My Guest this week is writer C. N. James. When C.N. isn't to be found crouching behind oversized coffee mugs, teaching Writing at College or plucking guitar strings, he can be found producing sterling Sci-Fi. Today he brings us a fresh look at the current state of the publishing world:
C.N. James
Are Independent Authors the New Publishing
Paradigm?
In music and movies, it’s always hipper to
be indie. It means you have met success without a corporate blessing. It’s the
spirit of individualism made manifest. Being indie allows us the freedom to
explore, to push boundaries, to not have to worry about whether or not we are
addressing a wide enough, all-encompassing audience. Being indie means that in order to succeed
you have to be original, innovative, cutting edge, and at times, controversial.
And finally, that same reputation is moving
into the world of publishing. Sadly, this new reputation is still too new to
cause massive sales, but indie books are finally gaining respect. With people
like Amanda Hocking, Amy Joy, Blake Northcott, and E. L. James seeing
respectable sales figures, the old-school publishing industry is taking notice.
The independent and self-publishing worlds are now seen as a proving ground,
not competition. We are the minor
leagues of publishing; some of us will be called up to majors, but not all. But
the question is: do we want to?
The publishing companies do next to nothing
to market your book; it’s still up to you. The books stores only have so much
shelf space, so if you aren’t an immediate success, it doesn’t matter how
awesome your book is, its shelf-life is about as long as fresh fruit. And let’s
not forget how long it takes for them to release your work. You may be waiting
years to see your book finally hit the shelves and an even longer time before
you see any money from it.
Despite this, do we still need that
validation, that corporate blessing? I think that it really depends on your
goals. Everyone wants validation or appreciation for what they do. No one wants
to be seen as unimportant. Because of
this, I’d imagine most indie authors would jump at the chance to sign a contract
with a major publishing company. And yet, you really have to ask yourself: is
it really in your best interest? If you are already a best-seller, how much
more validation do you need?
What if indie became the new publishing
paradigm? After all, it allows us to find our audience, publish when the book
is ready, and make it available to anyone with internet access. Along with
that, the indie reputation is going to continue to improve. Unfortunately,
there will always be, as one author put it: “karaoke of literature,” but time
will help filter out those who don’t live up to the indie label. Those that get
frustrated will give up, leaving the most dedicated, the most creative, the
most passionate left to push the publishing industry into a new golden age.
Bio:
CN James is the co-founder of The Indie Writer’s Network and author of
the thriller 'Bone
Machine', a second round finalist for the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel
Award, and several short stories including The Dark Room,
which won honorable mention in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing
Competition for genre short story.
He holds a Master’s Degree in English
Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music (Jazz Guitar) and is currently at
work on his second novel, The Armageddon Factor and a guitar method book, both
of which will be available in early 2013.
Eric @ www.ericjgates.com
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