We’re In Trouble

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[image error] keep seeing  articles talking about how self-publishing is the ‘wave of the future’ for authors and I have to say… if self publishing is the wave of the future. We’re all in trouble. It isn’t that I didn’t enjoy self publishing and it’s certainly not that I regret making that decision, but it sort of lends itself to the perception that traditional publishing companies are either going to have to evolve with writers, or die trying. Say what you will about the traditional publishing industry itself, but I don’t buy into a lot of the catastrophic posturing everyone seems to have around it with regards to self publishing. To be sure, self publishing has put a dent in their sails, but they aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Not by a long shot. The reality is, some authors will always want a traditional publisher, they strive for it, and even most self published authors when given half the chance would opt for a traditional publisher, if for no other reason than publicity.

It’s tough work self publishing, especially in today’s market. It’s afforded authors like myself to find an audience true, but it’s also made it more difficult by making it easier for anybody to be published. It’s a trade off that may not necessarily have the pay off one would hope for.

That said, self publishing isn’t a new concept by far, so calling it the “wave of the future” is sort of laughable, and frankly shows just how little people really understand about where self publishing has come from. Sure it feel out of practice for a very long time, but it’s as old as writing itself.