There was a time, back when publishing houses had good reputations,
and reading books was a general pastime, that self-publishing was
unthinkable to an earnest writer determined to create a niche in
whatever genre he or she had chosen. Whether it was fine literature or a
Harlequin romance, the main point was that it had been accepted by a
House, thereby earning the writer the title of “author”. A self
published book meant going through a press that may or may not be
credible, that often resorted to generic covers and cheap bindings;
sometimes with nothing more than a stapled middle. The self-published
writer was expected to shell out the funds for a minimum quantity and it
was up to the writer to discover the ways and means of acquiring a
return on his investment; making the rounds of book stores, clubs and
conventions, often surrendering in self-defeat after a few months, with a
packing crate full of books moldering in the attic.
Along came the Internet. It not only changed the avenues for
self-publishing, it changed the attitudes about publishing in general.
Ironically, it was the publishing companies themselves that generated
this new awareness in the trials, errors and difficulties of breaking in
to a publishing house. The Writer’s Market, once the handbook of every
aspiring author, began suggesting that before looking for a publisher, a
writer should gain an online reputation. It advised joining writing
groups that would help build the strength of the written hand and guide
the writer into the best places to be published.
Read on here.....
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