Independent Publishing—Self-Publishing is all Grown Up

by Edie Melson

Self-publishing is all grown up.There was a time, many years ago, that I would have much rather remained unpublished rather than admit to self-publishing. Back then the companies who charged you to publish your work were referred to as Vanity Publishers. Many of those companies charged thousands of dollars and left the author with boxes and boxes of questionable books.
Not any more.
Today's independent author has many options.Self-publishing is all grown up. There are lots more options for writers today—from full-service companies to do-it-yourself print on demand. Today’s independent author (the new term for writers who choose to chart their own course) has lots of choices when it comes to producing our own books.
Beyond that, the overall standard that a self-published book must meet has risen. Authors have recognized the value of engaging editors to ensure the resulting book is held to comparable standard we used to only find in traditionally published books.
And have you see the covers?
This is an upcoming book from
Charity Tinnin, one of my crit partners.The book covers on independent books are stellar. They’re imaginative, compelling and add to the first impression. They truly reflect the excellence within these books. It may still be difficult to find all the independent options at your local brick and mortar store, but that too is changing. And I guarantee you can’t tell the self-pubbed from the traditionally pubbed.
These savvy independent authors are often on the front line of publishing. Many of them are what’s known as hybrid authors. They have some books that are traditionally published and others they’ve published themselves.
But they have one thing in common, they’ve learned how to find and engage their audience. Independent authors have a fiercely loyal following of readers, and there is a lot we can learn from them when it comes to marketing. They know how to use the tools available to the twenty-first century wordsmith, utilizing social media and the power of the world wide web.
Even with all the hats an independent author must wear, at the core of every successful book is a writer who has taken time to learn the craft. Self-publishing has never been a viable short-cut, although many have tried to use it that way.
In addition, today’s reader is savvy. They aren’t taken in by a substandard product. There are too many choices out there for them to waste time on a writer who doesn’t bother to learn how to write. The bar is set high, and excellence matters when an author ventures into this arena.
I have some places on the web where I like to go for tips and tricks to navigating the independent author’s life. Today I’m going to share a few with you. I don’t read every article on all of these websites and some are very secular in nature, so be warned.http://www.indieauthornews.comhttp://...
But I really want you to add to the list. Where do you go to get the 411 on Indie Publishing? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.
Don’t forget to join the conversationBlessings,Edie
TWEETABLESSelf-publishing - no longer ashort-cut for authors – today’s readers expect excellence – via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Independent publishing – self-publishing’s grown up.How do you feel about the new options? via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)