Of course they have- and they thought it was a great idea. I’d love to be able to give myself a big bonus this year…

The reason self publishing (hereafter referred to as SP because I am lazy) gets a bad reputation is because there are no gatekeepers for SP. No one has to say, ‘Yeah, I love this book so much I’ll stake my reputation on it’, or ‘I’ll pony up money to print it’ which could be seen as a sign that the book isn’t worth putting money out for. The author puts out money, but I’ve never known a writer who didn’t love their own stuff, so that, sadly, doesn’t mean much to me.

That said, some SP books totally do rock my socks (the Encyclopedia of Country Life springs to mind), and some SP books are runaway hits, but those are very few. SP is, I have a hunch, a long, hard god damn road. That said, folks like Gynocrat seem to manage to be happy and productive without a giant team of people behind them.

*deep breath* Anyway, what I’m saying is, yeah, I suspect there is a lot of disdain for people who SP (until they manage to make a living at it, and then there’s probably a lot of envy…)

*edit* Also! I have no idea what I’m talking about. I’m neither SP nor with a big house. So this whole thing is me talking out of my ass.

However, ereader=antichrist in our house.

I think there are better ways, we just have to get creative with the whole industry.

I think what chaps me worst is the POD/self pub/etc= evil and never to be *really* published. That is IMO, just another way that the man keeps us down. I’m being a bit silly but I think the more we, as authors, perpetuate that, the less big houses have to do to keep the market cornered.

I’m realizing over this year that some of my previously held notions about writing/publishing are being challenged. It’s a good thing but it takes a lot of brain power.

It’s my opinion that indy publishing hasn’t been as successful as, say, indy music (and consequently, traditional publishing hasn’t been as stressed out by ‘piracy’) because the medium for delivery isn’t perfect. You can listen to a great rip of Pink Floyd without much effort, but your eyes practically bleed if you spend that much time reading off the computer screen. Ereaders help, but they’re not perfect yet.

Basically, unlike music which sounds the same if you buy it on CD at the store or download it from a torrent, the best way to read a book is still to read a physical tangible paper book and the easiest way to get that book is to go down to the store and get it (in terms of instantaneous gratification). Because lots of Indy publishers use POD (and because the way books are sold to stores is arcane, antiquated and seems to be partially ritualistic), they don’t get much shelf space. Because they have tiny budgets, they don’t do much publicity. Some even look and feel different than mass market books.

Indy books cannot be like indy music right now. Maybe later, when an easy-to-use open source ereader is available for download, we’ll see more indy books cracking the crust on the best seller lists, but right now comparing both is comparing apples and oranges. (phew)

All that aside, yes, I certainly agree that the business model that writing and publishing is built on is going to have to change. It’s happening all ready in some scary ways and in some good ways. It’s my opinion that the invention of the printing press created a sort of singularity, and the shift from the book to whatever comes next (which is what I think will be necessary to change traditional publishing in the substantial way you seem to be talking about) will be another singularity. Maybe we’re in the midst of it right now.

(As you already know but I’m going to rant again) I think the whole concept of having to produce works that are marketable as deemed by people I may or may not agree with is problematic. Personally, I think that’s the reason for the glut of horrid urban fantasy out there (among other genres). What it appears to me is “LKH made money. Hopefully this work will help us cash in on some of that marketshare.” If you have something that’s well written and not currently trendy, I suspect it’s difficult to find a place to publish.

As I was pointing out to J – some of my very favourite reference books are self published and they’re not something I’m likely to find in the mainstream, or even off the usual, path.

While I think established houses engaging in these sorts of shenanigans should be vilified, I think we need to reconceptualize publishing in general and put more control in the public’s hands.