Self-Publishing

[rowyn]

J. A. Konrath: "You Should Self-Publish"

In the last few years, I've read a lot about self-publishing. I've watched some very hard-working friends enjoy a modest degree of success self-publishing. I definitely believe that there are situations where self-publishing makes sense.

Even so, this essay struck me. Because it's the first time that I've seen someone who

a) Was traditionally published and moderately successful in print
b) Decided to switch to self-publishing
c) Now believes that not only was self-publishing the right decision for him, but that it is the best option for basically all authors, whether they have been traditionally published before or not.

And that last made me go "Whoa". Here is an author contending that traditional publishers are offering authors virtually nothing of value beyond editing and cover-painting services that an author can contract elsewhere. That the whole "cachet of having been vetted by the elite of the industry" is a myth. That e-book readers do not care whether your book is self-published or traditionally published. That traditional publishers are not really doing anything to promote sales beyond placing your book in stores, which you can do yourself in the e-book world.

And that is just ... whoa. A big claim to make.

I do not know if I am convinced; Konraths's numbers, especially the assumption that sales will remain level over any given period of time, struck me as overly simplistic. It also seems to me that publishers at least have the potential to add considerable value to the process, but that doesn't mean they actually are. Still, food for thought.

Comments

[verminiusrex.livejournal.com]

As with many things involving technology and the internet, one success story doesn't mean that business model works for everyone. I think that for big name authors the publishers will remain vital to their success, but for the far greater number of lesser authors the technology of ebooks and self publishing allows them to get their books out like they wouldn't have been able years ago.

Much like the retailers that feared the internet would lead to the downfall of their physical stores or the people who thought that email would lead to the end of snail mail, I think that it won't end the old ways of doing things but will significantly impact how the industry is run. The playing field has been leveled and the publishers are no longer the only means for an author to reach their audience. The publishers can either adapt to the new technology or watch their market share slowly shrink over the next decade.

[rowyn]

Oddly, I think the publishers have less to offer big-name authors than they do to newcomers. An author with a large proven audience doesn't need a marketing engine and can afford to contract an editor and an illustrator.

To stay relevant, publishers need to show that they can market books much better than an independent author, because that's the big piece that's not so easy to contract for. It's something publishers *should* be able to do well, but I'm not sure they *do*.

[verminiusrex.livejournal.com]

Self-publishing is still a niche, whereas the publishers are established mainstream. They have distribution sources and bulk pricing that self-publishing can't compete with, yet. I'd say it is a matter of publishers holding the traditional market where people know to look for books, but the self-publishing is edging into their market.

And the established authors working with publishers do have something to lose by going self-published, because they lose the visibility of the bookstores. Move any item from one outlet to another and you can easily lose many readers because they either don't know how or don't want to get their books from online rather than the local bookstore. I'd use the example of Howard Stern going from regular radio to satellite radio and losing much of his listening audience, but I don't know if they exactly equate. Any drastic change in a business from ease of acquiring to raising the price causes a business to lose customers immediately, although it may gain more in the long run.