Indie Authors Are Learning How To Act Like Publishers

There are a growing group of folks out there who believe in (and, are working toward) a situation where there doesn’t have to be anyone between the author and their readers—except a bit of highly sophisticated technology :-)

If you’ve been keeping up with the changes in publishing you might think that last statement should be bolder—something like—No writer needs anyone to help them publish—with maybe something else, like; and, make a million bucks.

There are a few writers who self-edit, create book covers, print their own paper editions and format their own e-books, plus build their own website to sell their wares.

Still, it takes a special kind of human being to do all that successfully.

And, ever since print-on-demand and e-book formatting programs came on the scene, there’s been an explosive growth in all types of services for aiding writers—a horde of people—most claiming some “secret” method—all wanting the writers money…

So, somewhere between the Olympian individuals who do it all alone and folks who hire a fleet of trained facilitators are the growing body of writers who do as much as they can by themselves then begin the potentially hazardous search for help.

There are many folks predicting what’s to come in the Self-publishing arena…

One set of predictions was in a book from Jeremy Greenfield—Manager of Editorial Content at  DigitalBookWorld.

Another set was from Mark Coker—Founder of Smashwords.

Today, I’m going to quote from an interview with Mark by Jeremy—which is sadly no longer on the Internet.

This is Mark’s response to a question of Jerry’s:

“The biggest challenge is self-restraint. Publishing tools, like Smashwords make it fast, free and easy for any writer anywhere in the world to publish. But we don’t make it easy to write a great book. Many writers, intoxicated by the freedom to self-publish, will often release their book before it’s ready to be released.”

If you’re a writer looking to by-pass traditional publishing and want some guidance, do read Mark’s valuable book…

To help you decide to take the time to read it, here’s one key section:

““Write a great book” might strike you as common sense, but it’s the most common mistake authors make. Some indie authors – intoxicated by the freedom to self-publish –rush their book to market before it’s ready to be seen by readers. Is your book ready? By considering this difficult question, you’ll find the path to a better book revealed. With the power to publish comes the responsibility to emulate the best practices of the most professional authors and publishers.

“If your book is poorly-conceived or poorly-edited, readers will reject it. If you write a great book that satisfies readers, they will reward you with their word of mouth. Honor your readers with a great read. Readers value their time more than the money in their wallet or purse. Book marketing has always been a word of mouth business. Your readers will market your book for you if the book touches their soul, or inspires mad passion./strong>

Here’s hoping you read the rest and come back to let us know what you think in our Comments :-)
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