Features

Today can’t go by without mentioning the inauguration of Barack Obama.  I can think of no better metaphor for what’s happening than the landing of the plane in the Hudson last week.  George Bush’s presidency was marked by the nightmare of 9-11.  Last week, a plane landed safely in Manhattan – bookending Bush’s presidency.  Hopefully Obama can take the mess Bush has left to a safe landing.

I don’t think it’s any accident that the publishing industry became so money-centered during the last decade.  Really, the thing that affected the housing industry and the bank collapses was the result of […]

In a strange way, self-published books are held to a higher standard than traditionally published books. Here’s what happens: a reviewer or reader receives a book and is informed that it’s self-published. The reader then reads the book looking for clues about why the book was self-published. And when you’re looking for something to criticize, you’re going to find it.

By all means, there are self-published books that should never see the light of day. But the same can be said for some traditionally published books as well. I’m not a great fan of writers like John Grisham or Dean […]

This link is making the rounds in the self-publishing blogosphere. It contains a long list of quotes that are alternately heartening and maddening.

The heartening includes:

Self published books are a positive step towards allowing talented writers with little resources to print and market their own talents and we encourage writers from all publishers to submit their work. As an independent publication we enjoy seeking out local and independent self-published books.

Lynette Rowland, Executive Editor, Midwest Parenting Publications

To the disheartening:

If it’s not good enough to be real-published, it’s not good enough to be published at all. Most self-published

Running a site devoted to self-publishing, for however short a period, I’ve gotten a quick sense into some of the mistakes self-publishers make when sending out a book. I don’t want to single anyone out here by linking to anyone, but I wanted to point these things out. It occurs to me as well that scathingly attacking a self-published writer makes little sense. After all, the writer is self-releasing the book at his or her own expense, and will struggle to find readers. Why bother attacking someone who’s already struggling to be read? That said, I wanted to point some […]

Darryl Sloan, author of the novel, Chion – soon to be reviewed by the Self-Publishing Review – has some interesting thoughts about self-publishing. It is in line with the basic manifesto of the Self-Publishing Review: the fact that the ill-conceived books have come to represent self-publishing on the whole. And given the fact that it’s so hard to get the stamp of approval from the publishing industry that there no shame whatsoever in being self-published. The idea is to find readers and there’s great value in finding readers no matter how a book is released. I know from my own […]

There’s a phenomenon particular to the arts, where people don’t realize their degree of talent.  Call this the American Idol phenomenon.  On the first few shows of American Idol, people gawk and laugh at the contestants who have so little clue how little talent they actually have.  Self-publishing is full of the same types of writers.  (Note: this is not in reference to anyone who has contacted the site, so don’t be worried).

Because self-publishing has no filter, there is some stuff that gets released that should never see the light of day.  Really, there’s some stuff that gets released […]

The simple truth is that the quality of most self-published books is terrible.  And unfortunately this fact is bringing down the entire culture around self-publishing, as people don’t trust a self-published book is any good.  At the same time, you can find people reading a book and saying, “I can’t believe this is self-published,” both happy to have discovered something new and lamenting the fact that so many prospective writers have to resort to self-publishing when ignored by traditional publishers.

Getting published is enormously difficult – mainstream publishers aren’t very adventurous and choose “marketable” books, and small presses – which […]