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Self-Publishing Continues to Grow in U.S., Says Bowker.
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Interesting info. I like the statement that the self published market is "maturing." That sounds like a positive trend and one likely to make self published books better respected in the industry.
Well, naturally the more exposure to the phenomenon, the more popular it becomes. Self-publishing's already created that moment where everyone wondered if it was just a gamble or would take off--they have success stories that can be pointed to, faces to attach to it, and more importantly to publishers, monetary data they can taut for the self-pub's value and staying power in the market.It's here to stay. Question is simply how it change and evolve with the continued growth.
P.S. Abigail, I'm from Michigan. Reminding me of the damp is just cruel. We so rarely escape it!
This is awesome! I can totally see this too. I know a ton of people that are self-publishing, especially because it is a great way to start off for first time authors.-Nihar
www.niharsuthar.com
Self-publishing is a venue in which all writers have an opportunity to get their work out to the public at large. However, a large percentage of what's found in the self-publishing arena is just sub-standard work. This venue comes with a responsibility to put forth reasonable work with good grammar, correct spelling and some understanding of the writing craft. I've been soo disappointed after viewing "Look Inside" of many books from new, unskilled writers. For those of us who spent years honing our craft, we need to educate and push the message of why quality work is a must. If we want self-publishing to evolve into a venue where Indie Authors are recognized as serious authors then the product we present to the buying public has to be good. The market may be maturing but will new writers be mature enough to know and use the basic standards in place for the written word?
To add to your closing comment, GT, I wonder if some of these new authors even realise that their work is substandard. It puts me in mind of the televised singing contests, where terrible singers find it hard to believe what the judging panel is telling them.
G.T. wrote: "Self-publishing is a venue in which all writers have an opportunity to get their work out to the public at large. However, a large percentage of what's found in the self-publishing arena is just su..."I absolutely agree with everything you said here, G.T. I've read a lot of self-published books in the past year or two and cringe every time I come across major lapses in basic spelling and grammar. New writers have to realise the importance of editing and polishing their work before they publish it, or they will never, ever be taken seriously. And, those of us who are committed to ensuring quality in our writing will suffer along with those who aren't.
Self-publishing is expanding at such an exorbitant rate primarily because the invention of the personal computer, internet and e-book reader ushered in a renaissance for independent and self-publishing that, prior to that, had very limited access to the literary market.
G.T. wrote: "This venue comes with a responsibility to put forth reasonable work with good grammar, correct spelling and some understanding of the writing craft. I've been soo disappointed after viewing "Look Inside" of many books from new, unskilled writers..."I agree with your assessment. So far (even though I self publish), I've only bought one self-published work. Every other one I've looked at was clearly in need of editing and/or additional writing experience. Not so much for incorrect grammar as for weak, dull, non-dynamic, or muddled/confusing sentence structure.
All that said, knowing there are so many weak writers publishing on the same sites as pro authors from big publishing companies also puts an additional onus on the reader to sharpen their book selection skills.
Readers can no longer just look at the book's summary and say "hey, that sounds interesting" and buy the book assuming it's going to at least be professionally edited. They've got to--as you did--take the time to look at the book sample and see if it meets their expectations.
I hear a lot of people complain bitterly after-the-fact, when in my experience poorly written books are almost always betrayed in their first few paragraphs.
Bad writing (and a proliferation of it!) brings the reputation of all self publishers down, but at the same time I can't feel too sorry for people who buy before they try and then get burned!
Of course good grimmer and proper editing is a must. But, ifI have to choose between boring and overly descriptive writing, I will choose the pryor. Too many writers write that have very little to say. Surveys have indicated the majority of readers discord a book before the last chapter.
I do love a good irony . . . or several . . .
Renee wrote: "I do love a good irony . . . or several . . .":)
G.T. wrote: "Self-publishing is a venue in which all writers have an opportunity to get their work out to the public at large. However, a large percentage of what's found in the self-publishing arena is just su..."I'm relieved in a way, to find other authors/writers who feel as you do, G.T.; I make that point often and sometimes feel as though it's not getting across with enough verve, particularly when I pick up yet another self-pubbed novel to find it "sub-standard," as you say. We could leave it with, "to each his own," but the stigmas created by having such a large percentage of indie titles in that unfortunate category are having an impact on how ALL titles are viewed. The day I read a big book blogger's FAQ page and it included the line "I don't want to read, hear about, or otherwise experience the books of self-published authors and, therefore, please don’t waste my time by contacting me," I knew we'd hit a certain nadir.
Who Do We Have To _____ To Get a Little Respect Around Here? is my response to that comment, and I hope, given your statement and those of others here, that a growing number of indie authors protest that sort of dismissive attitude by raising the bar on what they deliver to the book market -- ultimately, and eventually, turning the tide!
Thanks for making the point so succinctly.
The acquisition department of a traditional mainline publisher will reject a submission that is rife with grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and syntax errors. A copy editor's job is to discover and correct the occasional error; not circumvent a literary disaster. A self-published author's manuscript will never be rejected by a publisher for any reason, simply because they are their publisher and are either unaware of their shortcomings or simply don't care.
Unfortunately, those SPA's who do care and do posess great technical writing and narration skills, often pay the price for those who don't.
I think it's kind of like people who are tone deaf. So often they have no idea that they are — how could they, unless someone tells them (kindly, I hope).And they sing. Loudly.
I recently clicked on "Look Inside" for a self published book (the author was an acquaintance) and saw a punctuation error in the very first sentence, something a copy editor would have caught right away.I found this quote from C\Chuck Wendig's blog about self publishing--“It reeks of late night Karaoke, of meth-addled Venice Beach ukelele players, of middle-aged men who play basketball and still clutch some secret dream of ‘going pro’ despite having a gut that looks like they ate a basketball rather than learned to play with one.”
I've read more than a few self-published books myself, either because I won them on Goodreads or I knew the author, and with one rare exception The Billionaire's Butler: Mystery, Murder and Romance in the Wacky World of the Super Rich, they were all really, really bad.
I know for every good self published book there are at least a hundred, even a thousand, bad ones and nobody wants to slog through the pile of rubbish to find the one that's any good. And yet, I keep at it, trying to make my books somehow stand out.
Judy wrote: "I recently clicked on "Look Inside" for a self published book (the author was an acquaintance) and saw a punctuation error in the very first sentence, something a copy editor would have caught righ..."I know for every good self published book there are at least a hundred, even a thousand, bad ones and nobody wants to slog through the pile of rubbish to find the one that's any good.
I can say the same, with a slight edit:
"I know for every good book published there are at least a hundred, even a thousand, bad ones and nobody wants to slog through the pile of rubbish to find the one that's any good."
All - in answer to why there's so much crap out there, this book just may hit the nail on the head. The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation. It is well worth the read. Now, when I encounter a writer proclaiming their book is exciting, novel, the best, blah, blah, blah, I say to myself, "Ah Uh! Another Snowflake." Quick summary - Snowflakes (every one is unique) - a generation that was raised to feel "special" about everything, never given the opportunity to fail and learn that they were just average thereby resulting in a sense of entitlement, specialness and a look at me, look what I've done, look how amazing I am attitude.
The self-publishing industry (Amazon/CS/B&N even Goodreads) has tapped into this generation's psyche big time, encouraging them to believe that they can be an author and publish because after all anything they do is "special" and everyone will want to read what they wrote.
Sorry for getting off-topic and the rant.
Thing is, just because you WANT to be *special* at something doesn't mean you are. At least not the way you think . . . ;-)
I'd love to be a great visual artist. I'm definitely not.
Not everyone who thinks they're a great writer is. But some of them have big honkin' publishing contracts — and you all know THAT'S true.
The publishing industry is just that. An industry. They are there to sell product and make beaucoup bucks. They aren't there to expose the rest of us to the brightest and the best; they are there to spend as little as possible to gain the greatest end profit.
Some of the small houses are still in there seeking the prestige of finding the next Steinbeck, hoping to hang on and make enough to keep searching. Some of them are looking to be the next in line at the Big Guys' Buffet, but I think most of them see where publishing is going; the gap is going to become wider and the struggle bloodier as more of the Money Name Authors strike out on their own and go the Indie route themselves.
It's not a matter of If anymore, it's a matter of How Long.
G.T. wrote: "All - in answer to why there's so much crap out there, this book just may hit the nail on the head. The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation. It is we..."Great point, G.T. I believe you have succinctly explained the reason for the Independent/Self-published phenomenon. "It's not necessary to keep score. Everyone is a winner!"
No, Jim, that's not all there is to it. Frankly, that's insulting to the Indie authors out there who uphold a standard of excellence, some of whom LEFT mainstream publishers by choice in order to have better control over their writing, to better maintain its integrity, and even because of the realization that they were giving away a huge chunk of their rightful earnings to a beast that was doing nothing substantial to earn it.
Renee wrote: "No, Jim, that's not all there is to it. Frankly, that's insulting to the Indie authors out there who uphold a standard of excellence, some of whom LEFT mainstream publishers by choice in order to..."
Renee,
In post 16, I acknowledge that there are SPA's who possess great technical writing and narration skills.
Unfortunately, they are not in the majority; and it is the majority that is responsible for the stigma, justifiably or not, attached to self-publishing
Jim wrote: "A self-published author's manuscript will never be rejected by a publisher for any reason, simply because they are their publisher and are either unaware of their shortcomings or simply don't care. "In a similar vein - there are numerous scam publishers who will never reject a manuscript, because some writers have deep pockets and believe that paying to publish makes their product somehow superior to that of others who self published.
There are numerous threads discussing how can we identify those titles that uphold a certain standard of craft, editing, formatting etc. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a short term solution and most ideas centre around reinstating some form of gatekeeper.
Lorraine wrote: "G.T. wrote: "Self-publishing is a venue in which all writers have an opportunity to get their work out to the public at large. However, a large percentage of what's found in the self-publishing are..."Who Do We Have To _____ To Get a Little Respect Around Here?
Fantastic piece! We should all contact the blogger you refer to in a respectful manner to remind him he has a responsibility greater than himself and his one-sided opinion. If he's well recognized in the industry, even better, because it's part of his job description to find solid reads, even from Indie Authors no matter how annoyed he is with them. Or, perhaps, he's a Snowflake too! Send link and name to me via mail function here at Goodreads. I'll give it a go. I'll put on my most skilled Corporate America writer's hat. (FYI - my last job was writing talking points for state lobbyist that had to pass through legal review processes.) I'd be happy to write a message to this blogger with eight on-point targeted statements on why all Indie Authors should not be dismissed.
(OMG! I'm getting soo outspoken in my senior years!)
G.T. wrote: "All - in answer to why there's so much crap out there, this book just may hit the nail on the head. The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation. It is we..."
I downloaded that book and it's on my short to-read list. Examples are everywhere, not just in self-publishing.
I downloaded that book and it's on my short to-read list. Examples are everywhere, not just in self-publishing.
like it or not self published works are here to stay..
I strive to make my works perfect as possible and stand up to standards set by the big 5. it's just I don't write mainstream and that hurts sales >_> oh well I just hope someone sees my awesome work and tells their friends
K.P. wrote: "it's just I don't write mainstream and that hurts sales "But that is your strength :) By not writing mainstream and filling a niche, you have a very identifiable target audience. I write steampunk, it's a small market and I have found that has helped me find my audience and build my readership.
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation (other topics)The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation (other topics)
The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation (other topics)
The Billionaire's Butler: Mystery, Murder and Romance in the Wacky World of the Super Rich (other topics)
I found this article to be of interest and thought I’d pass it along.
http://www.selfpublishedauthor.com/co...