It's also known as Self-Publish.
For me, the first thought goes back to an old episode of the sitcom Night Court from the 1980s in which a character had a book published that was ridiculous and hideously terrible. It was a punchline in the episode. The impression of what Self-Publishing meant formed in my young head in that moment. Ever since childhood I carried around this presumption that anything independently published must be terrible.
I was really mistaken. I never realized so many authors were self (or independently) published. Hemingway, Jane Austen, Andy Weir, and many others have not only written critically and commercially successful independent books -- but their stories have also enthralled us on the big screen as well.
Unfortunately, a tribal mentality forms within the arts. Independent filmmakers are crapped on by the larger studios and those who operate within them. Likewise, independent authors are similarly crapped on by traditional publishing companies and, sometimes, the authors and editors within them.
The truth is that so many wonderful stories are lost to the void because people won't pick up an independent book because there is a presumption that the story or writing is too terrible to warrant being published by a large house imprint. What these people don't realize is that many authors independently publish books for the same reason that independent filmmakers make their movies the way that they do: It's all about retaining control of your own vision.
Many authors are unwilling to make concessions that they feel will utterly break their stories, just for the hope of making more money from a mass appeal factor. I had some experience with this while shopping around The Morbid Fascinations of David Bennett. I had an agent who was interested in my book but wanted me to make several changes. They didn't like the concept of an adult oriented horror story. They thought it would sell better if I toned down the violence, made the characters younger, and threw in a new love interest to divide them. It would put my book in the category of Young Adult and gain more traction that way.
The feedback felt like a knife in my skull. My whole intention behind writing that book the way I did was to appeal to adult fans of the horror genre. In my humble opinion the YA market is absolutely flooded with cliched stories such as what this agent wanted me to provide. I wanted to write something different, something that could become part of an arc that crossed genres and brought something a bit refreshing and original to the table. That was when I learned that traditional publishing companies aren't interested in fresh and original so much as what will sell and sell quick.
So, I went independent. What is the difference? I've had to do my own promotion, work hard to make sure that I connect with potential readers -- including answering questions and concerns from potential readers who are curious what is in the book. I have had to set up my own critical reviews (which I have failed at miserably -- but it's a learning curve.) There is no advance for writing, but there is no one to pay back, either. I get to keep a much larger portion of my proceeds than a traditionally published author. So who wins? For the authors it is pretty much a wash. For the readers, it is a victory because it brings so much more choice to market.
If you have snubbed a self or independently published book, in the past, I highly recommend that you give a few a try. You may find some that aren't great -- but you will certainly find that with some traditionally published books, as well. What you will find in independently published books is the author's true vision, the intact story that they meant to tell -- not diluted for market saturation. There are incredible books out there, just waiting to be discovered!
The Morbid Fascinations of David Bennett. Only 99 cents on Kindle, or $12.99 in beautiful matte finished paperback with gentle-on-the-eyes cream colored paper.
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