Why is self-publishing taking over the traditional method of publishing?

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Permalink Reply by Typing Monkey on March 22, 2009 at 3:56pm

The support mechanism of the "traditional publishing" path have been dismantled over the past few decades, starting primarily in the "go-go 80's" with the sudden inspiration to buy out profitable companies, streamline them (hack away at every actual benefit to the customer, now re-termed "consumer," and thus stamping the most important member of Capitalism as a generic, blindly-hungering troglodyte who will buy anything you place before them so long as you market to them well enough), and take the money saved and pay the executives who supported and/or directed this short-game strategy.

You cannot live in a gingerbread house and eat at it daily, like termites and expect it to shelter you for long. The publishing industry was a haven for creativity and thought expression. It spawned democracy and capitalism, both which turned on it like Oedipus. the major houses have been gutted and stripped clean of the very talent and love that formed the warp and weave of their fabric. They deserve the very diseases they have so gleefully infected themselves with. Careless, selfish upper management has cannibalized itself for quick access to cash, and people who have no business running publishing enterprises have come and gone atop the flagpole of the corporate elite until the knowledge and experience, the very wisdom that has taken generations to fathom and perfect have all been stripped away.

The rise of the small publisher, and the self-publisher is the rise of the unwanted masses, previously shunned by the rich and beautiful. Worse yet, as the major houses hasten their own demise, seeking to publish only the beautiful and powerful (e.g. anyone who is already a celebrity, and especially the publicity train wrecks: Octomom, Britney, anyone with a TV show or "platform," regardless of writing ability or truthfulness, see "a million little pieces"), the unwashed masses have learned that they CAN write their own stories and instructional manuals and they CAN get them published, selling, and several can even make full-time earnings from their ventures.

The bar of quality has been lowered at the major houses while the barriers to entry of publication have eroded outside the castle walls. Dine Marie! Dine! Feast upon your wine and quiche, for the peasants have learned that they no longer need you. Mark my words. The publishing industry has brought a plague upon itself severe and long-earned, and they will collectively whine and complain about the unfairness of it all, even as they poison the goblets of their brothers, just to steal a few coins for their personal escape. Shakespeare and Homer are spinning in their graves at the way the keepers of the 4th estate and the publishing industry have sold their own body parts to wolves and now complain that they are hungry and unable to feed themselves.

The new publishing empires that will rise will come from new blood sharing information with the public, not dumping garbage on it. It is a sad day that this comes to pass, but in time, nature always corrects imbalances.

Pardon my rant, but "I am as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!"

Permalink Reply by Tim Rouse on March 22, 2009 at 4:38pm

To this I can only add . . . "AMEN"!

Well, maybe I can add a little more. I too am tired of the "elitist attitudes" of traditional publishers. The well thought out form letters of rejection for manuscripts, that the author has poured their heart and soul into, flowed freely from "the establishment". Meanwhile, celebrity authors were courted to capitalize on their 15 minutes worth of fame, to squeeze out every drop of filthy lucre possible. Meanwhile, another rejection form letter gets rubberstamped to the author who spent years honing their craft. Their only crime? Not being an "Octomom" freakshow that will sell a few books quickly. Not all of us want to see our hard work be a flash in the pan and then end up in the dollar bin!

The luster of the "book deal" has faded. The lights are off and Elvis has left the building. The rest of the industry will soon be on board, major book chains will hopefully pull their head from the sand, clear their eyes and see that self-published books (and their authors) have a voice and an audience. Do you think my readers CARE if my book comes from Simon & Rooster? They couldn't care less!! They want a story! They want to read what WE write!

Type on Mr. Monkey! Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!!

Permalink Reply by Daniel Kirk on March 30, 2009 at 9:36am

I think it pays not to be too 'top down' when thinking on this subject. It is hard I know. I hate those long fingered publishers too. Literature, like music, has indeed suffered from the problems of corporate publishing control.

But we can't blame them entirely for what they have done - drive for easilyy marketed and saleable product came naturally to them, just as naturally as our will to write. And the reason they made money was precisely because such products were marketable and saleable. Meaning that enough people liked such products and kept purchasing.

Helpfully for the thinking writer - this proves two things:

1: That Sturgeon's Rule (or revelation to be precise) is in effect. 90% of everythign IS crap (please see the resoning behind it before biting my head off!) so lambasting publishing firms for releasing crap is pointless. They will release it and people will buy it.

Which means as a writer you know what you have to do if you want to get your book on the shelves in a major bookstore: you have to tailor it to that market and to the people that publish to that market. If you want their money and their resources then you have to trade them something they want for it. Decide for yourself if that will make you feel dirty.

2: I don't read blockbuster books any more than I listen to the Top 10 chart singles on commercial radio. And despite the seemingly stacked odds, I have not ever starved for new, good music or literature. It is simply a reality that any person with creative talents will have to market their work to some extent.

Whether that is through submissions to publishers or through self publishing, the clever writer knows that they must understand their own market as well as the much greater market forces at work. These forces will always be far beyond the scope of their own influence.

Therefore, the decision is not a choice between the bad men of publishing or the lefty liberalism of self publishing - it's a selection of a publishing strategy.

Choose the publishing strategy that works for you. It will be based in part on your understanding of this point. Any acrimony toward publishers or self publishing does nothing but limit your options and your ability to do the most with your writing.

Permalink Reply by Arlene Radasky on April 1, 2009 at 3:42pm

I am not going to be as eloquentt as everyone else who has posted so far. I can tell you my path. I wrote my first novel and gleefully went to a writer's conference thinking they would be as open-minded as I am....Well, needless to say, they aren't and can't afford to be. They need short works, by authors who have the time and money to publicize themselves, or already published authors. There are so many more of us writing now, they have to be choosy.

I left with on goal in mind. I knew then that I would not make money from my work and would probably spend some to get it to the public. I had asked myself what I really wanted and the answer was that I wanted those who would love my book to have a chance to read it.

I started my own iWeb website, loaded it in several download for free sites as a PDF, however one allows downloads into readers, and continued searching for other ways to get it out without actually publishing it. I had heard about podcasting, bought myself a mic and got to work. it is now available, for free, as a serial podcast book.

It was then, some of my friends asked for paper copies, not as computer friendly as I am, so I went to BookSurge and now have a book listed in Amazon as a paperback and on Kindle. I went into several online bookstores and have iTouch and iPhone apps.

I do not make much money, but I have started conversations with fans from Spain, Panama, Great Britain, and am being translated in Iran. Some of my friends want it turned into a move!

I am working on getting my book into the public's eye, but not as much as if I had signed with one of the 'big' houses. I like what I have and can still play with my grandsons, travel and work on my next book.

I am very happy.

Permalink Reply by Typing Monkey on April 13, 2009 at 12:05pm

Okay, I'd like to add to this again. I guess someone put something in my coffee this morning to make me grumpy--but first I would like to thank everyone who has shared their opinions so far. Well spoken indeed!

The state of the industry is what it is. Greed and shrewd marketing have brought once-powerful empires to their knees because technology has circumvented them. The pit-bosses have become short-sighted, but who can blame them? While we are now seeing a dearth of "crap" (exactly how many "Law of Attraction" experts can their be? The Secret was only written a few years ago--and she accidentally discovered this "one secret"), at least the barriers to getting high-quality material to the public have been torn down. Crap will always be crap, no matter how much sugar you put on it. But the fact that any author with a truly good book can get relatively instant global distribution for less than $100 is a huge leap forward. And if they have $10,000 to invest wisely, they can become a superstar (or so say the army publicists who assault my inbox every week).

Here is my (belated) point: The new message I am getting "from the top" (the top of the dog pile really) is that "poor authors try to write a good book, while rich authors focus on writing a good marketing plan." The publicists are taking over--as is only natural. When the zebras and the wildebeests and gnus (I like saying "gnus" -- it tickles my fingers when I type) become too plentiful, mister and mrs. lion get invited to the breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet. It has been said that during a gold rush one should sell picks and shovels. Thus it is a good time to be a publicist, and an even better time to be an editor. Everyone and their dog is publishing right now, but so what? Most will never be heard from, a few will make a blip on the radar momentarily, and perhaps one or two will make it to the review section of the newspaper; hardly competition for radio air time.

The rise of the publicists however is led by the charge that marketing is "EVERYTHING!", not just a central part of "spreading the good word" about tomato seeds and cholesterol. Endless seminars now preach the virtues of ghostwriters and media training to anyone with $30-$50,000 to blow and a fervent desire to be Kim Kardashian. Mark my words, the publicists will be the death of us all. What they did to glam rock in the '90's ("death by Curt Cobain, and the rise of Seattle") they will do to authors and independent publishers over the next decade. We will see some type of bubble, and the only way to protect YOURSELF from the backlash is to really publish quality work, make sincere efforts to humanize your expertise and bond with your core audience, and try not to come across as too slimy in your marketing efforts. The Sham-WOW!'s and the Britney's/Miley's/Octowhatevers will have their day, and then some, but the war for the public's enduring love and affection will only be won by quality, quietly and persistently delivered to every doorstep (kinda like the milkman!) over time.

There is a fad brewing and I predict it will turn sour before it reaches true maturity. The internet has made it too easy on us all, and the idiots have come out to grab coins from people who want to write, and SHOULD write (mostly for personal reasons), but maybe should not invest their life savings in publicity and chasing fame with their writing. I think as professional, dedicated authors, we need to market ourselves, and understand the changes going on in the industry, and be really careful about shaping OUR message, so we can avoid the mistakes that are about to be made--quite loudly--by a lot of people hungry for "the ease and fun" of fame.