Quote:
Originally Posted by Atunah
Not sure what that is even suppose to mean.
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It means literally what I said: publishers are less valuable to people who are open to reading any book that catches their eye, regardless of its source.
It is understood that some people, for reasons valid to them, refuse to consider indie titles at all. Obviously, the BPHs will be more valuable to them.
Do remember my baseline position that readers should be free to read whatever they choose. I certainly don't care what others read or think.
I do care when anything not blessed by a traditional contract is dismissed as inferior crap, sight unseen.
It is very different to say "All the selfpubbed titles I sampled were unedited crap" as opposed to "all self-pubbed titles are unedited crap".
The former reflects one person's reported experience and is at least theoretically possible. The latter is something no living person can possibly attest to: there are over a million selfpubbed titles out there and a large portion of them come from previously tradpubbed authors (some of which still are tradpubbed) and a good portion of their titles are rights-reverted tradpub titles.
"All indie titles are unedited crap" is thus a documented falsehood.
"A lot of indie titles are unedited crap" is literally true but then so is "A lot of tradpub titles are unedited crap". Both are documented. Bringing up the former without the latter is at best disingenuous. (Note that I avoid the s-word.
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It is important to drive home that indie publishing is not a different and inherently inferior writing process but rather an alternate *distribution* channel. No more, no less.
That is the whole point of the smiley curve articles linked above.
Traditional publishing is no longer the only game in town. (just ask J.K. Rowling of Pottermore fame.) And because there are alternatives, the value of their services is lower. It is no different than a one restaurant town getting a second restaurant; the value of the first declines to anybody willing to eat at the second. Of course, to those unwilling to sample the cooking at the new place, nothing has changed.
Readers can and should read whatever appeals to them and authors can and should bring their books to market however they choose to. However, zombie memes need to be buried so we can move on to the future.