It's All About Freedom and Creative Control

Breaking Publishing Chains of the Past

How many books have been written, songs composed and sang, plays performed and movies produced about breaking some kind of boundaries and rushing into new found freedoms?

Literally thousands and thousands, I suspect. In stories from history, in present time and in futuristic presentations. 

Well, one such present time occurrence has and is taking place in the publishing/writing industry. 

Some refer to it as the changing state of affairs in the legacy and the indie publishing arena --- Some even are calling it a revolution!

I, for one, say the revolution part has already beckoned and been fought - and what is advancing now is the resulting growth and evolution of the new order, so to speak.

Both newbie and established authors are now self-publishing books for various reasons - such as a newbie not finding a traditional publisher for his/her new masterpiece or an established/published author who wants to shift more of the financial, risk and creative control to his/her side of the equation.

After the initial exit from traditional publishing (TP), due to the ever growing realization that TP's were really not manned to process and market the writing supply nor were they structured (interested) to develop new talent as much as they were geared for immediate profit margin AND the introduction of slick, new technologies, writers (the product producers) started to don entrepreneurship clothing and became more knowledgeable Re the business side of the publishing/writing industry as a whole - especially the new tech allowing more professional self-publishing and distribution avenues.

Even independent publishing has evolved into something new today. Fifteen to twenty years ago it referred to small presses that were not associated with the big corporate publishing houses. Today it refers to indie authors who are okaying, processing and publishing their own work.

Indie authors today have truly broken through the old boundaries and burst out upon a new landscape scattered with more level playing fields.

There are some land minds to be aware of, however.

As Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and SparkPress, president of Warner Coaching Inc., and author of Green-light Your Book, says "Self-publishing still carries some stigma, largely for two reasons: (1) because anyone can publish a book, and people who don’t care about standards do—and often; and (2) because the industry itself—steeped in tradition and invested in retaining the status quo—actively resists implementing changes that might truly level the playing field for indie authors."

It is also important for the indie authors/publishers to learn and maintain the highest standards of writing/editing, publishing and professionalism. If not, the real gatekeepers of worthwhile books, the reading public, will simply not buy - Talk about a 'self-correcting' feature!

I have said many times that a self-published book today is like the query letter of old - with benefits! If your self-published effort is somewhat successful a big publishing house may offer you a traditional deal, also. In fact, many authors have chosen to be so-called 'hybrid' authors; those who publish both traditionally and non-traditionally.

Yes, I would say that the freedom and creative control now enjoyed by successful indie authors will guarantee their continued growth.