I’ve had a lot on my mind lately that I haven’t been able to untangle, much less unpack on an issue-by-issue basis. What are they?
1. The election
2. Prop 8 in California
3. “Black October” in publishing
4. Independent publishing
5. Agents and editors (the “Gatekeepers”)
6. Mormon writers/Mormon literature
But a couple of posts on Nathan Bransford’s blog yesterday sorted at least one issue out for me, which is my firm belief that whether or not independent publishing becomes as accepted independent filmmaking and independent music making, it was the right choice for me. And I’m going to come back to that Espresso Book Machine thing because it’s tres important.
Which leads me to a post Mike Cane made recently about self-pubbing and an author’s inability to do it all, yet tries because he wants to save money. He’s right overall, but I learned long ago that creative types in one discipline are drawn to other disciplines and have the ability to do those well, too. What they are, though…that I can’t say. So that’s going to be my jumping off point for today’s Jack Handey.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Heh. I commented over on Nate’s blog before I came here, and you and I both being business owners agreed on where it’s all hitting the shitter. (I clicked your links and found your comments.) *shrugs* If they actually DO something about returns, then good for them, but I doubt they will.
Keep it small and keep it all.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:25 am
You know, there may be something to that being business owners in different businesses to give you perspective on this.
If your sole experience in being a business owner is being an independent contracted author, then this normal. Nobody else who supplies retail shops with merchandise would get how publishing distribution works–or why people put up with it.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Agreed.