Just curious…

Ted Dekker is one of my go-to authors for a good read. One of the things I like about Dekker is his willingness to try something new with his writing. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. But he’s not afraid to take risks.

Dekker recently released four ebooks that come together to make one novel, Eyes Wide Open. He released the first ebook for free, obviously hoping to entice readers to purchase the other three.

But the serial concept isn’t what caught my attention. Instead, it was that Dekker — a bestselling author — opted to publish his books himself through his own Outlaw Studios. And even though it’s none of my business, I’m really curious as to why. Was it the opportunity to make more money than the royalties offered through mainstream publishing? Was it to maintain complete control of his works? I don’t know.

I surfed the Internet and so far haven’t found an explanation but it made me wonder if other popular authors with a strong fan base might try to go out on their own as well. Could … say …  a Stephen King or John Grisham self publish? Dekker’s sales seem to be solid, though based on the reviews I don’t know that all readers really liked the serial concept.

I haven’t read the books yet; they’re on my “to-read” list and eventually I’ll get to them. It also appears that Dekker has more books planned for his Outlaw Studios. I’ll be curious to see what new risks he’ll take and what kind of success he’ll find.