Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
Well, that works out just swell... when you're a writer who already has a reputation. 
I won't say that working with a publisher is the only way to build a reputation, but so far the biggest successes of Internet-based self-promotion are things like Chocolate Rain and the Tron Guy.  I.e. I expect that in the future, building and managing a truly national or international following is still going to require resources (finances, skills, networking, PR, marketing, etc) far beyond the ken of most individual creators.
In addition, some type of filtration is always going to be required. Self-published works are, for better or worse, an undifferentiated seething mass of works that takes tremendous effort to wade through. Again this does not need to exclusively lie in the hands of the publishers, but they do have more experience and fewer conflicts of interest with this task than, say, retailers.
As to the idea that "publishers want control," that's sort of like saying "dogs want food."  Everyone in the process wants control over numerous aspects -- publishers, retailers, authors, distributors, critics and readers. That's just a given; i.e. there is nothing wrong with maneuvers to gain control, as long as they are basically done legally and honor the existing rights. E.g. to me, pirating a book because it's out in hardcover but not an ebook isn't a legit protest, because it hurts not only the publishers, but also the retailers and, most importantly, the author. Or a retailer can slash ebook prices to pressure publishers to permanently lower ebook wholesale pricing, but can't legitimately withhold payments in order to force the same change. |
I think what you're describing there is the goal of 'what used to be' for many writers. The big marketing campaigns, the sales, the reputation that comes from having sold. Who's to say that those are the goals of the writer going ahead? What if you strip out the idea of sales and marketing altogether? What if the writer, knowing what he knows of the economic situation in publishing, knowing that he can't make nice-nice with an audience and spew a lot of marketing bullshit, no longer has set his course for the land of money, fame and recognition?
I'll be honest right now, as a writer what I wanted two years ago is nowhere near what I want today, or what I know I can achieve. Two years ago my plans were roughly in the ballpark of 'get noticed' 'get published' 'get lots of lolly'. Now I don't want any of those things. Through the process of the first - 'get noticed' - I learned that writing itself is the goal, it is the destination and I've already arrived. I seek no recognition or security from my writing, only adventure and possibly an honest response from time to time. I know that I'd (and by extension any new writer) would need 10,0000 dedicated readers to make a living wage, and I also know that isn't going to happen for me. I'd have to give up everything I've gained over the last two years, a lot of my freedoms to get to the point where I could make a living. And, well, the writing is worth more than that to me. I'd guess a lot of writers are going to have the same experiences over the coming years.
Adjust your sails, the water's getting choppy and there's a storm brewing on the horizon.