The Philosophy of Indie Publishing – Introduction

Indie (Independent) publishing is becoming more popular every day. As someone concerned with the best way to publish my book once it is complete, I’ve read every book, listened to every podcast, watched every video, and read every blog post I could get my paws on within the last few years. Throughout this time I have developed my own take on where I think things are heading for the book publishing industry and why some publishing models will, in the long run, be better for both the author and consumer.

Technology has given authors the means to bypass the traditional route. The Internet is a game changer – and it is an exciting one for writers. Even though the industry is changing, and the stigma of “self” or “indie” publishing is diminishing day by day…there still is a lingering  group of people vying for the traditional route. Holding on dearly to the dream of having their book on a physical bookshelf for a limited time within brick and mortar shops. Shops that are getting scarcer by the day as more and more people buy ereaders and consider the convenience of online shopping.

My “Philosophy of Indie Publishing” blog posts will address various aspects of indie publishing (vs. traditional publishing).

Some questions that may be pondered and addressed are:

• What are some of the pros and cons?
• Why will the consumer be benefitted with Indie?
• What does it mean that the author holds all of the rights to their book?
• Does the author have to do more work because they have to do all of their own marketing?
• How has the Internet changed the way people can bring their book to people?
• What does indie publishing mean for time frames to publish?
• How do we get around the issue of quality control if anyone can publish a poorly written book?
• Who will determine the quality of a book if not some traditional gatekeeper?
• How will indie publishing help with education?
• How does it support freedom of speech?
•  What does it mean that people can display their ideas and concepts with the only gatekeeper being the reader, rather than a small group of people who say “no”?
• Are ebooks the future of reading?
• Why will indie publishing be important for philosophers and the expansion of ideas?
• What are some future possibilities for ereaders?
• What of formatting and cover art?
• How is indie publishing a better model for the environment?

…and a whole lot more.

This is the first of a series of blog posts on this topic that I plan to write.  Each post beginning with the title “The Philosophy of Indie Publishing – X” (X being the specific topic) will address specific questions or points about indie publishing. On the right hand side these posts can be filtered by clicking the “Publishing” category. Stay tuned!

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moonfairy

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‘Trick

Next Philosophy of Indie Publishing Post –>

10 Reasons I’m Considering Indie Publishing

While writing my book Breaking the Free Will Illusion for the Betterment of Humankind I though long and hard about how I want to publish it. At first I figured I would take the traditional publishing route. As I began researching the different publishing routes and the direction they are heading, that mindset has changed. I researched every site, podcast, and video I could find. I’ve read every book I could get my hands on. Here are 10 reasons why I am leaning toward the Indie Publishing route:

1 ) I don’t want to give up creative control. This by far is the most important reason to consider indie publishing. I desire control over the way my book looks and how it informs. I want to illustrate the book myself. I want to create the cover myself. I do not want someone to tell me I have no say over what the cover of my book looks like. I have seen way too many covers for philosophical books from conventional publishers that look horrible. I want creative control over all of the content in the book.

2 ) I want control over the pricing of my book. I do not want a publisher to price my book in an unaffordable range. I want my book to be cost accessible to all people. I also firmly believe that the ebook version should cost much less that the paperback. Though I think my books content very valuable, I would rather charge lower prices for more readership. I want control over this balancing act.

3 ) Ebooks are becoming popular. Ebook readers such as the Kindle and Nook are becoming more popular each day resulting in more online purchases rather that physical bookstore purchases. Certainly ebooks have not taken over as of yet, but I see this happening in the near future. I work in the technology industry and have the ability to format my book for various ebook readers.

4 ) Technologies are making it easier to indie publish.  Print on demand is now a viable way for people to sell hardcopies of their book. More importantly, they only get printed when purchased, meaning less trees are killed. An environmentally conscious decision. My book may not be on a physical bookshelf, but many traditionally published books are hidden in the back or have a very short shelf life in bookstores anyway.

5 ) The publishing industry is changing quickly. People are beginning to buy books based on reader reviews, rather than if a large publishing company decides to take it on. If a book is good, the reviews will be good, and more people will read it. If it is not so good, the reviews will be poor, and it will not sell well. This is a better way to disseminate the quality of a book rather than if a few people in a large corporation think a book worthy. The movie and music industry is already taking this approach.

6 ) I want to own my work. I want control over the rights of my book. I want to be able to sell my book where I want and how I want. If I want to give my book away, even if for a promotional time period, I want the right to do that at anytime. I don’t want a publishing company to decide when to take my book out of print.

7 ) Others are making it as indie publishers. There is evidence that self publishing can and does work for many. A few are making more than most traditional publishers. See Amanda Hocking for an example of a fiction writer who made it big indie publishing ebooks. Traditional publishing does not mean your book will make it. In fact, you need to do much of the marketing yourself taking the traditional route now-a-days, with less profit, selling a higher priced book.

8 ) I want to put out the book when I am done with it. The process of obtaining an agent, and then a publisher can take a year or longer, and the process can take a year or two after that until it is finally published. This is all time in which my book can be out and I could be building readership for it.

9 ) Indie publishing is losing the negative stigma it once had. Mindsets are changing, and indie publishing is being equated with indie films and indie music. The Internet has brought forth a new dynamic for people to disseminate a quality product from a poor one, and that dynamic is only getting better.

10 ) I want the ability to create a new edition easily. Having control over the book means that if there is new information that I think the book could use, I can create an updated edition and have that information available quickly and easily. This is especially important for philosophical books.

Those are reasons why I am seriously considering the indie publishing route. I know there are good reasons to take the traditional route. At this point in time the larger percentage of books are still being sold in brick and mortar bookstores. This I believe is changing rapidly given ebook readers. I also understand that a traditional publisher has distribution channels that are not easily accessible to the indie publisher. They also assist with editing, design, and marketing, – things that the indie publisher has to take care of on their own. These are definitely things that need to be taken into consideration.

I could change my mind. Maybe a future post will be 10 Reasons I’m Considering Traditional Publishing. At this point I am not seeing that happen.

Let me know what you think. What is the future of book publishing?