Self-publishing no longer self-defeating

Dara Moore, in the most recent Beaver's Pond Press newsletter, discusses the very topic I wanted to write about for this post. On Monday I posted the text of a talk given last month by a Twin Cities author, a self-published author, who opted twice for self-publishing for two reasons: the first, the freedom to write the books he wanted to write without that self-editor on his shoulder nagging him about whether his "target audience" would like what he wrote; the second reason, he did not have to send out queries, partials and manuscripts to countless agents and publishers looking for someone to tell him his books were worthwhile. He knew they were worthwhile.

Writers self-publish for other reasons as well. They may have a book that has a specialized audience that they can reach, book in hand, at conferences and sales meetings. They may teach a course for which there is not an adequate textbook. They may be writing family history with a limited audience that they can reach through family newsletters and websites and genealogical and historical societies. They may want their book beautifully printed and professionally bound for sending out to agents and publishers--there is something about a manuscript in print and bound that gives it credibility. Dara Moore, in the Beaver's Pond Press Newsletter, writes about the self-published authors whose works have become part of the literary canon or award winning best sellers--among these are Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, T.S. Eliot, Margaret Atwood, Stephen King.

Dismissing self-publishers and self-publishing as somehow less than "legitimate" is an attitude that needs to change and is changing. The idea that the quality of the writing and editing of self-published books is lower than traditionally published books has been proven wrong over and over. Not only do most self-publishers provide editing services for their authors and recommend those services when needed, traditional publishing houses have, on the whole, stopped providing the kind of editing that was once their stock in trade.

That bookstores and other book outlets have traditionally rejected self-published books is changing also but was probably more of a function of limited floor space and the overabundance of titles offered by the distributors with which they did business than of quality. That distributors rejected self-published titles in the past seems to be changing as well as self-publishers broaden their publishing models and on-line ordering opens up the marketplace.

The model for many self-publishers has been evolving. The hybrid publisher combines the traditional self-publishing model with the traditional publishing model. Manuscripts found to be of high quality with market potential are put under contract where in the publishing house absorbs some of the costs of publishing while the author absorbs other costs. The returns on the books are distributed between the author and publisher similarly to traditional publishing contracts.

Nathan Bransford, an L.A. agent with a prolific blog, has been writing recently about new publishers coming out of traditional houses creating their own publishing models. Some of these models are very much like the hybrid publishing model now being employed by what were traditionally referred to as self-publishers.

One of the most important things that an author can do before choosing a publisher, whether a self-publisher, hybrid publisher or a "traditional" publisher, is to learn everything they can about that publishing house, their business model, the services they offer, their access to the market, the marketing services they offer, and the honesty with which they are willing to discuss your manuscript. Whether publishing traditionally or with a self-publisher, having your manuscript printed and bound launches it into a life of its own, beyond you. Make sure that your words are the best they can be.

For a wealth of information on self-publishing and the services offered by a top-notch self-publisher, Beaver's Pond Press has one of the best websites I have found.