Comments on: I’ve Written A Book, Should I Self-Publish? http://gropenassoc.com/blog/2009/02/ive-written-a-book-should-i-self-publish/ Discussion, issues and answers for the independent publishing community, hosted by Marion Gropen Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:29:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Marion Gropen http://gropenassoc.com/blog/2009/02/ive-written-a-book-should-i-self-publish/comment-page-1/#comment-13915 Marion Gropen Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:30:57 +0000 http://gropenassoc.com/blog/?p=45#comment-13915 I agree with you that there are moves by larger entities that make being a small press or a self-publisher more difficult. I don't see it as deliberate, however. There are good reasons why the larger companies are making those moves, in order to shore up their own operations, without any reference to the self-publisher. I'm afraid that the truth is even worse: they don't see this burgeoning movement as a threat to them at all. On one hand, their low opinion is crushing, but on the other, it's liberating. Your success and professionalism can only surprise the competition. And you may be surprised at how pleased they'll be to see it. This industry may be growing, but most of the folks in the mainstream companies still have most of the mindset and the personalities that were cultivated when it was a much smaller, and more intimate club for the intellectuals who didn't care about commerce. I agree with you that there are moves by larger entities that make being a small press or a self-publisher more difficult. I don’t see it as deliberate, however. There are good reasons why the larger companies are making those moves, in order to shore up their own operations, without any reference to the self-publisher. I’m afraid that the truth is even worse: they don’t see this burgeoning movement as a threat to them at all.

On one hand, their low opinion is crushing, but on the other, it’s liberating. Your success and professionalism can only surprise the competition. And you may be surprised at how pleased they’ll be to see it.

This industry may be growing, but most of the folks in the mainstream companies still have most of the mindset and the personalities that were cultivated when it was a much smaller, and more intimate club for the intellectuals who didn’t care about commerce.

]]> By: John Royce http://gropenassoc.com/blog/2009/02/ive-written-a-book-should-i-self-publish/comment-page-1/#comment-13913 John Royce Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:22:12 +0000 http://gropenassoc.com/blog/?p=45#comment-13913 I enjoyed this post, Marion, and as a self-publisher I can attest to your wise words about approaching this with open-eyed caution but not without hope. It's useful that you put a dollar figure to what the trade publishers invest ($20k) into a new title, though you are right that it does not have to cost nearly that much. But $$$ does make it much easier. I'm a newbie to the field, and it seems to be a very much pay-for-play environment and increasingly so. I self-published because of the nature of the book (heavily researched educational historical fiction w/out a pegable genre), not because it was unpublishable by the trade. Library Journal offered a (recommended) review, but they were the only ones. There is a feeling from my point of view that the ropes are being pulled up into the Corporate Book Trade treehouse. The big guys seem to see their grip on publishing being loosened, and we are seeing dubious moves by the corporate masters to shore up their distribution lines. The steady rise in fees for low-lot purchases of new ISBNs, Amazon's ongoing moves toward co-opting small publishers, Google's alarming copyright infringement and "settlement" and many more Big Boy acts point to the circling of wagons in order to remain gate-keepers. Not for the good of literature or greater humanity, perhaps needless to say. My ground-level advice for small or self-publishers is to diversify and work on strategies for marketing and distribution that leverage the new opportunities. Don't depend only on the big guys; the mask has come off corporate America and it ain't pretty. I am very hopeful for the future--I've never believed in the inherent goodness or value in large profit-seeking entities--but now is the time for networking, critical thinking and new paths. A self-publisher today is like a scurrying Eohippus (Dawn Horse) maneuvering the underbrush to avoid being trampled by the dinos. The strategy of banding together worked for the little guys then, and it seems a very good one now. I enjoyed this post, Marion, and as a self-publisher I can attest to your wise words about approaching this with open-eyed caution but not without hope. It’s useful that you put a dollar figure to what the trade publishers invest ($20k) into a new title, though you are right that it does not have to cost nearly that much. But $$$ does make it much easier.

I’m a newbie to the field, and it seems to be a very much pay-for-play environment and increasingly so. I self-published because of the nature of the book (heavily researched educational historical fiction w/out a pegable genre), not because it was unpublishable by the trade. Library Journal offered a (recommended) review, but they were the only ones.

There is a feeling from my point of view that the ropes are being pulled up into the Corporate Book Trade treehouse. The big guys seem to see their grip on publishing being loosened, and we are seeing dubious moves by the corporate masters to shore up their distribution lines. The steady rise in fees for low-lot purchases of new ISBNs, Amazon’s ongoing moves toward co-opting small publishers, Google’s alarming copyright infringement and “settlement” and many more Big Boy acts point to the circling of wagons in order to remain gate-keepers. Not for the good of literature or greater humanity, perhaps needless to say.

My ground-level advice for small or self-publishers is to diversify and work on strategies for marketing and distribution that leverage the new opportunities. Don’t depend only on the big guys; the mask has come off corporate America and it ain’t pretty. I am very hopeful for the future–I’ve never believed in the inherent goodness or value in large profit-seeking entities–but now is the time for networking, critical thinking and new paths.

A self-publisher today is like a scurrying Eohippus (Dawn Horse) maneuvering the underbrush to avoid being trampled by the dinos. The strategy of banding together worked for the little guys then, and it seems a very good one now.

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