Rochester Writers Association

Victoria Strauss (agent and blogger) offers a blog on independent publishing as an arm of a regular publisher house.  You can find it at http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2009/10/thomas-nelson-adds-self-publishing.html.

Strauss' blog Writer Beware provides a heads up for writers who can easily be scammed if they don't check their publishers or agents carefully.  In this case she is bringing our attention to a relatively new independent publishing service offered by a well known Christian publisher Thomas Nelson.  The info is relevant to more that that firm, however.

Expecting to monetize rejected manuscripts publishers are starting to offer independent imprints on books with a promise to monitor the best sellers under that imprint as possible titles to take commercial when/if they succeed.  The article about this possibility which Strauss cites is from the Wall Street Journal.  Several people in the publishing industry expect this to be a new trend as print publishing struggles with the electronic competition and the high costs of their business as traditionally conducted.

The other point she makes is to remind us that many of  the indie imprints are  designed, printed, and distributed by Author Solutions including AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris, and WordClay. Author Solutions then has a corner on the indie market.  What looks like competing indie brands is not.

People in the traditional publishing houses and agent firms are highly critical of Author Solutions and warn against self publishing in general.    Some like Nathan Bransford are starting to admit the electronic media and the entrance of Amazon into the fray changes the playing field enough so self publishing may get another look from reputable artists.  In the music world, independent studios have allowed bands to produce distribute and market their own works quite well.  There is no superior sniff of disapproval that goes with the territory in music as there has been in fiction publishing. 

For me, the jury is still out.  I've read 3 books published independently by friends or acquaintences in the last month or so.  Sadly, I have to agree with the agent (can't remember which one) who said the books published independently have to be, because they aren't very good.   Would the authors have done a better job with more advice and editing?  I suspect so.  They are creative and well educated people.  One was an English teacher, which proves that one can know and teach the structure of good writing, but creating a convincing plot with appropriate rise fall and climax is another thing entirely!