photo by Charles Blackhall via Shambhala Times
Why can’t we just BE. I know deep thought. Light the incense, turn on the nature sounds and think hard with me. The world is a tough place to be. Economy sucks, life is fast paced, things change, and people have their nostril hairs tickling the privates of whatever tech they seem to get a hold of (myself included when I can find the right buttons).
There are so many people out there that just really could care less about you, and honestly you tell yourself “It’s okay, you suck, good day sir!” and to be on your merry way. As an author, and YES I DO USE THAT TERM (I’m trying my hardest to own it, its tough with the way people react when they’re told though), we love to hear words. We like to read them, we like to hear them, we love, and I mean ABSOLUTELY LOVE, when someone has read your work and written a review. It is better than water from the fountain of youth for us, we dislike silence unless you see us in such deep thought because we’re about to reveal the next *gasp* in the book we are writing. The funny thing is even authors fall prey to the society that is out there.
I suppose there is a stigma attached to Independent authors,come to think about it I know a few musicians, poets,artists, etc…..they all fall in the same category. What makes it different in this world today? Is it that we are not caught up in the tech as well as we could be? Why I’m certain there is someone Independent out there that could help you with that. Is it that you need better cover art? I bet there is an artist starving to get that done for you. See how it’s done? A society, a community, a village, a world at our fingertips and the bubble we look into from the outside looks so in reach.
The THEM, that’s the one’s I worry about. The one’s that like things in their place and do things because it’s always been that way. If they want a painting, the will go to an art show instead of ask someone to paint you one. If they like a band, they will pay hundred’s of dollars to sit up front to enjoy the music instead of go down to the local pub and see who might be just as entertaining and quite possibly see them before they get famous. If they want to read a book, it MUST be by a big publisher and that it MUST go through all the correct channels so that the author has their work proven worthy while they probably bring home .50 taxable cents per book at the end of the day (a tad over-dramatic but still). Break free from those moments of comfort and try something new every now and then. Open the eyes to what is out and and eat up all the talents a person has to offer.
Big House Publishing has great things to offer. Small House Publisher’s do too. Independent publishers/authors (hey that’s me and a bunch of you) have a lot to offer, just not as many resources to go about it. But the one thing we all have in common? It’s that big big secret people like to keep people from hearing. The scary word :MARKETING!!!!! Everyone has to market what they do, and here is where a person like me falls flat on my face thanks to technology and the brick and mortar’s stubborn ways.
Think about the accomplishment’s we could come up with if we all worked together? Word of mouth/virtual mouth, a suggestion, idea’s, even working on an entire project together. I’m about ready to say the last few words before we snuff out the incense, turn off the music, and brighten the lights. Give PEOPLE (ha I didn’t say peace) a chance. Take a minute to read their thoughts or listen to their sound or look at their masterpiece. Slow your roll baby and enjoy it so the us’s and the them’s become We’s.
*grammar run amok but I do have a few to reign me in*
J.S. Riddle 
ioniamartin
/ April 15, 2013I agree I agree I agree!!!!!
This is an awesome article, and you are so right! Who cares where the person was pubbed! Get it together people!
Charles Yallowitz
/ April 15, 2013Here, here! I have noticed the stigma toward self-published and independent authors, but I do think it’s starting to diminish. With the success of various free eBook publishers (Kindle, Smashwords, Lulu, etc.), there’s more respect toward the self-published. The issue of marketing is still big because people don’t understand the difficulty behind it. There’s definitely a ‘someone else will talk about the book’ mentality when dealing with a self-published author. The trick is to get even 10% of your readership to talk about it. I’m low-balling it because I’d love to get 25%. That’s how so many books have made it. I loathe to use the example, but ’50 Shades’ *shudder* wouldn’t be around if people didn’t spread the word about her fan-fiction that would become ’50 Shades’. So, why can’t we use that power for good?
Oh, I’ve actually tasted the water from the fountain of youth while I lived in Florida. It’s horribly sulfuric and plain nasty. For some reason, they also have an ostrich penned up and several peacocks (including an albino one) wandering around.
JS Riddle
/ April 15, 2013Don’t they know free range chicken’s the way to go? White feather’s AND good eggs 🙂
It’s scared numerous people off. Darn you 50 shades.
There’s the one special formula that just doesn’t seem to be quite right and the secret to that is definitely a secret and until that wall comes down between us and them (mentality wise) its going to be tough. That said, I was in Germany when the wall came down, have a piece of the wall so I do know it can and will happen.
Now, Smashwords is such a helpful place, except for all the erotica that floods the first 4 pages of the site
Charles Yallowitz
/ April 15, 2013I’ve found that Smashwords works to get the ‘anti-Kindle’ people and get me onto Barnes & Noble. They also have a great format checker when you start out, which is why I plan on setting up there before going to Kindle with my second book.
I don’t think the formula is as secret as they want us to believe. Darn the they! It’s just hardwork, networking, determination, and pushing forward. One always has to be on the lookout for new venues, opportunities, and fellow aspiring authors. I think with places with vast writer communities like WordPress, we’re not so much breaking down the wall, but digging underneath it with a team effort.
JS Riddle
/ April 15, 2013I like your analogy of digging underneath.
I went to Smashwords for the exact purpose. Of course I went to KDP also, refusing select. I have no extra $ for Lightningpress so there we go. I like was Smashwords does, all its formats. I can’t wait to see their updated website and overhaul they are promising. It might make it easier to navigate and not intimidate people who want to specifically visit it.
Charles Yallowitz
/ April 15, 2013I refused select too because I didn’t think it was worth giving up the other eBook readers. I didn’t know about the Smashwords update since I haven’t sold anything through them. I try, but all my friends with a non-Kindle reader got their Smashwords copies during a free eBook week I signed up for. Figures. 😉
JS Riddle
/ April 15, 2013I check out Smashwords blog every now and then and Coker pretty much gave his objective for the next year or so and the website is a high priority from what I understand. I had quite a few requests for people anti-kindle also, so I obviously wanted to stick my book anywhere I could. After much thought and originally not doing a paperback for the first of a series, I did buckle to do a paperback, which honestly does feel good in the hands. Brick and Mortar and Ind. Bookstores (as small as they are around here) won’t take them though. Once again, the stigma and non-return of books even if I agree to take them back personally. So I suppose I might have to use Lightning Source for that just to get into the big stores. Thank you Amazon for peeving people off enough to not really want to do business with you.
Charles Yallowitz
/ April 15, 2013I have a lot of friends with Nooks and Ipads, which led me to Smashwords. The Createspace/Amazon combo helped with the paperback, but I had to make mine 8.5 x 11 to keep it at $10. Odd size, but it keeps the price reasonable.
Actually, bookstores not taking independent/self-published authors is older than Kindle publishing. Back in 2006, I published with iUniverse, which is Print-On-Demand. I went to the local bookstores and none of them would touch me. It was the non-return policy that killed me back then. They can’t give the books back because of inventory checks and all this other pain. That’s why I didn’t even bother going to them this time around.