I was forwarded an article, that I can't believe I missed, by an alert reader. This article, Self-Published Book Success Stories by Heidi Mitchell relates several different stories, of varying success from authors who have had to find routes outside of the traditional publishing model.
The most prescient passage is this:
Readers don't miss a traditional publishing house, says Ann McIndoo, who runs an author-coaching business. "The author or the topic or the brand drives the sale. When you go to the bookstore, you want Stephen King or a book on How To Knit. It doesn't matter who published it."
I have been trying to find a way to express that sentiment for years. I think publishers are like airlines. Why do they take themselves so seriously. They're broker's . . . middlemen . . . a service person or bus boy . . . they take things from the client to the producer. They are neither.
Nevertheless, the article is worthwhile to anyone who is stuck in the publishing process. Some great stuff just like the posts I have written here, or the one about Hugh Howey and Wool, here, or the article (the great article if you want success stories), here.
Every now and then some success stories are needed. It let's you know that one is on the right track. These do that too.
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