Re: Self publishing

[David Neeley <dbneeley -at- gmail -dot- com>]

David,

The fact is that fewer and fewer new authors are able to break into
commercial publishing these days. Most publishers are avidly seeking
the "next blockbuster" and are less willing to carry titles that have
limited prospects for large sales.

In fact, today there are titles that are only a few months old and
already being remaindered. Publishers have less interest in letting a
new author or a new series "find its audience" than ever before. In
addition, publishers are well aware that very many books do not make
back the royalty advances, however paltry they may be.

Established authors with a known following are therefore coveted
properties--and get very large advances, and are sought avidly by
publishers hoping to steal them away from the competition.

Thus, using a vanity press and getting some respectable sales is,
today, a valid strategy for breaking into paid commercial publishing
for many.

The stigma that the term carries in the minds of some is
unfortunate...but since this is an established term within the
industry, it is not for me to attempt to redefine it.

Of course, there are alternatives to these two--such as small,
independent, often regional presses and the university presses that
form a surprisingly large part of the market.

For some people, self-publication makes very good sense indeed. After
all, if they have a working marketing plan--often leading to repeat
buyers--they can make far more money on modest sales than they could
with a commercial publisher. Some of these authors, in fact, publish
under their own imprint--and not uncommonly begin to publish *other*
authors under that imprint and develop a small press identity of their
own.

This has its own advantages, of course--including the avoidance of the
semi-automatic skepticism with which the large vanity houses' products
are greeted by booksellers and distributors.

By the way...the large commercial houses today have editors who seek
through the various vanity press titles looking for books they can,
themselves, pick up for broder distribution. This is a growing trend,
since the expenses involved in developing a new writer are already
largely born by others--and with at least some track record, they get
an indication of the potential broader appeal the title may have with
the marketing muscle of the larger publisher behind it.

Finally, there is a reason for self publishing that I do not believe
has been advanced yet. Those who do consulting, public speaking, or
other writing may find having a book or two to their credit adds to
their cachet among potential audiences and employers. If they do
seminars, for instance, these are often substantial sources of revenue
when sold in these "back of the room" opportunities. Nonfiction books
that are not quickly dated are particularly effective in this arena,
but books on hot new technologies may also be used in  this way.

David

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