On my return from Darwin, I sat in the airport and talked to another musician. He didn't currently have a band, having returned from Japan a few months ago, where he was teaching, but he had a plan to produce his own EP and do something with it. Nothing big, you understand, just a way to get back into things.
It got me thinking, once again, how much the publishing industry has created a language that pushes people away from self publishing. It is, when I think about it, somewhat impressive that an industry that has built itself upon words has developed a set of codes that continue a certain kind of publishing scheme to remain in dominance. You can see, in comics, and in music, how that language isn't there, though both industries have enough self published, badly produced, and just plain awful material to warrant the same language, but it seems to me that it is only in the publishing industry that it's so potent.
Still, that said, it's not as if there aren't people doing there thing, and avoiding that language. An example of it is Catherynne Valente (
catvalente), who just released This is My Letter to the World: The Omikuji Project Cycle One, using Lulu. In her release for it, she said, "I've chosen to publish this through Lulu, because this has always been a DIY project, and I was curious as to how the system would work for me. (I'll be posting about the process soon.) Though the anthology will be available on Amazon soon, it is currently only available through Lulu. Since there is no publisher per se, all the publicity will be through my blog and Twitter, so please do feel free to spread the link around. I have no idea if this will be a success or a failure--all I know is that it is done and I am terribly proud."
(crossposted)
It got me thinking, once again, how much the publishing industry has created a language that pushes people away from self publishing. It is, when I think about it, somewhat impressive that an industry that has built itself upon words has developed a set of codes that continue a certain kind of publishing scheme to remain in dominance. You can see, in comics, and in music, how that language isn't there, though both industries have enough self published, badly produced, and just plain awful material to warrant the same language, but it seems to me that it is only in the publishing industry that it's so potent.
Still, that said, it's not as if there aren't people doing there thing, and avoiding that language. An example of it is Catherynne Valente (
catvalente), who just released This is My Letter to the World: The Omikuji Project Cycle One, using Lulu. In her release for it, she said, "I've chosen to publish this through Lulu, because this has always been a DIY project, and I was curious as to how the system would work for me. (I'll be posting about the process soon.) Though the anthology will be available on Amazon soon, it is currently only available through Lulu. Since there is no publisher per se, all the publicity will be through my blog and Twitter, so please do feel free to spread the link around. I have no idea if this will be a success or a failure--all I know is that it is done and I am terribly proud."(crossposted)
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Comments
Speaking as someone who's in contact with a lot of local musicians, some of which self release their material and others who have small label contracts, the actual fanbase really doesn't seem to care one way or another. No one wrinkles their nose at the latest CD from the hip hop group out of their neighborhood and says, "Wait, this was self published?" Instead they say, "He's get his CD in here! That's awesome!"
It seems to be only the musicians themselves who get excited when that label deal is struck. I also have not encountered any of the intra-business black painting, like one musician saying about another, "Yeah, it's cool his CD's out, but -- he did it all himself. How good could it be?"
i must admit, i have said the 'how good could it be' thing myself more than once. sometimes, within reason. maybe i ought to start looking round at others.
But that is cool that Valente self-published it.
The biggest drawback that I can see with self publishing something is that the vast majority of reviewers don't review self published material, and reviews are what generally sells books. Valente does have her own network though, so she might be able to overcome that.
I think self-publishing might work well if you have a book that you don't really care if it sells or not, but just want to do it your own way.
i always know its you when there's an anonymous comment quickly followed by a reply.
i do agree that a lot of the self publishing stuff doesn't look too great (no idea how valente's book looks, though, and i was in a lulu book once that was decent enough). but you're right about the networking being down and out for writers in comparison to musicians.