« Writing on-line | Main | What is a channel? »
Authors Speak Out On Independent Publishing
By admin | May 11, 2009
First came independent films, then independent music, and now independent publishing. We live in an exciting time, a time of innovative ideas, a time of change when the barriers of the old are collapsing. With the advent of the Internet, many talented artists who once ended up in large company “slush piles” along with their works of art, are now free to create, be heard and be seen. And they are gaining respect. Already there are special awards nights for independent films and music. Can independent publishing be far behind?
As the worldwide economy teeters, large, long-time newspapers have begun to file bankruptcies, some large publishing companies are in trouble, but libraries are reporting an increase in visitors. People still love to read, love to delve into new adventures and escape from their ordinary lives. Yes, writers of some form of books will remain with us for a very long time, but the way they do business is changing.
Recently I decided to conduct a small survey of why writers had chosen to take a non-traditional publishing route. As expected, several people indicated that large publishing companies would still have been their preference. Some had attempted to procure agents but found the process so daunting they gave up after a few tries. Others wanted to leave their memoirs for family and friends and were not interested in large sales. But then there were those who had selected independent publishing as their first option.
As I interviewed people I was amazed to find that most of the authors were happy with their choices. The key words I heard over and over again were: empowerment, independence, control over the product, the message, the timing, the money.
Author Mike Kincaid, a former Alaska Trooper who battled the elements day after day in his seaplane, wrote a thriller fiction book, Alaska Justice, using actual cases that occurred during his years of service. He said of independent publishing, “If it worked for Zane Grey, Upton Sinclair, and Mark Twain and most recently, The Shack, who was I to question it?” He has attracted large numbers of readers who are now anxiously awaiting his sequel. Check his website: www.adventurousbooks.com
What I found most stimulating was that some of the authors I spoke to are discovering new and creative ways to use independent publishing. A university professor, who planned to publish her book through a university press and include a two-hour DVD, is now selling the DVD to universities for a much larger fee and instead is bundling the independently published book with it as an added incentive to buy.
Paula Petrovic’s inspirational book, written for the general public, is also an adjunct to her work. Creator of SandWorks R; Powerful Tools For Creative Solutions, Paula wrote and published Sand Play for the Soul: Awakening the Power of YOU to New Worlds of Possibility. She details several fascinating case studies and then teaches people to get in touch with a powerful innate intelligence and find their own solutions to problems that might otherwise lie dormant. She said, “I had several agents interested in my book but then when an opportunity came for my work to be filmed for a documentary, I knew that the traditional publishers would not publish the book on time. When I decided to publish my own book, magical things happened. It was the perfect choice for me.” Check website: www.SandplayfortheSoul.com
Lynn Colwell, who with her daughter Corey Colwell-Lipson, wrote the book Celebrate Green: Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, is creating a “green” job using her passion. She and Corey are speaking, meeting with parents and community groups, and working with schools and local governments. She said, “We had a traditional publisher until seven weeks before we went to print, when we received a call from them that they were going out of business. We couldn’t wait for another publisher. Our book was timely. In retrospect, as challenging as the task has been, we believe the loss of our publisher provided an enormous opportunity. Any publisher who wishes to reprint our book will have to offer us a very, very good deal and far more control than they are used to.” Check her exceptionally informative website: www.CelebrateGreen.com.
Sue Swenson and her husband, Joe Turner, were corporate job recruiters in Phoenix when in 2005 they went through a career change. Joe became intrigued by the idea of Internet marketing and both Sue and Joe had a strong interest in building writing careers. Joe wrote his first book, Job Search Secrets Unlocked. He realized that the revenues from this book alone could not support them. Sue and Joe made the book into a calling card for a much larger enterprise, one that involved many other products and services including resume writing and also coaching job seekers on how to identify the hidden job market. It has become an entire industry with the book acting as just one of many products including their latest book, Paycheck 911 Don’t Panic…Power your Job Search. At present their business is doing great. To receive free tips on job search or to order one of their books go to www.jobchangesecrets.com
For many people these are challenging economic times and we need all the help and cooperation we can get from each other. If you have used your writing in creative ways or are thinking of alternatives please send us an e-mail, and Bitterroot Mountain Publishing will share them with readers.
Topics: General Content | 1 Comment »
October 15th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Hello,
I’m not familiar with the survey discussed regarding self publishing authors, but I recently self published a work of fiction: The Fourth Corner. What a great experience. I agree with others in that I would prefer traditional publishing, as it is not my money at risk. For novice authors without a platform, the work load–selling and marketing–is essentially the same either way, except that you have total control in self publshing.
It is beyond difficult, but just short of impossible, working full time, researching and writing the second novel. and marketing, selling, and distributing the first. All I can say is that it is worh it.
The key for me in the first novel was spending the extra time to gather a good team when it came to production. I believe it made the difference in producing an excellent product. The jacket designer, James Higgins, hit my concept for the cover right on the nose, as did my interior designer, Joy Ronsley. My editor, Michael Carr, was great and the printing company, McNaughton & Gunn very easy to work with and put together a fine product. I can say without hesitation that the goals I’ve set for the first novel were exceeded, thanks to the excellent team, and as a result of having been through the process, I expect the second effort to surpass the first, as there is always room for improvement.
For those condidering self publishing, I highly recommend it. I didn’t even attempt to seek representation, or attempt to sell the novel to an established house or imprint. I researched the industry and determined that self publishing suited me better for a beginning.
My first print run is 3,200 hardcover copies. Each of the first 3,000 is signed and numbered. The Fourth Corner is the first in a trillogy, and those purchasing the first have the opportunity to purchase the identical number of the second and third novels in order to have a matching set. You never know what kind of a secondary market that may create down the road.
To purchase the book, or if you have any questions, I may be reached at the web sites that follow: paulwunders.com; ghpublishing.com; thefourthcorner.info, and thelastapple.com.
Write well and work hard.
Sincerely,
Paul Wunders
Author of The Fourth Corner