Sorry for the lag-time in these blog posts, life and career (teaching and work for hire gigs) got in the way the last few days. As a refresher to bring folks back to the matter at hand: I blogged last week about the changes in publishing, my goals and dreams as a writer, and an experiment I was considering about self-publishing "of a kind".
I then cited two examples of talented, PROVEN writers still invested in the traditional process, who were also making headway with self-publishing efforts, too.
First I cited Phil Tomasso/Thomas Phillips, a proven suspense/crime-thriller author who's used digital self-publishing to bring back his out of print titles, though he's still continuing to move forward in the realm of traditional, print publishing.
Then I referenced Mike Duran's example, another proven, debut novelist from a traditional mid-list house who self-published his novella Winterland because - as a novella - it didn't fit into the CBA's (Christian Bookseller Association) paradigm, it was a much different genre than he normally writes in, and the self-determination of releasing the work when HE wanted to - right between traditionally published novels (his next due 2012) - allowed him to keep some forward momentum while waiting for his new traditionally published release.
My third and last example is Richard Wright, another proven writer and fellow Hiram Grange scribe. His short fiction has found its way into numerous collections, not the least of which is the Stoker Nominated collection Dark Faith. He's been blurbed by Brian Keene, and though he still labors forth in the realm of traditional publishing, he's self-published a novel, Cuckoo.
Richard and I share similar feelings about the advent of digital epublishing, Kindle/Nook, and these turbulent times in publishing. There are clear disadvantages for new writers, and the advantages are murky, hazy, unformed at best. He fleshes out his feelings about the changes in the industry in the following posts: The Wolf at the Door, Why Publishers?, Brand New Day. All in all, I think the biggest thing Richard and I share is the following sentiment concerning today's publishing scheme:
"There are, after all, so many ways to get it wrong now, and no sure ways to get it right."
In any case, Richard is going about it in as right a way as I can possibly imagine. Like Phil Tomasso, Cuckoo is a re-release of a previously published work that had an abortive "shelf-life". Now that Richard has moved up a bit in the game, gathered some followers, he decided to self-publish/re-release Cuckoo for his new fans, some ten years after its original publication, albeit with updates and a rewrite or two.
And also, while he accepts that the old model of publishing is dying, he doesn't meet this new future with the hand-rubbing glee of someone who senses his time is coming not because he's honed his talent, put in his time, suffered and "bled" for his art, but because the establishment is collapsing, he views the future openly, honestly...and warily.
Because above all, Richard is a talented writer committed to quality craft, who also understands very keenly that with these new revolutions, SOMETHING must...and WILL...change between the author and the publisher. We just don't know what those changes will be, yet, or if they will be advantageous to writers, especially newer ones.
So.
Where does that leave me? Especially concerning my experiment? Well, something has transpired behind the scenes - something REALLY good - that has stayed my hand, put off the experiment for awhile. But tomorrow or the next day, I'll share how I feel about the issue, and what I almost planned to do about it.
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