Comments on: Self-publish and be damned… or not? http://futurismic.com/2009/07/02/self-publish-and-be-damned-or-not/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: SMD http://futurismic.com/2009/07/02/self-publish-and-be-damned-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-37045 SMD Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:54:55 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=8030#comment-37045 I actually have blogged a lot on this topic lately and did a quick post of three of my favorite self-published books here: http://wisb.blogspot.com/2009/06/self-publishing-redux-good-books-three.html Neither of those books is perfect, by a long shot. Most, with exception to The Dark Dreamweaver, could have used additional editing to prune the occasional errors, but regardless, all were good reads, in my opinion, and worth my time. I can put up with occasional spelling errors. My problem with self-publishing has always been that it requires me to do a lot of extra work to find something worth spending money on. And to be honest, I'm not willing to do that unless I already trust the author, in which case I might read an excerpt to figure out if their newest SPed book is up my alley. I like bookstores. I do think Vandermeer gives good advice on how to proceed with a short story collection, though. If you can't sell a collection to even a small press (which seems very unlikely considering the number of small presses out there, but it happens), then it could potentially be a great idea to SP it. The stories are already written and edited. All you have to do is put the collection together, pay someone for some damned good cover art, format the hell out of it (or pay a professional to do it) and then get it out there. You might not sell many copies, but that's just the way the game works in the SP world. I'm done rambling... I actually have blogged a lot on this topic lately and did a quick post of three of my favorite self-published books here: http://wisb.blogspot.com/2009/06/self-publishing-redux-good-books-three.html

Neither of those books is perfect, by a long shot. Most, with exception to The Dark Dreamweaver, could have used additional editing to prune the occasional errors, but regardless, all were good reads, in my opinion, and worth my time. I can put up with occasional spelling errors. My problem with self-publishing has always been that it requires me to do a lot of extra work to find something worth spending money on. And to be honest, I’m not willing to do that unless I already trust the author, in which case I might read an excerpt to figure out if their newest SPed book is up my alley. I like bookstores.

I do think Vandermeer gives good advice on how to proceed with a short story collection, though. If you can’t sell a collection to even a small press (which seems very unlikely considering the number of small presses out there, but it happens), then it could potentially be a great idea to SP it. The stories are already written and edited. All you have to do is put the collection together, pay someone for some damned good cover art, format the hell out of it (or pay a professional to do it) and then get it out there. You might not sell many copies, but that’s just the way the game works in the SP world.

I’m done rambling…

]]> By: Barbara E Martin http://futurismic.com/2009/07/02/self-publish-and-be-damned-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-37016 Barbara E Martin Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:45:44 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=8030#comment-37016 I'm not self-published but an aspiring writer with one short story published at an ezine and articles published in magazines. With respect to self-publication, two books come to mind that were originally self-published before being published the traditional way with a New York house: Lovely Bones and The Time Traveller's Wife. These were both well written, and once their sales reached 10,000 they moved over. Some of the self-published books I have read need a good copy editor to go over the material to make it presentable. I’m not self-published but an aspiring writer with one short story published at an ezine and articles published in magazines. With respect to self-publication, two books come to mind that were originally self-published before being published the traditional way with a New York house: Lovely Bones and The Time Traveller’s Wife. These were both well written, and once their sales reached 10,000 they moved over.

Some of the self-published books I have read need a good copy editor to go over the material to make it presentable.

]]> By: Robert Koslover http://futurismic.com/2009/07/02/self-publish-and-be-damned-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-37015 Robert Koslover Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:41:03 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=8030#comment-37015 Paul, I think you have this one completely right. If I may add: there is simply no shortage whatsoever of excellent writers who can't seem to get published. However, there is also no shortage of excellent singers and musicians who can't sell their songs and videos. This is because being excellent, all by itself, isn't good enough in these fields. So folks, write if you must, and write with passion! But always be pleasantly surprised and extremely grateful if you succeed in selling any of your work. And don't quit your day job. Paul, I think you have this one completely right. If I may add: there is simply no shortage whatsoever of excellent writers who can’t seem to get published. However, there is also no shortage of excellent singers and musicians who can’t sell their songs and videos. This is because being excellent, all by itself, isn’t good enough in these fields. So folks, write if you must, and write with passion! But always be pleasantly surprised and extremely grateful if you succeed in selling any of your work. And don’t quit your day job.

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