Words by Sofia Brizio
Self-publishing is the publication of a book by its author without the involvement of a traditional, established publisher. It is a phenomenon that has become increasingly popular in recent years, but why is it so? Where does it come from? What makes self-publishing an often more viable option than traditional publishing and what does it mean for the future of traditional publishers?
The three main enablers of self-publishing are all linked to technological advancement: the rise of the ebook, Amazon, and social media. Firstly, the rise of the e-book means that virtually anyone can be an author. Writers can decide to create a simple PDF or epub with their work and circulate it on the web for free to test the potential. Alternatively, Amazon offers a self-publishing platform called CreateSpace, which allows you to effortlessly publish ebooks or print edition for free directly on Amazon, without the hassle of setting up a publishing business or dealing with distributors and with the potential to reach millions of readers. Social media also play a key role in the process of self-publishing, as they are the main tool for promotion and the primary way in which self-published authors attract readers.
But the biggest advantage of self-publishing is creative freedom, which is the reason why many successful self-published authors who end up signing contracts with major publishers decide to go back to DIY. As self-published writer G.P. Taylor said in an interview, ÔÇ£WhatÔÇÖs the point of going to a publisher for them to cream off the profit? You can put an ebook up in a week.ÔÇØ Thriller novelist Barry Eisler echoed the same thought: ÔÇ£Amazon offered me the best of both worlds, legacy and indie. The advance and marketing muscle you (might) get in a legacy contract; the kind of digital royalties, creative control, and time-to-market you get with indieÔÇØ.
ThereÔÇÖs no denying that the competitive advantages of self-publishing as authors and readers alike have the potential to upstage traditional publishers. Digital technologies have broken the traditional publishersÔÇÖ monopoly on paper distribution. The biggest editorial groups are now struggling to keep up with emerging trends and to keep writers coming as they aim to maintain the primacy of paper by releasing overpriced ebooks and offer punitive creative and financial terms to authors. Sure, self-publishing still requires a significant amount of work and isnÔÇÖt a goldmine: a survey revealed that more than half of DIY writers make less than ┬ú300 in book sales. But itÔÇÖs still one chance to break into a sector that, more often than not, is otherwise just a merry-go-round of rejections.
Yet there is still an enormous amount of stigma attached to self-publishing, whose detractors argue that DIY authors are just ÔÇÿnot good enoughÔÇÖ for a legacy publisher and therefore that the only product of self-publishing is low-quality literature. When most people think of self-publishing, they think of E.L. James, best-selling author of Fifty Shades of Grey, which, while successful, admittedly isnÔÇÖt the finest piece of literature out there. But letÔÇÖs not forget that mesmerising novels the likes of Still Alice by Lisa Genova were also the product of self-publishing. This is to say, there are good books and bad books regardless of whether they are published traditionally or not. The difference is that traditional publishing is an elitist sector that mainly serves a white, middle-class, heterosexual, able-bodied readership, while in self-publishing, thereÔÇÖs no gatekeeping.
In other words, self-publishing is based on democracy rather than meritocracy, and while this isnÔÇÖt always a good thing, it allows precious underrepresented voices, who would otherwise remain unheard, to emerge. It allows us to write past the barriers and bring to light the stories that people really want. Readers want diverse stories, but publishers have been slow to catch up. Earlier this year, I got the chance to interview the managing director of Inspired Quill, an independent publisher aiming to bring more inclusivity to the sector and to fill the gap left by mainstream publishers around minorities. She said: ÔÇ£I actually think self-publishing is a great idea, and I get a lot of dirty looks from other people in the industry, but for certain authors, it works much betterÔÇØ. If even a publisher says it, there must be some truth in it.
Love it or hate it, self-publishing is here to stay. A variety of authors collectives are emerging online with the aim to discover self-published hidden gems and get them the attention they deserve without going through a traditional publisher. Not to be confused with an attempt at further gatekeeping, this allows readers of DIY novels to be sure they are getting their moneyÔÇÖs worth. If anything, this signals a will to professionalise and redeem self-publishing, as its continuing rise is a clear sign that legacy publishers need to do better and reinvent themselves to put out stories that matter.