SELF PUBLISHING: BUT/COUNTERBUT – PART 2: GET OFF MUH LAWN!

PART 2

Writing is a multi-faceted discipline, like carpentry or construction. Even a master carpenter working from blueprints of her or his own design cannot expect to finish a reasonable dwelling without assistance. Assuming the carpenter has single-handedly poured the concrete, wired the electricity, shingled the roof, plumbed the pipes, inserted the windows, all with intentions to live alone, off the grid without utilities or luxuries — there will nonetheless come a time when outsiders must get involved; at the very least, inspectors. 

“I built it muhself! Ain’t it grand?”

Experts trained to scrutinize the many crucial aspects of home construction are the equivalents of the beta readers, office assistants, editors and head publishers whose job is to ensure the dwelling is suitable for a guests. To neglect their safety is to disdain them, just as taking shortcuts around the path proven to improve a written work represents disdain for readers.

Writing should be like carpentry, shouldn’t it? Mostly the work of the writer, with his or her final approval — but nonetheless subject to scrutiny by trained specialists motivated to make the dwelling suitable for habitation.

BUT…

Publishing houses, no matter how large and established, find their staffs stretched to the limit, working overtime and on their own time, to dig their way through daunting mountains of paper in hopes of chancing upon a gem — or at least a stone that is shiny or oddly-shaped enough to be interesting. Self-pubbers are taking fate into their own hands and bypassing the oppressive bureaucracy that likely will leave them buried and unseen for all of time. The stone raises itself up and cries “Behold! I stand as high as the precious minerals, therefore I AM as precious!” Yeah, there is something very punk rock about that. 

BUT…

Natural storytelling talent is a gift, so if you can type, you’re good to go, right? Wrongo! The arts of querying, submitting, bantering with publishers, marketing and relating to readers, showing them genuine appreciation for what they have given you — these are all must-have skill sets for a professional writer, without exception. If you don’t have in mind the ultimate goal of making readers happy you should shut your keyboard and do something else. 

“But Patrick, my handsome friend,” you may patiently and diplomatically assert, “As a self-pubber, I’m never going to query publishers or ageeeennts.”

To that I would ask: “Isn’t your goal to get your writing in front of as many eyes as possible?”

In my research, the most successful self-published authors have some connection to the established publishing world. To remain willfully ignorant of the business as a whole is to set oneself up for failure, and to undermine all authors.

Writing just for yourself is great –but then, why publish at all? Telling people you’re a published author feels wonderful. But now, thanks to self-publishing, practically everyone is a published author, or can be with any random assemblage of letters submitted to amazon, no qualifications needed. Tell me what’s fulfilling about that?

Proudly displayed additions to any self-respecting reader’s trash can

I believe there is room for self and trad pub to co-exist and even complement each other. It’s an aspect of the industry that is here to stay, not just a trend. But it’s new and immature.

As a whole, self-publishing is an uncodified, undisciplined and erratic phenomenon. To elevate it and bolster its legitimacy, self-pubbers must strive to bring that needed discipline and gravitas to their own work. This means bringing one’s best work Multiple re-writes, edits, beta-reads, and facing exposure to merciless criticism are undeniably a part of the whole deal.

So, as a heretofore trad-pubbed author, I am not against the DIY approach. On the contrary, I hope to try my hand at self-pub. Call me a snob — I’m inclined to wait till the luster of novelty dulls for quick cash exploiters and vanity writers.  Self-pub has the potential to become a viable alternative, both creatively and in a business sense, to the established route.

Self-publishing is a freshly cut trail through the brambly wilderness of publication, offering the promise of autonomy — yet still fraught with peril and treachery. Let us explore it with cautious hope – and dedication to perfection.

The article below from The Guardian, presumably by Ros Barber makes some sobering points.

“If you self-publish your book, you are not going to be writing for a living. You are going to be marketing for a living.”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/mar/21/for-me-traditional-publishing-means-poverty-but-self-publish-no-way