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I want to add something to the discussion which states that self-publishing is a business decision. April Hamilton ends her post Not Your Father’s Self-Publishing with:

And given that self-published authors have access to the same distribution channels, quality production methods, marketing and promotion methods, and audiences as their mainstream-published peers, it should be very clear by now that the choice of whether or not to self-publish is, to quote Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, a business decision. Period.

I would make the argument – as others have in the comments – that traditional distribution is superior to self-published distribution. Even if […]

This is a continuation of the post On the Cusp of a Shot at a Dream—but how bad do I want it? by an anonymous self-published author.

I used to be worried I would never land an agent. Without an agent, I was an unpublished “nobody” among nobodies hoping to be somebody, but knowing that without an agent, the chances were slim. I thought, “If I just get an agent, all of my troubles will be over!” We would talk on the phone and meet up for spiked coffees. We would discuss my literary prowess and the agent’s brilliance. All […]

I want to add a final word to this debate, even if I’m getting sick of it, as the debate about self-publishing vs. vanity publishing seems to be one that won’t die. I’ve got into plenty of discussions about it on Twitter, with people very vehement about separating self-publishing and vanity publishing through a pay service like AuthorHouse or iUniverse. Me, I see no difference. They’re both a method to self-release your work.

But people list these things as being decisive about calling something vanity publishing:

• You don’t control your rights
• You don’t control book cover design
• You don’t control

The Borders chain has been in trouble for quite awhile, and now it seems that all of their 45 stores in the United Kingdom will close. 200 Borders stores in the USA will also close. This used to be a great place to do book signings and readings and otherwise promote a new book, but no more. Creditors, led by Ingram, have forbidden such activities or even single copy orders except online. Barnes & Noble is also closing some of their smaller outlets under other trade names. Waldenbooks will disappear. As for independents, they have been closing when not acquired […]

One thing that is lost in the self-publishing/traditional publishing debate is just how hard it is to sell any kind of book.  It’s as if pointing out that it’s difficult to sell self-published books, it implies it’s easy to sell traditionally-published books.  It’s not – it’s hard to sell everything.  One of the criticisms of self-publishing is people saying, “But self-publishers need to market all the time! When is there time to write???”  Unless you’re Dan Brown, or some other high-profile writer, most writers have to spend a whole lot of time marketing.

This could be an argument against self-publishing: […]

One of the major things revealed by the Harlequin self-publishing debacle is how much of a stigma about self-publishing still lingers. Some would say that it’s not self-publishing that’s the problem, but vanity publishing – the subsidy houses that charge too much for too little. But in much of the dialog about the controversy, self-publishing was talked about as a single entity: as if a writer is ever shelling out any amount of money to publish, this is an illegitimate road. Nora Roberts chimed in with “When a big brand publisher uses its name and its resources to sell this […]

Recently, Harlequin announced a number of related initiatives (a self-publishing imprint, editorial and marketing services, and an e-pub branch), and the criticism they received for it was at some points withering. Accusations ranged from cashing in on their slush pile to exploiting naïve authors to flooding the market with titles to diluting their brand value.

It reminds me of the old exchange:

Q: “How can you tell a true pioneer?”

A: “They have arrows sticking out their back and their front.”

At the same time, the field I work in (scientific publishing) is experimenting with a phenomenon called “author-pays […]