Stale Fruitcake, Princess Coaches & Fake Buffalos
Why Self-Publishing Isn't for The Weak in Spirit
There are conversations, debates, rants, rumors of wars and gnashing of teeth regarding the teaming of both Thomas Nelson[Westbow Press] and Harlequin[Horizons]with Writers Warned Self-pub Goliath Author Solutions. And then there are those like me, who think this whole brouhaha is a load of stale fruitcake.It doesn't take a genius to know that most self-pub books have poor distribution, poor book craftsmanship, even poorer content, and are priced too high for the current marketplace. It doesn't take a idiot to know that most traditional books are outdated before they hit the marketplace, because the turnaround time is too long now. So it doesn't take three wise men for us to see that publishing has changed and must.
The way we receive, store, search for, pay, and get paid for content has changed forever. Books, magazines, and newspapers aren't our only means to receive information. But they are the only places where this content isn't free and can't be downloaded to our smart-phones in seconds.
Like coaches and carriages print publications --published and self-published-- will very soon be overpriced products that will only service readers on a souvenir basis (i.e. novelized books.) We rent coaches for weddings,special occasions, and trips through Central Park or Downtown, but we don't use them to pick up our kids in the school carpool lane or even to escort our children to prom.
So why are we harping over a fake buffalo or pretty --albeit outdated--princess carriage?
