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INDEPENDENT AUTHOR/PUBLISHER/BOOKSELLER
by J. Glenn Evans
No one is more entitled to publish an author's work than the creator of that work. Many
famous authors have published their own work and not only in the beginning of their
writing careers. Mark Twain created a publishing company, Webster and Company,
Publishers. He hired his nephew-in-law, Charles Webster, to operate the firm. In his
book, Mark Twain on Writing and Publishing, he states that he established the firm
mainly in order to publish and profit from his own work, but he later expanded the
opportunity to publish the memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Virginia and Leonard Wolf
owned a publishing company that published their works as well as that of other
writers. Elbert Hubbard, the famed author and founder of Roycroft Shops, who went
down with the Titanic, was another self-publisher. Walt Whitman published his early
editions of Leaves of Grass and was compelled to give most of them away because
he could not sell them. Zane Grey's wife financed the publication of his first book,
Betty Zane. There are numerous other famed authors who have self-published, but far
too many to list here.
Most certainly there are unseasoned authors who self-publish without line editing or
with other errors that should have been corrected. Closer editing in many cases
would have greatly improved the work. These days we also see books published by
the main houses in which editorial assistance seems to be lacking and/or spelling
and typographical errors occur. In other cases we see books published by the main
houses in which one must ask whether the cause of Literature might have been
better served if they had saved the paper. Scan the stacks of remaindered books in
the aisles of bookstores in any city, and especially those of the big box stores. A book
is good or bad or maybe somewhere in-between. Just as an MFA does not guarantee
the quality of the writing, publication by a major publishing firm does not guarantee
the quality of the writing or its success in the marketplace. Furthermore, the claim that
a book published by a major firm guarantees the authenticity of its content is
undermined by the claims of plagiarism made against some of their better-known
authors.
Reviewers and booksellers argue that there is so much stuff out there, they do not
have time to consider self-published books and POD (print on demand). This is a
lame excuse. A quick sampling of a paragraph or so of any work, self-published or
otherwise, can determine whether the material is worth pursuing further.
Conglomerates, mainly interested in the bottom line, now own most major
publishers. This creates the chase to publish a few stars and celebrities rather than
good literature. The bias of many reviewers and booksellers in shunning
self-published works also works against free speech. It denies the distribution of
many books that often surpass the quality of books published by the main houses.
Much literature of merit now depends on small presses and author/self-publishers for
exposure.
One begins to wonder if well known writers too often get a free pass with publishers
and reviewers, while much quality writing is spurned because it is self-published or
POD. Also, in the case of best-selling celebrative writers, many of their books are
ghost-written. Take a recent example, Madonna's book for children was written by
Cabala Center's official ghostwriter. (Seattle PI, 12July05, page F2)
Authors who self-publish or use PODs should organize to support each other with
newsletters and websites that would include book reviews and notices of new
releases. This would generate interest and support for books of merit. One of our
goals should be to provide greater exposure for books by our members. Self-written
or commissioned reviews should be permitted, but first screened by individuals
qualified to judge their merit. This would be the qualification for publication through
the association's newsletters and website.
Reviewers and booksellers who give author/self-publishers and author/PODs a fair
shake should be listed and supported by members of the association. They can
provide networking support and patronage while encouraging their friends and other
contacts to do the same.
Membership should include writers who have been published by outside presses,
but who support the self-published concept. The high road of good literary and quality
production should be supported by the membership. Print on Demand (POD) has to
be the coming thing for authors and self-publishers as well as for the small presses.
Storage costs, losses on remainders, expensive upfront printing charges make it
common sense to utilize POD. Such inexpensive production creates opportunities for
more original voices to be heard. Some in time may come to be recognized as giants.
Readers and booklovers all over will benefit from the creativity and variety of books
offered. Cooperative efforts that utilize the Internet can increase the exposure of many
fine books to a broader readership. If the big guys continue to ignore
author/self-publishers and author/PODs, we should take control of our own destiny
and help each other. We can work and support the remaining independents
bookstores that cooperate in giving exposure to books of author-publisher/PODs.
These independent bookstores find it difficult to survive the onslaught of the big boxes
with big bucks. Some of these bookstores find that a combination of new and used
works well for them.
One successful grass roots effort has been the New Mexico Book CO-OP. In a recent
article by Paul Rhetts in the Span Connection (June/2005), a newsletter for the Small
Publisher Association of North America, he relates how over 200 local author and
independent publishers partnered by setting up a book store in the local Cottonwood
Mall in Albuquerque to sell books by New Mexican authors during the holiday season
Thanksgiving through Christmas. Sales were over $41,000 with 3,400 books sold
exposing 425 local books to retail book buyers, libraries, schools and other
bookstores. Many follow-on sales came later. Participants took turns running the
store. This was a great way to help each other. (www.nmbookcoop.com)
There must be thousands of author/self-publishers and author/PODs who could
benefit and would support such self-help projects. I'm sure many would be willing to
pay a modest membership to support a website and newsletter. Perhaps a small fee
of $25 or so would cover the cost of reviews or to have their own reviews screened by
competent people to maintain quality. Judgment criteria could be predetermined to
weed out poor production quality, errors and typos in spelling, grammar and poor
literary merit.
This is an opportunity waiting to happen. I'd be happy to become one of the first
members of such an association. Even though my writings have been fairly widely
published in journals, I have personally chosen to self-publish several books, simply
in order to maintain control and quality of production and to make the publisher's
profit. I have utilized the POD route on one occasion and plan to do so again. I would
create an association to promote author/self-Publishers myself, but at my age with my
time running out and so many more books yet to write, I must not allow myself to fall
to the temptation to take on such a project. This is a worthwhile opportunity that a
young person with time and drive should tackle. If someone were already performing
these services for author/self publishers and not bilking the writers, I'd love to hear
about it. By working together let's build our own market following for quality
author/self-published works. Let the big guys have the stars, celebrities, crooks and
perverts.(NOTE: NO ONE STEPPED FORWARD TO TAKE UP THE GAUNTLET SO
HERE I AM.)
Copyleft 2006 J. Glenn Evans
(Feel free to copy and distribute as broadly as possible)
by J. Glenn Evans
No one is more entitled to publish an author's work than the creator of that work. Many
famous authors have published their own work and not only in the beginning of their
writing careers. Mark Twain created a publishing company, Webster and Company,
Publishers. He hired his nephew-in-law, Charles Webster, to operate the firm. In his
book, Mark Twain on Writing and Publishing, he states that he established the firm
mainly in order to publish and profit from his own work, but he later expanded the
opportunity to publish the memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Virginia and Leonard Wolf
owned a publishing company that published their works as well as that of other
writers. Elbert Hubbard, the famed author and founder of Roycroft Shops, who went
down with the Titanic, was another self-publisher. Walt Whitman published his early
editions of Leaves of Grass and was compelled to give most of them away because
he could not sell them. Zane Grey's wife financed the publication of his first book,
Betty Zane. There are numerous other famed authors who have self-published, but far
too many to list here.
Most certainly there are unseasoned authors who self-publish without line editing or
with other errors that should have been corrected. Closer editing in many cases
would have greatly improved the work. These days we also see books published by
the main houses in which editorial assistance seems to be lacking and/or spelling
and typographical errors occur. In other cases we see books published by the main
houses in which one must ask whether the cause of Literature might have been
better served if they had saved the paper. Scan the stacks of remaindered books in
the aisles of bookstores in any city, and especially those of the big box stores. A book
is good or bad or maybe somewhere in-between. Just as an MFA does not guarantee
the quality of the writing, publication by a major publishing firm does not guarantee
the quality of the writing or its success in the marketplace. Furthermore, the claim that
a book published by a major firm guarantees the authenticity of its content is
undermined by the claims of plagiarism made against some of their better-known
authors.
Reviewers and booksellers argue that there is so much stuff out there, they do not
have time to consider self-published books and POD (print on demand). This is a
lame excuse. A quick sampling of a paragraph or so of any work, self-published or
otherwise, can determine whether the material is worth pursuing further.
Conglomerates, mainly interested in the bottom line, now own most major
publishers. This creates the chase to publish a few stars and celebrities rather than
good literature. The bias of many reviewers and booksellers in shunning
self-published works also works against free speech. It denies the distribution of
many books that often surpass the quality of books published by the main houses.
Much literature of merit now depends on small presses and author/self-publishers for
exposure.
One begins to wonder if well known writers too often get a free pass with publishers
and reviewers, while much quality writing is spurned because it is self-published or
POD. Also, in the case of best-selling celebrative writers, many of their books are
ghost-written. Take a recent example, Madonna's book for children was written by
Cabala Center's official ghostwriter. (Seattle PI, 12July05, page F2)
Authors who self-publish or use PODs should organize to support each other with
newsletters and websites that would include book reviews and notices of new
releases. This would generate interest and support for books of merit. One of our
goals should be to provide greater exposure for books by our members. Self-written
or commissioned reviews should be permitted, but first screened by individuals
qualified to judge their merit. This would be the qualification for publication through
the association's newsletters and website.
Reviewers and booksellers who give author/self-publishers and author/PODs a fair
shake should be listed and supported by members of the association. They can
provide networking support and patronage while encouraging their friends and other
contacts to do the same.
Membership should include writers who have been published by outside presses,
but who support the self-published concept. The high road of good literary and quality
production should be supported by the membership. Print on Demand (POD) has to
be the coming thing for authors and self-publishers as well as for the small presses.
Storage costs, losses on remainders, expensive upfront printing charges make it
common sense to utilize POD. Such inexpensive production creates opportunities for
more original voices to be heard. Some in time may come to be recognized as giants.
Readers and booklovers all over will benefit from the creativity and variety of books
offered. Cooperative efforts that utilize the Internet can increase the exposure of many
fine books to a broader readership. If the big guys continue to ignore
author/self-publishers and author/PODs, we should take control of our own destiny
and help each other. We can work and support the remaining independents
bookstores that cooperate in giving exposure to books of author-publisher/PODs.
These independent bookstores find it difficult to survive the onslaught of the big boxes
with big bucks. Some of these bookstores find that a combination of new and used
works well for them.
One successful grass roots effort has been the New Mexico Book CO-OP. In a recent
article by Paul Rhetts in the Span Connection (June/2005), a newsletter for the Small
Publisher Association of North America, he relates how over 200 local author and
independent publishers partnered by setting up a book store in the local Cottonwood
Mall in Albuquerque to sell books by New Mexican authors during the holiday season
Thanksgiving through Christmas. Sales were over $41,000 with 3,400 books sold
exposing 425 local books to retail book buyers, libraries, schools and other
bookstores. Many follow-on sales came later. Participants took turns running the
store. This was a great way to help each other. (www.nmbookcoop.com)
There must be thousands of author/self-publishers and author/PODs who could
benefit and would support such self-help projects. I'm sure many would be willing to
pay a modest membership to support a website and newsletter. Perhaps a small fee
of $25 or so would cover the cost of reviews or to have their own reviews screened by
competent people to maintain quality. Judgment criteria could be predetermined to
weed out poor production quality, errors and typos in spelling, grammar and poor
literary merit.
This is an opportunity waiting to happen. I'd be happy to become one of the first
members of such an association. Even though my writings have been fairly widely
published in journals, I have personally chosen to self-publish several books, simply
in order to maintain control and quality of production and to make the publisher's
profit. I have utilized the POD route on one occasion and plan to do so again. I would
create an association to promote author/self-Publishers myself, but at my age with my
time running out and so many more books yet to write, I must not allow myself to fall
to the temptation to take on such a project. This is a worthwhile opportunity that a
young person with time and drive should tackle. If someone were already performing
these services for author/self publishers and not bilking the writers, I'd love to hear
about it. By working together let's build our own market following for quality
author/self-published works. Let the big guys have the stars, celebrities, crooks and
perverts.(NOTE: NO ONE STEPPED FORWARD TO TAKE UP THE GAUNTLET SO
HERE I AM.)
Copyleft 2006 J. Glenn Evans
(Feel free to copy and distribute as broadly as possible)
Below is an article by J. Glenn Evans publisher of "PoetsWest, a Seattle-based
nonprofit organization, (that) links the poet with readers and listeners in the broader
democratic community." PoetsWest covers the Northwest and beyond. J. Glenn
speaks of the independent author and publisher who fill a much needed gap in the
publishing community. While we are not a self-publishing enterprise it seems
appropriate here to look at the long and illustrious history of publishing in this
manner. PoetsWest can be reached at www.poetswest.com.
nonprofit organization, (that) links the poet with readers and listeners in the broader
democratic community." PoetsWest covers the Northwest and beyond. J. Glenn
speaks of the independent author and publisher who fill a much needed gap in the
publishing community. While we are not a self-publishing enterprise it seems
appropriate here to look at the long and illustrious history of publishing in this
manner. PoetsWest can be reached at www.poetswest.com.
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