Publishing is changing. Duh! Anyone who has tried to get
published, self-published, read a literary magazine knows that, “
the times they are a changing.” And this has generated opinions. Lots of opinions. On
everything from self-published quality to the viability of seeking a
traditional publisher, you can find plenty willing to pontificate on the
subject. In fact,
here is a really good one on the subject from James Scott
Bell. Contracts, cover art, content editing, oh my! Right?
The thing about turbulent, shifting situations is they open
up opportunities for those bold enough to jump on them. Once upon a time the
indie publisher was the red-headed step child of the publishing world, with
self-published works as little more than orphans. But those children have grown
up, and have done so in a world where technology continues to favor their
growth and movement. This is shaking old foundations. Xychler Publishing, the
imprint of Hamilton Springs Press that published
Mechanized Masterpieces in April of this year and
will be publishing
The Accidental Apprentice in 2014(yes both of those titles
have my name on them), is one such upstart.
You can read about their start here. And if you read the first article link, then you can imagine what someone
like James Scott Bell would have to say about it.
The long and short of it is, I only have my own experience
on which to draw, so I can tell you what it’s been like for me (so far), and
that’s it.
After I submitted my short story for the Steampunk
competition that became the
Mechanized Masterpieces Anthology, I got attention.
Lots of attention. Not from the public, please; no one even knew my name. No I got attention from my editors. There were meetings and schedules set almost right away. I
got all kinds of feedback and then was asked to assess my own work. No joke.
For those that have seen the cover it is gorgeous and an original piece of art
rather than some cobbled together bits of stock photos. There was a launch
party and as much advertising and marketing as could be mustered by such a
small enterprise. It proved itself legit. I developed relationships with the
people on the other side of monitor. From those relationships and the fact that
my editors are easily impressed, the chance to build something I had been
tinkering with from the ground up took shape. This. Was. HUGE!
I have no desire
whatsoever to learn how to format an ebook, or design a cover, market beyond my
own posts and tweets. All that jazz isn’t what I’m good at and would overwhelm
me. Those that have the stuff to self-publish have my utmost respect. Xchyler
gave me all those things, in addition to content and line editing that made my
story so much better. I got all the services of a major publisher without
having to jump through nearly as many hoops. And those services, since I don’t
want ot do them myself, would have cost me money. Several hundred dollars for
anything of quality, certainly. Of course there are trade-offs: visibility, promotional
networks, the public library refusing to purchase a copy because they can’t get
your book from a “contracted vendor.” Them’s the breaks.
Stories like mine tend to be the Cinderella exception that
makes sites like
Predators and Editors necessary. But for those of us looking
for a place from which to sprout, I think the nourishing soil of a good indie
publisher might be a better fit than the mass production fields of “big
publishing.” What the market will look like five or ten years from now? Perhaps a rows of smaller gardens, more lovingly and diligently tended than some of those mass fields of the past? Something In(die)between?