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Nose-thumbers, beware!

Thursday, April 21, 2011
I've long espoused the benefits of indie publishing (heavy emphasis on e-publishing) in this blog. Yes, I'm biased. Yes, I used to be one of "those" writers who insisted I'd never "settle" because I wanted to publish a "real" book with a "real" publisher.

Now, I'm not using this post to say that "traditional" (sorry for heavy use of the quotes) publishing is dead. It's not dead. It might be committing a slow and painful suicide, but it's far from dead. However, let's face it, traditional publishing is doing more to kill and stifle the careers of good writers than it is helping them achieve their dream.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch has in the past two weeks posted two excellent entries on significant errors in how traditional houses report e-book earnings.



Hmm. I'd like to know what all those people who've thumbed their noses at indie houses are thinking now as they're looking at their "traditional" royalty statements. I'm not gloating, believe me. I'm angry on their behalf. It sucks when writers get screwed, because then you have the potential of losing good voices because they can't afford to follow their dream any more.

For those of you who have shied away from indie publishing, give it another look. Yes, there are perils to smaller houses who handle e-books and POD. But on the other hand, some of those indie houses are damn good (I'm lucky enough to be involved with a couple of them) and you have the potential to realize your dream if you want it badly enough and work your ass off to promote yourself.

At least they're not so far behind the times that they can't manage to get you the money you rightfully earned.

1 reader comments:

  1. As a reader I couldn't agree with you more. How many of the wonderful writers/authors are the public missing because they are not being published?
    The world is now open to the whole world of authors who would never be read, but stuck on some publishers desk if not their trash can?
    Thank you for being a great author that so many of us have enjoyed..*S*