author = bad cover and bad marketing copy.

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