Reasons to Go With a Big Publishing Company

A fellow writer friend of mine introduced me to a great article about the… ahem… benefits of going with one of the big six publishing companies. Allan Douglas sums up the pros very well.

1)   Rejection is so rewarding.  You enjoy spending a year or more querying agents and wallpapering your office with the politely worded notices that you aren't quite right for them at this time, serving as an everlasting memorial to your inadequacy.
2)   You enjoy the challenge of rewriting your book to conform to the socio-political stance of the publishing house that has seen promise in your work.
3)   You want to savor the prolonged anticipation and expectation of knowing your book is in the works and will be made available to the general public by stretching it out for a year or a year and half if possible.
4)   An up-front cash payment of several thousand dollars is enough of a carrot to induce you to give up all rights to your work, trusting that the Big House will be actively seeking every possible opportunity to sell said work.
5)   Because, should said work sell well enough to cover your advance and produce royalties, 5% to 7% of sales is certainly generous compensation for the paltry amount of labor and thought you put into the creation of one book.  After all – how much sweat and angst can it take to produce a book that sells well?
6)   Self publishing, like micro computers and cell phones, is a fad; merely a passing fancy with technology.  Once the hoopla wears off, all reputable authors will be pounding on the doors to the hallowed halls of the Big 6 begging forgiveness for their sinful dalliance with this slick-talking upstart.

As I work to release Silver Vengeance to you, I'll be posting my personal Top Ten Reasons to Self Publish. Stay tuned.